80ktsClamp

No arguments there, and I've only seen them not endorse one contract because it was so concessionary (I believe it was CCair about a decade or more ago).

Really, there is no good answer- and anyone trying to make it black and white is either not educated enough on the subject or trying to sell you something.

The regionals on their own are mitigating as the things are ebbing toward replacing regionals with mainline jobs. Very few would say that is a bad thing. As a result, that also makes the regionals even more unlikely to be able to start their own independent union representing their interests while still being able to provide even some semblance of a product (most of their pilots are primarily interested in getting to a good paying mainline job asap anyways).

(warning, this next part is just a guess, so take it for what its worth): The whole regional model is changing right now. I think in part it is due to the bottle neck of very few new pilots coming up. I don't really think anyone has strong plans for what is going to happen, but the reduction in the amount of regional pilots required (and the side benefit of mainline gauge aircraft replacing that along with the higher paying jobs associated) will certainly help mitigate that problem. There are a multitude of other factors that go into it.

As far as mainline DL leaving ALPA... well, the conversation has pretty much been had even though the card drive is still technically alive. However, it looks like at this point it's pretty much dead. It's not that ALPA is optimum, but at this point, going independent hasn't proven that it can viably deliver anything better. Some at DL will disagree with me, but a growing majority are done with it and will possibly entertain the next iteration of challenger if it is executed better. At this point, we need to get our crap together for contract 2015.

80ktsClamp

Let's put some logic to this settlement: It took the TWA pilots over a decade to get this payout. A good chunk of it will go to taxes, and an even bigger chunk of it will go to the lawyers.

That will leave the individual pilots with only a few thousand dollars each after more than a decade of legal battling. And these were MAINLINE pilots that their union abandoned. Not regional pilots who have shown to vote overwhelmingly yes for wages much lower than said TWA pilots. On top of that, there are many more times the amount of regional pilots than there were TWA pilots. You're talking maybe a few hundred per pilot, if it is even successful.

If you want to make money off of a lawsuit like this, become a lawyer.

BlueMoon

Some Comair guys sued ALPA a while back. It didn't do much. Do a search for RJDC.

jethikoki

I think you want things to be fair but regionals will already be at a disadvantage going against ALPA in a lawsuit. The mainline pilots and ALPA do not care about what is right or fair. If they did ALPA would NEVER have allowed the CAL scabs to join ALPA. The mainliners will use lame excuses to justify why you still cannot have equal treatment as a regional pilot when their mainline company buys out your regional and that's already been demonstrated by Comair.

PCL_128

The way ALPA is structured, there is no conflict. Local MECs make their own decisions, and ALPA is only a resource provider.

PCL_128

As someone above mentioned, your silly lawsuit idea has already been tried. It was called Ford/Cooksey v. ALPA. Most pilots who were around back then know of it as the RJDC lawsuit. It languished for almost a decade, sucked up tons of money for the plaintiff's lawyers, and they ended up only getting back a portion of their legal fees from ALPA as a nuisance settlement.

So have fun with that.

Trip7

This whining about ALPA National is getting ridiculous. It's like writing a letter to Obama about your local roads being in bad shape.

Talk to your local reps, and if they are not doing an adequate job recall them. Better yet, run for office yourself if you have all the bright ideas.

What do people expect? Lee Moak to run up to Skywest Headquarters and demand they pay up or else?

Captain Tony

All I have to say about this is that if ALPA wasn't worried about a lawsuit, they wouldn't have all their lackeys on here telling you what a stupid waste of time it is, they'd be laughing and saying "go for it, see you in court". It looks like you might have a case based on the reactions here, especially PCL, who is an ALPA EVP.

Captain Tony

Funny. They just widened a road here in my county and the project had a big sign saying it was paid for with the American Recovery and Improvement Act, and even had Obama's name on it.

JungleBus

I think our energy would be *far* better spent replacing Moak and his disciples at national, and making sure our local regional reps are good guys/gals who aren't afraid to take a stand, won't take the copout of letting a fearful membership vote on concessionary contracts, and have the same interests as the majority of regional pilots who want to move on, rather than the few lifers that benefit from larger planes at the regionals.

Frankly, I don't think our interests truly conflict. Most of us want fewer outsourced jobs, higher wages at the regionals so they support the people who want to stay while not dragging down narrowbody wages at mainline, more jobs and higher pay at mainline. The only conflicts of interest that occur are when 1. Regional pilots are willing to secure mainline-type flying no matter the cost, even taking concessions to do so and 2. Mainline pilots believe that cheap feed is necessary to subsidize their higher pay (i.e., Moakism). Keep those two groups out of power at their respective carriers, and we can work together for the good of the profession. Keep them in power, and having completely separate unions won't make a lick of difference.