Pro-Merger Group Sees Chance for Growth, Improved Representation in ALPA Resources

The push to integrate the Allied Pilots Association with the Air Line Pilots Association has gained another blip of momentum following a survey of APA pilots this week.

AA Pilots for ALPA has long maintained that American Airlines pilots "need union representation with the resources worthy of the largest airline in the US," and they believe that can best be served with a merger of their current union and the larger, more established ALPA.

According to polls of American Airlines pilots done by Phil Comstock in conjunction with the UNH, 67% of the pilots group is in favor of "seeing what a merger between APA and ALPA looks like," establishing a measure of interest in the theoretical merger. Of those polled, 52% were strongly in favor of a merger, with merely 18% strongly opposed. Comstock noted that the survey was conducted while APA leadership had been speaking of an imminent contract TA vote, adding that the survey would likely have been far more favorable to merger discussion after the events of the last 2 weeks. 

The pro-merger group advised its membership to consider the state of contract negotiations and remember that "the purpose of a merger between APA and ALPA is to retain the aspects of APA that benefit our pilot group the most while gaining access to resources and a governance structure that sets us up for success for this contract cycle and beyond."

"Given the state of negotiations, we strongly urge the BOD to consider the opportunity in front of them right now. If the BOD passes this resolution and forms a credible merger committee, then the BOD will unify the membership, engage pilots on the sidelines, and likely gain access to ALPA resources to help our next Negotiating Committee succeed at the bargaining table."

FMI: www.aapilots4alpa.info