FedEx MEC on wrong Track
02-29-2012, 06:31 PM
#101
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Retired
Posts: 3,717
You don't have to pay dues, but you do have to pay. For guys who don't want to be union members, but retain their employment at FedEx, they have to pay a "service charge", which, just coincidently happens to add up to the same dollar amount as your union dues. However, as I read the contract, section 29, it looks like if ALPA kicks you out of the union, you can retain your employment status and not pay any dues or service charges. At least that's how I read it. As for guys who are neither dues-paying members or "service-charge" paying, I believe that they were grandfathered in with our initial contract.
JJ
JJ
02-29-2012, 06:37 PM
#102
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,068
Terminated ? So the list that I recieved from the Union for years containing all Non Paying members...they were all fired ? I still see some of those guys walking around. You don't have to pay dues...and you still have representation if the case requires it....not that I'm promoting it...
02-29-2012, 07:03 PM
#104
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Position: leaning to the left
Posts: 4,184
Yes, I actually didn't think that we'd allow firing criteria to be placed in our contract over something as trivial as paying dues. The company could probably care less is we have agency shop or not, so somebody had to insert this BS into our contract language. Suspend somebody's membership benefits & representation. Definitely. Add a penalty fee for not paying on time. Certainly! But FIRE SOMEBODY over dues....if you actually buy into that concept, you might actually be the real moron here.
Yes, I also didn't expect the all of the D-bag non-members would get such a free pass on their dues. I thought that the phrase "everybody pays" meant that "everybody would pay"! FYI - We didn't let just 30 guys slide through in 2006 - I stared at the list enought times in disgust to know that much!
Lastly, I never said to make it the number one priority for the negotiating committee to get rid of Section 29. It just needs to be fixed; that's my opinion.
Yes, I also didn't expect the all of the D-bag non-members would get such a free pass on their dues. I thought that the phrase "everybody pays" meant that "everybody would pay"! FYI - We didn't let just 30 guys slide through in 2006 - I stared at the list enought times in disgust to know that much!
Lastly, I never said to make it the number one priority for the negotiating committee to get rid of Section 29. It just needs to be fixed; that's my opinion.
Agency Shop
However, when we signed the 2006 CBA that included agency shop...We agreed to grandfather the parasites into their non-contributing position. That was the negotiating capital we expended in order to get agency shop.
Think about what you're proposing for penalties...How would that ever get a parasite non-member to pay his due? They don't care about suspending their member benefits, they won't pay to be a member. Late fees? On what? They won't pay to begin with. And as far as representation goes...We don't have a choice. We have to represent them, member or not.
I don't really care if someone doesn't want to be a member. I just don't want him to work under the same contract that I pay for, for free. So yah, if he doesn't want to pay...fire him!
I never said there were only 30 non-members in 2006. You said there were 300. I said you exaggerated by about 100%. Since you have trouble with the math, I'll help...That would mean we had about 150 freeloaders. We are now down to about 50. And, I will buy the beers the day the last of those scumbag freeloaders leaves the property.
03-01-2012, 10:38 AM
#106
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2007
Position: A300 F/O
Posts: 217
My apologies for my errors with the numbers. You are correct...the number was something closer to 150-160 free loaders. I have looked all over the ALPA website to find the list of who is still left, but can't find it. Can anyone tell me where it is located?
I know neither of us are going to convince each other that what we think is correct; we will just have to agree to disagree about this.
My original point in all of this (which was lost several pages back) was that with agency shop, we lose the ability to withhold our money from ALPA if we don't think that the quality of services and effort they are providing on our behalf are worth the price tag.
Can I withhold my money right now? Sure, if I want to be fired. The truth is that no person in their right mind would ever risk this career and do this to their family or themselves to prove their point. Who are we kidding...there is no real "choice" in this situation.
I'm reminded of my time in the Air Force when my a$$h0L3 squadron commander told our squadron's officers "you don't have to be members of the officer's club. Oh, by the way, my officer's call this afternoon is being held at the O'Club, it is MANDATORY to attend, and they won't let you into the club without a membership card." We had no choice but to join, even thought the service at the club was terrible. (I literally bit into a 1"x1" piece of glass that was inside one of my tacos one night, and found a dead fly in my salad on another occassion at the club.)
I guess I'm living in a dream world anyway, as any attempt to influence ALPA by withholding our money would required a large scale, unified effort on the part of our pilots. We can barely muster 30-40 guys to vote for block rep nominations, and often times the T.V. room is only half full when there is an ALPA meeting being held. Let's not forget everybody that made our union's negotiating position that much more difficult during 2005 when folks continued to fly draft and make-up during that time period.
Would I like to be a non-member - Absolutely not!
Do I hate guys who aren't willing to pay their fair share - Most definitely!
But two things that I do know are:
ALPA is a business and needs our dues, and
Pilots don't like paying for something and not getting their money's worth...tietacks, lanyards and calendars aren't quite enough for my money.
It would just be nice to have the ability to exercise the leverage that comes from our dues to ensure that we get the service we all deserve.
With agency shop in place, this isn't even an option.
Fly Safe!
200 posts...that only took 4 years.
I know neither of us are going to convince each other that what we think is correct; we will just have to agree to disagree about this.
My original point in all of this (which was lost several pages back) was that with agency shop, we lose the ability to withhold our money from ALPA if we don't think that the quality of services and effort they are providing on our behalf are worth the price tag.
Can I withhold my money right now? Sure, if I want to be fired. The truth is that no person in their right mind would ever risk this career and do this to their family or themselves to prove their point. Who are we kidding...there is no real "choice" in this situation.
I'm reminded of my time in the Air Force when my a$$h0L3 squadron commander told our squadron's officers "you don't have to be members of the officer's club. Oh, by the way, my officer's call this afternoon is being held at the O'Club, it is MANDATORY to attend, and they won't let you into the club without a membership card." We had no choice but to join, even thought the service at the club was terrible. (I literally bit into a 1"x1" piece of glass that was inside one of my tacos one night, and found a dead fly in my salad on another occassion at the club.)
I guess I'm living in a dream world anyway, as any attempt to influence ALPA by withholding our money would required a large scale, unified effort on the part of our pilots. We can barely muster 30-40 guys to vote for block rep nominations, and often times the T.V. room is only half full when there is an ALPA meeting being held. Let's not forget everybody that made our union's negotiating position that much more difficult during 2005 when folks continued to fly draft and make-up during that time period.
Would I like to be a non-member - Absolutely not!
Do I hate guys who aren't willing to pay their fair share - Most definitely!
But two things that I do know are:
ALPA is a business and needs our dues, and
Pilots don't like paying for something and not getting their money's worth...tietacks, lanyards and calendars aren't quite enough for my money.
It would just be nice to have the ability to exercise the leverage that comes from our dues to ensure that we get the service we all deserve.
With agency shop in place, this isn't even an option.
Fly Safe!
200 posts...that only took 4 years.
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