What has ALPA done for me lately?

[flygirlqt]

Hey, what's shakin sista??

Anything within reach of my hands!

 

[flygirlqt]

I'm right there with you on the coercion/blackmail concept...and a complete lack of return on any mandatory dues being paid with zero way to opt out.

...but I'm also intrigued your "bubble bath" incident...

It is easy to understand why a spin master such as Rezo doesn't acknowledge that coercion/blackmail concept.

to the bubble bath.

 

[airlineworthy]

ALPA....yeah right!

Respectfully, why do you think ALPA Nat'l should do it... Why not you?

because i pay my 2 percent for alpa to fight for my best intersests. oh yeah, F%@# PRATER TOO!

If you really wanna know what ALPA can do for you, just ask about 1500 TWA pilots that are still furloughed directly because of ALPA.

 

[andyd]

What has ALPA done for me lately? Today I got an extra $1032 in my paycheck that I wasn't really expecting. For all the whining and b!tching that goes on here just thought I'd chime in with some POSITIVE results from ALPA. If you are so deadset against ALPA or unions in general, quit your current job....make some others happy with the reduced negativity at work, make room for a regional guy to take your place....and go to work at a Non-Union, Non-Alpa shop....and see how happy you are. 1.98% is a small price to pay for piece of mind and the reduced stress that goes with it.

 

[jke406]

. 1.98% is a small price to pay for piece of mind and the reduced stress that goes with it.

From what I can see, National spends about as much time being concerned for the average pilot as they do about getting hit by a meteor (in other words, none).

what "peace of mind" and "reduced stress" are you referring to? I find it very stressful that the organization taking 2% of our paychecks does not have our best interests in mind by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[ualdriver]

I've received FAR more money from our ALPA-conceived Bond Distribution and the UAL share distribution we received post-bankruptcy than I will ever pay in dues my entire career.

I love it that some of the posters on this forum willingly applied to and accepted a job at an ALPA carrier and now complain about it. There are so many utopian non-union carrier to apply to at any given time, yet they choose an ALPA carrier to work at. Go figure.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

ALPA, under threat of job termination. That is a very simple concept for even a spin master like yourself to understand.

Question: Where you aware that ALPA represented the pilots of the airline you applied to? Or where you surprised at some point after you applied?

Once you were aware of ALPA at your carrier, did you choose to remain at that carrier?

Yes it is coercion and blackmail. ALPA should earn their dues not take them. If that fundamental philosophy was in existence there would be a entirely different response and commitment to the membership

Would you agree that part of your expectations are a lack of financial resources? IOW, would you be agree to and increase in dues if you got more satisfaction from ALPA services?

Consider you want a Audi or BMW (or whatever you like) but there are only enough funds for a Chevy. Would you be willing to pay a fair value to get the service you want?

What do you think of the volunteer system at ALPA?

 

[ualdriver]

From what I can see, National spends about as much time being concerned for the average pilot as they do about getting hit by a meteor (in other words, none).

what "peace of mind" and "reduced stress" are you referring to? I find it very stressful that the organization taking 2% of our paychecks does not have our best interests in mind by any stretch of the imagination.

Jke-

So National isn't concerned about the average pilot, huh? Obviously you didn't read post #1 on this thread? Oh that's right....You did read it. You made a wise a$$ comment about how you can get through security more quickly. You failed to read two other important parts of that post, however, didn't you? I guess if it's not about "jke," then it's not important, right?

Let me repost for you a part of post#1:

Lost Retirement Savings Act
Two key ALPA-supported bills were introduced late last year that would allow pilots to recover some of their lost retirement benefits by offering a retirement savings option to those whose defined benefit plans were terminated or frozen in bankruptcy proceedings after September 11, 2001 and before January 1, 2007. ALPA members are urged to participate in a new grassroots Action Alert to enlist congressional support for these two bills, and prompt speedy action on them. Sign on to www.alpa.org ,members only section, to send your message of support to your congressional leaders.

The Pilots Equitable Treatment Act
Although the pilot retirement age changed on December 13, 2007, when President Bush signed into law H.R. 4343, (P.L. 110-135), there remains a critical need for Congress to pass H.R. 2103 and S. 1270 The Pilots Equitable Treatment Act (aka Akaka/Miller). Although the pilot retirement age has been raised to 65, there are still pilots who will be penalized on the guaranteed level of benefits they receive from the PBGC because age 60 was the mandatory retirement age at the time their defined benefit plans were terminated. We have updated the suggested message for ALPA members to send to your federal legislators to reflect this situation, and continue to urge your participation in this important grassroots effort. Go to our website, www.alpa.org , for more information, and the tools to write to your congressional leaders.

Jke, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Could you tell all the ALPA pilots on this thread who are expecting a greatly diminished PBGC benefit when they retire how ALPA's push for the above legislation is akin to the first sentence of your last post? Would you mind telling the ALPA pilots on this thread how trying to increase their PBGC benefits by THOUSANDS, perhaps TENS OF THOUSANDS per year is akin to not being concerned about the average pilot? Man, there must be a meteor shower outside, huh? I had better get my car in the garage!

What ALPA airline did you choose to work for jke? Just curious........

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

From what I can see, National spends about as much time being concerned for the average pilot as they do about getting hit by a meteor (in other words, none).

That is because you might have the expectation that ALPA represents "a couple of pilots"

Democracy is about compromise. When there are 60,000 pilots it is hard to to give a few everything or even most of what they want.

Heck... even when the majority want something, it might not be pragmatic. Mature, responsible and experienced people know this.... don't they?

what "peace of mind" and "reduced stress" are you referring to? I find it very stressful that the organization taking 2% of our paychecks does not have our best interests in mind by any stretch of the imagination.

Let's not take for granted what we expect.

It has happened in the past that US Air Line Pilots have shown up for work, met by an armed guard, who escorted the pilots to a company official, who handed the pilots a terminaltion notice and an application for employment... at a lower wage.

Your ability to come to work relatively worry free is not happenstance. It has come from hard work of professional volunteers who have hacked a path for the rest of us....

It is regretful and disapointing that many will then complain that they have to step over a cut branch or the path is not paved.

 

[Flopgut]

I've received FAR more money from our ALPA-conceived Bond Distribution and the UAL share distribution we received post-bankruptcy than I will ever pay in dues my entire career.

Wait a sec, your bond distribution metrics/methods weren't actually the epitome (sp) of perfection??

Fair treatment and lost retirement catch up efforts were a distant second and third to age 65. Two things that probably should have happened before IMHO.

 

[pipe]

I've received FAR more money from our ALPA-conceived Bond Distribution and the UAL share distribution we received post-bankruptcy than I will ever pay in dues my entire career.

I love it that some of the posters on this forum willingly applied to and accepted a job at an ALPA carrier and now complain about it. There are so many utopian non-union carrier to apply to at any given time, yet they choose an ALPA carrier to work at. Go figure.

Have you lost your mind?

Glenn Tilton was robbing your house. ALPA (the police) came in and caught him red-handed. They held a gun to his head and made him give you back the brass candlesticks before he left with everything else.

And you're satisfied with that? Enjoy your Stockholm Syndrome.

PIPE

 

[pipe]

If you really wanna know what ALPA can do for you, just ask about 1500 TWA pilots that are still furloughed directly because of ALPA.

Furloughs approaching seven years. Many will go to ten. Strong work ALPA.

In fact, these may set a record for the longest furloughs ever.

PIPE

 

[ualdriver]

Have you lost your mind?

Glenn Tilton was robbing your house. ALPA (the police) came in and caught him red-handed. They held a gun to his head and made him give you back the brass candlesticks before he left with everything else.

And you're satisfied with that? Enjoy your Stockholm Syndrome.

PIPE

I'm not happy about 2 things that transpired during the bankruptcy: 1) the paycuts and the loss of pensions and 2) the way our executive are paid.

Being the realist that I am and understanding what an organization like ALPA can and cannot do for me under the circumstances, the work that ALPA did to minimize my losses was very good. They negotiated a 550M bond settlement on behalf of the pilots that I would not have received had not ALPA floated the whole concept during our exit. Further, they came up with a mechanism such that the pilot group could choose to sell their stock to speculators before bankruptcy exit, and I ended up getting approximately 3 times the face value of the stock upon exit. Thirdly, representing the pilots on the creditor's committee, they were able to greatly reduce the "land grab" our executives tried to pull right before exit.

Those are 3 things I wouldn't have gotten had ALPA not represented my interests. You can call it what you want.

 

[ualdriver]

Wait a sec, your bond distribution metrics/methods weren't actually the epitome (sp) of perfection??

Define perfection? You mean there's a way to divide 550M dollars amoung 7000 pilots in a way where every pilot feels they received the appropriate amount?

 

[jke406]

Those are 3 things I wouldn't have gotten had ALPA not represented my interests. You can call it what you want.

Wait a minute, I thought the union was here to serve all 60,000 pilots, not just ualdriver or a small faction.

at least, that's what Rez keeps harping on.

 

[ualdriver]

Wait a minute, I thought the union was here to serve all 60,000 pilots, not just ualdriver or a small faction.

at least, that's what Rez keeps harping on.

OK, so ALPA national shouldn't waste their time with the Lost Retirement Savings Act or the Pilots Equitable treatment act because it only helps tens of thousands of ALPA pilots (right now, anyway) and not all 60,000 pilots directly? Are you saying the passage of that legislation might not help other ALPA pilots in the future who currently do have their pensions?

You stated this: From what I can see, National spends about as much time being concerned for the average pilot as they do about getting hit by a meteor (in other words, none).

..........and I give you two examples where thousands upon thousands of ALPA pilots who lost their pension might receive a TREMENDOUS benefit (worth thousands of dollars per year in may case and possible 10's of thousands of dollars for some other guys) if ALPA helps these guys out. And now you're criticizing ALPA because that doesn't help what your definition of the "average" pilot is?

 

[Flopgut]

Define perfection? You mean there's a way to divide 550M dollars amoung 7000 pilots in a way where every pilot feels they received the appropriate amount?

Yes. I do.

Hold on, maybe we aren't on the same page here...are you saying: it was perfectly screwed up? Because that I would agree with.

 

[ualdriver]

Yes. I do.

OK, let's hear it then! What distribution method divides a 550M bond among 7000 pilots in a way that all feel they received the appropriate amount. I can't wait for this......

 

[El Pobre]

There is no such thing as an ALPA airline....I googled it and it doesn't exist. ALPA doesn't move people from point A to point B, UAL does, AA does, CAL does etc....ALPA doesn't move boxes in the middle of the night in crappy weather, FEDEX does and so does UPS.

So get over this whole ALPA non-ALPA airline thing. If ALPA is so great...maybe national should start it's own airline...I'm takin' bets to see how long it would take to become bankrupt.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Wait a minute, I thought the union was here to serve all 60,000 pilots, not just ualdriver or a small faction.

at least, that's what Rez keeps harping on.

It is easy to talk tough when you don't have responsibility.....

The luxury of apathy, despair, pessimism and failure, brought to you by hard working volunteers: the harder you work for your fellow pilot the harder they kick you in the nuts...