Our problems are not so much with DALPA, but also with National ALPA. Delta pilots put into ALPA's pot about $30M/yr in dues. Of that, we see maybe $10M in return in the way of benefits. The other $20M goes to subsidize the other groups that spend more than they put in. Something really wrong here. Maybe we should get a discount...
This is truly a misnomer. 10 Million comes back to us, 24J provides about 6 million, and of the remaining money, 20 or so million is not returned to the MEC for their direct use.
What that 20 million is used for definitely goes towards Delta pilots. Do a few of the smaller carriers get some "benefit" of being part of ALPA with these in-house services? Yes, but the concept is that of strength in numbers. Every independent enjoys some benefit of ALPA being around. It is my opinion that the independents would not fair quite as well if ALPA ceased to exist.
What you the Delta Pilot get from that 20 or so million that funds the National Operation:
Our MEC has unfettered access to:
-Legal-Huge given our operation. Two of the ALPA staff attorneys work DAL issues full time. There are three others that work issues for us part of the time. This goes from Pilot Representation, to Legal Interpretation, to Section Six.
-The In house Media and Publication Shops.
-LEC Budgets on a per pilot basis
-Safety
-Legislative Officials through the standing relationships ALPA has forged though the years-Think of all of the issues we have had to fight on the hill.
-AeroMedical
-Professional Negotiators.- Yes, they are professional, and bar none, the best labor could every buy.
-EF and A- We want anything costed out, they do it as part of our dues. Plus all of the economic modeling that needs to be done on a constant basis. Notice how many LOA's we have had?
-Benefits Specialists- We have one full time benefits specialist that works here in ATL and a few that work up in DC. All paid for by our dues dollars that go to National.
There are some 40+ services that are provided by National that are paid for with every pilot group's dues money.
I could go on, but the point is that there are a great many things that we pay for with the dues money that goes to National. The idea or notion that this would be cheaper on the open market is absurd. Pooling 38 pilot groups' dues dollars allows each pilot group to have access to more services that they would if they had if they were to pay for them as an independent.
Go ask you APA friends if they have a Full Time Retirement and Insurance Chair, Safety, Strategic Planning, EA's etc, all part of 24J. Go ask them if they have unlimited access to a media center that can produce any medium they wish, whether it be video, print, or audio? Ask them if they have standing Media Classes, As them how much they pay in legal fees per year. Ask APA what they are paying for access to our Professional Negotiators and Seth? Ask them why they are getting access, and why if DALPA split we would not.
Point is that if someone actually took the time and realized what a legal retainer cost, what the hourly rates of a average firm (big ones would not take your work as they would not want to alienate their corporate clients), extrapolate that out for the hrs that are spent in a section six, a LOA, and pilot representations and you will quickly realize that the idea that will be cheaper is a misguided thought. The bueaty of unity is that not everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, and it keeps people working full time. As a result very good at what they do, because they are constantly doing it.
I did the research and realized that just because there are some issues that need fixing in ALPA, it does not mean we should do away with the structure or the organization. Like I have said, use the angst of 2000, organize within and fix what you desire to fix. If it turns out that the will of the remaining 10,000 pilots is not that of yours, then respect the representational democratic process. There are a many results that I have vehemently opposed, but the process took place, and my position was not that of the majority. Taking my toys and going home never solves anything, except to let the process go unchecked.