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Keep reaching for that rainbow! You never know!

 

The following jokes will pretty much write themselves...

 

Ya'll still think longevity pay is a bad idea? What's the trickle down on this gonna be? How many paycuts will result?

 

Or the resistance to publishing it could be a hold on to power grab as well

I've heard those claims too but think it is a straw man for not wanting to show how many people are on FPL, and what a good deal it can be for a select few on full time or almost full time status. The issue of both transparency and compensation is very germane to the line pilots who pay those costs either directly with dues out of their salaries, or through the contract for company paid expenses.

I've heard all the standard arguments of how hard ALPA volunteers work. No argument, and I'm grateful for the work done. That said no one should either profit or be harmed financially, and I think the vast majority of volunteers fall within a pretty reasonable standard deviation. The reasonable, responsible, and prudent FPL use of the majority is being used as a rational for not revealing the full details of FPL usage in my opinion. If it's all reasonable then show us.

It has been said that every ALPA volunteers schedule is viewable on iCrew. True. First you have to know who they are. Easy enough for the officers, reps, and committee chairs. It get's a little cloudy with committee volunteers and special project pilots. Then you have to check each ones schedule individually. Hardly user friendly, and if you do start looking at volunteers schedules you'll quickly get a phone call from someone wanting to know why you are looking at their schedule. I don't exactly consider that transparency.

There are occasions when ALPA volunteers work some very long hours - as during the merger, fighting off USair, etc., and volunteers should be compensated for extra hours just like a line pilot flying extra hours. The policy mechanisms to do that are in place - the question is when and where they are applied, are they used for routine duties, and how do those mechanisms used compare to other ALPA MEC's?

At the same time we have volunteers who live in ATL and put in long hours 5 days a week, there are also those who commute and are in the office 3-4 days, which adds up to no more days, with better hours than the average line pilot.

There is also the intangible of the potential for a full time volunteer bidding a position he might not otherwise fly due to commuting hassle factor and reserve status. A full time volunteer might not actually train that position, has positive space to work for a max ALV schedule, plus per diem, plus possible stipend, weekends and holidays off and the ability to bid something called look back white slips they do not actually have to fly. All this adds up to a potential QOL and compensation that might be hard to match for a similar seniority pilots, especially one bidding as a bottom feeder in category. That additional compensation also adds up to additional 401K contributions and profit sharing.

Another issue is volunteers bidding a full line (as a senior in category position and getting paid for a higher junior one) then dropping the schedule. This is denying seniority to a regular line pilot who might have to fly reserve as a result.

I think the easiest and most reasonable "smell test" for ALPA compensation is how does the compensation of any particular full time volunteer compare to line pilot peers of the same seniority? I believe this was the litmus test the DOL used in the complaint against the CAL MEC (+/- 5 numbers), and the one that led to the revamping of their financial policies and reporting. If we meet that litmus test then we have nothing to hide.

At the end of the day, are our volunteers compensated fairly, reasonably, in line with the rest of ALPA, our line pilots, and is the same standard used for all volunteers?

Please explain how answering these questions and making the data readily available, as both National and other MEC's, do is a power grab?

 

[QUOTE=scambo1;992431]What I think you are asking is: If you contribute up to the IRS 415C limit of $49k/yr what happens after that?

Magically, the contribution stops and it is just included in your paycheck as spendable income...which is taxable...so people who don't want to work get to spend money you send to the government, but I digress...

Can't speak for my all my wide-body moneybag homeys but most don't max out (we're constantly talking money on the crossings)...in my case I need the extra liquidity to take the white tigers to the groomer.

 

[QUOTE=hiredgun;992590]Can't speak for my all my wide-body moneybag homeys but most don't max out (we're constantly talking money on the crossings)...in my case I need the extra liquidity to take the white tigers to the groomer.

 

dbl post...........

 

Exactly...now why is this so hard?

The only reason I can see is that someone in control has something to hide.

 

Remember whatever is being done is in compliance with the latitude granted by ALPA National and DAL MEC policy. The question is are you squarely in the center of that policy circle, or at the edges?

I think how you compare to your seniority peers is a very good standard.

Complete, unfettered transparency to the members who fund ALPA is an exercise in building trust, and it's sibling unity. If policy does need revision the open airing of shortcomings and openness to change will foster further trust in the leadership of the organization.

 

Yes, I get 3% less than a new hire. I don't see what the merger equity shares have to do with the issue. I received those shares for agreeing to the PWA and SLI. A new hire knows the situation when being hired and can choose to decline the job offer if he/she doesn't like the contract.

Just curious, are you one of those old ANC 747-200 classic guys that got their full retirement and still sued to get more $ in the targeting from their junior brothers who lost most of their retirement. Or are you management or something?