What has ALPA done for me lately?

[ualdriver]

Getting tired of reading these yet?





FAA Reauthorization Bill: On Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reported out H.R. 915, the FAA reauthorization bill, by voice vote. This legislation has been in limbo since October 2007 when the last FAA reauthorization expired. H.R. 915 is a $70 billion bill that will fund the FAA through 2012. It includes significant funds for modernization and NextGen, a Pilot Fatigue Study, and many ALPA priorities such as: Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Wake Turbulence, Weather, and Runway Safety.


Despite protests from the European Union and Committee Republicans, the bill includes strong provisions on inspection and oversight of foreign aircraft repair stations. It also reaffirms the U.S. citizenship requirements for actual control of U.S. air carriers. The bill also reflects ALPA’s priorities related to energy and global climate change policy with provisions for alternative fuel research.

During the Committee's consideration of the bill, a "manager's amendment" - or package of amendments offered by the Chairman - was approved. The manager’s amendment included additional ALPA priorities such as a study to limit access to the flight decks of all-cargo aircraft. The amendment also included ALPA’s suggestion to investigate the impact of wind turbines on radar signals. Furthermore, the Committee's report will include ALPA's suggested language clarifying the pilot fatigue study.

The manager's amendment also included Chairman Oberstar's bill, H.R. 813, related to anti-trust immunity. The provision requires a GAO study of the legal requirements followed by the DOT in deciding whether international alliances may be exempt from anti-trust law. Existing grants of anti-trust immunity related to international alliances are sunset for three years.

CrewPASS: On the security front, the TSA asked ALPA and the CrewPASS contractor, ARINC, to meet this coming week to discuss implementation of biometrics into the system. TSA told us back in November that the agency was “very close” to issuing standards for CrewPASS, but they have yet to do so. We’ll continue to push TSA on this issue, as CrewPASS cannot be expanded to other airports before those standards are approved.

FY 2010 Budget: Last Thursday, the administration released its FY 2010 budget proposal. The President’s transportation budget includes $800 million for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) to modernize the Air Traffic Control System.

The 2010 budget supports moving from a ground-based radar surveillance system to a more accurate satellite-based surveillance system, developing more efficient routes through the airspace, and improvements in aviation weather information. The budget proposal also includes a significant increase for the Essential Air Service program as demand for subsidized commercial air service to small communities’ increases.

Akaka Bill: Many pilots have asked about the Akaka Bill to normalize PBGC benefits for pilots who were forced by regulation to retire at age 60. We have been assured that the bill will be reintroduced shortly. We sent an inquiry to Senator Akaka’s office, and are awaiting an update in the bill’s status.

 

[Dan Roman]

no, keep them coming!

 

[F/O]

Well, let's see....pretty much every airline that is furloughing now wouldn't be furloughing if it wasn't for Prater's "age 65 pet project". Fedex is damn close to furloughing and nobody would have dreamed of that a year ago. Fukc Prater and fukc ALPA.

 

[pipe]

The real beauty is this: many old dudes stayed in riskier investments when retirement moved five years off. Now they lost so much that the extra five years won't get them back to where they would've been if they'd have just gotten out of the way. Karma's a bitch.

PIPE

 

[crshpdlifr]

That being said, ALPA is better than the NPA and TRS will be better for it...

It's not answer of all the probs, but at least we will be heard in the din.

 

[dh82dvr]

They bought me lunch! I'm easy but not cheap,.....oh wait, I'm cheap too!
:beer:

 

[Skippy]

how can you disrespect ALPA-- they gave all the furloughees a eyar subscriptiuon to flightops.com and that website sux ballz

 

[Fubijaakr]

Well, let's see....pretty much every airline that is furloughing now wouldn't be furloughing if it wasn't for Prater's "age 65 pet project". .

Give me a break. You remember $140 oil? Or the fact that there's a huge economic recession that's taking a toll on ticket sales to the tune of 10% of the business?

What in the world does Age 65 have to do with those issues?

And as far as Capt. Prater's "pet project"...you have heard of ICAO haven't you? Listen, everybody's career progression has be delayed. Age 60 is NEVER coming back. Get over it.

Your ignorance is astounding.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

how can you disrespect ALPA-- they gave all the furloughees a eyar subscriptiuon to flightops.com and that website sux ballz

United ALPA pilots voted yes on two separate occasions... to be assessed so that they may cover cobra medical cost for furloughed pilots....

 

[FDJ2]

Fukc Prater and fukc ALPA.

Spoken like a true professional.

 

[FDJ2]

United ALPA pilots voted yes on two separate occasions... to be assessed so that they may cover cobra medical cost for furloughed pilots....

As did Delta pilots and other ALPA pilot groups.

 

[Cuban B.]

What have we done for ourselves?

As with most institutional failures, the easiest path is to blame others. However, I suggest we take a good look in the mirror to remind ourselves that these failures of negotiation have come from within. With apathy toward our labor unions, and resentment toward each other, we will continue to be the doormats of management and shareholders.

Questions for our Leadership at ALPA, APA, IBT etc:

Why is there such an enormous discrepancy in pay between pilot groups? Should there not be some minimum standard?

Why has regional growth been allowed as an outsourcing tool? Is a CRJ900 or an E175 a "commuter" aircraft or a Trojan Horse?

Why can't we strike any more?

Why do we all hate eachother? Aren't we all getting screwed by our companies enough to not screw eachother?

Why does each MEC operate on its own? The Balkanized or "every group for itself" model has clearly failed. More centralized coordination by our unions will be the only way forward.

Why do we think we deserve better pay and overall QOL? We must also remember that no one DESERVES anything. In the private sector you deserve what you can NEGOTIATE.

 

[F/O]

Give me a break. You remember $140 oil? Or the fact that there's a huge economic recession that's taking a toll on ticket sales to the tune of 10% of the business?

What in the world does Age 65 have to do with those issues?

And as far as Capt. Prater's "pet project"...you have heard of ICAO haven't you? Listen, everybody's career progression has be delayed. Age 60 is NEVER coming back. Get over it.

Your ignorance is astounding.

You are missing the point, bro. Age 60 retirement was in itself a form of furlough mitigation. Retirements have ground to a halt for 5 years. Therein lies the trouble. You get it now?

 

[enigma]

ALPA lawyers just won an arbitration against Spirit Airlines and forced the company to cease building lines with less than 4 days off in a row. The QOL and bargaining implications of this ruling are huge.

ALPA has it's flaws, but we're all better off because of ALPA and it's presence.

 

[Skippy]

United ALPA pilots voted yes on two separate occasions... to be assessed so that they may cover cobra medical cost for furloughed pilots....

you're confusing a local pilot group as opposed to alpa NATIONAL - if you'd like to compare APPLES TO APPLES: then NO ALPA PILOT SHOULD BE W/O HEALTH INSURANCE IF FURLOUGHED--- AND furthermore- we should be able to have health insurance thru apla itself ( if we so choose) and rid the freaking airlines of holding it over our heads.

SKIPPY

 

[Redmeat]

Give me a break. You remember $140 oil? Or the fact that there's a huge economic recession that's taking a toll on ticket sales to the tune of 10% of the business?

What in the world does Age 65 have to do with those issues?

And as far as Capt. Prater's "pet project"...you have heard of ICAO haven't you? Listen, everybody's career progression has be delayed. Age 60 is NEVER coming back. Get over it.

Your ignorance is astounding.

LOL...

Hey Fubijaakr...

You have heard of The Metric System haven't you?

We AMERICANS have too...and we didn't want that garbage over here. SAME WITH 65!!!

Now go buy a fishin pole old man and get out of my seat!!!

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

you're confusing a local pilot group as opposed to alpa NATIONAL - if you'd like to compare APPLES TO APPLES: then NO ALPA PILOT SHOULD BE W/O HEALTH INSURANCE IF FURLOUGHED--- AND furthermore- we should be able to have health insurance thru apla itself ( if we so choose) and rid the freaking airlines of holding it over our heads.

SKIPPY

You are assuming that ALPA national functions as a single entity.....

 

[Cuban B.]

You are assuming that ALPA national functions as a single entity.....

Does not ALPA need to though? Aren't all these recent nickel and dime successes missing the point of the major structural failures?

 

[Fubijaakr]

Age 60 retirement was in itself a form of furlough mitigation. Retirements have ground to a halt for 5 years.

However, at the time, there were no furloughs. And the Regionals were hiring with as little as 500/50. You can't look as something that happened in the past without considering the historical context.

At the time of 122 ICAO nations, all but 4 (U.S. and France among them) had agreed that the mandatory retirement age would be 65. We had foreign Captains exercising their certificates in U.S. airspace who were over 60.

So, unless the U.S. was willing to abrogate the ICAO treaty and limit our airlines to purely domestic service, we were forced to amend our laws to dovetail with the ICAO treaty.

You have heard of the Supremecy Clause in the U.S. Constitution, haven't you? Perhaps you should Google it.

Is it your position that American citizens should be denied access to rights granted by treaty to foreign airline pilots? That's unfair on the face of it.

Hey, I sympathize with you. My career has been derailed by 5 years as well. All of ours have.

The point is its water under the bridge. You can shake your fist and curse all you want, but the sun is still going to rise in the East. Perhaps you should devote your energy to something you can actually have an effect on.

 

[Redmeat]

Is it your position that American citizens should be denied access to rights granted by treaty to foreign airline pilots? That's unfair on the face of it.

Brazilian (and many South American) controllers chew Coca leaves (the basic ingredient for Cocaine) while on the job. Is it your position that U.S controllers should be able to chew Coca leaves too?

Moron.

Edit 1: If you like ICAO so much move to Europe!

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Does not ALPA need to though? Aren't all these recent nickel and dime successes missing the point of the major structural failures?

Agreed... the 2008BOD had an agenda to create a National agenda.....

Recall during the golden years of the career, only Capts. could vote. Then when FOs got a to vote they only had 1/2 vote.

We have to start somewhere and be somewhere...

 

[PCL_128]

Age 60 is NEVER coming back. Get over it.

I hated Age 65, but I've got to agree with you on this. The law passed, it's the law of the land, so time to move on. No need to keep worrying about something that isn't going to change.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Brazilian (and many South American) controllers chew Coca leaves (the basic ingredient for Cocaine) while on the job. Is it your position that U.S controllers should be able to chew Coca leaves too?

Moron.

Edit 1: If you like ICAO so much move to Europe!

Dude....let it go....remember the Serenity Prayer...

 

[Redmeat]

Dude....let it go....remember the Serenity Prayer...

LOL...you must know me.

 

[Fubijaakr]

Serenity now...insanity later.

 

[Redmeat]

Serenity now...insanity later.

Go F_ck yourself...

 

[F/O]

Enough already with the "get over it" stuff. I didn't start this post. I just chimed in after somebody else did.

Nobody's "shaking their fist" at anything, nor are they dwelling on the past, nor are they reliving some sort of age 65 "PTSD flashback". At least no one I know of.

The subject of the post was "what has ALPA done for me lately" and in my case the facts speak for themselves. If I look at the value I have received from ALPA for "services rendered" I can say I have received poor value. I was stating facts. Prater sucks, and ALPA sucks. If you are senior you may have a different perspective.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

If I look at the value I have received from ALPA for "services rendered" I can say I have received poor value.

The status quo is usually not a motivator.

What motivates you? To keep what you have or rather to get what you don't have? IOW, people usually don't appreciate what they have. They are motivated to get what they don't have....

Take govt for example.... we all take for granted the services and protections they provide. No one hardly says, "I am going to work real hard to ensure Police and Fire are providing my family good services". Instead we complain about what govt isn't doing for us...

Same with ALPA... the organization provides many services we simply don't know about or care to know about.... yet benefit from. ALPA has to provide a professional foundation so that we are not compensated not on individual merit, rather collective bargaining.

 

[bluesideup340]

ALPA has to provide a professional foundation so that we are not compensated not on individual merit, rather collective bargaining.

And that is the problem. Why shouldn't I or anyone else be paid on merits?
Isn't this america, the land of opportunity for those that live the american dream. Of course, not so much for those that sleep through the dream.

ALPA has not have had a vision for the future in a long time. You talk about change and what not but how about details. All you and PCL have to over is rahrahrah without substance. So what is ALPA's vision on improving the lives of those that have to take it into the shorts because of Age 65, or how about providing some means for Pilots to transfer their experience to another employer without loosing all thier achievments. Last but not least, how about a vision so Pilots carreers are not all backend loaded.
(CAL first year $30000, DELTA $35000, you got to be s----- me)

Tell me that is ALPA's vision and stop living in the good old days. Listen to the need of you membership, maybe then people would start believing.

BTW nice spin on the governmernt piece with the Police and FD. But you did forget our military.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

And that is the problem. Why shouldn't I or anyone else be paid on merits?

Why stop there... why not be an investment banker and get paid not a merits but failure!

Back to reality.... if you want to be paid on merits, that would require rejecting the professional status of Air Line Pilots and switching to a trade status; like a plumber or electrician.

Want to see how low wages can go? Drop our professional status and go for it...

Isn't this america, the land of opportunity for those that live the american dream. Of course, not so much for those that sleep through the dream.

Yeah, America..... when immigrants arrived not only did they learn the street were not paved in gold, but they had to clean those streets....

Sure, America is all about you. Forget my family... let me reject them and come to your need. What can I do for you?

ALPA has not have had a vision for the future in a long time. You talk about change and what not but how about details. All you and PCL have to over is rahrahrah without substance.

Methinks you won't be happy till ALPA dumps truckloads of cash into your bank account.

So what is ALPA's vision on improving the lives of those that have to take it into the shorts because of Age 65,

This is America, remember? The one you were just hailing earlier in your post? In America, there are and we love, winners and losers. If you don't like age 65, then you are a loser. How do you like America now?

or how about providing some means for Pilots to transfer their experience to another employer without loosing all thier achievments.

This is America. Why do you want special exemptions for yourself.... Corp management loves the fact that so many pilots start over on first year pay.... and so many have... why would the corporati's give that up?

Last but not least, how about a vision so Pilots carreers are not all backend loaded.
(CAL first year $30000, DELTA $35000, you got to be s----- me)

Agreed... I've taken steps to address this.... have you?

Tell me that is ALPA's vision and stop living in the good old days. Listen to the need of you membership, maybe then people would start believing.

Agreed... stop acting like a consumer and start acting like a professional... In other words, grab some tools and man up. You lack a serious understanding of the complexity of the issues. Instead of expecting others to solve YOUR problems, why not be a righteous, self reliant American and contribute...

BTW nice spin on the governmernt piece with the Police and FD. But you did forget our military.

Yeah, gee... sorry I could find an example that sounded great about dumping money in your bank account......

I didn't forget our MIL.... They are great guys doing a tough job... as far as the civilians who run the MIL, we'll save that for another discussion...