FEDUPPILOT
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2002
- Posts
- 83
APA Proposal to AMR Released/Eagle Watch OUT!!
Here we go!! Get the KY!!! and assume the position!!!
hmmmmmm.......
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 17:50:32 -0500
From: CA Steve Blankenship APA Communications Chairman
Subject: December Negotiating Update
Fellow Pilots:
It's Time, One Airline
The overriding purpose of our Scope clause is to provide job
security for our pilots. In our view, job security provisions
must operate on three levels. First, they should protect the
number of jobs at AA. Second, they must protect the quality
(compensation, work rules, benefits, quality of life) of those
jobs. Finally, these provisions should operate to protect our
work over the short and long term.
As you know, last month the BOD directed the NC to engage
management in expedited negotiations. These negotiations were to
focus on Scope issues including modifications to the commuter air
carrier exception, concerns over the ramifications of cooperative
agreements with international air carriers, and enhancing
protections in the event of a successorship or fragmentation
transaction.
Meetings over these issues occurred on eight days - two days in
November immediately prior to the BOD meeting and on six days
during the first two weeks of December. The initial sessions
focused on commuter air carrier exceptions and management
concerns over APA's desire to bring all flying back to AA.
Subsequent meetings also included discussions on other Scope
related topics. Currently negotiations are recessed while
management performs cost comparisons and analysis. Negotiations
resume on January 7, 2003.
In an effort to expedite the "expedited" negotiations, your NC
decided to give the company conceptual proposals on the structure
of an all flying contract, and on required changes to
restrictions on cooperative agreements with international air
carriers. We characterize these proposals as conceptual and
structural because they contained no hard numbers or specific
work rules. These proposals were important because they
represented a significant departure from APA's opening Section 6
positions on these topics. APA previously passed a proposal
relating to successorship and fragmentation. That position has
not changed.
All Flying Proposal
The APA proposal on all flying suggested creating a commuter
supplement to take the place of the current commuter air carrier
exception. All commuter flying and only commuter flying would be
performed by American Airlines pilots under the commuter
supplement. Commuter supplement flying would be defined by a
seat limitation (50 seats and below), weight limitation
(certificated weight of ERJ-145) and fuselage width limitation
(width of ERJ-145).
Flying would be limited by the above definition and AA pilots
would perform the flying. The restrictions would be based on:
. A maximum hull count based on narrow body aircraft'
. Hub arrival and departure ratios;
. Hub-to-hub prohibitions with very few possible exceptions;
. Block hour limits based on narrow body block hours, and;
. All commuter supplement operations would be limited to domestic
(including Canada/Mexico) and Caribbean divisions.
Maintaining these restrictions while foregoing other restrictions
currently in place would allow management to offset cost
increases by enhancing revenue potential (50 vs. 44 seats and
fewer specific market prohibitions). At this time, APA has made
no proposals regarding the specific numbers in these restrictions.
We made no explicit proposal regarding work rules or
compensation. We told management work rules and compensation
should be industry leading when compared to other commuter
carriers. Management decided to perform comparison and analysis
of this commuter supplement operation by modeling it after the
Comm Air contract and adding a premium. That analysis is ongoing
and will be reported to APA when negotiations commence next year.
APA proposed that all American Eagle pilots become AA pilots
flying under the commuter supplement. Seniority ramifications
would be negotiated between APA and ALPA. APA also proposed the
following:
. AA pilots on furlough would have access to all small jet
vacancies in the commuter supplement and commuter supplement
pilots could not access mainline vacancies until all furloughees
are recalled to the mainline.
. Commuter supplement pilots would gain the right to exercise
mainline seniority numbers when they upgrade to Captain.
. Company could hire into either commuter supplement or mainline
vacancies.
. Commuter supplement pilots would have access to mainline at
some agreed to ratio (specific number not determined). Assumes no
mainline pilot is furloughed.
. Mainline pilots would have the option of accepting a
displacement to the commuter supplement or a furlough in a down
cycle.
. Mainline pilots could only displace into commuter supplement
Captain positions. Only pilots displaced from commuter supplement
bid statuses would have recall rights into the commuter
supplement (except all current furloughees could recall into the
commuter supplement).
. Commuter supplement pilots cannot displace into mainline bid
statuses unless they had previously held any mainline bid status.
APA also indicated to management that we would discuss an
appropriate timeline for implementation, including an exit from
existing non-owned commuter agreements. APA maintained there
could be no embargo from negotiating about the commuter
supplement in future contract negotiations and that any
divestiture of commuter assets would have to be in accordance
with Green Book fragmentation provisions.
International Job Protection Provisions
APA passed a proposal to management to protect our jobs from the
potential threats of cooperative agreements with international
carriers. This proposal is designed to ensure APA pilots
maintain their jobs, absolute and relative, in up and down
cycles. It also serves to maintain job quality over the short and
long term. Once again, this was a conceptual and structural
proposal with no specific numbers discussed.
APA structured protections for two categories of cooperative
agreements. Code Share Only Agreements and Beyond Code Share
Agreements such as revenue sharing and joint ownership. Both
categories require:
. Notification Provisions
. Reporting Provisions
. Specific Remedy Provisions
Additionally each category required specific job protection
mechanisms for absolute downside protection and relative upside
protection.
Code Share Only Agreements would have downside protections based
on international flying baselines (current agreement). APA
proposes tighter triggers on baseline remedies. Upside provisions
would be based on block hour capacity baselines for the specific
agreement in question. Upward changes in the baseline would
require proportional increases in flying for AA pilots.
Agreements involving cooperation Beyond Code Share would have
downside protections based on absolute floors for credit time and
Captain and FO positions. These floors would be measured by A/C
and positions dedicated to the specific agreement and to the
airline in aggregate. This prevents management from shifting
flying from the protected routes. Upside provisions would be
based on block hour capacity baselines for the specific agreement
and trip counting mechanisms. Jobs for AA pilots must increase
proportionally.
Management now owes APA a response to these proposals. They have
committed to a response including cost analysis, competitive
comparisons, and potential counterproposals. The APA proposals
represent a significant departure from our previous positions and
give management the opportunity to chase new revenue
opportunities. It also represents the chance to turn constant
conflicts over Scope provisions into new cooperative directions
for APA and AA management. We look forward to positive response
from management early in the New Year.
Thanks for your support.
Captain Mark Stephens
Chairman, APA Negotiating Committee
Here we go!! Get the KY!!! and assume the position!!!
hmmmmmm.......
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 17:50:32 -0500
From: CA Steve Blankenship APA Communications Chairman
Subject: December Negotiating Update
Fellow Pilots:
It's Time, One Airline
The overriding purpose of our Scope clause is to provide job
security for our pilots. In our view, job security provisions
must operate on three levels. First, they should protect the
number of jobs at AA. Second, they must protect the quality
(compensation, work rules, benefits, quality of life) of those
jobs. Finally, these provisions should operate to protect our
work over the short and long term.
As you know, last month the BOD directed the NC to engage
management in expedited negotiations. These negotiations were to
focus on Scope issues including modifications to the commuter air
carrier exception, concerns over the ramifications of cooperative
agreements with international air carriers, and enhancing
protections in the event of a successorship or fragmentation
transaction.
Meetings over these issues occurred on eight days - two days in
November immediately prior to the BOD meeting and on six days
during the first two weeks of December. The initial sessions
focused on commuter air carrier exceptions and management
concerns over APA's desire to bring all flying back to AA.
Subsequent meetings also included discussions on other Scope
related topics. Currently negotiations are recessed while
management performs cost comparisons and analysis. Negotiations
resume on January 7, 2003.
In an effort to expedite the "expedited" negotiations, your NC
decided to give the company conceptual proposals on the structure
of an all flying contract, and on required changes to
restrictions on cooperative agreements with international air
carriers. We characterize these proposals as conceptual and
structural because they contained no hard numbers or specific
work rules. These proposals were important because they
represented a significant departure from APA's opening Section 6
positions on these topics. APA previously passed a proposal
relating to successorship and fragmentation. That position has
not changed.
All Flying Proposal
The APA proposal on all flying suggested creating a commuter
supplement to take the place of the current commuter air carrier
exception. All commuter flying and only commuter flying would be
performed by American Airlines pilots under the commuter
supplement. Commuter supplement flying would be defined by a
seat limitation (50 seats and below), weight limitation
(certificated weight of ERJ-145) and fuselage width limitation
(width of ERJ-145).
Flying would be limited by the above definition and AA pilots
would perform the flying. The restrictions would be based on:
. A maximum hull count based on narrow body aircraft'
. Hub arrival and departure ratios;
. Hub-to-hub prohibitions with very few possible exceptions;
. Block hour limits based on narrow body block hours, and;
. All commuter supplement operations would be limited to domestic
(including Canada/Mexico) and Caribbean divisions.
Maintaining these restrictions while foregoing other restrictions
currently in place would allow management to offset cost
increases by enhancing revenue potential (50 vs. 44 seats and
fewer specific market prohibitions). At this time, APA has made
no proposals regarding the specific numbers in these restrictions.
We made no explicit proposal regarding work rules or
compensation. We told management work rules and compensation
should be industry leading when compared to other commuter
carriers. Management decided to perform comparison and analysis
of this commuter supplement operation by modeling it after the
Comm Air contract and adding a premium. That analysis is ongoing
and will be reported to APA when negotiations commence next year.
APA proposed that all American Eagle pilots become AA pilots
flying under the commuter supplement. Seniority ramifications
would be negotiated between APA and ALPA. APA also proposed the
following:
. AA pilots on furlough would have access to all small jet
vacancies in the commuter supplement and commuter supplement
pilots could not access mainline vacancies until all furloughees
are recalled to the mainline.
. Commuter supplement pilots would gain the right to exercise
mainline seniority numbers when they upgrade to Captain.
. Company could hire into either commuter supplement or mainline
vacancies.
. Commuter supplement pilots would have access to mainline at
some agreed to ratio (specific number not determined). Assumes no
mainline pilot is furloughed.
. Mainline pilots would have the option of accepting a
displacement to the commuter supplement or a furlough in a down
cycle.
. Mainline pilots could only displace into commuter supplement
Captain positions. Only pilots displaced from commuter supplement
bid statuses would have recall rights into the commuter
supplement (except all current furloughees could recall into the
commuter supplement).
. Commuter supplement pilots cannot displace into mainline bid
statuses unless they had previously held any mainline bid status.
APA also indicated to management that we would discuss an
appropriate timeline for implementation, including an exit from
existing non-owned commuter agreements. APA maintained there
could be no embargo from negotiating about the commuter
supplement in future contract negotiations and that any
divestiture of commuter assets would have to be in accordance
with Green Book fragmentation provisions.
International Job Protection Provisions
APA passed a proposal to management to protect our jobs from the
potential threats of cooperative agreements with international
carriers. This proposal is designed to ensure APA pilots
maintain their jobs, absolute and relative, in up and down
cycles. It also serves to maintain job quality over the short and
long term. Once again, this was a conceptual and structural
proposal with no specific numbers discussed.
APA structured protections for two categories of cooperative
agreements. Code Share Only Agreements and Beyond Code Share
Agreements such as revenue sharing and joint ownership. Both
categories require:
. Notification Provisions
. Reporting Provisions
. Specific Remedy Provisions
Additionally each category required specific job protection
mechanisms for absolute downside protection and relative upside
protection.
Code Share Only Agreements would have downside protections based
on international flying baselines (current agreement). APA
proposes tighter triggers on baseline remedies. Upside provisions
would be based on block hour capacity baselines for the specific
agreement in question. Upward changes in the baseline would
require proportional increases in flying for AA pilots.
Agreements involving cooperation Beyond Code Share would have
downside protections based on absolute floors for credit time and
Captain and FO positions. These floors would be measured by A/C
and positions dedicated to the specific agreement and to the
airline in aggregate. This prevents management from shifting
flying from the protected routes. Upside provisions would be
based on block hour capacity baselines for the specific agreement
and trip counting mechanisms. Jobs for AA pilots must increase
proportionally.
Management now owes APA a response to these proposals. They have
committed to a response including cost analysis, competitive
comparisons, and potential counterproposals. The APA proposals
represent a significant departure from our previous positions and
give management the opportunity to chase new revenue
opportunities. It also represents the chance to turn constant
conflicts over Scope provisions into new cooperative directions
for APA and AA management. We look forward to positive response
from management early in the New Year.
Thanks for your support.
Captain Mark Stephens
Chairman, APA Negotiating Committee
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