ALPA National Officers and Employees Salaries

[kellwolf]

I'm okay with a dues increase, but I wanna know what was cut before I vote yes. We all want management to tell us what costs were cut before we give in on wage concessions, it should be no different with ALPA. How much does it cost to print a full color magazine and send it to EVERY ALPA member, of which maybe half will read it and maybe 5% will read it more than once? How much money could be saved publishing that magazine on-line or at the very least making it optional.....or making it a separate charge for those that want a print copy mailed to them?

That's the kind of fat trimming I wanna see before I tell my status rep to vote for a dues increase or anything else that would take money out of my pay check. I know most (if not all) the voting reps from Pinnacle are probably voting "no" on this as well. It's actually a pretty heated argument over on the company board, and we're almost as unified on this one as we are against management on the contract.

So, yeah. If it went to a national vote of ALPA members, it would fail miserably and quickly.

 

[wheelsup]

I wonder if ALPA has furloughed anyone, since the amount of people they represent are less in number one would assume they need less support staff.

 

[higney85]

I'm okay with a dues increase, but I wanna know what was cut before I vote yes. We all want management to tell us what costs were cut before we give in on wage concessions, it should be no different with ALPA. How much does it cost to print a full color magazine and send it to EVERY ALPA member, of which maybe half will read it and maybe 5% will read it more than once? How much money could be saved publishing that magazine on-line or at the very least making it optional.....or making it a separate charge for those that want a print copy mailed to them?

That's the kind of fat trimming I wanna see before I tell my status rep to vote for a dues increase or anything else that would take money out of my pay check. I know most (if not all) the voting reps from Pinnacle are probably voting "no" on this as well. It's actually a pretty heated argument over on the company board, and we're almost as unified on this one as we are against management on the contract.

So, yeah. If it went to a national vote of ALPA members, it would fail miserably and quickly.

heated is an understatement sir...

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

You don't seem to understand the difference between a regular commuting pilot and a national officer. When you commute, you're home at least 8 days a month. Prater would be lucky to be home 8 days a year. Duane Woerth averaged about 20 days off each year he was in office. This is a non-stop job that doesn't give you time for commuting home. You want the President, who needs to be at the top of his game 24/7 for dealing with lobbyists, politicians, and management, to be crammed into a crash pad with 12 other pilots? Bad idea. The national officers have no choice but to keep a separate full residence in DC, and that should be paid for by the Association.

In that case he actually lives in DC if he only spends 8 days in his other home a year. I'm not begrudging him having a housing allowance paid for by the Association but just pointing out that it should be considered part of his compensation. If I were to get a job that had me working in DC I would be expected to find my own housing. I was just being cheeky when I said he should get a crashpad, and primarily because I thought it would be funny to see Prater in a crashpad.

I am asking our rep to vote no for the dues on 401(k) proceeds. Income put in a 401(k) isn't taxed by the government (if you elect pretax income) so I don't think it should be taxed by the union either.
But, if it passes it wont be a big problem -- all I will do is declare more of a dues amount (which are tax deductible) at the end of the year.. so in that respect if it does happen I guess I would rather have ALPA have the money than the US government.

 

[derg]

I am the walrus!

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

I wonder if ALPA has furloughed anyone, since the amount of people they represent are less in number one would assume they need less support staff.

Yes, ALPA has furloughed a large number of employees. The staff is a fraction of what it was when I first got elected.

 

[matt152]

I am the walrus!

Coo coo kachoo!

 

[Orange Anchor]

Huge pay raise? When I was a member of the BOD I remember voting on a slight change as to how the President's pay was calculated. Nothing that I would call a pay raise though. BTW, since DW's pay was based on the top three ALPA pay rates he took a paycut too.

Good. You were on the BOD and you can put the rumors to rest. Let's go beyond 'pay' because that is the game the airline execs play so they appear to be getting paltry sums when anyone who reads the filings knows the real money is in the total compensation.

What was the total compensation for Dwayne in 2005?

As for the pay cut, I remember that little charade where he took the pay cut AFTER taking the raise. After the 'pay cut' he was still receiving more total compensation than before the pay raise.

 

[kellwolf]

When you say "total compensation," does that include things like hotel rooms on company business? I've seen some websites that include that for ALPA and other labor unions as part of the compensation package. Well, if stuff like that counts, I'm probably pushing 6 figures as a regional CA.....

 

[JoelT]

When you say "total compensation," does that include things like hotel rooms on company business? I've seen some websites that include that for ALPA and other labor unions as part of the compensation package. Well, if stuff like that counts, I'm probably pushing 6 figures as a regional CA.....

Yes, the IRS (thanks Bush administration) counts that stuff as "compensation". ALPA volunteers have to report that stuff to the IRS and then pay taxes on it, even though no cash was ever received.

As far as DW's paycheck, sorry I don't have a copy of his W-2 on me. I do remember discussing it at length and we thought it ironic that he would make more money flying the line (actual cash) because at the time NWA had not taken concessions. United, though, had already and their highest pay rate brought down the average.

 

[surreal1221]

Since we're discussing Total Compensation. . .a little thing I'm working on.

* Skywest Inc. - Jerry Atkin, CEO and President: $1,568,287

* Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Subsidiary of Skywest Inc. - Bradford Holt, President and COO: $502,806

* Republic Airways Holdings Inc. - Bryan BedFord, CEO and President: $2,025,314

* ExpressJet Holdings Inc. - James Ream, CEO and President: $894,461

* Pinnacle Airlines Corp - Philip Trenary, CEO and President: $1,209,156

* Delta Airlines Inc - Richard Anderson, CEO and Director: $3,329,488

* UAL Corporation (United Airlines) - Glenn Tilton, CEO and President: $10,314,769

* AMR Corporation (American Airlines) - Gerard Asprey, CEO and President: $4,601,165

* Continental Airlines, Inc - Larry Kellner, CEO: $7,308,334

http://tacticalrambling.blogspot.com/2008/07/industry-research-executive-pay.html

 

[Orange Anchor]

Yes, the IRS (thanks Bush administration) counts that stuff as "compensation". ALPA volunteers have to report that stuff to the IRS and then pay taxes on it, even though no cash was ever received.

Like per diem.. it is on your W-2 but when you show it was expensed, it is a wash.

As far as DW's paycheck, sorry I don't have a copy of his W-2 on me. I do remember discussing it at length and we thought it ironic that he would make more money flying the line (actual cash) because at the time NWA had not taken concessions. United, though, had already and their highest pay rate brought down the average.

You voted for a raise and don't know how much it was for? No idea of what he was given for expenses? Sounds like someone ripe for Atlanta city politics. Or the Clayton County education board...

I stand by the first point and that is merely focusing on 'pay' is a dodge... smoke and mirrors about how much is actually being distributed to an individual.

 

[kellwolf]

Like per diem.. it is on your W-2 but when you show it was expensed, it is a wash.

Depends on the per diem. Some is taxed, some isn't. So, it's not entirely a wash. Plus, some people that make the charts would count per diem as "compensation." Which really would put me over 6 figures for the year as a CA. Too bad that's not accurate.


BTW, I find it sad that in the info surreal came up with a guy that's led an airline into bankruptcy and to the brink of extinction is in the $10 mil range. Someone compared CEOs to sports stars. If that guy was on the Yankees, he'd have had a brick thrown through his window and fans would be screaming to trade him. Either that or Steinbrenner woulda fired him long ago.

 

[JoelT]

Like per diem.. it is on your W-2 but when you show it was expensed, it is a wash.

Big ol' honkin negative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Union (doesn't matter which) volunteers HAVE to pay taxes on items considered compensation by the IRS. Those include but, are not limited to: cell phone, hotel, meals, transportation, etc. These are actual dollars that we have to pay to the government although no actual dollars were received as pay. It would be like you having to pay taxes on the hotel you get on layovers or your per diem. Corporations don't have to do this, Unions do. Once again, thanks to the Bush administration.

You voted for a raise and don't know how much it was for? No idea of what he was given for expenses? Sounds like someone ripe for Atlanta city politics. Or the Clayton County education board...

I stand by the first point and that is merely focusing on 'pay' is a dodge... smoke and mirrors about how much is actually being distributed to an individual.

Nope, I don't remember. That was six years and three airlines ago. This is going to piss you off but, that was such a minor matter at the time that after the vote was over I promptly forgot most of the disscussion. I had many more important things going on at the time. Like, trying to figure out how not to declare bancrupcy or foreclose on my house, contract negociatations, and defending stupid pilots locking themselves out of the cockpit and then landing single pilot (happened).

 

[derg]

...defending stupid pilots locking themselves out of the cockpit and then landing single pilot (happened).

Elaborate! Doowit! Yes! Yes!

 

[JoelT]

Elaborate! Doowit! Yes! Yes!

Fine, I'll do it. This happened few months after we installed the hardened cockpit doors in the RJ. The doors have two locks. One is a slam latch that can only be unlocked from the inside and the other is a dead bolt with a key hole on the outside. The dead bolt has a limitation placarded right next to it that says, "DO NOT USE IN FLIGHT". For this reason when a pilot leaves the flight deck a FA has to go up there in case the other pilot becomes incapacitated they can let the other pilot back in.

Enough background, the FO says he needs to take a leak and asks the captain (CAL flowback) if he wants him to call the FA to come up. The captain declined saying that he would use the dead bolt and the FO could use his key to get back in.

Well, the FO tries using his key to no avail so, he calls up to the captain to ask him to unlock the door. He is unable to, the lock is stuck. Then, both kinda panic. The FO sits in seat 1A and the captain declares an emergency and diverts into PIT, single-pilot. The TSA and FBI almost got involved because they thought that it was a breach of the cockpit. They then figured out it was the opposite.

Now, I want you to ask yourself how you might get into the cockpit if it is stuck. I'll give you a minute .................................................................. During the diciplinary hearing the captain was asked why he just did not open the "doggy door" or the kick panels. Also, the fuselage will contract and expand as altitude changes allowing the latch to be unlocked. He didn't have an explanation, just that he panicked.

Well, we were able to negotiate a settlement that would allow him to keep his job. However, since he was a CAL pilot that had flowed back to Express Continental decided to fire him for willfully violating a aircraft limitation. He was still on probation over there so there was nothing we could do. I suppose the CAL reps could have fought for him but, I don't think that a CAL 1983 hire FO Rep really cared about him.

 

[DE727UPS]

"For this reason when a pilot leaves the flight deck a FA has to go up there in case the other pilot becomes incapacitated they can let the other pilot back in."

I always wondered why they did that....

Freight is great.

 

[Qgar]

Is that a knock on FA's?

 

[Nick]

"Freight is great"

Is that a knock on FA's?

DE can answer for sure but I'd say of course not.

The whole cockpit door thing is why he said 'freight is great.' Because you get up and go pee whenever you want, get up and go get your food whenever you want, change into comfortable pajamas on a long haul if you want, and so forth.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

You voted for a raise and don't know how much it was for?

I wasn't there for Duane's compensation package, but I was there for Prater's compensation package (he had just been elected minutes earlier, to my great dismay). I honestly couldn't tell you what the total dollar figure was without going and digging through my records from two years ago. I just remember that I considered it completely reasonable and not worthy of any debate.

This is going to piss you off but, that was such a minor matter at the time that after the vote was over I promptly forgot most of the disscussion

Oh, that's nothing, this'll really piss him off : I actually talked to the Officer Compensation Committee members to try to convince them to raise compensation for the 3 VPs. I felt that the President's compensation was fair, but that the other National Officers weren't getting nearly enough.