the main block to joining for 'most' folks seem to be the cost vs the anticipated return.
obviously the return may be better the bigger the stick (membership) but on the basis of what we just negotiated it could be worse. (I voted NO by the way ).
I am not a fan of unions but feel that the low cost airlines will continue to erode conditions Industry wide . so therefore it becomes essential for us to support the company in it's drive to keep costs low BUT to at least have the power to say.. NO.. where it clearly affects our lives in an unacceptably detrimental way.
BALPA is not respected. a simple fact regardless of the perception being based on fact or simple implication due to the lack of membership uptake.
soooooo (here goes)... if the biggest block is the fact that Pilots are not willing to fork out to join based on the fact that they will not see a worthwhile return, then here's an alternative.........
Offer EVERY non-balpa pilot in EZY free membership on a 'reduced' basis for 1 year. absolutely free membership but for that one year all they get Is :
A: the right to vote on company proposals
B: Access to the free internet forum on the BALPA site.
they would not get any of the other beneifts of association, no representation , no mailed minutes (a bonus in my opinion) nothing that would cost BALPA any money at all apart from entering their name on the computer.
if that were the case you might get 90% uptake and be in a better position to make a majority case at the next round of talks.
once the year is up, if BALPA have made good use of the membership and made some ground them you might find a significant majority stay in. If you cock it up then they won't and neither will I.
while existing members might feel a little shafted (financially) they must be a way to even it out in year two when the benefits of the CC's masterful (?) negotiation may be felt......or something like that !
at the moment despite the hard work of the CC it's a case of the lesser of two evils for me.
oh, and as a last point CC members are elected because they wanted to be elected. no hot pokers were thrust in the vicinity of their rear ends when volunteers were requested....... with that in mind would the usual suspect PLEASE stop acting like kids and bleating about how hard they work and jumping on anyone who doesn't agree in a PC manner. deal with it.
the biggest fights are ahead of us not behind us, it might be worth remembering that.