Ok - let me out out a scenario to the Fed Sec.
The ALAEA becomes a defacto safety reporting body because pilots and oter industry stakeholders are too scared of their job security to use the exisiting and legitimate reporting systems, including confidential systems, which already exist.
You are informed of a serious safety issue at a regional airline. The issue is well documented and is backed up with substantial proof. The issue represents a serious risk to the safety of the public who travel on the airline. The issue involves a senior employee of the airline who is ignoring critical safety checks and suigning off works as completed when they are not.
The employee in question turns out to be a 7 year memeber of the ALAEA and is paid up union member.
So - are you saying that a union would investigate and forward allegations against a union member with the same enthusiasm as a non union memeber , or a management figure who has clashed with the union, or any union, over IR issues???? Not a chance in hell that it would go any further. It would be mothballed and the shonky engineer would be tipped off by his comrades within 5 minutes.
What stakeholders do unions not treat equally? Read the above scenario again, slowly this time, or just make your own list of anyone who clashes with a union body for anything that is not in the union interest.
Fed Sec Steve - can you confirm for the readers that you, as a union organiser, would forward safety reports about union members which would likley result in prosecution of that union member.
Why not just say it like it is??? The union wants gullible and scared people to report safety issues directly to them so they can use them against the employer as they see fit.
The alternative is akin to calling the police officers union when you see a bank robbery taking place instead of calling the real police. A dumber idea has never been put to paper!!