Hey now - she stuck her neck out and I respect her for her involvement. If you did not like her ideas, then attack her ideas. Interestingly, the incumbants adopted much of the LJ Coalition's platform. If nothing else that was a positive effect, if they follow through with their campaign promises.
The LJ Coalition made a very legitimate point that we have to get scope before we can build a contract. They also were more interested in our pilot group than ALPA's political desires.
The current negotiating quagmire we are in is the result of the alter ego bid war that ALPA National has encouraged.
As ASA has fought in vain to achieve an industry leading contract, ALPA National has negotiated, endorsed and ratified contracts which gave other pilots a "bargaining credit" of $150 million dollars for flying ASA and Comair pilots were performing.
and lets not kid ourselves about where the $150 million was coming from. Just to add a little downward shove to pay rates as the Requests for Proposal were going out, Delta negotiated pay rates below ASA current book for similar flying (larger airplanes actually).
It appears ALPA is going to continue to fight for "industry leading" at ASA, with ASA pilots on the front lines of the battle. In the mean time ALPA will continue to cut deals like Compass, designed to return flying to mainline seniority list pilots by underbidding the Regional guys who want industry leading with sufficient longevity to make flying an RJ a little lucrative.
We are in a tough spot. We have great local Reps doing a very good job who are undermined by our National Union at every turn. We also have a management team which barely bothers to hide its desire to whipe ALPA off the ASA / SkyWest property. Our union is in a war and some of us are tired of ALPA fighting with its national arm tied behind its back.
I am hopeful that some of the reforms illuminated by the LJ Coalition will see fruit under the leadership of our elected Representatives. They are all good folks and I appreciate them standing up and taking all this crap to try to improve the lot of the average ASA line pilot.
