AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL SENIORITY PROTOCOL
~TIMING and OPPORTUNITY~
The logical point in ALPA’s history to institute a national seniority protocol was concurrent with the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. Prior to Deregulation all airline pilot groups were relatively stable and secure but the tide was about to turn. ALPA tried to legislate a quasi “national seniority rights” provision with the inclusion of Section 43 of the Act called: LPP’s or Labor Protective Provisions. This legislative approach fell short because of the failure of ALPA to follow through and due to the failure of Congress to “fund” the promise made to ALPA that pilots harmed by deregulation would be made whole.
Section 43 of the Act, promised “first right of hire” if you lost your job because of deregulation; and, once a pilot was re-hired, the provision relied on Congress to establish a method to pay the difference in salary between new hire pay and the longevity pay that the displaced pilot had already acquired at his previous airline. Implementation of this politically negotiated “piece” for ALPA was delayed by the Carter administration and killed deader than a doornail by Reagan as he started his anti-labor reign. Recycling pilots was one of the primary goals of those promoting Deregulation! It was all done in the name of competition which would drive the cost to consumers down; primarily at the expense of pilots and all other labor.
However it is important to note that the effort by ALPA to negotiate the inclusion of LPP’s was based on a parochial “Haves and Have Not’s” view by ALPA leaders that sought to reinforce that the pilot was tied to an airline rather than a pilot being tied to the profession in the truest union sense. The mobility of seniority in other words, was trumped by parochial attitudes. Seniority did not go past the companies’ gates. Pilots had bought into the belief that because they had “invested” careers into a company, they “owned” it in their own minds; they tried to be “partners” with management; the pilots had deceived themselves for decades in this vain and economically illogical belief. The managements, one and all, throughout the first 45 years of commercial aviation did nothing to dispel the illusion that pilots clung to, because they were carving out empires and they knew an aviation empire was not possible without pilots.
One other effort to institute a national seniority list was made in about 1986. This compromise effort was an honest attempt to showcase the value to the profession of a national list and enlist the far-sighted vision of the political leaders of ALPA. Unfortunately, the leaders were still hamstrung by the same old parochial “ownership illusion”. The compromise was to set a date beyond all current ALPA members and institute the concept of a National List for all new members after a certain date. Had this concept been accepted in the mid ‘80’s it would still not be implemented today. This effort while noble and far-sighted gained no traction for several reasons but mostly because it was too far removed from the overriding psychological need of pilots to be the beneficiaries of their own actions. “What’s in it for me?” still rules in ALPA in 2008.
Enactment of a National Seniority Protocol in 2009 will give immediate career security to every Air Line Pilot in ALPA.
Timing and Opportunity
The timing and opportunity for ALPA to adopt and institute a national seniority protocol in 2009 is tied to two key elements.
1.)It is indeed a significant moment in ALPA history when as many as 36 ALPA bargaining groups all have amendable dates within 4 year window from 2007 – 2011. Two years into this window only a couple of pilot groups have negotiated new contracts. This alignment of amendable dates is the by-product of the ATA’s “me too” strategy that has basically cut the wages and working conditions for pilots by close to 50% during the bankruptcy era.
ALPA negotiators have worked hard as well to structure this ladder of amendable dates in the hopes that having strong ALPA groups negotiating first would help raise all groups. This “pattern bargaining” is what the industry is prepared for. Additionally, the current weak economy is not conducive to substantial labor gains; and it is problematic at this time that ALPA’s strategy will produce the desired results.
The manipulation of the bankruptcy laws (sec. 1113 in particular) was used as a hammer to decimate nearly 40 years of negotiated pay and work rule gains at every carrier whether in bankruptcy or not; it was not done in a vacuum. Industry leaders played to the political dogma under the Bush administration and took advantage of the economic fallout from a national catastrophe and a crippled transportation system to manipulate a complete restructuring of labor costs in a mature and heavily unionized industry. ALPA is currently fighting for reform of the 1113 rules; 5 years after the damage has been done.
The
timing is perfect to use the momentum of the ATA’s own plan against them. They are not ready for a totally new direction from ALPA. Realigning ALPA members’ loyalty to their profession instead of to the colors on the tail will completely change the game. Political change in Washington aligned with a rejuvenated membership focused on the biggest positive change in ALPA’s history will be unstoppable.
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2.)ALPA members and all air line pilots have come to understand that a parochial loyalty to a specific brand has not assured any pilot a secure career. The evidence is the number of bankruptcies and outright failures in the first 30 years of this deregulated era and the devastation that those failures have had on several generations of professional air line pilots. Fee for departure carriers and Legacy carriers alike have been whipsawed both in bankruptcy court and out. We have been had! We have lost control of our profession.
The solution for reclaiming control of our profession is right before us; a national seniority protocol.
The flying and jobs controlled today by the fee for departure carriers was once nearly all done by pilots working for the Legacy airlines. Those pilots in other times would have been on the seniority lists of the Legacy groups and we should negotiate two way flow rights as a part of code share and scope; but, the over-riding problem is job loss and the inability of a pilot to resume his career at a different carrier with the benefits of his seniority intact. Air Line Pilots have been talking about the need for a national seniority list and the rights and security that would naturally follow for the last 3 decades. The
opportunity is before us; make no mistake, Line Pilots are eager to bridge this last remaining chasm in their professional security.
Psychologically pilots will be supportive of instituting a protocol which will secure their professional path. They recognize the value to their own careers as well as future ALPA members of a policy that acknowledges and anticipates carrier failures but insulates their professional path from disaster.
Timing and opportunity are just words without leadership and vision. Pilots are skilled professionals; and the lesson learned is that our loyalty is best reserved for our collective professional interests rather than a myriad of corporate ones. If ALPA pilots want to reclaim control of their profession, they must act as trade unionists and extend the union principals and rights of seniority that will tie our careers to our profession instead of a specific company. Everything that follows adoption of this policy will be good for every current and future ALPA member.
ALPA: The Pilots Union
When ALPA adopts and institutes a national seniority protocol that is transparent and simple; that uses a starting point common to all air line pilots and from which all seniority benefits arise; that enforces the pilots ability to transfer his professional longevity and experience without losing the benefits of his seniority; then, virtually every professional air line pilot in the United States and Canada will skeptically question, analytically dissect the protocol, and then demand that he is represented by ALPA in order to secure his national seniority number and the rights that go with it.
Union finances will no longer be an issue. Expenses previously allocated to mergers and fragmentation will dwindle to nothing and organizing expenses will be saved. The union will be able to focus its resources in many ways currently restricted by budgetary constraints. Duplication of effort by competing pilot unions will be eliminated and the financial strength of the single union will grow exponentially.
The anticipated growth of ALPA membership will enrich the union beyond the monetary metric. New and better ideas, depth of leadership, engaged and reinvigorated membership, broader political influence: all positive benefits of a National Seniority Protocol.
