Alpa President Starting To Show Signs Of Leadership

[PCL_128]

What exactly are his selfish intrests?

Apparently age-65.

Meanwhile you got 60,000 independent contractors that pay ALPA dues wondering when Prater is going to customize his leadership to each individual whim...

It's not about individual whims. It's about "majority rules." He doesn't seem to get that.

I really wanted to support Prater and I hoped that he could be a good leader. While I personally supported Captain Woerth during the election, after that was over I was determined to put it behind me and stand with Prater. Unfortunately, he's made that impossible. With his complete disregard for the will of the majority, he gets no support from me.

Maybe if he wasn't so focused on this age-65 nonsense for the past 6 months he could have worked closely with the AAA/AWA MECs and come up with a viable solution without arbitration. Instead, we're now stuck with a situation that, at best, will turn into a generation-long dysfunctional pilot group at the "new" USAirways. At worst, this could turn into a viable decertification drive at AAA. Yep, real good leadership.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

Leadership is very important... but you cant have leadership without followership... and right now the ALPA followership suxs hind titty.... worse than the leadership.....

This lack of following you cite over and over indicates that ALPA doesn't connect with it target audience.

The leadership has lost the pilots. ALPA time has come to an end. It is just wasting our time and money and should cease to exist.

When the organization is about continuing the tradition of the organization and not about the pilots any longer it is done. ALPA should die.

Hopefully the EAST will lead the charge and end this dead horse called ALPA.

 

[Wiskey Driver]

This lack of following you cite over and over indicates that ALPA doesn't connect with it target audience.

The leadership has lost the pilots. ALPA time has come to an end. It is just wasting our time and money and should cease to exist.

When the organization is about continuing the tradition of the organization and not about the pilots any longer it is done. ALPA should die.

Hopefully the EAST will lead the charge and end this dead horse.

It can only get better without ALPA.

Incorrect!!,

ALPA is only as srong as it's members and when it's members speak thru resolution policy is formed. If you don't like the policy then you gather your support and make a change! What you don't do is agree to the policy and then scream and kick when said policy doesn't fit your current wants and desires.

The east will lead nothing simply because they incapiable of doing so. The lack the basics of fair play. Their mentaility is one built on selfishness and that foundation is shaky at best.

If you want change then build on what you have and make those changes...

WD.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

Incorrect Whiskey. If the system doesn't allow an opposition voice the system doesn't self correct. ALPA does not self correct as you claim is possible. If it did we would not be in this pit of inaction.

An example of what I am referring to is age 60. The majority opposed the issue for many years now. The leadership disregarded that opposition. When ALPA had the chance to stop age 65 cold, ALPA instead choose the path the leadership wanted to allow age 65 by suppressing the age 60 majority with the bogus information education campaign which allowed the problem to build. And ALPA got what it wanted regardless of all the "kicking a scream" you referred to in your post. ALPA in this example prevented the majority view which it has done for too long now.

ALPA does not represent the pilots anymore. ALPA represents ALPA's interest and if those conflict with the pilots the pilots lose. Again ALPA do not represent it pilots. ALPA represents itself.

It is ignorant to believe that ALPA is an organic self correcting organization. ALPA is a political mess that has failed the pilots for way to long.

Everything has a life cycle and ALPA's has come to it end.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

ALPA's leadership under Duane Worth and John Prater for the last nine years has been to serve ALPA without regard for the pilots it represents.

ALPA has failed to protect the bottom and the top of the profession. ALPA has sacrificed the middle's future forever for a few at the top during the short term during the last five years.

It is going to be very interesting where the EAST goes now and what follows. The consequences for ALPA need to be as harsh as those it has dealt its pilots.

For the last five years ALPA has been remained untouched while every pilot it has represented has taken a beating.

 

[PCL_128]

For the last five years ALPA has been remained untouched while every pilot it has represented has taken a beating.

You really don't have a clue. Untouched? ALPA's staff is drastically reduced from the pre-9/11 days. The current staff are working their asses off to get the work done. ALPA's OCF is practically broke. The EC is considering a big transfer from the MCF (the fund supposed to be used only for strikes and major events like bankruptcies) in order to keep the union running. Every MEC budget has taken a hit this year to keep things solvent. ALPA is hardly "untouched." If it hadn't been for Captain Woerth's leadership along with Captain Beebe's financial expertise, this union would have been bankrupt long ago.

Your anger is misplaced. You should be directing your anger at a man (Darth Prater), not an organization. ALPA is only as strong as the people who volunteer to keep it going. When the wrong people are elected to run the organization, then things aren't going to run smoothly. That's not an inherent problem with the Association, it's just a problem with the people. The solution isn't to commit suicide by destroying your own union; the solution is to put the right people in office when the opportunity rolls around again.

 

[PCL_128]

double post

 

[Wiskey Driver]

ALPA's leadership under Duane Worth and John Prater for the last nine years has been to serve ALPA without regard for the pilots it represents.

ALPA has failed to protect the bottom and the top of the profession. ALPA has sacrificed the middle's future forever for a few at the top during the short term during the last five years.

It is going to be very interesting where the EAST goes now and what follows. The consequences for ALPA need to be as harsh as those it has dealt its pilots.

For the last five years ALPA has been remained untouched while every pilot it has represented has taken a beating.

What I am trying to get you to understand is that change within this union our union comes from us! This union is run by policy thru resolution. If you don't take the time to effect change you are essentially accepting what is. Yes I too was not happy with age 60 and how this was handled. If you are unhappy take it to the pilots in your council and get support, lots of it. Write a resolution and present it at your LEC meeting and demand that your mec champion it to national again building support along the way. Get your EVP on board and to do that your support has to come from other MEC's as well.

It sounds tough but it's not and this is how you effect change within this union. I am telling you this as a member of the ALPA BOD. Change within this union begins with the pilots.

WD.

 

[Shrek]

Hey luckytohaveajob maybe you DO have some solutions.............run for office !!!

What? - you just want to piss and moan and destroy our Union? If you succeed - then what? How bout that medical? How bout that System Board - aww crap just burnt it down. You might as well go to Skybus and try to suck up to MGT long enough to get to the left seat at 65 a year - MAYBE?!

Vote...............Volunteer........or Shut your Hole.

 

[Flopgut]

When I see Prater on camera I expect him to say:

"Then it sounded like a freight train. The trailer next to us just up and disppeared. That's when I knew we best run fer it."

PIPE

Hilarious!