Airtran strike vote

[Turtle21]

If your asking me I say they are the same. JMO I saw ALPA ruin alot of lives to obtain there objective. ALL I am saying is for the Airtran pilots to be very leery... I wish you guys the best.

It only took 14 minutes for the ALPAphiles to come to the rescue.

Airtran is expendable in the eyes of ALPA. But that applies to most pilots that ALPA collects dues from.

 

[PCL_128]

Are you talking about ALPA National or ALPA at the local level?

Makes no difference. Both have the same goal: a better contract for our pilot group.

 

[maxblast72]

Considering ALPA gets 2% of the approximately $200 million that Airtran pilots get paid yearly (my math says between $3.5 and $4 million), seems like ALPA would like the Airtran pilots to get a better contract, grow, and maybe someday be adding a steady $6 million of revenue to ALPA's top line (they are a business after all).

With the amount of revenue cuts ALPA has absorbed due to USAirway's exit, United furloughs, etc, I am sure ALPA doesn't mind a steadier revenue stream.

 

[Turtle21]

Makes no difference. Both have the same goal: a better contract for our pilot group.

In ALPA, all pilots are not equal and all pilot groups are not equal. Those who argue otherwise are either woefully ignorant or are members of the inner circle attempting to foster the Madoff scheme. YOU are ALPA, rah, rah, rah.

 

[JerryLundegaard]

Ask the ATN MEC

Would that divulge the voters' identities? Is it a secret ballot?

 

[Splert]

I would be very leery of ALPA if I was an Airtran pilot. ALPA sucks and has there own agenda. I do not think Airtran fits into there agenda. Take it for what it is worth.

How did HALPA do this last round? HALPA has less than 500 pilots.

 

[DonVerita]

I would be very leery of ALPA if I was an Airtran pilot. ALPA sucks and has there own agenda. I do not think Airtran fits into there agenda. Take it for what it is worth.

Slaquer5...The reason we went with ALPA is because we needed to be with a national level union with a lot of resources. An in-house union may work fine for you guys at SWA because of your employee-first management culture, but over here at ATN, the management culture is employee-last. We have accomplished more with ALPA in 8 months than we ever did in 8 years with NPA plus we got our dues reduced a little as well. So far, so good.

 

[slaquer5]

Slaquer5...The reason we went with ALPA is because we needed to be with a national level union with a lot of resources. An in-house union may work fine for you guys at SWA because of your employee-first management culture, but over here at ATN, the management culture is employee-last. We have accomplished more with ALPA in 8 months than we ever did in 8 years with NPA plus we got our dues reduced a little as well. So far, so good.

Don, ALPA has some good tools, I hope you guys use them wisely and watch out for ALPA national and how they want to help you. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more ALPA would like that to see the fall of Airtran. Nor would ALPA be to happy when/if AT/SWA merge. I wish you guys the best and do think AT/SWA is a good fit. JMO

 

[Lear70]

Don, ALPA has some good tools, I hope you guys use them wisely and watch out for ALPA national and how they want to help you. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more ALPA would like that to see the fall of Airtran. Nor would ALPA be to happy when/if AT/SWA merge. I wish you guys the best and do think AT/SWA is a good fit. JMO

Well, everyone has their opinions...

I personally believe ALPA will use us as a tool to raise the bar collectively in the industry. Like it or not, we still use pattern bargaining throughout the industry and ALPA knows that the ONLY way industry pay rates will come up is if they help us fight for it one airline at a time.

They are spending more on our negotiations than they will make back for YEARS to come. If we go on strike, those costs only increase. Seems like an awful lot of money to throw away (in the Millions) just to get rid of a carrier that will make them money in dues for years to come.

I understand the conspiracy theories and feel for the carriers that have suffered as a result of LOCAL ALPA MEC decisions, but in this case, they gain little by our demise... they actually will LOSE Millions.

As has previously been said, ALPA has done more in a year than the NPA accomplished since I was hired (actually, the NPA gave AWAY a lot of things... ALPA has stopped that wholesale give-back).

YMMV

 

[Lear70]

Would that divulge the voters' identities? Is it a secret ballot?

There's no way for that information to be available.

ALPA uses an outside company, Ballotpoint, specifically BECAUSE Federal Law requires that union votes be secret. By using Ballotpoint, the union can't be accused of tampering or selectively going after small contingencies who don't vote like they want.

Because of that, there's no way to see how the "senior block" votes, except to see the voting numbers as a whole and knowing the demographic in general. I'm personally expecting a 92-95% Yes vote in favor of a legal strike.

Hope it doesn't become necessary, but I'm betting it will...