The FFD committee is not trying to help regionals, it's trying to help regional pilots move to the majors. After two decades of trying to eliminate the regionals through scope and politics, ALPA and the ml MECs have figured out the best way to shift flying back to ml is through staffing. So the FFD committee has been set up to provide assistance to ALPA member regional pilots by offering seminars through Cage/Marshall, webinars and meet and greets, all at no cost. The ml managements have been impressed by the efforts and have now been involved as well. This may turn out to be the best way to the majors in the future, making WIA and OBAP obsolete since it costs the pilots and the companies nothing.

FFD has no intention of prolonging the life of the regionals, but is focused on moving ALPA pilots to the majors. If you want to support an organization that intends to secure your job at the regionals look to your own MEC...or even the RJDC. Most of us just want to move on and aren't worried about the state of the regional industry.

 

I want on the crfbm but can it be independent of Alpa, otherwise it would fail!

 

You apparently don't realize the entire committee was recently restructured and given the task of improving the profession as opposed to the old committee that congratulated each regional as they took flying from another regional.

It's now focused on career progression, providing job fairs, interview preparation, working to change outdated laws that allow whipsawing... and well, you saw the list; you just had your mind made up before even looking at the changes.
We get it.
Ryder is doing more there than anybody else ever has.

 

Ryder takes his orders from above, not the ffdc. He will do what they (TC and company) think is best at any given moment, not the ffdc.

 

Please tell me what is being done to improve the profession? Regionals are still flying 50% of daily departures. Mesa just got fed a horrible TA by our union, "with all the expertise of ALPA's professional negotiators." Why doesn't the FFD committee focus on helping regionals get decent contracts? That'd be a start to improving the profession.

Majors will hire however many they need. There is not a whole lot a committee can do to accelerate that. Job fairs and interview prep already exists. What laws are in place or on their way to prevent whipsawing? Yeah right.

My mind wasn't made up before. I didn't know such a committee even existed (and don't care frankly bc they haven't done anything tangible that I can see, maybe I'm wrong though). I looked at what their goals are and listed them, what their results have been, and drew my conclusions from there. Glad you see how much they are doing. Maybe you all should put some dues money towards a roadshow that shows how much you have done to improve the regional profession.

 

They were restructured after the 2014 BOD meeting last October. It hasn't even been a year yet. Have you looked at the messaging being sent to the hill this past year at all?

Pilot Pay Shortage

There it is an ALPA NATIONAL priority. When have you ever seen National making regional level pay a priority?

or this advertising campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHKanuyeawc

It took 30+ years for our industry to get this fouled up.It isn't going to be fixed overnight. Good people are making the effort to effect real change.
You can get involved and help, even if it's just trowing a few bucks at the PAC to help move legislation, or you can call Ryder and ask what you can do to help.... but it seems much easier for you to just throw your hands up and say nothing will ever change, and pass blame everywhere else except where it belongs.... to the guy starring back at you in the mirror.

Back the PAC

http://www.alpa.org/advocacy/alpa-pac

 

Alpa doesn't represent regional pilots, this is all pointless. This is a waste of good pilots time and energy.

I don't know what's worse, regional airlines or Alpa who perpetuates regional airline existence for its own corporate gain (like democrats to poor people "hey you need us" but don't get to intelligent otherwise you won't need us anymore, we gotta keep you down without you knowing about it)

 

No, good people have come through the regionals, paid their dues, and moved on. New people to the regionals don't know any better. They don't know nothing has changed in 30 years. Maybe even you don't know better, have no idea.

This cancer needs to stop. Regional pilots need to throw Alpa out on their collective a$$es.

Don't get me wrong, Alpa is great at the majors and lcc's, but let's not pretend for one minute they have regional pilots best interests at heart, they do not.

 

To replace it with what?

ALPA does what it's BOD directs. Elect reps who will effect change instead of trying to smooze the mainline guys into liking them.

When a rep put defending the 1500 hour rule on the agenda. It was the reps from PSA PDT and MAG that had concerns because they weren't getting enough pilots. Seriously, it was the regional reps that weren't wanting to make it a priority. So, who's the problem??

The problem isn't ALPA; the problem is who we all elect to run it.

 

Replace with a self governing body or nothing at all. I prefer nothing at all, anarchy. Force the company to deal with pilots individually instead of collectively. I argue that the union is simply the companies police department. The union works for the company, not the pilots.

Does what its BOD directs? Therein lies the problem. Alpa is a bottom up organization. A true union is top down.

The problem is alpa regardless. No power. No balls. Wrong priorities. Just like regional pilots. Pilots are accustomed to doing as they're told.