Arbitrator Rules Furloughed US Airways Pilots Will Lose Seniority

[HighSpeedClimb]

Arbitrator Rules Furloughed US Airways Pilots Will Lose Seniority

Fri, 11 May '07
Will Rank Lower Than More Recent Hires At America West

An arbitrator ruled this week that some 1,800 pilots at US Airways will return to their jobs at the airline, now merged with America West, lower on the seniority-list totem pole than when they left. More recent hires by America West, prior to the merger, will hold higher positions.
The only exceptions will be 517 US Airways veterans who fly routes to Europe. They will remain at the top of the combined list, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But that's little consolation to the rank-and-file on the flight line.
"Our pilots are infuriated," US Airways pilots spokesman Arnie Gentile told the paper. "Absolutely infuriated. [Seniority] is everything. It's career goals, it's money, it's time off, weekends off, vacation. It's who gets to ride in the airplane. It's everything."
The arbitrator's decision reflects the generally stronger position America West maintained throughout the merger, a source close to the proceedings, who wished to remain anonymous, told ANN. While the combined airline carries the name US Airways, it is headed by former America West CEO Doug Parker, and is based at AW's former headquarters in Tempe, AZ.
US Airways pilot Bill Pollock, who once chaired the airline's branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, says the ruling ignores sacrifices pilots at US Airways made throughout two bankruptcies within two years, prior to the merger. He says if ALPA lets the arbitrator's ruling stand,
it "could be the straw the breaks the camel's back."
"Our national union must see that this is corrected before permanent damage is done," Pollock said. "When you have nothing left to lose, you entertain extreme actions, one of them being kicking (the Air Line Pilots Association) off of the US Airways property."
The decision will also further complicate efforts to create a single contract for pilots at America West and US Airways, still operating under their own contracts after two years.
"The contract is no longer our main focus," ALPA spokesman Gentile said "We are just too busy right now to deal with that," adding "all avenues" are being considered to protest the arbitrator's decision.
US Airways spokesman Phil Gee expressed hope a single contract for all pilots might still be reached before the end of the year. But that's likely wishful thinking.
"I've never seen USAir pilots this mad," one Pittsburgh pilot told the Post-Gazette.

 

[AirBoard]

Orginal Air Canada mid to low seniority pilots got absolutely screwed in the merger with Canadian. Many literally lost hundreds of thousands in potential earnings as CA upgrades disappeared and some bumped of aircraft.

This is not going to be pretty....

 

[BoilerUP]

East pilots demanded DOH integration. West pilots said "hell no". Both sides agree to binding arbitration, the East because they were confident they'd get the decision they wanted and the West because they knew it was the only shot they had at not getting totally hosed. The independent, neutral arbitrator made his decision and now East pilots (the same ones that demanded DOH and yet agreed to binding arbitration) are supposedly ready to STFD because they don't like the decision?

I have nothing to do with this whole mess other than flying for a US contract regional, but I would like to know one thing - What exactly can ALPA do to appease the East pilots? The East MEC wasn't willing to negotiate a reasonable integration with the West MEC before...now "with nothing to lose" after the arbitrator has ruled, what do they propose?

 

[Green]

Orginal Air Canada mid to low seniority pilots got absolutely screwed in the merger with Canadian. Many literally lost hundreds of thousands in potential earnings as CA upgrades disappeared and some bumped of aircraft.

This is not going to be pretty....

well the aaa pilots litteraly gained hundreds of thousands in future earnings. Honestly guys look back two years to Us Airways on the VERGE of liquidation and ask yourself....Would they have recalled 350+ pilots without the merger? No way in h#ll would that have happened. So each one of those recalled pilots should thank their lucky stars they have the opportunity to be junior to Dave Odell or just quit and stop pissing in the pool.

Same goes for everybody in the left seat who can now look forward to a new contract which will give them at MINIMUM a $23/hr payraise and more vacation, work rules, etc. Does anybody think if somehow AAA had figured out a way to survive that management would have opened the contract early and would be offering substantial payraises? Again, h#ll no. I understand the frustration but the vocal minority is making these guys/gals look like a bunch of babies....

 

[Tomct]

I have quite a few friends at AWA and they said the same thing....US was going to be GONE before we came in and saved them from Chptr 7. I understand the Importance of Seniority, BUT if you were about to be on the street....Seniority does not really do anything for you out there...! I hope the best for both groups, but I think that the East guys are just p!ssing in the wind! They agreed to have the arbitrator make the decision (because they thought that it would benefit THEM) and now....they want to take their toys and go home! Give me a break! Things could be worse...you could be working at a REGIONAL...or worse yet....Mcky Dee's! Move forward with a SINGLE contract and get the NEEDED PAY INCREASES. Good Luck!

 

[Snapperhead]

This is similar to the American/TWA aquisition except the unions were different (APA/ALPA).

 

[luckytohaveajob]

keep age 60. run two airlines for the next five years. retire all the east pilots. trash the easts flying as needed. put the east pilots on the street where they belong.

 

[bearcat]

I have quite a few friends at AWA and they said the same thing....US was going to be GONE before we came in and saved them from Chptr 7. I understand the Importance of Seniority, BUT if you were about to be on the street....Seniority does not really do anything for you out there...! I hope the best for both groups, but I think that the East guys are just p!ssing in the wind! They agreed to have the arbitrator make the decision (because they thought that it would benefit THEM) and now....they want to take their toys and go home! Give me a break! Things could be worse...you could be working at a REGIONAL...or worse yet....Mcky Dee's! Move forward with a SINGLE contract and get the NEEDED PAY INCREASES. Good Luck!

I laugh at the West guys saying what THEY did to save us (I don't care about either) THEY didn't do anything. THEY didn't build US what it is now/ THEY didn't create the int'l routes that the east had. THEY had nothing other than good timing and a CEO who organized a bunch of cash on the IDEA that was mostly the EAST route structure. So what exactly did THEY (HP) do?? US east was stupid not to negotiate. HP didn't have piss in the bucket to buy US. it was the combined company that was sold to the investors. It will be curious to see how this merged company turns out. I don't even want to be a fly on the wall in the cockpit with a US and HP pilot together. Especially when the HP guy has a later DOH than the US.

 

[General Lee]

I laugh at the West guys saying what THEY did to save us (I don't care about either) THEY didn't do anything. THEY didn't build US what it is now/ THEY didn't create the int'l routes that the east had. THEY had nothing other than good timing and a CEO who organized a bunch of cash on the IDEA that was mostly the EAST route structure. So what exactly did THEY (HP) do?? US east was stupid not to negotiate. HP didn't have piss in the bucket to buy US. it was the combined company that was sold to the investors. It will be curious to see how this merged company turns out. I don't even want to be a fly on the wall in the cockpit with a US and HP pilot together. Especially when the HP guy has a later DOH than the US.

Without the West, you would have been liquidated. It doesn't matter that right now your side has the better yields or whatever, the point of all of this is that you would have shut down and someone else would have taken your Shuttle flying and your slots at LGA, DCA, etc. Gone. It is time for you cry babies to wake up and not be so snotty. You both accepted arbitration, and it didn't go your way. That is your fault.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[flatspin7]

Frankly look at it as pretty cut and dry... yeah it sucks to be a USairways guy on the street and now West pilots who were hired long after you were furloghed are senior to you.... but

There is no way in hell a guy who is an active employee should get knocked to the street for a guy who is already on the street. DOH would have been insane... More or less there would have been a staple-job with maybe a little mix in the middle. All the East guys on the street would have become "senior FOs and the Junior capt at West would have been holding on for a job.

At the same time I think the Heavy international operations on the east side should be protected with seniority and fences. To me ,,an outsider who has no vested interest in this deal what so ever this appears like the most equitable possible deal.

Sorry pissed off East Pilots, but you'll are better off now with this merger than you would have been on your own. If you were on the street sorry but it is plain wrong for you to get a job back whilst kicking some one else out to the curb.