(Disclosure: I am a regional puke)
American Airlines pilots lose help of larger union
By
Terry Maxon/Reporter
[email protected] | Bio
7:49 PM on Tue., Aug. 2, 2011 | Permalink
The Air Line Pilots Association won't be helping the Allied Pilots Association any more in APA's contract talks with American Airlines.
It appears that ALPA was insulted by comments made out of the APA's Boston base, and ended its cooperative arrangement in which it provided a professional negotiator and research assistance to the American Airlines union.
APA president David Bates blamed the "inflammatory" remarks in an email from the Boston base chairman to his members, joined in by New York leadership, for causing the pullout.
"So, not only is the APA-ALPA cooperative relationship now seriously damaged, but our ongoing contract negotiations have also been adversely affected," Bates said in a letter to members. "Simultaneously losing Mr. [ALPA professional negotiator Seth] Rosen's expertise and the quantitative analysis capabilities of ALPA Economic and Financial Analysis represents a major setback."
Bates also said that the National Mediation Board may see the ALPA withdrawal "as an indication that the APA leadership is in disarray and unprepared to see negotiations through to their conclusion."
Keep reading for the Boston comments and the Bates letter.
From a July 26 hotline from Boston base chairman Steve Bacon that upset Bates and ALPA:
"I cannot fathom anyone expecting to have a unified voice of labor when the largest Pilot labor organization speaks for the commuters and regionals over the wishes of the majors, many of them belonging to and paying the lion's share of the dues. They have screwed us on Duty time, ATP Requirements, age 65, security screening, and drug testing, as well, and as much as their own members.
"The support we 'get' for the negotiating coach (Professional Negotiator) and EF+A committee we 'get ' for a half million / year. There is no benevolence, just business. With their loss of the TWA DFR suit, ALPA is left holding the bag for 1.2 billion dollars. (pending appeal) It's a good time for the major airlines to start thinking about organizing a pilots union that represents the issues of our craft and trade, external to ALPA, and without it's 300K plus salaries.
" ALPA is presently attempting to organize Jet Blue. You can read about it at jetblueoc.org I am personally Very much in favor of Jet Blue organizing, I just question whom they are being courted by. I will not support it. I think (opinion) their pilots would be better served by becoming an independent and associating with CAPA so our common interests can be heard without having to placate the non-ancillary constituencies. Short of that, labor unity isn't going to be achieved any sooner than $3.00 Red Sox tickets."
Dave Bates' "You Should Have the Final Say" message to members:
"Last month marked one year in office for APA's current National Officers. Vice President First Officer Tony Chapman, Secretary-Treasurer First Officer Scott Shankland and I ran for office as a team committed to a common philosophy and to working together. One year later, our partnership remains stronger than ever.
"I want to use this opportunity to briefly recap what we said we would do if elected--versus what we have done during the past year--and also discuss a very serious situation that has developed.
"During the campaign, we committed ourselves to being as transparent as possible about what we planned to do. So how closely have we adhered to the plan we presented?
"We said we would develop a more professional, business-like relationship with AMR management--we have.
"We said we would seek to establish a better relationship between APA and the American Airlines Flight Department--and we have.
"We said we would foster a much closer working relationship with other pilot unions in the United States and around the world--and we have.
"We said we would run APA like a business, taking great care in our handling of the membership's money--and we have. In our first year alone, we saved more than $2 million through careful cost control.
"We said we would establish productive relationships with the security analysts, institutional investors and others with a financial interest in AMR--and we have. As a result of this initiative, APA's credibility on Wall Street has increased significantly and I now regularly receive invitations to provide the pilots' point of view at various industry forums organized by financial institutions. There are many strategic reasons why these financial community relationships are important to APA's pilots.
"I said I would move my family to Texas (joining Tony and Scott) so I could be available to APA and its members 24/7--and I have.
"We said we would hire a professional negotiator--and we did. Thanks to the bridges we built with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), we were able to access the expertise of Mr. Seth Rosen, the country's most experienced pilot-side Railway Labor Act negotiator who is known and respected around the world. We also contracted with ALPA's Economic and Financial Analysis group to bolster our quantitative analysis capabilities to support our negotiating goals, a further byproduct of the closer working relationship between our two unions.
"When Tony, Scott and I campaigned last year, we identified getting the contract we all deserve as our No. 1 priority. Our assessment was that "we have little chance of negotiating a restorative contract without a professional business relationship with AA management." Despite what some naysayers assert, we have made significant progress during the past few months because of our willingness to engage management and effectively express the concerns of AA's pilots. Thanks primarily to the lines of communications we established with management, your National Officers have been included in discussions about major corporate decisions such as aircraft purchases and other future plans.
"While I share your frustration with the time it has taken, I believe we had finally set a course to accomplishing our No. 1 priority. Unfortunately, our contractual efforts have now been seriously jeopardized by the actions of a few APA domicile representatives. In an inflammatory e-mail message to the BOS Domicile last week, BOS Domicile Chairman Captain Steve Bacon alleges that ALPA has "screwed" APA (and ALPA's own members) with respect to various legislative and regulatory issues--an allegation that is flat-out wrong. He also impugns the integrity and motivation of Mr. Rosen and ALPA's Economic and Financial Analysis Group for recouping the cost of providing their professional services to APA. Compounding the insult, LGA Domicile Chairman Captain Pete Oborski endorsed Captain Bacon's missive by forwarding it to the LGA pilots and Captain Steve Roach directed his members to it as "a good read."
"In response to this unwarranted attack, ALPA has notified me that they are withdrawing their service agreement with APA and withdrawing Mr. Rosen from assisting with negotiations. ALPA has likewise indicated that their Economic and Financial Analysis personnel will no longer participate in our negotiations. ALPA President Captain Lee Moak confirmed termination of the service agreement between APA and ALPA in an Aug. 1, 2011 letter (attached).
"So, not only is the APA-ALPA cooperative relationship now seriously damaged, but our ongoing contract negotiations have also been adversely affected. Simultaneously losing Mr. Rosen's expertise and the quantitative analysis capabilities of ALPA Economic and Financial Analysis represents a major setback.
(continued)
American Airlines pilots lose help of larger union
By
Terry Maxon/Reporter
[email protected] | Bio
7:49 PM on Tue., Aug. 2, 2011 | Permalink
The Air Line Pilots Association won't be helping the Allied Pilots Association any more in APA's contract talks with American Airlines.
It appears that ALPA was insulted by comments made out of the APA's Boston base, and ended its cooperative arrangement in which it provided a professional negotiator and research assistance to the American Airlines union.
APA president David Bates blamed the "inflammatory" remarks in an email from the Boston base chairman to his members, joined in by New York leadership, for causing the pullout.
"So, not only is the APA-ALPA cooperative relationship now seriously damaged, but our ongoing contract negotiations have also been adversely affected," Bates said in a letter to members. "Simultaneously losing Mr. [ALPA professional negotiator Seth] Rosen's expertise and the quantitative analysis capabilities of ALPA Economic and Financial Analysis represents a major setback."
Bates also said that the National Mediation Board may see the ALPA withdrawal "as an indication that the APA leadership is in disarray and unprepared to see negotiations through to their conclusion."
Keep reading for the Boston comments and the Bates letter.
From a July 26 hotline from Boston base chairman Steve Bacon that upset Bates and ALPA:
"I cannot fathom anyone expecting to have a unified voice of labor when the largest Pilot labor organization speaks for the commuters and regionals over the wishes of the majors, many of them belonging to and paying the lion's share of the dues. They have screwed us on Duty time, ATP Requirements, age 65, security screening, and drug testing, as well, and as much as their own members.
"The support we 'get' for the negotiating coach (Professional Negotiator) and EF+A committee we 'get ' for a half million / year. There is no benevolence, just business. With their loss of the TWA DFR suit, ALPA is left holding the bag for 1.2 billion dollars. (pending appeal) It's a good time for the major airlines to start thinking about organizing a pilots union that represents the issues of our craft and trade, external to ALPA, and without it's 300K plus salaries.
" ALPA is presently attempting to organize Jet Blue. You can read about it at jetblueoc.org I am personally Very much in favor of Jet Blue organizing, I just question whom they are being courted by. I will not support it. I think (opinion) their pilots would be better served by becoming an independent and associating with CAPA so our common interests can be heard without having to placate the non-ancillary constituencies. Short of that, labor unity isn't going to be achieved any sooner than $3.00 Red Sox tickets."
Dave Bates' "You Should Have the Final Say" message to members:
"Last month marked one year in office for APA's current National Officers. Vice President First Officer Tony Chapman, Secretary-Treasurer First Officer Scott Shankland and I ran for office as a team committed to a common philosophy and to working together. One year later, our partnership remains stronger than ever.
"I want to use this opportunity to briefly recap what we said we would do if elected--versus what we have done during the past year--and also discuss a very serious situation that has developed.
"During the campaign, we committed ourselves to being as transparent as possible about what we planned to do. So how closely have we adhered to the plan we presented?
"We said we would develop a more professional, business-like relationship with AMR management--we have.
"We said we would seek to establish a better relationship between APA and the American Airlines Flight Department--and we have.
"We said we would foster a much closer working relationship with other pilot unions in the United States and around the world--and we have.
"We said we would run APA like a business, taking great care in our handling of the membership's money--and we have. In our first year alone, we saved more than $2 million through careful cost control.
"We said we would establish productive relationships with the security analysts, institutional investors and others with a financial interest in AMR--and we have. As a result of this initiative, APA's credibility on Wall Street has increased significantly and I now regularly receive invitations to provide the pilots' point of view at various industry forums organized by financial institutions. There are many strategic reasons why these financial community relationships are important to APA's pilots.
"I said I would move my family to Texas (joining Tony and Scott) so I could be available to APA and its members 24/7--and I have.
"We said we would hire a professional negotiator--and we did. Thanks to the bridges we built with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), we were able to access the expertise of Mr. Seth Rosen, the country's most experienced pilot-side Railway Labor Act negotiator who is known and respected around the world. We also contracted with ALPA's Economic and Financial Analysis group to bolster our quantitative analysis capabilities to support our negotiating goals, a further byproduct of the closer working relationship between our two unions.
"When Tony, Scott and I campaigned last year, we identified getting the contract we all deserve as our No. 1 priority. Our assessment was that "we have little chance of negotiating a restorative contract without a professional business relationship with AA management." Despite what some naysayers assert, we have made significant progress during the past few months because of our willingness to engage management and effectively express the concerns of AA's pilots. Thanks primarily to the lines of communications we established with management, your National Officers have been included in discussions about major corporate decisions such as aircraft purchases and other future plans.
"While I share your frustration with the time it has taken, I believe we had finally set a course to accomplishing our No. 1 priority. Unfortunately, our contractual efforts have now been seriously jeopardized by the actions of a few APA domicile representatives. In an inflammatory e-mail message to the BOS Domicile last week, BOS Domicile Chairman Captain Steve Bacon alleges that ALPA has "screwed" APA (and ALPA's own members) with respect to various legislative and regulatory issues--an allegation that is flat-out wrong. He also impugns the integrity and motivation of Mr. Rosen and ALPA's Economic and Financial Analysis Group for recouping the cost of providing their professional services to APA. Compounding the insult, LGA Domicile Chairman Captain Pete Oborski endorsed Captain Bacon's missive by forwarding it to the LGA pilots and Captain Steve Roach directed his members to it as "a good read."
"In response to this unwarranted attack, ALPA has notified me that they are withdrawing their service agreement with APA and withdrawing Mr. Rosen from assisting with negotiations. ALPA has likewise indicated that their Economic and Financial Analysis personnel will no longer participate in our negotiations. ALPA President Captain Lee Moak confirmed termination of the service agreement between APA and ALPA in an Aug. 1, 2011 letter (attached).
"So, not only is the APA-ALPA cooperative relationship now seriously damaged, but our ongoing contract negotiations have also been adversely affected. Simultaneously losing Mr. Rosen's expertise and the quantitative analysis capabilities of ALPA Economic and Financial Analysis represents a major setback.
(continued)
