I've been an ALPA member for almost 23 years. The only assessment that I recall was for furloughed member's health insurance. And we voted as a membership to do that. The lawsuits I have seen levied against ALPA did not involve assessments. It has been proven time and time again that members will sue the Association. Holding back some cash until these lawsuits are settled makes perfect sense. As for being outgunned, I can't argue, but what do we do? Give up? Don't even try? I have seen some successful outcomes due to the PAC. KCM comes to mind. So does FAR 117. The ability to put our bankruptcy settlements in an IRA was HUGE. All made possible through lobbying. JMO.

Sled

We're trying hard here to feel the unity but yesterday's MEC Blastmail with the "Meet Your ALPA Volunteer" photo wearing his LUAL uniform seems like it's just tweaking our noses. This was not an ID photo, but a casual snapshot from the waist up. Someone couldn't take out their smartphone and get a current picture? Or was this a current picture and union folks are still wearing their old uniforms. I hear this is still happening on the line but this a bit tone deaf for those representing all 12,000 of us.

Kind of like half the time when I get lost on CCS or SkyNot and wind up on a "Continental" page. Or seeing the guppy 99 percent of the time there's a pic of an airplane. It's absurd after all this time and a bit annoying. Unintentional or not, I agree. Lets all ride the same damn horse.

I didn't see the blast mail, but that's unsat.

Ben Franklin
 

Ol' Ben said it best:

"Either we all hang together, or we will surely all hang separately."

It's not a big deal and it shouldn't turn into one. He was likely asked to send a current picture in uniform for the email mailing and the only one he had was in an original United uniform.

I haven't taken a picture in the new United uniform and don't ask me to put the uniform on special just to take a picture. Not gonna happen. But what about the IAH LEC officer wearing CAL WINGS embroiderer on shirt recently while doing a trip - that is blatant no matter the reason. You think it makes the original United guy feel loved and wanted in IAH? Most guys are thick skinned enough to know the score and let it slid.

Today's blastmail. Kudos to them for making a correction.

"In the June 5, 2014, United MEC Update, we profiled First Officer Dennis Smith in the "Meet Your ALPA Volunteer" feature. The photo of First Officer Smith, who was wearing the legacy-UAL uniform, used in the profile was a file photo taken from MEC Communications' photo archives. We are extremely mindful of the importance of pilot unity and not condoning anything that works to divide our pilots. The display of the discontinued uniform was unintentional and regrettable."

Ha good one, except multiple grievances, profit sharing dispute, asking arbs to throw out 787 fences, one sided ISL that heavily favored UAL etc etc etc.... More blah blah blah from our fearless leaders

Another happy customer - bet you just saw the latest bid awards.

You could vote the bums out but I think you're still the minority. We could try to work together - That may be a better idea don't you think.

With that retraction and correction, I hope you stand just as firmly and promote Unity within the company by demanding that all company web pages and letter heads have the Continental name stricken and replace with the correct United Airline name.

Just heard from a guy on disability that the disability checks he's been getting from the company say Continental on them - What a smack in the face of all those hard working former/current United employees.

Does the really big hangar in EWR still say Continental on the front?