Just thought I'd add my sixpence worth. I work as an LAE with BA, currently being paid around £10K PA less than colleagues who work in similar roles with non BA operators.
There is no way on God's Earth that I would ever agree to join BALPA. I have nothing in common with flight crew, other than that I happen to work at a company that employs them. I do not wish to have anything in common with them.
On the other hand, I don't believe that Amicus is the answer for engineering, their credibility has shrunk to almost nothing over the last few years and gets smaller every time they take the company side in disputes, which is every dispute I can remember. Rightstuff, no offence meant as I'm sure you do your best as a rep, but I have never seen Amicus get anything for us other than scrapings from the bowl. I won't even start on the behaviour of the former convener, who was forced out over his collusion with the company in various matters.
Engineers in BA, particularly Licensed Engineers, have three choices:
1) Start getting militant within Amicus and remove any rep that shows sign of appeasement.
or 2) Join the ALAE, and start getting militant
or 3) Resign and go and work for somebody else.