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NPA and ALPA move closer to merger

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TA few months after the new BOD takes office, the pilots are again pissed off and repeat the same process. It's never-ending. The NPA is broken.

Why would this be different under ALPA? Piltots getting pissed off is nothing new. Happens under ALPA, NPA, any union, or a nonunion.
 
The NPA has been an unmitigated disaster. We have had 6 Presidents in the past 10 years, and there have already been several recall petitions for our current President. The average time that a rep serves is only 18 months, even though the terms for office are 2-3 years, depending on the office. Everyone either resigns or is recalled before the completion of their term. This is indicative of a complete structural problem.
I'm afraid you're mistaken on this point. There is indeed a problem but the union structure isn't it. The MECs at both TWA and AWA went through similar turnovers in leadership in their final years. When a pilot group is under enormous pressure it takes leadership of the highest caliber to steer them -- something rarely found. Switching to ALPA won't affect the quality of your leadership.

The primary advantages to ALPA over an in-house union are the resources available and political influence. The internal structural differences aren't likely to effect any major changes. I'm not advocating against ALPA; I'm just pointing out that expectations must be realistic.
 
The AA and SWA pilots seem to do okay on their own so no doubt 12,400 DAL pilots could.
The SWA are indeed doing okay but their being SWAPA has little to do with that and everything to do with their management. And if you think the APA is doing okay you're not paying attention to what's going on over there. They're just as screwed up as ALPA if not more so.
 
I'm afraid you're mistaken on this point. There is indeed a problem but the union structure isn't it. The MECs at both TWA and AWA went through similar turnovers in leadership in their final years. When a pilot group is under enormous pressure it takes leadership of the highest caliber to steer them -- something rarely found. Switching to ALPA won't affect the quality of your leadership.

It also takes followership of the highest caliber...

Wouldn't you agree? Do you really expect to elect a leader and then have a situation of enormous pressure and the pilot group put the onus on him, hoping that said leader has that "something rarely found"......

It would seem that the odds are stacked against any pilot group that operates under this pretense....
 
i guess that was one of my points. I think it's a pilot group problem and not a union problem per se. No union will be effective if the pilot group is as recall happy as our pilot group. We never give an elected group a chance to prove themselves before we call for a recall. That is a pilot group problem, not a union problem.

ALPA is no longer a union, they are a PAC and as such, have very political motives. Just be aware that what they might be advising our pilot group to do is not in our best interests, but rather in ALPA's.

I do agree that ALPA has more resources available for us to utilize, but i'm not sure if it is worth inviting the devil to dinner...
 
Why would this be different under ALPA? Piltots getting pissed off is nothing new. Happens under ALPA, NPA, any union, or a nonunion.

You wouldn't understand until you've seen it for yourself, CL. This isn't just the normal level of "pissed off" that all pilot groups have, this is something entirely different. People are completely fed up. The NPA is completely incapable of being an effective union. It doesn't matter who you put into office, they'll all be ineffective.
 
You wouldn't understand until you've seen it for yourself, CL. This isn't just the normal level of "pissed off" that all pilot groups have, this is something entirely different. People are completely fed up. The NPA is completely incapable of being an effective union. It doesn't matter who you put into office, they'll all be ineffective.

Well good luck with this and the ongoing contract negotiators. Happy to see at least some furloughees going back to work, including a good friend of mine returning to AAI.
 
ALPA is no longer a union, they are a PAC and as such, have very political motives. Just be aware that what they might be advising our pilot group to do is not in our best interests, but rather in ALPA's.

What about your career ISN'T political? Even the negotiations and grievance process is political at any airline including Airtran...

your pilot group vs ALPA's best interest?

What does that mean, because I'll find another thread that states that ALPA is not acting like a true National Union?

Well to function as a true National Union ALPA needs to put the collective first and the individual second..

I do agree that ALPA has more resources available for us to utilize, but i'm not sure if it is worth inviting the devil to dinner...


Said another way.... You aren't sure if you want to deal with mass complexities of collective representation on a local, national and international level?


What sounds easier? Dealing with your town or your town, your state and your country? Of Course the latter will prove to be more difficult....
 
It also takes followership of the highest caliber... Wouldn't you agree?
A great leader inspires pilots and arouses them from their lethargy. Just look at how often a losing sports team can be turned around just by a change in manager. I really don't think there's much difference between individual pilots at different carriers. The quality of the leadership is what really differentiates us.
 
A great leader inspires pilots and arouses them from their lethargy.

Where do you expect to find this greatness? Any given pilot on your seniority list is to be this leader?



Just look at how often a losing sports team can be turned around just by a change in manager. I really don't think there's much difference between individual pilots at different carriers. The quality of the leadership is what really differentiates us.

It is a combined effort... we don't have the entire country to select our union leadership... In addition, most leaders have paid followers...

In my opinion, the followership is going to have to take more responsibility....

What are the options? Hope that the next elected pilot on our seniority list is "the one"?

Seriously, look at the pilots you fly with and in the crewrooms? Do you see any of them have great inspiring leadership qualities?
 

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