Should non members get the benefits?

[b mi baby]

I work for a company in which about 75% of pilots are members of BALPA. My CC and BALPA work hard on my behalf. Why is it that a number of people are allowed a free lunch on the back of others who are prepared to pay their way? I have no problem with other pilots joining other associations such as the IPA (thats a brand of beer by the way). I would like to start a movement towards a position where pilots who are not BALPA members within an airline get no benefit whatsoever from the efforts of their BALPA CC. I would like to see a closed shop in the UK. Surely the association should be actively campaigning towards that position. I have no problem with organisations such as the IPA negotiating benefits for their own members.

Taking cover...................................

b mi baby

[longarm]

IPA (India Pale Ale). Its a type of beer not a brand.

[P.Pilcher]

So I assume that like all other BALPA members in your organisation, you would not accept any benefits which had been negociated by the IPF.

Oh - I expect that you were waiting for that one!

P.P.

[Rainboe]

Well I think people who post in the wrong place should be taken out and shot! Although a BALPA member, I find closed shops utterly repugnant. What happened to democracy in your little scenario? You're pushing democracy posting in the wrong forum. What do you think Terms and Endearment is for?

[HORKA]

Well yes I would like to be made aware of the benefits negotiated by the IPA/IPF at any UK Airline.

[BOAC]

Poisonally I think this would be better on the BALPA forum where he/she will undoubtably find a more receptive audience (assuming bmi can get in, of course )

[MrBernoulli]

b mi baby,

There is nothing you can do to stop it. If the company does its deals with a union, in order to set up a working system with its employees, then non-members will benefit. You can't stop it. Thats democracy. Be thankful you have democracy.

Having lived in a country where democracy was taken away, I am thankful I now have some choices. They might not be all the choices I want, but I have choices. What you want, b mi baby, is for all pilots in your company to be BALPA members before they can join your company. Think about it, thats what you're asking for. Thats restrictive practise. You weren't around in the awful union-controlled times of the seventies were you? You have always been the beneficiary of democracy, haven't you? I suspect you aren't really appreciative of the life you actually have.

Think about what you have now, really think hard. Then look at your opening post and see it for the shallow throwaway that it is. You've led a spoiled life but there is always time to change.

[PAXboy]

Non-pilot speaking.

So, you land up with a crew who have a mix of BALPA and other agreed contracts. So one member of the flight deck can do X hours and Y sectors in a day and the other can do A hours and B sectors?

So, to prevent that, Ops must only schedule like contracted people together. Then comes a day when due to holidays or illness or recurrent training there is only a mixed crew available and it will not fit the required schedule. The answer to that is easy, just cancel the flight and let the pax walk and the company lose money.

Next idea please.

[Slim20]

Join EZY. There the majority of pilots, who are not in BALPA, get the dubious benefit of BALPA-negotiated "agreements".

You want to talk about a closed shop?

[2 Greens 1 Red!]

b mi baby,

If you're so bothered about others getting a piggy back off your subscription then CANCEL IT!

All the benifits for FREE!! HOOORAH!!!!!

(Standing by.......................flack jacket on)

[AFA]

Think about it BMI. It would also be the easiest way for the company to break the union. Just offer the non BALPA guys better conditions and there you have it. Also, as a member i find the idea of a closed shop quite backward. We don`t work down coal mines remember, even if it might feel that way sometimes. The work that Balpa do and the efforts of your own individual company council (if you have one) should be enough to make your decision. If you don`t like it, don`t join.

[RMC]

2 Greens 1 red - Great idea...that way we can all have pay cuts 2% below the rate of inflation each year as the management would have no collective opposition.
The IPA tries hard but its members in airline service are in the low hundreds...they have no significant influence on management decisions.
I dont support a closed shop, however I do object to these parasites when they moan that BALPA wont cover the cost of posting them regular updates.....or when BALPA do not support their personal IR issues. We have had examples of both views in the last 12 months.
No union is ever going to solve all the problems we have, but any fool can criticize (and most fools do). If you have a better way to stem the decline in our Ts & Cs I would be interested to hear them. edit for typo

[acbus1]

Another way to look at this is to ask whether non-BALPA employees should receive better benefits than their BALPA colleagues.

Why, I hear you ask?

If BALPA was a decent Union the benefits obtained would be much better than those actually achieved. By it's very existance as a useless organisation, BALPA is doing everyone a disservice.

Now, if we had a decent Union, I might reconsider your point, bmi whatsit.



Yes, yes, I know.....if we didn't have any Union at all, things would be worse........duhhhh!