Another Beating for Eagle

[jetexas]

(From APA's hotline)...

SUPPLEMENT W ARBITRATION: Today Arbitrator Richard Bloch issued his ruling on the status of the May-August furloughees concerning their eligibility for flow-back positions with American Eagle. I am pleased to report that Arbitrator Bloch has ruled in APA’s favor, confirming that the pilots in this group who bid for a flow-back position are eligible to flow back to Eagle. This ruling is very welcome news for the 384 furloughed pilots who bid CJ Captain positions.



We have posted the full text of the arbitrator’s ruling to the Member’s Home Page of the APA Web Site in the “Headliners” section.



The May-August furloughees are comprised of 672 pilots overall. One hundred forty-one of these pilots were originally hired by American Airlines, and the remaining 531 pilots were formerly with TWA. Of the 384 pilots that put in bid preferences for flow-back positions, 87 were originally hired by American Airlines, and the remaining 297 were former TWA pilots.



I have contacted American Airlines management to begin the process of displacing the remaining American Eagle flow-through pilots. We will be working with management to notify the 384 pilots who bid for a flow-back position and to schedule their training.



As you know, as part of our 2003 contract, we had originally anticipated being able to acquire approximately 100 CJ Captain positions at American Eagle. After the ratification of our agreement, the ALPA Eagle leadership objected to the manner in which we negotiated our agreement with American Airlines management. As a result of the American Eagle representatives’ objections, it was necessary for us to renegotiate our agreement. The American Eagle leadership subsequently filed a grievance objecting to the May-August furloughees’ eligibility for flow-back CJ Captain positions at American Eagle. With Arbitrator Bloch’s ruling now final, American Airlines flow-back pilots may ultimately occupy up to 500 CJ Captain positions at American Eagle.



Once again, it’s fair to say this should come as very welcome news for our furloughees. I want to thank our Negotiating Committee, legal counsel and others who effectively represented APA’s interests in the negotiations and arbitration. Finally, congratulations to the flow-back pilots on your upcoming return to the cockpit.



That’s it for now. Thank you for calling.

 

[JohnDoe]

quote:
"With Arbitrator Bloch’s ruling now final, American Airlines flow-back pilots may ultimately occupy up to 500 CJ Captain positions at American Eagle."


And the upgrades come to a screetching halt.............

 

[mooser]

Sorry Beagles....


Mooser

 

[DDpaysoff]

One thing I will always remember being told the entire two years I was there by several different people was the following quote: "It doesn't matter what you hear, no matter what happens Eagle pilots will always get screwed."

I am starting to believe that to be true. You guys are a great pilot group, and deserve better, keep your heads up. I am sure you guys will show your proffessionalism by not taking the flowback pilots 'hostage', I'm sure they are just trying to pay their bills and a contract is a contract.

 

[pipejockey]

So does this mean the hiring will have to be slowed down there? It seems unavoidable.

 

[eaglefly]

No.

What will happen is that as Eagle takes 3 RJ's/month it will generate approximately 15 captain
positions/month. Those "vacancies" are not available to AA flowbacks. 15 CURRENT RJ captains
would be "displaced" but most if not all will bid the new RJ vacancies, in effect becoming a
"paper" displacement for the junior 15 pilots or so, over and over again every month.

The end result will be the same, though.

For the forseeable future, AA flowbacks will claim all future jet captains seats but the new
jet F/O positions will still require new-hires (actually many would be filled by turboprop F/O's)

 

[LAXSaabdude]

No.

What will happen is that as Eagle takes 3 RJ's/month it will generate approximately 15 captain
positions/month. Those "vacancies" are not available to AA flowbacks. 15 CURRENT RJ captains
would be "displaced" but most if not all will bid the new RJ vacancies, in effect becoming a
"paper" displacement for the junior 15 pilots or so, over and over again every month.

[CONSPIRACY THEORY] Did you notice that there have been some really HUGE RJ bids lately? Most of those people have not entered training, and all of them are subject to displacement by AE flowthroughs being displaced. I predict a large initial displacement bid, roughly equal to....ohhh, I don't know......the number of people awaiting training, then after that your aforementioned 15 a month. They'll drag this out until sometime next year, which is when recalls are rumored to begin again [/CONSPIRACY THEORY]

LAXSaabdude.

 

[jetexas]

...And todays Fort Worth newspaper article. I sure hope that reporter is wrong! Layoffs from Eagle? How much more can the pilots, especially FO's, of Eagle take??

By Trebor Banstetter

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


FORT WORTH - Nearly 400 furloughed American Airlines pilots will be allowed to take jobs at regional affiliate American Eagle, an arbitrator ruled Tuesday.

The decision -- which is likely to mean layoffs for some pilots at Eagle -- stems from a dispute between the unions at both airlines over which Eagle jobs will be available to furloughed American pilots.

Fort Worth-based AMR Corp. owns American and Eagle but operates them separately. Their pilots are represented by different unions.

Under contracts with pilots from both carriers, Eagle pilots were allowed to take jobs at American during times of growth, and furloughed American pilots could take jobs at Eagle when the airline was shrinking and laying off employees.

But the status of American pilots who were laid off from May to August 2003 was unclear, because of grievances that had been filed over which pilots had the right to jobs on new regional jets that were being added to Eagle's fleet.

In his ruling Tuesday, federal arbitrator Richard Bloch stated that 384 American pilots who had been furloughed during that time are eligible to take jobs at Eagle.

"It's very good news for a lot of pilots," said John Darrah, president of the Allied Pilots Association.

Officials with the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents Eagle pilots, said they hoped that the effect would be minimal.

"These [American] pilots have been on furlough for a year, and a lot of them have already found other jobs and may not be interested in coming to Eagle," said David Ryter, vice chairman of the ALPA's Eagle chapter. He predicted that fewer than 100 pilots would actually take Eagle slots.

Gregg Overman, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots, said it was "way too early" to know how many pilots would take advantage of the decision.

Eagle pilots won a decision last year that guaranteed that captain positions on new regional jets would go to ALPA members, not furloughed American pilots -- a point that Bloch affirmed in his ruling Tuesday.

 

[LAXSaabdude]

...And todays Fort Worth newspaper article. I sure hope that reporter is wrong! Layoffs from Eagle? How much more can the pilots, especially FO's, of Eagle take??

From the article:

The decision -- which is likely to mean layoffs for some pilots at Eagle -- stems from a dispute between the unions at both airlines over which Eagle jobs will be available to furloughed American pilots.

It sounds like the reporter is just adding his opinion. As shorthanded as we are right now, and with continued jet orders, the company can't afford to lay anyone off.

LAXSaabdude.

 

[FlyingSig]

Dick Bloch gets around... he's the guy who ruled in DAL's favor that it was OK to furlough the first 1060 pilots.....