...another ALPA defection underway

[Polar742]

I report this with no pride nor prejudice:

http://www.atlasair.com/holdings/pre...sp?Pressid=442

Crewmembers Showing Overwhelming Support for Teamsters

June 12, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) – The Teamsters on Thursday filed for a petition with the National Mediation Board seeking a vote to represent Atlas Air and Polar Air flight crewmembers.
The Teamsters also filed for single-carrier status with the operating entities of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (Nasdaq: AAWW), which is based in Purchase, N.Y. Atlas is the world’s largest 747 cargo carrier.
“I’m confident the Atlas Air flight crewmembers will vote to join our union as we gain strength in the aviation industry,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “We recently won a big organizing victory with United Airlines mechanics and we have an energetic new Airline Division director in Capt. David Bourne.”
The organizing drive began with a grassroots effort by Atlas for Teamsters, led by Chairman Dave Allen and Vice-chairman Paul Kvernplassen. It quickly gained momentum.
The Atlas unit includes about 630 crewmembers.
“This was a mandate,” Allen said. “More than 90 percent of the Atlas crewmembers have already submitted cards. We anticipate receiving even more cards as all AAWW crewmembers want fair and enthusiastic representation and leadership support.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4-million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

[meritflyer]

ALPA is not doing so hot..

[surreal1221]

Yup. . .bummer. . .too bad. . .this has been discussed for a while over on another board. Lots of emotions.

[WacoFan]

Question-

ALPA has not been doing so hot. The USAPA thing (and I know many say that is not ALPA's fault and I mostly agree), as well as this and many posts critical of ALPA make me wonder how changing the leadership works.

If a business reports bad results for a time they can relatively quickly change leadership to inspire confidence in the market, their customers, etc. How does it work with ALPA? How quickly can ALPA dump their current leadership and bring in new people with a different vision? Most times this happens in the corporate world it is simply offering up a sacrificial lamb to mollify the financial markets and/or customers that are dissatisfied - can ALPA do this?

[surreal1221]

It can / could happen.

Issue is though, that the majority of smaller "assocations" that make up ALPA, are happy with the leadership in place. Those in the minority would be unable to have a successful recall vote / election to adjust the leadership due to the majority of the associations positions. That, combined with the negative stigma associatied with being a dissenter doesn't put a lot of options out there for the minority (whoever they are. . .).

[Boris Badenov]

How quickly we forget. ALPA created the regional jet and has made an art of eating its young.

[BajtheJino]

Originally Posted by Boris Badenov

How quickly we forget. ALPA created the regional jet and has made an art of eating its young.

Blasphemy!

Oh, wait. No, it's not.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by Boris Badenov

How quickly we forget. ALPA created the regional jet and has made an art of eating its young.

Silence freight trash.
You know nothing about ALPA.

[Seggy]

Originally Posted by Boris Badenov

How quickly we forget. ALPA ... has made an art of eating its young.

Can you educate me and provide specific examples on how ALPA has done this in your mind.

[mtsu_av8er]

Were you flying 3237 yesterday near AVP?

[Seggy]

yeppers

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by Seggy

yeppers

Did you hear me speak to you? Or, do you ignore the jet jockies?

[Seggy]

I didn't hear what you said. Wish I did though! What did you say?

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by Seggy

I didn't hear what you said. Wish I did though! What did you say?

I just said, 'SEGGY!'. That was all though . . . I don't like being "that guy" . . . lol.

Did they ever get that routing squared away for you guys?

[Seggy]

I made my own route. That is how I roll.

[Boris Badenov]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

Silence freight trash.
You know nothing about ALPA.

It's a fair cop. Luckily, this is the Internet, where everyone is an Expert. Even me.

Originally Posted by Seggy

Can you educate me and provide specific examples on how ALPA has done this in your mind.

Oh, your modesty so becomes you.

Well, of course the line shifts depending on who you talk to, but I think it's probably safe to say that at the very least starting with a structure in which every pilot flying a particular brand was on a master seniority list and winding up with a substantial minority of airline pilots flying "express" aircraft for substandard wages and benefits on what were formerly trunk routes in blithe hopes of making it to the "big leagues" (which shrink every year as the ranks of regional pilots swell) is a pretty good example of throwing the kids under the bus to keep your wage and benefit package. Or "B Scales". Or refusing integration with Comair pilots (who were ALPA!). Or this latest bit of arrogant nastiness from the UAL MEC judging that they're entitled to the jumpseat on the kids' airplanes too. Etc etc. I've little doubt that none of these well known situations is going to wind up being ALPAs fault in your view, so let's start with them and see where we get to.

Certainly it's arguable that these are all problems of the individual MECs involved, but then the question becomes "what's the value of a national union if the power is entirely in the hands of the individual MECs"? Why NOT be Teamsters, or United freaking Garment Workers if the national is either powerless, or works actively to undermine the interests of "junior partners" in order to buoy the compensation of the graybeards at mainline?

As far as I can see, "solidarity" is a myth. ALPA just seems to make the process of getting screwed more complex and therefore less obvious.

[dingo222]

Originally Posted by Seggy

I made my own route. That is how I roll.

You're dangerous !!!!!!!!!!!!!