Prohibition...is that like a no drinking clause for those on probation?

I think that is a very good idea.

So we can't criticize ALPA? I guess I missed that memo, especially since on the other airlines boards they are talking about how membership has grown and yet dues have stayed the same when they should be dropping.

I look at it differently. More members means more potential grievances, more grievances means more people required to go through them. More members means more personnel needed in the ALPA aeromedical offices to help with your medical if you lose it. More members means more payroll issues, requiring more staff to handle that. Not to mention, when times are good (like they are now) you need to build your warchest for when times are bad

I mean I understand you don’t have a contract yet, but blame your management that is flush with cash, not your union In the end, when you get what you deserve, that 1.9% of dues will be worth it.
Although, there will be plenty of cheap pilots who would complain even if dues were 50¢ a month.

And queue....
If you have a problem with your union, write them, go to a meeting or run for rep. You’re only doing harm to negotiations and your union by posting this on a public sight.

The Q is a very intelligent man but uses mainly empirical rather than a holistic approach to processing his views. But heck, we are the product of our environment. Reminds of the ancients who believed our planet was the center of universe.

The laws which required unions to fill out forms such as LM-2 are anti-union laws. Of course a huge national union has a huge budget. And, you know what - ALPA likes the volunteers to be well fed. They aren't paid, but they showed up to fight for their pilot groups, so at least they can be fed.

Form LM-2 exists strictly so anti-union trolls can use it to attack unions: "Look, they're spending your money! Bad! Bad! Bad!". Meanwhile, do you really think the company and their lawyers are eating at McDondalds? I assure you, they are spending at least as much, if not more, on food, drink, and lodging than the union is.

One of my favorite stories from my previous airline's bankruptcy court case involves the union guys going out to a very nice dinner after kicking the company's butt in court. As they are settling in, they see the company team sitting at another table. They just look at them and grin. That's how the game is played.

I would be ****ed off at, and ashamed of, my union if they weren't playing the game at the company's level, while dedicating their free time to fighting for me and my fellow pilots. That is exactly what my union dues ARE for.

This is war, and war cost a lot of money.

Anyone who uses form LM-2 to attack a union is someone who's job is to attack unions.

Don't trust them.

You shouldn't trust me. Nor should I trust you. Everything I say does not require trust. Instead if relies on transparency.

My problem is two fold. 1) BJ. 2) the union as we know it. Since every other post I have aims to improve our situation with BJ, I'll limit this one to ALPA. My problem with ALPA is that they are not effective. They have a huge budget but very limited results. I'm not saying they don't deliver results, I'm saying they are **** poor results for the amount of money we pay. A lot of has to do because most ALPA national people are not very high performance people. They have very limited skillsets and knowledge. Let's just say I'm in the inner circle. What I want are killers. I want people who are super-smart in those positions and who have actual guts. We need warriors but we have whimps. Why haven't you guys changed the RLA to limit negotiations to a reasonable 30 days before being released to strike? Why haven't you gotten the RLA amended to allow you to see ALL the company's financial records, sit in on leadership meetings and have a stake at the decision making table, or to disallow company sponsored anti-union payrolls and budgets? There are unions that do a lot better with less. Look at teachers unions. They are professional victims. When they all cry, they get what they want. What has ALPA gotten us in terms of public sympathy? Nothing. Sure, it's better with ALPA than without it, but what a horrible standard! I'm not going to settle for the mediocrity of ALPA as we know it.

There is nothing wrong with a law requiring LM-2s. That is transparency. What I don't want is to trade one unaccountable bureaucracy (e.g. a corporation) for another unaccountable bureaucracy. ALPA already has some very draconian policies. How much power does the MEC Chairman have? Can anyone in ALPA speak unilaterally for everyone else whether they dissent or not? Oh yes, and auto-pay.. you are signing your financial life away. Read the terms of agreement. Only a fool would sign under those conditions.

My objective is to change the industry for the betterment of the pilot group. If this means critiquing ALPA, like every dues paying member should, then so be it. We have to get our own house clean of mediocre people first. When I get my way, ALPA will truly be a force to be reckoned with that immoral executives will fear.

For the record, I'm not on BJ's anti-union payroll, their law firm, or anyone's who aims to keep pilot pay and QOL at all time lows.

So please, spare me your establishment ALPA excuses. You will soon be obsolete.


This communique is for entertainment purposes only. It does not implicitly or explicitly acknowledge employment with any air carrier nor is any relationship implied. This communique does not represent the opinions or policies of ALPA or JB ALPA and does not represent the collective pilot group, ALPA, nor does it imply collective bargaining, advocacy, or workforce actions intended to disrupt operations.

Our MEC, LEC, and Negotiators have given up a ton of their free time and QOL to help out this group. If they want to go blow off some steam with a nice steak dinner and plenty of booze I’ve got no problem at all with that. In fact I really hope they do. We don’t want these guys getting tired of this and quit. I sure as heck don’t want to do their job.

Um, yep. Our union is not the enemy.

Amending the RLA to make striking easier is antithetical to its explicit purpose of keeping the nation’s transportation system moving by preventing strikes.