spoolinup22
Well-Known Member
This was the main topic crossing the pond this morning. Opinions are one thing but any references to actual references would be appreciated!
Are we required to join ALPA if hired at an airline where they represent the pilots?
- Thread starter spoolinup22
- Start date
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
Almost all ALPA properties have language in their contract that makes the company a "closed shop" meaning everyone has to join the union.
ALPA dues are currently 1.8% (I think?) which is a pretty cheap investment in your future. That said, if you really don't want to join a union, most properties allow you to pay a "maintenance fee" which is normally either the regular dues rate or just a bit below it, instead. In that case you can all the benefits and protections of the contract (and some level of representation if you get in trouble) but can't vote on anything, and don't get any input into contract priorities.
Pilot Fighter
Well-Known Member
[:en]Can I be required to be a union member or pay dues to a union? (Private Sector Employee)[:es]¿Me pueden obligar a hacerme miembro del sindicato o a pagarle cuotas? [:] - National Right to Work Foundation
Question: Can I be required to be a union member or pay dues to a union? Answer: You may not be required to be a union member. But, if you do not work in a Right to Work state, you may be required to pay union fees. Employment relations for almost all private sector employees (other than...
www.nrtw.org
Autothrust Blue
”…trusting ze process…”
But you absolutely want to be a member.
NovemberEcho
Dergs favorite member
I worked at several garages where it was
fholbert
Mod's - Please don't edit my posts!
True in some anti-union states. In other states it is required when working where there is union representation.
Beyond that, I wouldn’t want to be the guy who‘s getting a free ride on others backs.
Richman
JC’s Resident Curmudgeon
Just to clarify, individual state law has no providence over airlines. It is controlled by the Railway Labor Act at the Federal level.
Most, if not all, ALPA properties (and I am assuming APA, SWAPA and IPA as well) have "Agency Shop" written into their working agreements. What this means is you are either a member and pay dues, or you can become a non-member, but you'll still pay an agency fee, which is a tiny bit less than the dues, but without some of the privileges such as voting for reps or being eligible to run for office.
Not paying dues or the fee is grounds for termination. And that's no joke. I've seen a few try to press to test on this issue. It always fails and they wind up stroking a check when they get that final letter. Almost all claimed it was because of "my rights", but when the onion was peeled back, it was invariably, always, without fail, about the dollars.
It's always about the dollars.
Most, if not all, ALPA properties (and I am assuming APA, SWAPA and IPA as well) have "Agency Shop" written into their working agreements. What this means is you are either a member and pay dues, or you can become a non-member, but you'll still pay an agency fee, which is a tiny bit less than the dues, but without some of the privileges such as voting for reps or being eligible to run for office.
Not paying dues or the fee is grounds for termination. And that's no joke. I've seen a few try to press to test on this issue. It always fails and they wind up stroking a check when they get that final letter. Almost all claimed it was because of "my rights", but when the onion was peeled back, it was invariably, always, without fail, about the dollars.
It's always about the dollars.
Autothrust Blue
”…trusting ze process…”
Those are fun phone calls.
Richman
JC’s Resident Curmudgeon
Sigh. My less than favorites started with a "Well, I already called the Chief Pilot and talked about...."
Cue the Price is Right losing tuba.
Beep
Well-Known Member
They also tend to think they’re the smartest people in the room, and their intelligent decision making and actions tend to come back and bite them in the ass…. Fairly often.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Regular ALPA 1.85%
Our shop fee if you don't join ALPA, 1.5% (from what I've heard)
The miniscule savings of .35% is an absolute joke, yet we have idiots who are non-members. Screw em.
///AMG
Well-Known Member
Money or just country bumpkins who had dads who taught them "unions bad" mmmmkay.....you know, the "unions steal all the money and are lazy" types
Funny, because my mom was the management person at the table during all labor negotiations during her 30 ish years on the job. They drove her crazy to be sure, but I never heard her say a bad thing about them. Don't even know if she knows I'm a union worker now, but I know she never took it personally or vilified them, as so many want to.
Funny, because my mom was the management person at the table during all labor negotiations during her 30 ish years on the job. They drove her crazy to be sure, but I never heard her say a bad thing about them. Don't even know if she knows I'm a union worker now, but I know she never took it personally or vilified them, as so many want to.
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
I don't believe we had any non-members at the IPA. Those so inclined always had an open door to become a management pilot. This was not a super rare occurrence. The present chief pilot was hired as a line pilot. I always laughed at the company in house press releases when a line guy was "promoted" to management. Right...you can keep that "promotion".
It’s amazing how blue collar jobs went from some of the strongest unionists to what you’re describing.
H46Bubba
Well-Known Member
True story. Before I joined the Navy I worked at AA on the ramp in SAN. I was in the TWU. So I joined the Navy and left the company. So a year later I get a letter from the TWU while I was on my first deployment, demanding I pay back dues and get current or they would ask AA to fire me for non payment of union dues. I called the union steward in SAN when we pulled into Rota Spain and reminded him of the conversation we had on my last day. I guess they thought I was on Mil Leave versus leaving the company. Said he'd take care of it and that was that.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
You should have seen when VX voted in ALPA, how many guys raged to not join ALPA and pay the dues. The voting was done 2015 and the dues were effective Sept 1, but these cucks didn't pay dues then while the rest of us did. Merger announced Apr 2016 and even then the wake up call didn't come to these cucks. Then the union took an assessment of another 1.5% to build up the seniority integration chest, and it still wasn't enough to get these cucks to join.
In a perfect world, these cucks should have been removed from the SLI, then tacked to the bottom where they deserved to be.
Over time some joined and paid up on their own accord. But it took an agency shop LOA which finally came later to get the last of these cucks to pony up. I still don't know to this day if they were only forced to back pay the 1.9% or also the full 1.5% assessment that was done for SLI.
In a perfect world, these cucks should have been removed from the SLI, then tacked to the bottom where they deserved to be.
Over time some joined and paid up on their own accord. But it took an agency shop LOA which finally came later to get the last of these cucks to pony up. I still don't know to this day if they were only forced to back pay the 1.9% or also the full 1.5% assessment that was done for SLI.