Unions. I've never been a fan, call me different. Necessary evil? You bet! Nothing is created 'just because.' I've read Flying the Line, and it's very clear why ALPA came to be in the first place.
Since those days though ... I think it's grown much too large for it's own britches.
The picture above illustrates just one facet of whats wrong with ALPA (and people). At the core of this grievance - Continental Pilots being awarded Profit Sharing for this past year. What's the big deal?
Ask a United Pilot about a Continental Pilot (do you already see a problem with this scenario ... we are a merged Company - but there are still two pilot groups, an 'Us' against 'Them' scenario - which is what United loves to leverage) being rewarded with Profit Sharing and you'll hear 'It's a contractual item, for United Pilots, it was not in Continentals Contract.'
True. At the core, Continental came aboard, and was granted 'super user' access to things that are not in their contract. This, alone ... is the setting for a battle between groups. And you have to ask yourself 'Why would The Company allow this to happen?' (see above - they produce this type of thing on purpose - IMO)
So what's wrong with ALPA? Read the image above again. The United and Continental (two groups, one company - problem 1) MEC (Master Executive Council) were scheduled for a joint meeting (should there be any other kind? .. we are 1 group) and due to a grievance being filed by United pilots (over the Continental Pilots being granted Profit Sharing although it's not in their contract) ... the joint meeting has been delayed.
Here's how I see it. Was it wrong for them to get profit sharing? If you simply look at one group having a contractual benefit and one not having profit sharing negotiated in the contract ... yes. As anyone that looks forward - if one thing was granted that was not contractual for one group and was for another ... what lies ahead? It's a viable question - for either side to ask.
We are now 1 group, in that line of thinking, is it wrong that Continental was awarded profit sharing ... no.
But Pilots (like any other person roaming the earth) have a tendency to be greedy and territorial. Shoot, I used to be one of them! I could have wrote the book before Mid 2008.
The bigger picture, as I see it, is this. My profit sharing check ... was pennies on the dollar. I wrote about this earlier on FB, but in reality - my check was the same amount the bankruptcy process stripped from one month of our pay. So the difference in what we are paid per month now ... compared to what we were paid 10 years ago on a monthly basis ... was the amount of our 'profit sharing' check. Again, was it appreciated? Yes. Did we use it? Yes. But in reality, it's a slap in the face after losing so much ... for so long.
Beyond that one payment ... lies a new Contract. Changes to what we have been living for 10 years! Increases that should be in the works (this Pilot is voting down any non-incremental increases .. given 10 years of heart wrenching pain for my family).
And the 'two Unions' (both ALPA) are now in stalled talks because of 'one month of pay difference' that was paid out Once.
Divide and Conquer - it's not just for war. It's for United Management too. They play the violen perfectly, dividing not only legacy United work groups (Flight Attendants, Mechanics, Pilots, Ramp Service, Customer Service, Dispatch ... on and on and on - they love it when we fight because it takes the attention off the ball, keeps us chasing our tails so to speak) ... but now United and Continental ALPA as well. Brilliant, seriously. If they could just run a business as well as they pit the work groups against one another - United would return to a spot in the Market Place that matched it's talk of being so.
And they have done it again. What did it cost to pay all the Continental Pilots a 'non-contractual' Profit Sharing check? Pennies on the dollar. If United delays a new (higher) pay rate for all of us just by one month .. they have saved money.
But no one really looks at that, no one cares. Most people, are bound by a check to check lifestyle and they will simply jump at anything that is thrown their way not weighing the overall consequence. The recent Flight Attendant vote of Yes was an example. In my informal, un-scientific polling of flight attendants, most said 'I just want to move on, I want this over with .. I need more money!' Yes, after 10 years of 40% + losses ... we all expect, and rightly deserve for our sacrifices ... more. Much more than the $4 an hour the AFA just voted in.
On the other hand, us ALPA members need to keep ALPA National Officers comfortable. Take a look at how the National Officers are compensated (I cut the list off at the level of an Airbus 320 Co-Pilot for United - so everyone on the list is compensated more than my flying Brothers and Sisters);
| Name | Title | Gross Salary | Benifits & Other Compensation | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN PRATER | PRESIDENT | $328,277.00 | $174,957.00 | $503,234.00 |
| JALMER JOHNSON | General Manager | $408,482.00 | $7,336.00 | $415,818.00 |
| JONATHAN COHEN | Chief Counsel/Dir Legal | $406,249.00 | $4,938.00 | $411,187.00 |
| BRUCE YORK | Director, Representation | $379,803.00 | $29,212.00 | $409,015.00 |
| WILLIAM ROBERTS | Asst Dir, Representation | $319,018.00 | $21,190.00 | $340,208.00 |
| JIM JOHNSON | Sr Managing Attorney | $301,476.00 | $7,374.00 | $308,850.00 |
| ANA MCAHRON-SCHULZ | Dir, Econ&Fin Analysis | $281,280.00 | $18,739.00 | $300,019.00 |
| KEITH HAGY | Director, E&AS | $286,022.00 | $3,949.00 | $289,971.00 |
| LIZ KOBY | Sr Managing Attorney | $272,683.00 | $16,448.00 | $289,131.00 |
| JIM WILSON | Asst Dir, Representation | $271,289.00 | $8,491.00 | $279,780.00 |
| JEFFREY SMALL | Sr Contr Admin/MEC Coord | $238,343.00 | $36,477.00 | $274,820.00 |
| BRENDAN KENNY | Director, Gov't Affairs | $266,338.00 | $5,540.00 | $271,878.00 |
| MARCUS MIGLIORE | Managing Attorney | $255,019.00 | $2,578.00 | $257,597.00 |
| BETTY GINSBURG | Managing Attorney | $251,818.00 | $4,548.00 | $256,366.00 |
| CLAY WARNER | Managing Attorney | $255,038.00 | $1,088.00 | $256,126.00 |
| ROBERT NICHOLS | Sr Contr Admin/MEC Coord | $238,643.00 | $15,926.00 | $254,569.00 |
| ART LUBY | Asst Dir, Representation | $244,899.00 | $8,460.00 | $253,359.00 |
| PATRICK BRENNAMAN | Sr Contr Admin/MEC Coord | $253,146.00 | $15.00 | $253,161.00 |
| JOHN SCHLEDER | Lead Cont Admin/MEC Coord | $222,132.00 | $26,636.00 | $248,768.00 |
| CHARLIE MURPHY | Director, IT & Services | $242,624.00 | $2,486.00 | $245,110.00 |
| RUSS BAILEY | Sr Attorney | $238,343.00 | $6,622.00 | $244,965.00 |
| BERT LEGER | Contract Administrator | $141,826.00 | $100,679.00 | $242,505.00 |
| RUSSELL WOODY | Sr Benefits Attorney, R&I | $235,131.00 | $7,293.00 | $242,424.00 |
| DAVID KRIEGER | Manager, E&FA | $223,052.00 | $8,420.00 | $231,472.00 |
| SETH ROSEN | Director IPSC | $211,511.00 | $13,596.00 | $225,107.00 |
| STEVE HODGSON | Manager, R&I | $219,844.00 | $4,186.00 | $224,030.00 |
| MARGARITA LORENZETTI | Director, Finance | $216,194.00 | $1,280.00 | $217,474.00 |
| $46,350.00 | $169,327.00 | $215,677.00 | ||
| ANDREW SHOSTACK | Supv, Representation | $190,820.00 | $23,000.00 | $213,820.00 |
| WILLIAM COUETTE | VICE PRESIDENT ADMIN | $0.00 | $209,024.00 | $209,024.00 |
| VICTORIA FORTUNA | Sr Benefits Attorney | $197,654.00 | $10,805.00 | $208,459.00 |
| CHRIS BAUM | Mgr Engineering & Ops | $203,240.00 | $2,906.00 | $206,146.00 |
| JANE SCHRAFT | Sr Contract Administrator | $200,010.00 | $4,520.00 | $204,530.00 |
| PAUL RICE | FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT | $0.00 | $203,897.00 | $203,897.00 |
| KELLY COLLIE | Director, Human Resources | $200,127.00 | $1,553.00 | $201,680.00 |
| JERRY WRIGHT | Mgr Aviation Safety&Secur | $194,020.00 | $2,698.00 | $196,718.00 |
| DAVID HOLTZMAN | Sr Contract Administrator | $189,538.00 | $6,186.00 | $195,724.00 |
| RICHARD HARRELL | Manager IT Network & Ops | $194,457.00 | $989.00 | $195,446.00 |
| W. RANDOLPH HELLING | VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE | $0.00 | $193,241.00 | $193,241.00 |
| JAMES CONNOLLY | Sr Field Representative | $185,716.00 | $7,191.00 | $192,907.00 |
| JOAN (JODY) BETTENBURG | Sr Contract Admin | $186,226.00 | $6,459.00 | $192,685.00 |
| MARIE SCHWARTZ | Director, Communications | $189,343.00 | $3,072.00 | $192,415.00 |
| DANIEL MCMANUS | Pension Investment Coord | $167,964.00 | $20,947.00 | $188,911.00 |
| RICHARD PAVEL | Sr Field Representative | $183,185.00 | $3,853.00 | $187,038.00 |
| JOHN DEAN | Sr Contract Administrator | $172,823.00 | $8,200.00 | $181,023.00 |
| JIM LOBSENZ | Sr Attorney | $177,966.00 | $630.00 | $178,596.00 |
| JOHN WELLS | Sr Attorney | $172,284.00 | $3,960.00 | $176,244.00 |
| JIM MEDLEY | Sr Applications Architect | $174,174.00 | $0.00 | $174,174.00 |
| LEE VEID-NORSTERN | Mgr, IT Development&Supp | $171,660.00 | $1,693.00 | $173,353.00 |
| BILL EDMUNDS | Sr Human Perf Specialist | $170,306.00 | $1,744.00 | $172,050.00 |
| ELIZABETH BAKER | Sr Legislative Rep. | $169,377.00 | $1,664.00 | $171,041.00 |
| TERRANCE MCTIGUE | Sr Contr Admin/MEC Coord | $168,125.00 | $1,288.00 | $169,413.00 |
| PERCY TOOP | Contract Administrator | $159,566.00 | $9,664.00 | $169,230.00 |
| DANIEL ORFIELD | Sr Contract Administrator | $143,865.00 | $22,469.00 | $166,334.00 |
| SUZANNE KALFUS | Sr Attorney | $163,227.00 | $2,949.00 | $166,176.00 |
| ELAINE GRITTNER | Sr Benefits Specialist | $164,902.00 | $399.00 | $165,301.00 |
| SANDRA PUSEY | Sr Database Administrator | $162,631.00 | $0.00 | $162,631.00 |
| TERRENCE FENNINGHAM | ACO MEC CUS | $0.00 | $162,103.00 | $162,103.00 |
| JACK PARRACK | Enrolled Acturary, R&I | $158,996.00 | $3,070.00 | $162,066.00 |
| DON MCCLURE | Air Safety Coordinator | $158,314.00 | $3,291.00 | $161,605.00 |
| MARCIA EUBANKS | Lead Economic Analyst | $140,322.00 | $20,149.00 | $160,471.00 |
| BILL DESPINS | Lead Economic Analyst | $151,147.00 | $7,443.00 | $158,590.00 |
| NEAL DAVIS | Contract Administrator | $143,710.00 | $14,511.00 | $158,221.00 |
| DAVID HANNAH | Sr Contract Administrator | $155,711.00 | $2,350.00 | $158,061.00 |
| ANDREA GRIFFITH | Mgr, Finance & Mem Svcs | $155,521.00 | $692.00 | $156,213.00 |
| WAYNE KLOCKE | Sr Contract Administrator | $152,200.00 | $2,416.00 | $154,616.00 |
| TERRY SATURDAY | Sr Contract Administrator | $146,667.00 | $5,150.00 | $151,817.00 |
| JAMES ANDRESAKES | Supv Aviation Security | $151,331.00 | $410.00 | $151,741.00 |
| ANDREW BRENNER | Contract Administrator | $143,765.00 | $6,564.00 | $150,329.00 |
| KYE JOHANNING | Lead Economic Analyst | $138,307.00 | $10,141.00 | $148,448.00 |
| MIKE CRANFORD | Sr Systems Integrator | $147,074.00 | $645.00 | $147,719.00 |
| HELEN WONG-SCRUGGS | Sr Web Developer | $146,958.00 | $0.00 | $146,958.00 |
| HONG LEE | Sr Database Administrator | $146,752.00 | $81.00 | $146,833.00 |
| CHRIS MCCARTHY | Supv, IT Ops & Support | $143,481.00 | $2,032.00 | $145,513.00 |
| KELLY HARDY | Sr Gov't Affairs Spec | $144,281.00 | $1,179.00 | $145,460.00 |
| JAN STEENBLIK | Technical Editor | $144,181.00 | $566.00 | $144,747.00 |
| TRAI NGUYEN | Sr Network Integrator | $143,581.00 | $353.00 | $143,934.00 |
| ALLISTER OGILVIE | Legal/Gov't Affairs Rep | $136,743.00 | $2,806.00 | $139,549.00 |
| DAVID SEMANCHIK | Senior Attorney | $138,503.00 | $865.00 | $139,368.00 |
| GORDON ROSE | Contract Administrator | $138,617.00 | $447.00 | $139,064.00 |
| DANIEL FROEHLICH | Contract Administrator | $137,054.00 | $1,308.00 | $138,362.00 |
| JEFFREY MACDONALD | Manager, Representation | $114,653.00 | $23,322.00 | $137,975.00 |
| CHARLES YEAGER | Supv, Web Sys Dev&Support | $135,850.00 | $672.00 | $136,522.00 |
| MATTHEW BABCOCK | Labor Attorney | $133,971.00 | $1,233.00 | $135,204.00 |
| CORY TENNEN | Sr Sched&Work Rule Analys | $128,119.00 | $5,522.00 | $133,641.00 |
| KENNETH MULDER | Supv, Network Sys Support | $131,165.00 | $2,386.00 | $133,551.00 |
| JANIE MILLER | Systems Analyst | $133,345.00 | $0.00 | $133,345.00 |
| MICHAEL FREDERICKS | Sr Aviation Security Spec | $130,494.00 | $2,801.00 | $133,295.00 |
| LISA NOYES | Mgr, Publishing Services | $131,839.00 | $133.00 | $131,972.00 |
| ERIN SHIELDS | Contract Administrator | $128,711.00 | $3,052.00 | $131,763.00 |
| CLINTON BURNER | Web Architect/DBA | $131,067.00 | $674.00 | $131,741.00 |
| REAL LEVASSEUR | Aviation Safety/Sec Coord | $127,983.00 | $2,531.00 | $130,514.00 |
| NAM VAN | Contract Administrator | $128,711.00 | $318.00 | $129,029.00 |
| LAP NGUYEN | Systems Analyst | $129,000.00 | $0.00 | $129,000.00 |
| MARK KOVACH | Supv, General Accounting | $128,758.00 | $0.00 | $128,758.00 |
| MIKE CARNEY | Manager, Real Estate | $124,313.00 | $4,124.00 | $128,437.00 |
| MARTA WAGNER | Senior Attorney | $128,349.00 | $16.00 | $128,365.00 |
| CHRISTOPHER BROWN | Contract Administrator | $118,900.00 | $8,964.00 | $127,864.00 |
| REBECCA RONG | Analyst/Programmer | $126,473.00 | $0.00 | $126,473.00 |
| PAM QUAYLE | Supv, Meeting Planning | $124,457.00 | $1,024.00 | $125,481.00 |
| CHAD BALENTINE | Sr Staff Engineer | $122,259.00 | $2,757.00 | $125,016.00 |
| MARK ANGOLIA | Sr Comm Production Spec | $115,301.00 | $9,408.00 | $124,709.00 |
| KEVIN COMSTOCK | Sr Training & Qual Spec | $123,235.00 | $1,058.00 | $124,293.00 |
| ERIC IVERSON | Contract Administrator | $123,016.00 | $941.00 | $123,957.00 |
| RICK KESSEL | Sr Staff Engineer | $121,765.00 | $1,488.00 | $123,253.00 |
| DONNA KEESE | Supervisor, Finance | $122,463.00 | $282.00 | $122,745.00 |
| DOUGLAS BAJ | Mgr Strategic Pilot Comm | $119,662.00 | $2,665.00 | $122,327.00 |
| DAVE VANCE | Supv, Member Insurance | $116,601.00 | $5,482.00 | $122,083.00 |
| ANYA PIAZZA | Strategic T&C Admin | $117,263.00 | $4,802.00 | $122,065.00 |
| JENNIFER CRICHTON | Accounting Supervisor | $120,903.00 | $0.00 | $120,903.00 |
| MARK CATO | Sr Staff Engineer | $118,121.00 | $1,108.00 | $119,229.00 |
| DAVID MARTIN | Legislative Rep | $116,889.00 | $1,777.00 | $118,666.00 |
| RON RINDFLEISCH | Organizing Comm Spec | $108,221.00 | $10,028.00 | $118,249.00 |
| ROBERT HANCOCK | Sr Web Developer | $115,434.00 | $1,541.00 | $116,975.00 |
| JEFFREY LOESEL | Assoc Contract Admin/Org | $102,159.00 | $13,661.00 | $115,820.00 |
| KAY YANCEY | Sr Economic Analyst | $107,631.00 | $7,959.00 | $115,590.00 |
| RITU GOYAL | Systems Analyst | $115,117.00 | $0.00 | $115,117.00 |
| SALLY GLOVER | Contract Administrator | $112,771.00 | $550.00 | $113,321.00 |
| MARK REED | Staff Engineer | $110,300.00 | $2,444.00 | $112,744.00 |
| BLAIR DONOVAN | Operations Analyst | $112,230.00 | $0.00 | $112,230.00 |
| MELANIE HOWEY | Supervisor, Delta MEC | $110,333.00 | $1,707.00 | $112,040.00 |
| GERALDINE MILLER | Pension Investment Analys | $111,528.00 | $177.00 | $111,705.00 |
| SUZANNE MENONI | Supervisor, FedEx MEC | $110,311.00 | $1,375.00 | $111,686.00 |
| KELLY GRANIELLO | Facilities Coordinator | $109,387.00 | $1,730.00 | $111,117.00 |
| JANICE GENTRY | Sr Benefits Specialist | $110,687.00 | $108.00 | $110,795.00 |
| DUANE DAVIS | Contract Liason | $108,697.00 | $1,797.00 | $110,494.00 |
| DARRYL JENKINS | Sr IT Coordinator | $108,117.00 | $1,171.00 | $109,288.00 |
| JEANETTE DUVALL | Sr Economic Analyst | $98,467.00 | $9,133.00 | $107,600.00 |
| RICHARD BARTSCH | Sys Integrator/Analyst | $106,161.00 | $1,268.00 | $107,429.00 |
| JOHN WHITE | Staff Engineer | $103,889.00 | $2,940.00 | $106,829.00 |
| SHARON VEREB | Manager, Member Comm | $105,239.00 | $1,256.00 | $106,495.00 |
| STEVEN TAMKIN | ALPA Member | $0.00 | $106,439.00 | $106,439.00 |
| KAREN BROWNE-FLECK | Sr Benefits Specialist | $104,647.00 | $1,401.00 | $106,048.00 |
| MARIAN TASHJIAN | Sr Benefits Spec R&I | $105,217.00 | $196.00 | $105,413.00 |
| LAURA NAAB | Compensation/Benefit Spec | $105,410.00 | $0.00 | $105,410.00 |
| JOHN STIFT | Staff Engineer | $103,008.00 | $1,685.00 | $104,693.00 |
| SHIRLEY GIFFORD | Supv, Purchasing/IT Svcs | $104,380.00 | $0.00 | $104,380.00 |
| STEVE SERUR | Staff Engineer | $103,889.00 | $0.00 | $103,889.00 |
| KAREN PATE | Sr Publishing Coordinator | $103,721.00 | $0.00 | $103,721.00 |
| BILL FORD | Design/Production Editor | $103,061.00 | $280.00 | $103,341.00 |
| ANYA MUDRY | Web Developer | $102,172.00 | $560.00 | $102,732.00 |
| JOHN HANSON | Contract Administrator | $101,362.00 | $1,293.00 | $102,655.00 |
| SUSAN FAGER | Associate Managing Editor | $102,326.00 | $0.00 | $102,326.00 |
| GREGORY BERGNER | Aviation Safety&Sec Spec | $101,478.00 | $412.00 | $101,890.00 |
| PAUL KARG | Sr Economic Analyst | $95,909.00 | $5,034.00 | $100,943.00 |
| LOUISE FAWBUSH | Sr Paralegal, Legal | $100,581.00 | $334.00 | $100,915.00 |
| KATHLEEN(CHE MOHR | Sr Paralegal/Contr Spec | $100,481.00 | $0.00 | $100,481.00 |
| JAMES SHEA | Network Integrator | $99,777.00 | $546.00 | $100,323.00 |
| MARK STEPHENS | Network Integrator | $99,132.00 | $678.00 | $99,810.00 |
| PAMELA NEILL | Office Coordinator | $96,193.00 | $3,396.00 | $99,589.00 |
| RONALD GRAHAM | Network Integrator | $96,224.00 | $2,365.00 | $98,589.00 |
| LINDA SHOTWELL | Sr Comm/Media Specialist | $93,612.00 | $4,538.00 | $98,150.00 |
| DENA JACKSON | Labor Relations Spec | $97,678.00 | $424.00 | $98,102.00 |
| AMY ENO | Supv, Balloting/Cncl Svcs | $96,956.00 | $1,134.00 | $98,090.00 |
| ERIN PHILBIN | Supv Membership Svcs | $97,952.00 | $0.00 | $97,952.00 |
| OFELIA CARRASCO | Supervisor, CAL MEC | $97,080.00 | $810.00 | $97,890.00 |
| TIMOTHY RAMIREZ | Network Integrator | $96,813.00 | $900.00 | $97,713.00 |
| VICTORIA BRADY | Sr MEC Benefit Specialist | $95,910.00 | $1,156.00 | $97,066.00 |
This list can be viewed by anyone, it's public at http://www.unionfacts.com/local/employees/179/ALPA//
I see they have removed 'Secretary' ... there used to be that job title listed, and that person was paid just over $130,000. Where do I sign up?
I'm kidding, but what is fundamentally wrong with the picture (that few know outside of United), is that while United Employees took steep pay reductions in 2002, ALPA National was no where to be seen for help. To paint that a little clearer ... the National Office of ALPA was unwilling to show support for (at that time) the largest contributing Employee group, largest ALPA-PAC contributor to ... ALPA.
Later, as Northwest Airlines (now Delta, merged) entered Bankruptcy, ALPA National set up a $10 Million war chest to fund Northwests fight in the Bankruptcy process.
Why? ALPA National's President was also a Senior Captain at ... ready, Northwest Airlines. Hmmmm.
Who is ALPA Nationals current President? Your Mr. John Prater is a Delta Captain.
Conflict of interest? Maybe. We'll see.
As the prop turns ... this could be a Soap Opera :)
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