ASA Negotiations grind to a halt (again)! ASA management out of touch with reality!

[John Pennekamp]

Negotiation Update for the period of 8 – 10 January The ALPA CNC resumed negotiations in CHS the week of January 8 – 11, four weeks after our last session with ASA management. During that session in December the CNC left ASA management with virtually every section. Consequently, when we resumed in January, we expected a counter to those sections, assuming management had over four weeks to prepare it. Before we left SAV in December, both ALPA and management agreed that it would be beneficial if the management Retirement and Insurance (R&I) expert contacted the ALPA R&I expert since they had some questions on the details of our Insurance proposals so as to facilitate negotiations in the next sessions in CHS – this week. In mid December, realizing that the discussion had not taken place, we reminded management by email that this needed to happen. Ultimately, the discussion did not take place prior to our January session as we had hoped. The ALPA CNC arrived in CHS Sunday afternoon, after having prepared, debated, and formalized our position amongst ourselves in Atlanta. In short, we were ready to go, as we always are when the mediator sets up the negotiation dates. On Sunday night, the mediator told us that he needed to spend some time with management in the morning, so we should expect to resume at 10:00, instead of our previous time of 09:00. Monday, January 8 The CNC was in place and ready to go at 09:30 Monday morning. After a brief discussion with our mediator we finally met with ASA management at 11:09 on Monday morning to discuss – you guessed it - Insurance questions that management should have discussed prior to these meetings with our R&I expert, who was present for ALPA at the session. That drill took about thirty minutes. Then, now armed with the information they should have obtained before the session, we went into caucus so management could assemble a proposal. Finally, at 15:00, almost four hours later, management was ready and we resumed. They presented an Insurance proposal that addressed only a few of our issues. We then went back into caucus at 15:10. The mediator was very busy going back and forth between the two parties in an effort to facilitate the process. At 19:04 ALPA presented our Insurance proposal to management which left essentially three open issues in that section – then we called it a day. Total table time: about forty five minutes.
Tuesday, January 10th On Tuesday the CNC assembled at 09:00. The mediator spent a lot of time, again going back and forth working on potential solutions. At 10:13 we resumed negotiations with management. After some brief discussion they told us they would accept our Insurance proposal. They left at 10:17. It was not until 21:00 that evening that management presented their “Comprehensive Proposal”. Basically it addressed the following:
• CR7 rates the same as they previously proposed and still inadequate
• CR2 rates moved 1.2% to 2.8% depending on seniority and still inadequate • 3.75 min day - no average
• No change to per diem proposal
• Days off proposal moved to ALPA’s 12 in 31 day month, 11 in a 30 day month and 11 all months for Reserve pilots
• Line check override increased to a value still below ALPA’s requirements
• Insufficient and inadequate scope language as previously proposed
• Profit Sharing plan tied to the implementation of PBS within 18 months DOS • No mention of any form of retro pay

We were extremely disappointed in this effort on management’s part considering the time it took to prepare it and we adjourned after sitting around for 12 hours – total table time for the day: eleven minutes. Wednesday, January 10th Wednesday morning the CNC again assembled to prepare a counter to management’s last proposal. We finished up at 11:30, presented the document at 11:55, and we went back into caucus at 12:20. At 14:15 the mediator suggested that we assemble into a small group to discuss “where we are”. John Rice and ALPA attorney Bill Roberts left to have a discussion with Charlie Tutt and management’s attorney Mike Lowery. The discussion centered around each parties respective position as far as how the open issues may be resolved. The discussion ended at 15:55 with ALPA waiting on a possible response or counter from management to our last proposal. At 16:55 the mediator indicated to us that management was not going to respond to our proposal today – maybe later, but not today. We were instructed to wait to hear from him, possibly by next week, so we will know how to proceed from here. We were adjourned at 17:00.

What to do now? All we can tell you is that the message is still loud and clear from management – we have to be in the box, pilot labor costs have to be “competitive”, your pay can’t be with your peers at the top of the industry and pilot labor is absolutely going to determine the very survival of ASA. Whatever………

The CNC is waiting to hear from the mediator and we will report to you, at that time, what our next course of action may be.

According to the negotiating committee: "By way of comparison, our current pay rates fall roughly six percent below those at SkyWest, eight percent less than Chautauqua’s, and ten percent under the rates currently enjoyed by pilots of Express Jet and American Eagle."

Sad. Time to start preparing for a real strike boys and girls. ASA, Skywest and Delta have decided to put us to the test. And they want us to "help them out" with staffing next month? Riiiight.

 

[dooork]

Your management really are a bunch of tools. Good luck to your pilot group.

 

[IFLYASA]

I was really hoping for something from this latest round. I guess I was way to optimistic. I'm getting angry by the minute. Something's gotta give. It's time for the mediatior to release us. And screw the super mediated talks during the 30 days. If they can take these long breaks and come back with nothing, then our long break should be 30 days with a STRIKE. Hit them where it hurts the most, in their FAT MONEY POCKET. What little respect I have had for the company is down the toilet. NO MORE FAVORS. I will have a 20% on time departure from here out by "Flying by the book". DELTA, please call me soon.:angryfire

 

[Stifler's Mom]

A contract that is 4+ years expired, their latest offer doesn't give a raise to the CR7 pilots....and they have the nerve to ask me to help out with the open time trips.

 

[Sinca3]

Can you believe the fact that only 1 hour was spent at the table negotiating for 3 days worth of sessions.

 

[Medeco]

A contract that is 4+ years expired, their latest offer doesn't give a raise to the CR7 pilots....and they have the nerve to ask me to help out with the open time trips.

Yet, based on Betty's company email she recieved an overwhelming positive reponse to the opentime.

Good timing for the company to post the majority of opentime the day prior to us getting ticked off again.

Geez!!!


Medeco

 

[79%N1]

Guys, the company is stalling again here to wait until they see what Comair gets imposed, or agrees to. Until that, they will not negotiate. This all hinges on our 700 rate, and they want to hold Comairs rates, which will probably be at or below our current book, over our heads. If Skywest and Comairs 700 rates are below our current rates, they feel they won't have to offer any increase to us, and it will certainly be difficult for us to ask for any at that point.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Guys, the company is stalling again here to wait until they see what Comair gets imposed, or agrees to. Until that, they will not negotiate. This all hinges on our 700 rate, and they want to hold Comairs rates, which will probably be at or below our current book, over our heads. If Skywest and Comairs 700 rates are below our current rates, they feel they won't have to offer any increase to us, and it will certainly be difficult for us to ask for any at that point.

The company should be smart enough to realize that comparing us to Comair is comparing apples to oranges. Comair is bankrupt. We are making record profits.

Our negotiating team is not going to fall for that.

 

[79%N1]

They ARE NOT that smart! I know for a fact they feel they will not raise our 700 rates. One thing fom our ALPA email that is misleading....they claim we are 6-12% below Skywest, CHQ and Eagle, but that is not true of the 700. I am all for fighting for an increase, but they need to tell us where we are against the others on the 700 too.

 

[Papa Woody]

Timing of all this is a bit suspicious.

Gee, how recently we were given a list of 50 CA upgrades, new 70-seaters, huge 150% opentime pot, and pleas for leads on newhire apps.

What's coming next?

-cancellation of upgrades

-cancellation of newhire classes

-loss of the "16 new 70-seaters."

You watch......