Anyone else feeling the love from our union after reading the latest email about the status of the junior guys about to be furloughed?

 

Yeah, it seems the union is still dealing with things in order or appearance. Gotta fix the long call reserves and talk about eMaestro, Maestro, and Carmen first. They'll get to the furlough situation eventually. Maybe by 2010 they'll address it?

To be honest, I'm feeling a bit betrayed.

 

 

I'll give that a try and let you know how it goes.

 

Gee,

Must be another computer with too much porn on it just like before. I guess they hope the same stunt might work in a jurisdiction 4,000 miles away.

 

hmmm well if you eat at the Big Boys across the street from the hotel in DTW I think your know quite fast fills up first

 

To the junior guys worrying about getting fuloughed and feeling betrayed by ALPA. You haven't been around long enough yet to feel the effects of how bad this company will rape you if you let it. The average joe here has been through the ringer and has most likely endoured a pretty painful strike to get some of the protections that we now have. Those guys are probably pretty concerned about giving up what they fought so hard for. Talk about unity, pilots were helping other pilots put food on their tables. To just lay down and give up everything that they have fought so hard for would be silly. Unfortunately you are directly feeling the pressure of how these politics work. Again, I don't want to see anyone out of a job, but the reality is that a few of you are going to have to take a short break.

Chances are that the majority of those about to be furloughed are still on probation. You are definitely represented, however you are at the bottom of priority list therefor you can't expect the union to drop everything they are working on to give all of their attention to you.

It's unfortunate, but in a seniority based system that is how the cookie crumbles. And remember, we were all on probation and we were all in the same danger you are in now at some point while being employed here.

 

So it does all come down to money. The junior guys and those still on probation have not donated much to the ALPA lunch fund, so they get less consideration than those who have spent thousands on ALPA.

Basically, it comes down to the fact that the senior guys run the chapter, and have spent a lot of time and money helping the place out. They now must use their resources to benefit themselves the most (5 day pairings, scheduling software, etc.). The soon-to-be-furloughed employees do not contribute to ALPA much at all, so they should not receive much. The mentality exists that "We were once furloughed and on strike, so you must too in order to gain the full respect of the situation."

But, those junior guys who are currently being forgotten about will not forget. Those who survive will remember down the line how ALPA was not there to help them out.

I hope I'm wrong, I truely do.

Am I out of line here? fire away

 

Not out of line at all.

I hadn't really looked at in from a standpoint of how much is paid in dues. Moreso I am looking at going from the salaries that each pilot was making when they went on strike compared to the salaries of the pilots on probation. A first year pilot that gets furloughed will feel an unknown amount of pain, but will be out less than 30K a year/months furloughed. The entire pilot group was on strike for 3 months and close to half of those pilots if not more where all making between 50K and 105K(not exact.) The association simply cannot forget what they went on strike for. Families actually fell apart because of that situation. I would say that the pilots on strike lost more than you will lose on a fulough, and they did it to themselves to give you the protection that you now have.

 

Turbodog, I'm not sure I get what your saying so forgive me if I'm mistaken...

But people who make 50k a year went three months without pay... and guys that only make 30k will be out of a job with no light at the end of the tunnel... Who had more money in savings and was prepared for it? Isn't this what we pay dues for? Isn't that the whole purpose of having a union, in protecting our jobs, then working on QOL?

And no, I'm not in (immediate) danger of furlough.