126 day left of Prater.....

[Rez O. Lewshun]

PCL: I agree with everything you've said. But I think there will be one other candidate throw in for this from a freight carrier we should take a look at.

We are big boys... name names!

 

[Flopgut]

Well, I can't remember.... It's not the MEC chair. Starts with an S I think. I don't think I'm a Paul Rice fan. Who do you like to replace John?

 

[bluefin]

GOOD BYE!!! Cut the pay to my level, "0" in ten yrs being with ALPA I have been furloughed for 7 of them and counting. If you want to do the job because you want to help the industry, then pay should not matter!!!

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

Couldn't agree more with the original poster. Prater is a spineless political slug, and he's not done anything to write home about. Age 65 came to us with no creative solutions to help the junior pilot at any airline. His handling of the USAir merger was pathetic, no matter which side of that fence you sit on.

Good luck to all ALPA pilots finding a true leader to replace him. It will do the profession good if you can pull it off. (Rice ain't the answer, IMO)

Hate to pile on but I was visiting back home a couple of weeks ago where Prater just happens to be from. I noticed he wrote a letter to the newspaper praising a state law maker, Jay Hoffman, about something he had done (can't even remember what) but it was somehow related to the biz and Prater signed it as President of ALPA. That's all good and well but Hoffman was former IL guv and all around corrupt thug politician Rod Blagojevich's "right hand man". You will know them by the company they keep.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

Prater=Age 65 and there is no spin on that simple equation.

Case closed.

 

[PCL_128]

Well, I can't remember.... It's not the MEC chair. Starts with an S I think.

You talking about Sean McDonald? He's apparently running for VP-Finance, not President. The MEC Chair is rumored to be considering running, but I can't imagine that he has much support. He's very new in his current position.

I don't think I'm a Paul Rice fan.

You don't think? Why?

 

[Flopgut]

You talking about Sean McDonald? He's apparently running for VP-Finance, not President. The MEC Chair is rumored to be considering running, but I can't imagine that he has much support. He's very new in his current position.



You don't think? Why?

No. My EVP spoke of this guy that might run. He's currently under the radar for most of us. I'm sorry I can't remember his name, I bet you know him.....

Paul Rice=Another baby boomer gen type and I've had about enough of them. They seem to feel that what they went through early in their careers was the hardest times ever and it's just not the case. Most of them have their fair share already but just can't help but try to carve out more for themselves. I don't dislike him particuliarly, but there has to be somebody better.

I'd like to see somebody solid out of one of the regionals before PR.... Or maybe even a first choice? There has to be some talent out there....

 

[PCL_128]

No. My EVP spoke of this guy that might run. He's currently under the radar for most of us. I'm sorry I can't remember his name, I bet you know him.....

I think I know who you're talking about. If so, then he's not running.

Paul Rice=Another baby boomer gen type and I've had about enough of them. They seem to feel that what they went through early in their careers was the hardest times ever and it's just not the case. Most of them have their fair share already but just can't help but try to carve out more for themselves. I don't dislike him particuliarly, but there has to be somebody better.

You couldn't be more wrong about Paul. He is not another Prater. Far from it. You can't lump everyone from the same age group into the same category. I hope you do some more research once the candidates really start campaigning. If you do, I'm confident that your opinion will change about him.

 

[dicko]

Under his watch, AirTran is now ALPA. Although some of my fellow pilots might disagree, it has been a night and day difference from our in house union to ALPA.

I think most people would actually agree with you.

Unfortunately the flipside is this; Under his watch AirTran is the first ALPA airline to allow 86 seat RJ's in our scope.

The second, if you include USAir. However I heard that some of them may not be ALPA anymore

 

[Flopgut]

You couldn't be more wrong about Paul. He is not another Prater. Far from it. You can't lump everyone from the same age group into the same category. I hope you do some more research once the candidates really start campaigning. If you do, I'm confident that your opinion will change about him.

Is it not correct that Paul lives just a few miles outside the distance from Herndon that stipulates he get a large allowance for additional housing? In other words, he games the system? Not that that is totally bad, but maybe we can try somebody else.....

 

[PCL_128]

Most of Paul's time is spent in downtown DC, so I wouldn't expect him to have a place out by Herndon. Only Captain Couette spends most of his time in Herndon. The other National Officers are usually working at the downtown office. I'm not aware of there being any dividing distance in the compensation resolution that changes officer housing allowances, anyway.

Perhaps you should be more concerned with who is best qualified for the job rather than worrying about what someone's housing allowance is. The last guy who spent all of his time talking about taking less money and remaining flight current did neither of those things and ended up being the guy you despise and are trying to get rid of. Don't you think that experience and knowledge might be something we should value this time around? We tried the new guy who was the "outsider," and that didn't exactly turn out well. You know what they say about trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results....

 

[vetrider]

Hate to pile on but I was visiting back home a couple of weeks ago where Prater just happens to be from. I noticed he wrote a letter to the newspaper praising a state law maker, Jay Hoffman, about something he had done (can't even remember what) but it was somehow related to the biz and Prater signed it as President of ALPA. That's all good and well but Hoffman was former IL guv and all around corrupt thug politician Rod Blagojevich's "right hand man". You will know them by the company they keep.

After he gets the boot, he should retire and hire on at usapa. That kind of stuff is welcomed there.

 

[Flopgut]

Most of Paul's time is spent in downtown DC, so I wouldn't expect him to have a place out by Herndon. Only Captain Couette spends most of his time in Herndon. The other National Officers are usually working at the downtown office. I'm not aware of there being any dividing distance in the compensation resolution that changes officer housing allowances, anyway.

Perhaps you should be more concerned with who is best qualified for the job rather than worrying about what someone's housing allowance is. The last guy who spent all of his time talking about taking less money and remaining flight current did neither of those things and ended up being the guy you despise and are trying to get rid of. Don't you think that experience and knowledge might be something we should value this time around? We tried the new guy who was the "outsider," and that didn't exactly turn out well. You know what they say about trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results....

I'm not going to not listen to guys like you. You might be right about Paul. Again, I didn't say I disliked him. Are you saying there isn't going to be another candidate? Or at least another that can beat John? If Paul is the guy then I guess I'm on board.

 

[Sandhawk]

After he gets the boot, he should retire and hire on at usapa. That kind of stuff is welcomed there.

:laugh:

 

[PCL_128]

Are you saying there isn't going to be another candidate? Or at least another that can beat John? If Paul is the guy then I guess I'm on board.

Here's the way I see it shaping up:

John and Paul will start building support over the next couple of weeks. Moak (DAL) will put his feelers out at the Executive Board meeting next week to see if he has any support from other carriers. If so, he'll go to his MEC, and if he can get more than half to support him, then he'll probably throw his name in the hat. Those will probably be the top three candidates. I think the MEC Chair from FDX might run, but I don't think he has much support.

In a two-way race between Paul and John, I see Paul coming out ahead. If you throw Moak into the mix, it becomes murky as to how he would split votes, so that's a tougher call. I think Moak would be a big mistake, so I'm hoping he decides not to run. Having a Delta guy in the top spot sends the wrong message to pilots both within and outside ALPA, as it makes it look like the 12,000 pilot behemoth is in control of everything, even though that's not true under the ALPA structure. I think it would make organizing efforts very difficult, and it would turn many pilots at B-Carrier against the Association.