They bring me breakfast in bed every morning... are they not doing this for everybody?

 

• Days off went from 104/year to 132/year.
• Segment pay became block or better pay.
• Cancellation pay came into existence.
• Harassment and intimidation aimed at preventing any use of sick leave has been fought tenaciously.

Thanks ALPA!

 

"Personal Sacrifices"? I'd say the 2% of my paycheck they take counts as a sacrifice. If I am expected to pay someone to work on my behalf and then volunteer in my off time, I'd rather just cut out the middle man.

Don't feel too bad for the guys at ALPA. Our dues buy their trips from the company so they can be at home every night in their own beds. They also get to play pilot once in a while too.

 

Well, why don't you grab one of those cushy jobs for yourself? If it is such a gravy train, run for election as an ALPA officer.

 

No thanks. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the guys at ALPA are politicians. Look at Prater. He reeks of a cheap used car salesman politician. I hate politicians. The higher up they get the bigger d bags they are.

I would rather keep my 2% and negotiate my own wage just like I did at every other job I had before I became an airline pilot.

 

I'm not talking about dues.

I'm talking about being an actual union member and actively participating in the collective bargaining process...instead of sitting on the sideline, chucking rocks at your elected/volunteer reps for unmet expectations and somehow thinking your dues money entitles you to anything other than the negotiated CBA you already enjoy and take for granted.

I'm talking about taking risks - individual members within each pilot group making the conscience decision to take the required professional and personal risks that are necessary if one really wants to gain any tangible benefits. Are you willing to take any risk beyond a dues checkoff to help better yourself and your colleagues?

One pilot, or a handful of pilots, or even a large group of pilots can't do anything if their group as a whole is apathetic...and in my previous experience as an ALPA volunteer apathy is the single biggest problem airline pilots as a whole and pilot groups as individuals face, even moreso than bankruptcy proceedings or "evil" management.

 

I'm sure you would...and I'm sure airline management would find you worthy of better benefits & compensation than anybody else at your airline in the same seat and longevity.

I'd suggest if you're unhappy with the slow process of airline collective bargaining (which isn't hasn't exactly been a secret over the last couple decades) that you go back to any other job you had before you became an airline pilot. Or, leave the airlines and get a job in business aviation where you're worth whatever you can negotiate for yourself.

Good luck, regardless of which path you decide to pursue...

 

ALPA is slowly losing the battle against greed and mismanagement. Airline managers are accomplishing their goals through tactics such as whipsaw and outsourcing. These tactics only work when ignorant, apathetic, uninformed pilots allow them to exist.


Although I have a lot of complaints against ALPA myself, here is something ALPA has done for you:

Successorship
Scope
Scheduled or Actual
Cancellation Pay
Premium Pay
Min Bid Guarantee
Lodging
Transportation
Uniforms
Parking
Moving Expenses
Deadhead Pay
Vacation
Sick Leave
Leaves of Absence
Medical Leave
Military Leave
Association Leave
Funeral Leave
Jury Duty
Training Bid
Paid Training
Rest Requirements
Preferential Bidding
Schedule Adjustment Period
Golden Days
FLiCA (Swaps, Drops, Trades, Etc.)
Call Me First/Call Me Last
Minimum Ready Reserve Pay
Seniority
Recall from Furlough
Grievances
System Board of Adjustment
Health Insurance
Etcetera...

This list doesn't include practically every airline safety feature ever introduced in the history of airlines. Believe me, there would be no airlines without ALPA.


Ask yourself which ones you could live without...


winglet

 

I know ALPA has accomplished a hell of a lot in the past and still continues to accomplish little things here and there but I really think it's time for some MAJOR changes in the profession. National seniority list comes to mind. My current carrier had almost no union representation when I arrived and now is represented by the UTU. My last carrier was represented by ALPA. Did I notice a difference in the way things work? Yes, but only because my current company's contract is complete crap. That is not a function of being represented by somebody other than ALPA, it's a function of the type of job it used to be where nobody stayed long and nobody cared to change things because they were leaving soon anyway. So, what has ALPA done for me? I can give 2 truthful answers: A lot....and not enough. (I understand their hands are tied in many cases by the RLA though)

 

Military leave? The government requires that airlines allow you to leave for military service and return to your previous position. ALPA didn't do that.

Seniority? Ha! That is the single thing that screws us the most. The golden handcuffs. Management exploits every single minute of every single day the fact that you quit to go to another airline because then you would have to start at the bottom again. If I were able to take my experience wit me and get paid for it I would gladly give up "seniority".

If you want to see the pay and work rules change literaly over night, then get rid of seniority or create a natioal seniority list. If we starve the airlines of pilots by leaving and going to better airlines, they will be forced to change immediately or go out of business. The alternative is you are in negotiations for 5 years or more like Pinnacle. So who do we have to thank for our current "seniority" system? ALPA. Gee thanks.