ALPA ........ Missing In Action

A guest editorial, Thanks Bob!

There appears to be a well coordinated effort attacking the well established,
legal operating procedures of commercial airline pilots.  There are too many
examples of what I’m saying to list here.  The changes seemed to have
started around the time of de-regulation.  It is now normal to call a captain
or crew on the carpet for events that take place “on the line” when
Captains and crews make on-the-spot decisions about situations or conditions
that require some form of action.

Calling a crew in using “Monday morning quarterbacking techniques” is not
why I write today.  I write to ask the question, “WHERE THE HELL IS ALPA”?
This alleged union has been missing in action for the past 15 or so years.
They are supposed to be the front line of defense for airline pilots.  ALPA is
nowhere to be found.  Sooner or later the line pilots, who pay all the dues to
this worthless organization, are going to realize how worthless ALPA is as the
caretaker of the pilot profession.
For 20 years airline employees salaries, insurance programs, pension benefits,
cockpit authority, work rules, and many more benefits have been lost or
reduced.   During this time, the ALPA national organization in Washington has
continued to grow, adding employees, increasing ALPA employee benefits, and
building a set of ALPA rules, policies and procedures that are designed to
benefit and protect ALPA National organization, not the line pilot.  Their
large, expensive, full time, legal staff is not there to protect the line
pilot, but there to protect and enforce ALPA’s rules, policies, and union
officials. The latest slap at the dues paying line pilot is a dues increase
imposed (not voted on by the membership) on pilots to make up for the lost
monthly dues revenue from the US Air pilots quitting the organization (I
can’t blame them).
ALPA in Washington is too caught up in the “big shot” political scene in
Washington, DC.  The have expensive cocktail parties, ALPA officials travel
around in limousines, ALPA Union employees receive more and better benefits
than line pilots that foot the bill.  If I was still working I would much
rather go the way of American and US Air.  All their union dues stay in-house
to work directly for the members that pay the dues.  ALPA is a disgrace…,
missing in action.
Bob R  -  Retired Delta