Alpa

[coolyokeluke]

I can see the sophistication of the union haters on this thread with their well thought out objective point by point critisicms. Give me a break guys, ALPA is a representation of the pilots. If you don't like how you're being represented, get informed and get involved. Swearing on an anonymous board, yea, that's the ticket!

Read "Flying the Line" sometime. Sure it's pro-labor but you might get an understanding of how things were before pilots had any representation.

The airlines are going through an awful time right now. It it any suprise that pilots have had to make concessions, look at the history of pilot pay/benefits and how it's cycled with the ups and downs of the industry. No everything's not going to be ideal when the upturn (when's it going to be?) comes but that's life. A lot of the people who complain and are cynical about their job and industry have obviously never worked in another field or in a bad job, something that would give them some perspective.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Read "Flying the Line" sometime. Sure it's pro-labor but you might get an understanding of how things were before pilots had any representation.
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Actually it isn't pro labor. George Hopkins initally wrote The Airline Pilots: A Study in Elite Unionization, 1971. He was asked by ALPA to write Flying the Line Vol. I, 1982. An incredible read with some dry spots. However required for anyone who gives 1.95% of their income.

Hopkins was asked again to write the second part, published in 2000, which included deregulation. You think Lorenzo was bad? Read about EL Cord. Also CR Smith whom AMR has named thier beloved museum after.


With copy of Vol II in hand turn to page XII of the Preface.

Hopkins, the books' author writes

JJ O'Donnell [then ALPA's president] asked me to write another history commemorating the unions 50th anniversary. With the understanding that I would give ALPA its history "warts and all," I agreed.

The result was Flying the Line; the First Half Century of the Airline Pilots Association, published in 1982. My interpretation of ALPA's history was not censored. I work for Western Illionis University specifically and for an abstraction called history" generally. Although frankly nervous about the book, O'Donnell understood that prettified "court history" praising the King (so to speak) would be worthless. If pilots were to derive insight from my book, it had to be free to go wherever truth took it.

Hopkins placed his academic career on writing the truth and not being a chump.


Contact your LEC rep and ask for a copy. He might be able to get a complimentry copy. If not what is $10.

Then you can read about how pilots showed up for work, only to be met by an armed guard who escorted them to a company official. This company official handed the pilot both a resignation and an employment application....at a lower wage! (Vol I, chapter 6, page 48)

Coming to work nowadays isn't so bad.


Need more? Read 'When the Airlines Went to War' In this book you will read how Air Line Pilots disregarded thier labor contracts during WWII to 'transport the army and navy' and how the airlines trained Navigators, Pilots and mechanics by the thousands. The required rapid mobilzation of America's Air Power would have never happened if it wasn't for the US Airlines.

You'll earn a new respect for Airports like LGA and DCA, commonly refered to as sh1tholes by the ignorant. LGA and DCA have more history, culture and character than most of us....

Pride in being an Air Line Pilot is not popular right now, but you'll find it in these books...