Rich people who profit off their worker's low wages and lack of ability to organize.

"Doublespeak is language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms (e.g., "downsizing" for layoffs, "servicing the target" for bombing), in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to actual inversions of meaning. In such cases, doublespeak disguises the nature of the truth. Doublespeak is most closely associated with political language.

Origins and concept

The term "doublespeak" probably has its roots in George Orwell's book Nineteen Eighty-Four. Although the term is not used in the book, it is a close relative of two of the book's central concepts, "doublethink" and "Newspeak". Another variant, "doubletalk", also referring to deliberately ambiguous speech, did exist at the time Orwell wrote his book, but the usage of "doublespeak" as well as of "doubletalk" in the sense emphasizing ambiguity clearly postdates the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Parallels have also been drawn between doublespeak and Orwell's classic essay Politics and the English Language, which discusses the distortion of language for political purposes."

Look no further than the use of the word "access" to health care for all Americans as a reason to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Right. A Saudi prince has access to U.S. health care when he flies to the Mayo Clinic in his personal BBJ, rents an entire floor of a nearby hotel, and is seen by the best doctors in the world, no appointment necessary when you pay retail. Access. Not everyone can do that, or anywhere near it. Access doess not mean coverage, but it just sounds so darn good!

This. This. This.

Any union airline pilot that rationalizes support for right-to-work is simply suffering from a massive case of cognitive dissonance. Although I'll enjoy watching them reap the fruits of their beliefs, I'll also unfortunately be dragged down the drain when the toilet is flushed.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/391/cosponsors

If ALPA had a national seniority system, we would have a real union. Unfortuntately we are welded in place by "golden handcuffs", because to leave means going to the bottom of someone else's seniority list. Management shows up for every negotiation knowing none of us will quit.

I would rather have a national seniority list. My second choice would be Right to Work. Our current system is a distant last. We would be making a LOT more money under Door #1. Door #2 I am not sure. Door #3 has us making a small fraction of what we made 30- 40 years ago. Calling ALPA a union is a joke.

Our current Sr VP of Flight OPS came from ALPA national, and NWA. Gee, I wonder how he got the job?

I am.

Just compare our current total compensation (pay+retirment+medical+other) to the going "market rate."

If nothing else, use JetBlue (no contract) as a proxy for narrow body pilots. You'd be looking at an approximate 30% cut and a hit to scheduling and work rules.

The only pilot shortage is at the regionals, and it's really a pay shortage. There is absolutely no shortage of pilots willing to work for 2/3's of the UPA.

Once the union is gone we can get rid of that silly seniority system that costs the company $$$ and simply roster pilots. Heck, pilots could place economic bids (like the independent contractors they have become) for BES.

Low bid wins. That's door #2.

National Seniority is a ridiculous concept and totally unworkable.

For other examples of door #2 check out the ACMI world. Topped out WB Captains making less than mid-seniority NB FOs. Seniority is largely irrelevant, as schedules are homogeneous. 20 days in a row at work, 10 days off. Guarantee at 60 hours. Involuntary extensions stealing your 10 days off, with no restoration of time off. Deadhead around the world, at the whim of the company, in coach middle seats. Schedule changes at the whim of the company, with no pay protection for lost flying.


I agree, the ability to vote with our feet is a powerful tool that we just don't have. If we did we might be able to secure better terms and conditions than we have now. But going solo is just stupid. You don't have enough mass and momentum on your own to influence the company. No individual does.


You may not be aware of the Great Divergence. Airline pilots make about the same as we did 40 years ago. That's actually really good news. For the majority of Americans, real incomes have decreased since the mid 70's. Only those in the top 1% (about $370,000) have seen incomes expand in that period. And those in the top .1% have seen their share of national income quadruple.
Check out an overview of this phenomena here.


Our union system is flawed, for sure, but it has done its job pretty well compared to our peers in other American industries. We approach the income levels of independent professionals - Doctors and Lawyers - but we are not different from coal miners, auto workers, and machinists. We may be highly skilled labor, but we are labor.

Exactly....