warbirdfinder
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2004
- Posts
- 128
Here are a couple of comments made by retired Delta pilots. can you blame them for thinking this way?
These are my comments on Delta ALPA's TA. I will make them short.
As have all retired pilots, I have paid Money ($$$) while on active status to ALPA to bargain for my retired benefits and to non-active ALPA Member-furloughed pilots for many years. I always thought that the active pilots would then reciprocate to me and other retired ALPA members. It is very disconcerting to find that my "brothers" have abandoned me because I no longer pay dues nor will I ever pay dues, Ala furlough returnee. It is also depressing to hear the lie that ALPA does not represent retired pilots; a term most often heard from the mouths of the ALPA president and the same lawyers who worked for me as CA Chairman. I personally, as CA Chairman, represented retired pilots. It is purely a conflict of interest that is the crux of this matter. Should ALPA provide support to people who depend on them but have conflicting interests or should ALPA dump those who provide no money to their coffers and cannot vote?
Active pilots at Delta ALPA are about to jettison our hard-earned and hard-fought-for retirement plan in favor of $650 million to their pockets (active pilots only). Odd that "brotherhood" can become personal greed when times are hard. It would seem amazing that we ever paid a cent to help our brother furloughees.
If this TA passes, shame on all furloughees for abandoning those who actively supported them in hard times, shame on ALPA (including me) for ever bargaining for any post-active-flying benefits that they never intended to fight for and finally shame on all of us retired pilots for thinking that Union Brotherhood was a REAL word. I cannot believe that as an MEC member I ever sat in an MEC meeting discussing brotherhood and fairness for all. Who is more stupid; the active pilot still thinking that post-active flying benefits will be "existent" when they retire or retired pilots who thought they had paid and bargained for a benefit for life?
It will be an interesting future with DP3's 1113 motion.
I can never again sign a letter with Fraternally,
Dick Coe
++++++++++++++
Dick,
You make the case as well as it can be made. Consistent with my many years of being on the second time speakers list, I will add my two cents.
Over my 31+ career, ALPA negotiated pay, work rules, and benefits. When commitment to defend those hard fought for contracts ends because the pilot no longer pays dues or votes foretells the end of ALPA. Why would any new pilot considering membership waist dues money on a union that dumps him the day he retires.
The time has come to force ALPA by judicial order to comply with the duty of representation inherent in the negotiated contracts covering a pilots dues paying career. A simple agreement to not fight the termination of benefits by Delta does not solve the temporary financial problems of a mismanaged corporation or of a union unwilling to defend its contracts.
The retired pilots have an equity stake in ALPA's major contingency fund. It is past time for retired pilots to stand up and demand ALPA fairly represent all pilots covered by the agreements signed by the President of ALPA.
Gary Cunningham
These are my comments on Delta ALPA's TA. I will make them short.
As have all retired pilots, I have paid Money ($$$) while on active status to ALPA to bargain for my retired benefits and to non-active ALPA Member-furloughed pilots for many years. I always thought that the active pilots would then reciprocate to me and other retired ALPA members. It is very disconcerting to find that my "brothers" have abandoned me because I no longer pay dues nor will I ever pay dues, Ala furlough returnee. It is also depressing to hear the lie that ALPA does not represent retired pilots; a term most often heard from the mouths of the ALPA president and the same lawyers who worked for me as CA Chairman. I personally, as CA Chairman, represented retired pilots. It is purely a conflict of interest that is the crux of this matter. Should ALPA provide support to people who depend on them but have conflicting interests or should ALPA dump those who provide no money to their coffers and cannot vote?
Active pilots at Delta ALPA are about to jettison our hard-earned and hard-fought-for retirement plan in favor of $650 million to their pockets (active pilots only). Odd that "brotherhood" can become personal greed when times are hard. It would seem amazing that we ever paid a cent to help our brother furloughees.
If this TA passes, shame on all furloughees for abandoning those who actively supported them in hard times, shame on ALPA (including me) for ever bargaining for any post-active-flying benefits that they never intended to fight for and finally shame on all of us retired pilots for thinking that Union Brotherhood was a REAL word. I cannot believe that as an MEC member I ever sat in an MEC meeting discussing brotherhood and fairness for all. Who is more stupid; the active pilot still thinking that post-active flying benefits will be "existent" when they retire or retired pilots who thought they had paid and bargained for a benefit for life?
It will be an interesting future with DP3's 1113 motion.
I can never again sign a letter with Fraternally,
Dick Coe
++++++++++++++
Dick,
You make the case as well as it can be made. Consistent with my many years of being on the second time speakers list, I will add my two cents.
Over my 31+ career, ALPA negotiated pay, work rules, and benefits. When commitment to defend those hard fought for contracts ends because the pilot no longer pays dues or votes foretells the end of ALPA. Why would any new pilot considering membership waist dues money on a union that dumps him the day he retires.
The time has come to force ALPA by judicial order to comply with the duty of representation inherent in the negotiated contracts covering a pilots dues paying career. A simple agreement to not fight the termination of benefits by Delta does not solve the temporary financial problems of a mismanaged corporation or of a union unwilling to defend its contracts.
The retired pilots have an equity stake in ALPA's major contingency fund. It is past time for retired pilots to stand up and demand ALPA fairly represent all pilots covered by the agreements signed by the President of ALPA.
Gary Cunningham
