Compass Correction Coalition Update: October 25, 2011
Who Said They Didn't Know!
The letter below from USAPA's founding Secretary/Treasurer was sent to the BPR prior to the start of the Fall Meeting earlier this month, so if anyone on the BPR says they didn't know what our President was up to, they wouldn't be telling the truth!
Fellow pilots of the BPR,
It is with great sorrow and restrained anger that I address the BPR on my opinion of Lee Seham and his firm. Lee has been with this organization heart and soul since its inception. Other than the current attack on his character by the worst of us, he has consistently predicted our future, having never claimed to know the exact time line of events, only the eventual outcomes. He has been dedicated to our ideals from day one, even including counsel numerous times on how we were going down the wrong road. It would seem that same very honest advice may now lead to his exit from our Union. Imagine that, firing and smearing his firm because you don't like what he is telling you?
Lee gave us an unprecedented half rate on billing during the representational election, requiring only that the other half be paid in full upon our winning a new union. He was most gracious in allowing us a reasonable payment plan following the election, sometimes even forgoing payment of employees in his own firm to meet our extended payment needs. Let there be no doubt, USAPA was basically bankrupt in April of 2009, saddled with a 100K expenditure on a pension investigation it could not yet afford, and Hundreds of Thousands in Legal bills it could not pay. This is not a complaint about the validity of the Pension investigation, rather a look for you all into our finances during the Addington trial. At one time, we had less than 70K in the bank, and millions of dues in arrears. Lee's entire firm was dealing with that trial, and the billing was indeed steep. But guess what got paid first? The Pension investigation of course, pre assessment, not Lee’s firm. Thank you Lee for that gracious act.
I was there at the NMB arbitration in PHX when the wonderfully capable Aliki Recklitis from Lee's firm represented us. Millions of back dues and the very financial foundation of this new Union were at stake. To my surprise, Aliki argued we were not trying to fire the pilot in the room, rather only set a precedent for payments by all going forward. Later in the hearing the Arbitrator seem pleased, paraphrasing "this is how it is done." We won that arbitration completely, and the Millions in dues flowed. But only because the experienced firm of Seham saw through the emotions of the day and went for the "win" rather than an ill advised "kill." I learned a lesson that day too. Seham and Company were in this for the right reasons.
As Treasurer the first two years of USAPA, pre and post election, I read each and every bill line by line presented to me by Lee's firm. The two non flying pilots at the top of our totem pole could not to this day tell you what our exact legal bills were month to month in the years I was Treasurer, much less what the balance was on our books. They work as Two, not even including the Treasurer or EVP in their affairs. Now they bring lies and more lies forward in an obvious political move. Have they no shame?
And they want to bring in a law accounting firm that works only on commission to investigate Lee? How do you think that will turn out?…if they find no fault they don’t get paid. What is next, bringing the idiot lawyers from ALPA back? I joke, but could see that happening. This is disgraceful.
Some members of BPR have been asleep at the wheel.
Lately they seem to be quick to bring down the wrath of the Union where there simply smoke, without taking the time to get the real facts. You do us all a disservice in that regard. Choosing to go down the road of the personal assassination of one of the most dedicated, winning, and capable arms of this Union will be the end of this Union.
I stand by OUR FRIEND Lee Seham, ahead of self serving politics and ineffective leadership. As the democratic process is now absent from this Union, my stance represents what is in the best interest of all Pilots I have vowed to serve.
Mark King
