Can't it be right to say that we have a right to FPL information and it's true that many reps/volunteers have a case when they say people that do nothing to help don't have the right to criticise them without walking a mile in their shoes?

I think we shouldn't view all ALPA people the same. Many/most are probably in it for the right reasons. I kind of look at ALPA people as 1/3 transients that fight the good fight but are overwhelmed by the impact on the family, 1/3 entrenched and very effective, and 1/3 entrenched and in it for themselves. I have no idea whether my proportions are right or not, but this is a quick guesstimate based on what I've heard my reps say over time. There is usually 1 out of the 3 that can't help but trigger "BS" flags whenever he opens his mouth.

Assuming I'm right, and it's 2/3 good, my question is: will publishing FPL data help identify the dead-weight? Is a high amount of FPL an indication that the person is a pig, or is it an indication that they play a valuable role? I assume all FPL incurred is pre-approved (?). As such, wouldn't there always be a judgment call made that the service in question is required or helpful? I only ever volunteered for the briefest of times in a very (very) minor role, but I did notice that the Secretary-Treasurer was a bit of a tight-wad, so I would imagine that extends into approving FPL (if anyone knows the answer, feel free to step in).

On the flip-side, I did try, in the few days I helped, to drink my dues money back... and I wasn't particularly impressed with our approach to food purchases overall.

Nor was I particularly impressed with the number of people trying to volunteer.

So, in the end, I think we diserve FPL info, but I have to question whether we'll be able to identify who is good for the union, and who isn't, from the data. And if we became very strict with FPL, and caused people to face a choice between making money and helping, what kind of proportion of good people would we be able to retain? How many people do we have that rank political ambitions above financial rewards, and do we want them running the show?

I agree this information should be made available to the membership.

The problem, which has been alluded to in some of the previous posts, is how this information will be interpreted and used. I can envision without much imagination that a witchhunt may result, and could possibly drive away the "good ones."

For the record, I think most of the guys are "good ones" and are sacrificing much more time than the pay is worth. For the most part, these guys aren't gaining financially by doing ALPA work. They may be getting paid not to fly, but they are doing other work with their time (again for the most part.)

I don't want to end up in a situation where guys are having to justify their motivations/constributions on a regular basis. This will have the effect of driving away the honest guys that are being made to feel that they are doing something wrong.

There's a line between providing full disclosure and justifying their value to the membership on a regular basis. Think the meeting with the Bob's in Office Space - "What would ya say it is you do here?"


**I am not, and never have been on any sort of FPL

The bids are up

Most of the bids are up... not mine:mad:

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD

Doug Steenland to forgo Board reelection
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 15, 2011





Delta Board member Doug Steenland has notified Delta’s Board of Directors that he will not stand for reelection at the company’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders because the integration of Delta and Northwest is largely complete and the merger between the two airlines has achieved positive results.

In a note to Board Chairman Dan Carp, Doug explained it is an appropriate time for him to rotate off the board given the strategic success of the merger.

“The merger has secured a bright future for the merged carrier's shareholders, the communities it serves and its employees,” Doug said.

Each year, Delta’s Corporate Governance Committee formally reviews each director’s continuation on the board and allows each director the opportunity to confirm his or her desire to continue as a member of the board. Doug joined Delta’s board of directors in October 2008 and has chosen to forgo reelection this year.

“I wish the best to you and my fellow Board members, the management team and Delta’s employees,” Doug said.

Something else that has nothing to do with Katy Perry (or ALPA... or ribs, for that matter... or Doug Steenland, thank goodness). But it does have to do with bids being posted, so it's semi-relevant....

I'm in -88 school coming off the -9. Set to finish on March 13th. Shadowed out until the 19th (for IOE, I presume). I attempted to bid, first for days off (son's birthday the last weekend of march) and then for pretty much max sked, but bid to get the days off even if I needed to be on reserve.

Once the bids came out, there's nothing. My line shows the training until the 13th & the requisite credit, but nothing at all for the rest of the month. The reasons report doesn't even show my bid processed. It just shows the training.

Was I not eligible to bid for March? If not, what happens after OE? What are my chances of being able to finagle the last weekend of the month off?

Sorry for all the questions. I realize I could look all this up, but SPD SEL vs. IAS/MACH and the fact that the gol-darned throttles move all by themselves is taking up too much room in my brain at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

Hey FDOG,

I had a similar situation when I went through 73 school a few years ago. You're not an eligible bidder because your in an initial training class. Your OE scheduler will set you up for a rotation as you near completion of your training. At that point, you have a few options. What I did, because I also wanted some time off after training, was to call scheduling and ask for an "open line" meaning I was essentially off for the rest of the month (without pay). Or, you'll be on reserve for the rest of the month. What I would do if you can't handle the rest of the month without pay is to call your OE scheduler and let him/her know what you're hoping to do after the OE. They'll try and hook you up. If they don't want to help, call scheduling and see if they'll put in some "personal" X days for the specific days off you need.

Other, more scholarly gents, may have a better take on this. It worked for me however. Good luck.

Buzz

I stopped reading right there.

I'm going off of memory, but I believe you have two choices when coming off of OE. You can notify the company that you wish to have a "blank" regular line, in which case you accept resonsibility for WSing trips to get your credit up to where you want/need it. You can also be on reserve for the remainder of the month, and receive credit that way. I don't want to quote the wrong thing until I can look up WHAT you get paid.

I'll try to look it up while someone else chimes in with better info.

I got an apple and a banana that will be ripe by the time I'm signing in for my next trip.