Sweeet. I hope so. :cool:

Still curious about CRJ1000s. :D

Well, I wanted a good show.

I concur with the broader agreement. As for AMR/APA/AE, (not to be confused with the separate DL AE-APA debate :confused:) what flying did a judge mandate be outsourced? AMR wasn't in BK, so I assume you are talking about the inherited TWA/TSA contract flying. That was a unique situation since one way or the other a contract was going to get stepped on somewhere and it was limited to 50 seat RJ's anyway. Unless you were talking about something else, but that was all I could think of.

As for a separate regional union, first fo all we already have that (namely IBT for RAH and others, and non-union for SKYW and others) but even the ALPA ones have to participate in the exact same predatory bargaining or they themselves will starve. As for the all out war, the ONLY thing stopping all regional groups, regardless of union affiliation, from successfully bidding on 777 flying for DL, UAL, etc is the DL, UAL, etc's respective pilot scope clauses and nothing else. Plenty of ALPA regionals would catapult off the deck in full afterburner to make a bid for 777 flying on behalf of a major/legacy if said legacy gave permission to management to go shopping around.

As far as exclusivity being lost, I've noticed that concern voiced in a number of threads, usually involving RAH (but not always) but I'm not sure where people are getting the active ingredient for such concern. There is nothing RAH is doing that is any threat via outsourcing, codesharing or anything else over and above what is allowed within the DL/UAL/APA/etc PWA's, and I don't think there is a legacy/major PWA that would permit such schenanegans in any form, regardless of a given regional union's affiliation.

As for the role of ALPA in terms of cross-contract "quality control" for lack of a better term, I am all for that. Yet it is almost impossible to enforce. All ALPA can do is to withhold signature, yet all that does is either allow decertification to get around it and/or permits shopping to a non-ALPA provider. The Alpha and Omega of outsourcing is mainline pilot scope. ALPA has a huge role to play, but so does the APA and SWAPA, etc.

Again, I'm not suggesting that we disagree on this issue. I'm just emphasising what is obvious to many (including you and me) but not necessarilly to some. On the eve of a very significant number of retirements for a while, there will be massive pressure to further gut scope in exchange for a cookie even if times are good for us collectively. If times are bad we will face the same pressure but with double the excuse making.

There IS a role for ALPA to play WRT scope and contractual quality control. The "how to" is the kicker. Either way it has got to be A#1 on the list of priorities, far far far above the mythical "taking it back" rhetoric of "a monthly check buys a fully loaded Caddilac" hyperbole. I'm sure management would buy us a fleet of Caddilacs for any pilot group stupid enough to further gut narrowbody flying.

You would only have to look to NWA. We came out of BK with a contract that was equal overall compared to DAL. And I would not be able to describe either of them as "the best contract."

It was the leadership on both sides as well as the fact that our two pilot groups are relatively sensible people.

Our machine is not running smoothly man. We're currently first among customer complaints. Hopefully that will get better soon, but I don't know how you can say that given the data. Future looking engagement is fine and Lee is not the first one to approach the job that way. Some of us feel that he lost perspective and went beyond future engagement, all the way to being too spring loaded to the management vision. The truth is that no MEC Chairman can ever be management...although most CEO's will be glad to let you think you are. Mostly they are glad to let you think you're "plugged in", as long as you keep giving more than you should. Like SCOPE!!!

Carl

I was referring to this and the extra 70 seat jets. It is also my belief that if AMR was ALPA many of the flow fights and other between AMR and AMR Eagle's pilots would have never happened.
As ALPA is set up, each group can go after whatever they want, but in the end mainline strength serves all pilots well.

I am talking about exclusivity as the sole bargaining agent with a given airline. With the regionals being part of ALPA National and the broader association it by virtue prevents then from trying to form a cut out with a alliance and or a major carrier. Most Mainline CBA's /PWA's do prevent this but if the flying totally circumnavigates the mainline code (alliance flying) the scope provisions of the mainline PWA do not come in to play. Keeping regionals in ALPA and IFALPA will keep unity and prevent this.

Read above. It deals with creating a cutout that totally circumnavigates the PWA protections of the mainline contract. ALPA carriers would be shot dead for trying whereas IBT pilots could care less.

The refusal of a signature is the end game, but there are many plays to play prior to this event. Generally speaking it should never get this far.
Mainline pilot groups have exclusivity with their airlines whereas regional operators have a contract for said flying. RJET will try to change a lot of this with a cutout with the Star Alliance. That is where unity within ALPA will help us all and keep us all honest.

I know we DO agree, and you are correct. That is why it is my belief that ALPA can fix its issues and strengthen unity within in our ranks. Many pilots think that shucking the regionals to the wayside, or leaving ALPA is a end all be all solution, and it is my position that this may in fact be the worst thing for the profession and individual MEC's as a whole.

Such a sweet beautiful last line... coming from a whale captain.

I can hardly contain.... I can't! It's too beautiful!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XcekdU_rv4...son-crying.jpg

Thanks to all who answered about the Golden X day bidding. I managed to find it with your help...

He's got the crowd swaying!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/...463b69ecf7.jpg

Of course, if LM does go to National and Carl takes over then I hope I get to be a czar! Don't know what though... maybe I should be the Delta DC-7 czar.
Man how cool would that be! 18 cylinders per engine! Whats that, 144 spark plugs?? ha ha, "do you have auto ignition?" "oh yeah!" :D

but Slow, if you're willing to make me the DC-7 czar.....

...and a working oscilloscope for every A&P qualified DC-7 engineer!:D

How's that for vote buying?;)