I do not fly for BMI Baby and wish the pilots there nothing but well. Well-meaning but utterly misled individuals like Dreamshiner have decided to give their energies in unemployment to discrediting BALPA. They are, of course, entitled to do that. Nonetheless, they have a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of our world and a totally false hope in the capabilities of the IPA. The IPA have never fought, let alone won, a single battle of note in the airline industry. Many of my friends and colleagues are IPA members, and I have no problem with that. Nonetheless, it would be a grave error of judgement to think that they will do anything for you in a corporate sense. The only game in town is BALPA - warts and all.
There is, nonetheless, an incorrect perception among pilots there and elsewhere about what BALPA can and cannot do for you. If your company is unprofitable, there is an enormous limitation on what BALPA can do to improve your terms and conditions, and that is not BALPA's fault. It is vital for any pilot to grasp that fact rather than adopt a welfare state mentality that says, 'Because I pay my subs my job should be secure. If your company is not making money your job is not secure - it is that stark and you should not be deceived otherwise. There is no union in the world can change that. Management and investors have to produce a stable company and the pilots can then do their bit to make it run correctly. The best that BALPA can do with a loss-making company is ensure that redundancy deals are fair and reasonable. Let me say it again, BALPA cannot make an unprofitable company profitable. Sorry folks, but do not blame the messenger. Therefore, ask not what BALPA can do for you - ask what you can do for BALPA!