Peidmont and Allegheny sue ALPA

[rgd]

Just got a RJDC newsletter in my mailbox at work. Said that Peidmont and Allegheny were suing ALPA because of jets for jobs. I think they are using the same attorney as the RJDC but not sure. Just passing it along.

 

[91100 100 set]

Indeed we are. About 90 plaintiffs in the initial complaint that was filed last month, the majority of them Piedmont. The gist of it is ALPA's failure in their "duty of fair representation" regarding the whole LOA 83 (who flies the 70 seaters) and J4J mess, and the potential impact that has had on the careers of those pilots.

The website is.... www.pilots4fair.freeservers.com

Check it out and wish us luck sticking it to ALPA.

 

[Mel Sharples]

This sucks, Beavis...

This is bad for two reasons.

#1. Managements get off on pilot groups fighting with each other. They are probably high-fiving over this one.

#2. We need to stick together as pilots. I'm not saying I disagree with the Piedmont/Allegheny guys, just sad to see it comes to that. But this has been brewing at ALPA for sometime. You can fight two sides of the same argument and expect everyone to be happy.

Can't we all just get along? *sigh*

 

[FlyComAirJets]

If the pilots of USAir had made even the slightest amount of effort of "sticking together" with the wholly owneds instead of sticking it to them, you might have been right.

 

[91100 100 set]

Mel, this is not two pilot groups fighting, this is two pilot groups fighting a much larger force, ALPA, representing the interests of the mainline pilots. This story goes back a long way. I'm sure I don't need to explain that there are conflicting interests between the pilots of a mainline carrier (stopping the spread of RJ flying, which has grown to the 70-90 seat realm) versus the pilots at the regional affliates (trying to further and advance their own careers). I have mixed feelings about this personally. Yes I work for a regional carrier and would love to gain a dollop of job security by my airline jumping onto the RJ bandwagon. However, I do feel the need to protect the profession as I would like to collect that high dollar pension before they all go away when every ratty commuter airline is flying 90 seat jets around, giving their pilots nothing more than a 401K. The events of late at USAirways have gone too far. Woerth flat out lied to the ALG and PDT MECs when he said that LOA 83 would not be signed, when in fact he signed it months before he made that statement. There is some serious backroom dirty poker being played here between ALPA national and the US MEC, at the expense of the ALG and PDT pilots. This recent "merger"? You know what our alternative was? A so-called "asset transfer" and subsequent liquidation of ALG which will free up the ALG certificate. The merger achieves the same. Mid-Atlantic is not gonna happen under the US certificate, and they need a certificate to operate those 70 seaters ASAP when they show up in April. Who's gonna fly 'em? Accoording to the US MEC, certainly no lousy express pilot. And ALPA is behind them, regardless of what it means for the ALG and PDT pilots. Hence the lawsuit. This is not about saving USAirways and taking it in the gut for the "greater good". USAirways is a lost cause. This is about reminding ALPA of why they collect dues from just about every airline pilot in this country, and when this issue comes up next year or the year after at DAL, UAL, NWA, or wherever, they will be a little more willing to consider EVERYBODY they represent.

 

[Mel Sharples]

Sorry... I should have been more clear. I realize I implied it was Allegheny vs. Piedmont and didn't mean to do that.

What I meant to say was pilot groups as in "Major vs. Regional". Anytime management can get any pilots to fight each other, they have already won half the battle.

I was trying to illustrate the infighting within ALPA. Sorry for the corn-fusion!

 

[91100 100 set]

Mel, no sweat. I just want to make sure everybody knows exactly whats happening here. We have been deserted by ALPA. The events going on here are part of the historical demise of USAirways, and it's important that everybody knows how it happened. No offense to our brothers and sisters at Mesaba, but lately it seems you can't visit the ALPA national website without hearing about every time they visit the restroom. Is there ANY mention of the struggle going on at ALG and PDT? Not a peep. I am by no means detracting from their contract negotiations, but the complete lack of any acknowledgement of our own struggle, and it's implications for airline pilots everywhere, speaks volumes about ALPA's role in all of this.

 

[Mel Sharples]

You are correct...

Funny you mention Mesaba, because there is an ALPA "abandonment" story there, too.

Long ago Big Sky tried to join ALPA but ALPA told them to pound sand because they weren't big enough. ALPA didn't want to waste their time on such a small pond that they were convinced wouldn't be around that long.

Now when Mesaba Holdings purchased Big Sky, ALPA's ears perked up and they said, "Hey, we need to rope them boys in this here union." Now Big Sky said pound sand yourselves. We tried to play your game before but weren't "big enough."

I agree that the press goes to who they want to get it. Mesaba was called a "watershed" contract post-9/11 so that is why it got so much press. But you are right... Allegheny and Piedmont are fighting for their lives but looking at the ALPA site you wouldn't even know it.

Good luck with your fight. It won't be easy but you guys can do it.

P.S. I think Mesaba went to the bathroom twice while ALPA wasn't looking so it went unreported.

 

[InclusiveScope]

ALG/PDT lawsuit:
http://www.pilots4fair.freeservers.com/

ASA/CMR lawsuit:
http://www.rjdefense.com/

RJDC Feb. 1 industry update:
http://www.rjdefense.com/news.html

 

[LawReview]

Best of Luck to any litigation. Someday maybe ALPA will wake up to their lack of interest in Regional airlines.

 

[Tim47SIP]

Saving the profession?

It seems to me that the more ALPA tries to manipulate the system to thier personal greedy advantage by building walls to keep out the regionals, the more cracks they get in that wall. Eventually when that wall crumbles, ALPA will cause their own demise and kill the profession.

And all the while they said that they were saving it