Do I sense a little of "do as I say, not as I do?"

What does everyone think of the manner in which a Labor Union is handling negotiations?

Below is a recent message line from the ALPA Employee's side:

To: Unit 1 Staff
From: Unit 1 Officers and Negotiating Committee

We are pleased to announce that the National Labor Relations Board will be issuing a complaint on our third Unfair Labor Practice charge concerning the prohibition of posting Unit 1 signs in the Atlanta office. In prior communications, ALPA management has attempted to create the impression that issuance of a ULP complaint is a “routine” part of the Board’s processing of ULP charges. As a matter of fact, issuance of ULP complaints is far from routine.

In its 2008 Annual Report, the Board reported that, out of 22,497 ULP charges filed, more than 60% were dismissed (or withdrawn by the charging party under threat of dismissal) and, of the approximately 39% where the Board found merit, three-fourths were settled before a complaint issued. Only 9.4% of all ULP charges filed resulted in issuance of a complaint. We are 3 out of 3. The completeness of the investigation conducted by Board personnel before a complaint is issued assures that the General Counsel’s win/loss percentage on cases that come to trial will be very high.

Finally, the failure to reach agreement in mediation leaves us with no choice but to accelerate the processing of our dispute concerning the changes unilaterally imposed by management to our Retiree Health Plan. At last check this week, the RHP assets had climbed over $17,500,000, and this is not a case where there can be any reasonable claim that reductions in the RHP benefit are mandated by financial necessity. In fact, it is inconceivable that ALPA management would ever voluntarily accept on behalf of pilots the drastic cuts they are attempting to impose on their own employees. We ask ALPA's managers and pilot leaders, "Would you willingly accept these same cuts on behalf of the pilots ALPA represents?" We challenge ALPA's manager and pilot leaders to lead the labor movement forward, not backward. In failing to reach agreement, ALPA has consciously chosen to resolve the remaining issues in litigation. Unit 1 is fully prepared to proceed down that path, but we want to be clear that it is a path chosen unfortunately and unnecessarily by ALPA.

 

ALPA is a business, their product is representation; They function like any other business.

 

I agree with your assessment. Problem is many of these businesses are corrupt....At times ALPA is no different.

The product that most businessess provide also varies greatly. Those that offer a better product tend to do better than those that do not. Problem is ALPA holds what amounts to a monopoly in their "business" area. I think if ALPA had some legitimate competition some of their practices would be greatly improved.

Until then ALPA will continue to do what they do best. Cash our dues checks, run off to Vegas or Miami for annual conferences, and continue to negotiate and sign off on contracts that pit one union member against another.

Seems to be very much like lawyers, the money is made by the legal teams on both sides regardless of what is achieved.

 

That is a true statement, but as an ALPA Member, I feel that our organization should hold itself to the same standard we expect and hope to get out of the Airlines they Bargain against.

I am sure ALPA has valid positions and needs, but they should be agreed upon at the table, not imposed or accomplished through unfair labor practices.

I plan on communicating this to my local reps, may be fruitless, but we need to treat the employees who work hard for us collectively in the same manner we expect. Simple as that for a simple person like me.

 

I think ALPA has quite a bit of competition. Some of the biggest players in the airlines today are either teamsters or their own independent union (American, US Air, Southwest).

While we as individual pilots can't chose which union we belong to inside our company we do have the ability to change our in-house union's affiliation. If Eagle doesn't like ALPA the pilots can switch to IBT or start their own independent union. So it's in ALPAs best interest to do the best they can as if they are seen as week they'll start losing member airlines.

 

They already have, most recently the USAir group. So what did ALPA do after that? Did they try to do better? Nope. All they saw was a loss of income (dues). So they tried to make up for it by attempting to change the by-laws to tax 401K contributions at airlines where the 401K is the only source retirement income. They knew increasing dues would surely get shot down so they tried to back-door it.

Before that you had the age 65 fiasco. What was ALPA's methodology you ask? Poll the pilot group. They didn't like the outcome, so they polled it again and again...Same result. So did they give the customer what they wanted? Nope again, they just went along with it anyway claiming they couldn't win so why even try? That sure sends a nice message to airline management. Spineless.

Don't even try to get ALPA to enforce a contract. If a company violates a provision, what is ALPA's official guidance to pilots? "Fly it now, grieve it later". Who is the genius that came up wit that? If it's against the contract, don't fly....period. If that was the policy how long would it take for the company to stop trying? Have you ever heard any other union advising it's members to knowingly violate the contract just to "help out" the company? Fat chance. So what happens now? We fly and maybe in 6 months to a year you get a settlement for a few bucks or a day off. Unless of course you happen to enter negotiations and as a sign of good faith all the open grievences are swept under the rug to start fresh.

I'm not sure what it's going to take to get ALPA to wake up. They better start listening or their membership problems will only continue.

 

In further conflict of interest, one needs not look any further than the TWA/AA deal where ALPA did not represent the TWA pilots. In fact, they undermined the TWA pilots. Why? Because they were worried more of gaining the representation of the AA pilots than representing the TWA pilots. $$$$!!

Gaining the AA pilots would have also eliminated a competing union and the ideal that "the largest group of airline pilots (at that time) can do fine representing themselves."

Someone said it best above:

On a side note, if the TWA pilots lawsuit makes it to a trial you can bet it's going to cost the membership at the very least, and at the very most, bankrupt the union...unless ALPA decides to talk.

X

 

Can anyone tell me what they are fighting for?/????

What are their demands, why havent they gone on strike??????


Tell me the facts not your B/S thoughts

 

wow, crickets and tumble weeds.

Keep participating,

 

What are the unfair labor practices?
Seems they went down the path of negotiations but it didnt work. So they imposed a contract. Similar to an airline managment locking out workers when released to self help.

So again what are the unfair labor practices????