Lobbying will never work for ALPA when their political opponents are larger and funded to the hilt. Even if ALPA had 100% participation for the PAC, they still would be woefully underfunded.

That said, same goes for CAPA and DPA.

Only way ALPA would get noticed and leverage is an SOS. What do you save that for, cabotage, foreign ownership, baseball style arbitration, a pre clearance facility in the ME, what? What is going to be so important that the ultimate leverage will need to be used?

More importantly, will the leadership of ALPA have the gonads to back one up and will the membership have the rocks to unify and do it?

Not sure about the current leader. Seems way too political and interested in his next career move. Always has even when he was here.

Open to ideas if anyone has them vis a vis the career killer potential events that are on the radar.

FIIGMO, want to weigh in as you said, "ALPA is the best prepared to serve the pilots going forward." How so? TOGA LK, goes for you as well, and don't get into DPA v ALPA. We have already established that the DPA alone would have no effect on these major issues.

T, you were correct in your post as well about aligned interests. You went on to say, "If for no other reason, THIS is the reason that we need national unity with a voice that is heard. This is deregulation in the final phase... world deregulation... cabotage.... Chuck Shumer wants it. Barry Owebama wants it..."

How do you obtain that unity even within ALPA? Two majors out of three belong and a couple handfuls of regionals. What in your estimation can ALPA do to thwart the greatest threat you mention, cabotage?

Thanks, DAL 88 Driver. Very much appreciated.

No, not mind games. Just a screening process. All airlines have them, and most pilots have no idea what the screening process is designed to target. I don't even know for sure what Janus was screening for, but there is object evidence to support the thesis that one item he was screening for was a basic disbelief in unions. A well designed screening process can do this without ever asking the questions directly.

I know talking about the Delta culture is like touching the third rail in politics. Guys like you immediately swarm in to punish with name calling galore, the infidel that dares discuss the culture. It means nothing to me. I don't care about being accepted into your culture...especially if the price for membership is accepting a prohibition of discussion topics.

Carl

I'm not going to comment on the ALPA prez, but I agree 100% that lobbying is only a finger in the dike with a tsunami on the other side.

An SOS may be required. A joint a4a, all airline, controller SOS. Even then, have you looked at our politicians?

Great post. Straight to the heart of the matter.

Carl

BB, I'm working from the phone so I'll keep it short. I've actually never said or thought that about the schedulers. I'm on the 88--all the trips are the same for the most part if you're a commuter and on the bottom half if the bottom half. I just want weekends off. With limited off time, not much interest in hanging out in the DALPA offices learning the inside stuff. I think every member should be privy to how their union works. Off on leg 11 now. Cheers

With that logic, why should anybody ever get hurt playing football? Just give Alabama the trophy and call it good. Same thing

I wasn't dogging you Scambo. You just hit on THE reason why we need a national presence. And yes, I do not back the PAC, and that is a quandary I wrestle with more than you can imagine. You can certainly believe that CAPA and the other groups have as good a chance to stop the sand fleas from invading if you so choose. I have no such illusions.

Let me get this straight, you're now saying Janus and Delta used mind games to stack the deck with non strikers or anti union types ? T is right, you must truly wear a tinfoil hat. Think about what you are saying and then go back and compare contracts for the past 30 years and I'll bet you the DALPA contracts are at the top of the industry. You said you've been through 2 strikes and I really do respect you for that, however, we were able to get at least equal and most time better contracts than you got. Different companies and managements require different strategies. You and I both got to the same place through different paths but for you to cast dispersion on the way us southies got there is just wrong.
We have always had a 10% to 15% group that hated DALPA for real and imagined reasons and back before agency shop most of them were just cheap and they used their "reasons" as justification. Funny how the membership number changed after agency shop.


I must have snuck in then. Was on strike at UPS in the mid 70's , then hired on at Delta in the 80's. Delta knew my full employment history. Janus was more concerned about family life, my drinking habits, etc.

The no strike personality profile is flawed logic.

Read on young padawan.:eek: