The Allied Pilots Association, union of pilots with American Airlines, has never been very well organized but now they’re out to give USAPA (US Airways Allied Pilots Association) a run for their money in the stupid department.

Chairmen of certain bases in the North East and who are on the APA board of directors went rogue by writing and then sharing email that heavily criticized ALPA and ALPA’s providing services to APA in the negotiations with American Airlines.  The short version is that ALPA decides to pick up its toys and go home by terminating its services to APA after the email was circulated, commented on and not refuted by anyone at APA except the APA President and his team.  If you want the full details, read THIS and THIS  entry from the Dallas Morning News Aviation Blog.

I do not blame ALPA and its leader, Lee Moak, one tiny bit.  No good deed goes unpunished when dealing with APA and ALPA was merely the latest victim.  Why engage when the organization your servicing has a board populated by people who all think they’re in charge and they’re vision of leadership is the right one?  It’s a no win situation.

This is highly representative of the behaviour that APA President David Bates has tried to abate.  It was his promise when campaigning for the job that dysfunctional behaviour would be addressed.  Bates & his team have actually worked hard at this and everyone agrees that negotiations between APA and American Airlines were finally moving along productively.

Now APA is faced with having to regroup and find someone else to negotiate on their behalf and has to prove to American Airlines and the National Mediation Board that it can manage itself.  Right now, I don’t think they can do that.  So these rogue base leaders have shot themselves in the foot . . . again.

Which is why I now compare them to USAPA.  The self harm being done in both organizations is astounding.

Ironically, ALPA has some of the best leadership going for itself these days and Lee Moak is the guy who understands the issues that unions face with today’s airlines.  APA, under its current structure, will never get what it wants because it resembles a farce and nothing more. 

The very best thing that could happen is for the silent majority to start reorganizing pilots to be under ALPA and rid themselves of the non-leadership that APA provides.  Call it a coup.  Trying to work with rogue base chiefs is never going to yield success.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax