What is the status of the ALPA De-certification vote at US Airways?

[vetrider]

Oh boy, brace yourself for another round of incoming righteousness.

 

[Turtle21]

....
I’d like some East guys to post on why you submitted cards and why you intend to vote for USAPA if an election is held

It is increasingly likely the vote will occur. It is hard to imagine a way for ALPA to avoid it now. Some will spend a lot of time trying to revisit why the vote is upon us or try to convince others how they should vote. That is not me. I could care less why we are here because there is no way to turn back time. It is what it is. Vote for the Constittution and Bylaws you want.

Whichever bridge we pick, we'll move on and cross the next bridge when we get to it.

Cheers

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Why I submitted the card.


1. ALPA agreed to do away with the pension with no pilot vote.

2. ALPA allowed the increase from 85 hours to 95 hours a month. that kept the furloughees out another 2 years at least.

3. ALPA allowed the sales outsourcing of the 170's and 175's, keeping the furloughees out and downgrading more Captains. At least we kept the 190's Thanks to the AWA guys as I understand it.

4. ALPA allowed the wholesale outsourcing frenzy of RJ's (hundreds of airframes) with over 1800 pilots on the street.

5. ALPA couldn't have cared less about me (furloughee) for the past five years, now that I have a vote they want to be my best friend again.

Just a partial list and I am not including the hose job at my furloughee job with another carrier at the hands of ALPA national.

For the last 6 years I have watched ALPA support whoever fills their pockets more, They seem to have lost sight of what their purpose is, not the "Association" as their letters to me keep stating, but the pilots.

Is USAPA the right choice? Dunno, but a little change is not always bad. Win or lose this process will have the effect of shaking things up and reminding the union (whoever it ends up being) what their real purpose is.....and it is not their bank account.

 

[ironspud]

Why I submitted the card.


1. ALPA agreed to do away with the pension with no pilot vote.

2. ALPA allowed the increase from 85 hours to 95 hours a month. that kept the furloughees out another 2 years at least.

3. ALPA allowed the outsourcing of the 170's and 175's, keeping the furloughees out and downgrading more Captains.

4. ALPA allowed the wholesale outsourcing frenzy of RJ's (hundreds of airframes) with over 1800 pilots on the street.

So ALPA '"allowed" all that stuff eh? I am an ardent ALPA hater. but that is just plain stupid.

 

[TWA Dude]

Snorter: you forgot to mention that all those things occured as a result of your MEC, as in your elected representatives. Dumping the whole union won't change a thing. Why didn't y'all demand a recall of your elected reps when they failed to disclose the arbitration hearing transcripts which detailed Nicolau telling you you won't be getting DOH?

One word: SCAPEGOATING!

 

[tico]

As someone who is "enjoying the" results of an arbitrated settlement....Richard Kasher for Alaska Airlines.....where we (alpa) sued to have the award vacated as a result of non-compliance with the arbitration process on both Kasher and Alaska Airlines part......and where the federal court agreed that there was cause to vacate but that it did not want to set a precedent and that the benefit of the award standing was greater than the benefit of the award being vacated......I am wondering how a new union will affect any change in the Nicalau award...That arbitration is complete and will stand with alpa, usapa or no union at all.....So given that eventually, all of usair will be working under that award and that switching unions will have no outcome on that integration, what other benefit will come with a new union....I would certainly hope that the people who promised d.o.h. for integration are not now promising that will happen with this change.....Wasn't it whitesnake that said "once bitten twice shy baby"....Now I can see plenty of benefit with a new union especially if the old defunct alpa group from usair are not allowed to participate in the new union....A fresh start with new updated ideas could be a great thing.....I hope it works as it could be a model of things to come for all of us and it might drive some much needed change in the old alpa....

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

So ALPA '"allowed" all that stuff eh? I am an ardent ALPA hater. but that is just plain stupid.

Yes the union had to agree to all of it for the company to be allowed to do it. That is a very simplified version, but in the end that is the case. There is an ALPA signature on each one of those agreements.

It is not so much the fact that it happened as the way it happened, I sat for 6 years and watched ALPA roll over to mgmt. time and time again. If there are extenuating circumstances as to why they let scope, retirement, and all the other stuff go with no more than minimal lip service I am all ears. We still have some time before the vote.

 

[PCL_128]

Yes the union had to agree to all of it for the company to be allowed to do it.

No they didn't. The bankruptcy court would have approved far more onerous concessions, and then would have issued an injunction to prevent a work stoppage. ALPA did everything possible, and probably prevented far worse concessions that would have happened in an 1113(c) filing. It's easy to make ALPA your scapegoat, but you should place your blame where it belongs: an anti-labor government and anti-labor courts.

 

[Prog 2/2]

So ALPA '"allowed" all that stuff eh? I am an ardent ALPA hater. but that is just plain stupid.

Brother Ironspud, there you have the crux of it.

Nothing but scapegoating and a seat grab going on here.

This isn't about ALPA, its' failings, or a lack of representation, it's about the Nicolau decision. USAPA didn't exist the day before the seniority arbitration was concluded, and only exists now as a venue to bypass the agreed to process to gain a joint contract.

The east knows that they can never overturn Nicolau, that there will be no reordering of the seniority list, and that they can't vote in a new union and scrap the arbitration.

What they are trying to do is scrap ALPA so that the new contract will be negotiated by USAPA.

And that new contract will contain alot of fancy "bid restrictions", "seat protections", and fences that will effectively gut the arbitrated decision.

And that contract will pass, because the easties outnumber us, and the representation scheme outlined by USAPA is designed solely to disenfranchise the west.

Like I said, nothing but scapegoating and a seat grab.

"Runway heading to five, four flight attendants"

 

[ferlo]

USAPA is nothing but a pig with new lipstick on it...ALPA has failed me more ways than I'd like to remember but I will say this...my life would be worse without them. USAPA is a guaranteed destroyer of the next ten years. No Past Practice, 40% won't pay dues, endless litigation, no collective bargaining agreement...nothing. USAPA is a total wasteland. Parker will be laughing all the way to the bank for years upon years.

These East guys blame everybody but themselves for this B.S. "date of hire or nothing" stance they took. The East dug their own grave, and now like little 13 year old bitches, they won't stop crying. Beware of what you wish for, you just might get it. The damage USAPA can cause it's members is on par with any form of scab.