This is a repost from another board but it illustrates ALPA failure as a Union to serve their membership at all carriers including the regionals.
Enjoy.... the post is in regard to the Pinnacle TA
Here it goes:
"Eagle already has most of these provisions (or better) and we get criticized for our "16-year contract" which hasn't done much worse then most everyone else, yet here (with the ability to strike) the bar remains at or below our current CBA..............with both ALPA nationals blessing and apparently this airlines MEC.
It's abundantly clear that if any regional is going to truly change anything an actual strike will have to occur (with its risks). As it stands now, especially with another carrier embracing the dreaded PBS, it looks like the regional industries pilots can expect .50 cents here or there on rates and an hour here or there on scheduling.
In other words, dickering over peanuts.
Not intended as a criticism of Pinnacle in and of itself, as Eagle (and other carriers) will likely repeat this, but I see neither any real compensation package improvements in the regional industry nor any strikes. The best it can hope for (I guess) is more and larger airplanes so pilots can get their improvements that way. This will be bad for mainline pilots as it makes placing larger numbers of larger RJ's at these regional carriers desirable, because there is more profit made. By agreeing to contracts like this, it only strengthens what many pilots here are complaining about, be it mainline pilots losing jobs and expansion/advancement or young regional pilots hoping to one day go to a major that will have less growth because of this.
The Pinnacle MEC did a terrible disservice to its pilots by kicking this rusty can over to the pilot group for consideration and sends a message of spinelessness. Hopefully the pilot group will kick this can right back, but since the current MEC has already shown its lack of courage and fortitude, they'll be picked over by management again unless a new team is then put in place.
This is what occured at Eagle in 1997 when our MEC at that time failed in its responsibility and handed our pilots an inferior contract. The pilots voted it down, but failed to place new leadership at the helm and then that MEC agreed to a few minor improvements and most importantly CHANGED THE REQUIREMENTS for ratification to virtually insure its success. The "new" ratification requirements on the second TA were met with the first rejection, so it was a shoo-in. This made ALPA national happy. In fact, they sent one of their reps to our roadshows for the first TA, touting it as the best thing since sliced bread thus solidifing their lack of concern for many of us.........and that was the FIRST piece of garbage.
DON'T make this same mistake. After you vote this down (hopefully)...........MAKE negotiation team changes as the original team who would agree to this has no credibility left and will be looked at by your management as manipulateable lackeys.
Best of luck."
