cucuotto
A lot will depend on the union, who's your representative and for which Company you work.
For 10 years I wasted 1% of my salary, funding an organisation who's only real interest was in defending the state carrier. Just ask Dan Air pilots how good BALPA was at protecting seniority. Of course, 'colleagues' in BA would say that those already type rated deserved to get in while it was 'tough titties' on those rated on obsolete B727's and BAC1-11's. Guys in their forties and fifties with families were made jobless overnight whilst young, single and far more junior pilots rated on the B737 went to work the next day in BA uniforms. Isn't one of the fundamental principles of the union to protect seniority? How about asking the British Midland pilots about how useful BALPA was in protecting their pensions, a pension that 'disappeared' when Lufthansa took over. The former boss of BM, who I refuse to refer to as a 'Sir' because he most definitely isn't one, left with a very large payout from the 'sale'. Hundreds of millions of pension money simply disappeared. These are just two well known UK cases. There are plenty more including Australia and the US with their legacy airlines.
So, when people talk about how great unions are, I think of the guys who 'lead' these councils and their real agenda. My own BALPA representative was an overweight, smelly and tight fisted hypocrite who claimed to be left wing but lived in a multi million pound house in an exclusive part of the UK South Coast near Brighton. He bragged once that his son rang the police because he thought his mum was missing. Turned out the house was so big she just hadn't heard him shouting! The police recommended an intercom system for their multi room mansion. His children went to private schools and yet he'd go on a 7 day trip to somewhere warm and use the suntan cream from the junior cabin crew. His often quoted saying 'we put a shot across their bows' was a way of saying....I hear what you're saying, I'll try to justify your 1% by pretending to do something, but I couldn't really give a toss as I'm in this for myself and hopefully I'll get elected to the board and make a name for myself at the top of the organisation.
Over £6000 I contributed to my union. It was the worst 'investment' decision of my life!
Harry
Last edited by harry the cod; 10th Apr 2016 at 07:53.