Wow, if Prater actually said that he admits he is really dense or just self centered. One thing is for sure, he is no Rene Minjares. He tried telling Prater and all the chest beaters like Prater that very thing years ago when he put is job on the line to start an independent union at CA.

As much as anyone else and more than most, Prater is responsible for CAL being part of ALPA again. The presidency was his pay back.

I have a hope that with the ability to get paid for extensions, as well as the FRMS waiver that maybe life on reserve might slightly improve. With those two things available assuming the TA passes, the need for excessive short call coverage should be reduced. Just a wet dream probably, but something I thought made sense.

As to the fight to improve reserve assignment process, it sounds like they were too far apart. Would you accept a maximum number short calls being able to be assigned in exchange for having a 1201 report time on day 1 instead of 1000. And maybe get paid a few hours for a FSB assignment in exchange for not being released on your last day until 2359 if you next day off was a FDO or RDO or VDO?

Your right Prater is all you said, that's why he got the position. That is exactly ALPA and is the reason to get the hell out of it.

All of institutional, organized labor is going the way of the dodo bird in corporate America. Participation has been steadily decreasing for decades. It is not just an ALPA issue.

There you go with the anti-ALPA talk. You don't and won't have the numbers to do anything about ALPA and we'll never go back to selling each other out for personal gain - Not even with the few scabs we have would care to follow you.

The comment isn't "anti-ALPA." It is about total labor participation in the private sector which has been steadily decreasing since the 1950/60 period.

As long as the FAA exists, most large carrier transport pilots are quite likely to remain unionized in some fashion. How that all transpires into the future with the declining labor participation in general and rapidly improving airline industry technology remains to be seen. That is all.

What do the two have to do with each other?

Can I guess? Maybe it's because without a collectively bargained contract the company would only have to comply with min FAA work rules. That's what drives pilots in startup airlines to eventually organize, despite how supposedly rosy their relationship with management is. Isn't that what Smisek said after the Buffalo accident? Hey, not my problem; they had FAA oversight and workrules, which are by definition safe, no? (No, thus FAR117)

How about both! The bird in hand , (hourly rates), and the compounding that starts 1/1/16 is substantial. The DAL "me too" clause will be in our back pockets.
The full Section 6 is an unknown of both $$$ and duration.
In the mean time , congrats to all LUAL furloughees on possibly being made whole.
It is possible that reserve improvements will be included in the next contract, but who's to know the amount of negotiating capital they require? I will also venture to say that a large percentage of reserve pilots,( new hires excluded) are voluntary not line holders.
I hope the TA passes.

Risk of, and FAR enforcement, Aeromedical, etc.,(among other things).