Comair's Proposal in Writing

[JonnyKnoxville]

To: Comair Pilots
From: The Comair MEC
Date: December 22, 2005
Re: The Company Proposal

Attached to this letter is the proposal given to the MEC Negotiating Committee as the Company's “last, best, and final offer.” The MEC spent two days reviewing all aspects of this proposal and unanimously agreed to present this offer to Comair pilots for your consideration. As we have stated, this proposal is not a tentative agreement (TA). The MEC is steadfast in its desire that Comair pilots should enjoy the highest level of pay and benefits possible, while simultaneously, we recognize the extremely difficult times in which we find ourselves.
Make no mistake, Delta is in extremis, and our own management appears to have little, if any, control over our future. Due to the Delta Air Lines, Inc. bankruptcy, our Company faces a confusing and difficult struggle. The MEC will immediately provide as much information to the pilot group as we ourselves have to allow individual pilots and their families the opportunity to decide how best to meet these imposing challenges.
Delta has stated clearly that they will allow Comair to remain a Delta Connection carrier only within a specific labor cost structure. Acceptance or rejection of this proposal should be based on its merits to enable Comair to continue as an airline. Should Comair pilots elect to reject this proposal, the MEC has been told by management that Delta may exercise unpleasant options.
We encourage each pilot to vote based on factual information which we will make available to you immediately and over the next couple weeks. During the week between Christmas and New Years, a detailed letter will be sent to each pilot outlining exactly what has occurred over the last two months of negotiations, including as much relevant information as allowable by law from that process. Also, as soon as final “proposal” language is completed, we will forward that to each pilot as well. Expect that during the first week of January. Then, most likely beginning the second week of January, road shows will begin and occur in each of our four domiciles. We encourage each pilot to attend at least one road show to receive a full briefing on what has occurred and our best guess at what the future may hold so as to make your decision an informed and educated decision based on our best and most accurate information.

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

Bullets of Company Proposal

A.Economic Relief

·Rescind the February 2005 LOA including paragraphs;
i.H.1., H.2., H.3.d. and H.4. – aircraft delivery and minimum aircraft fleet commitments
ii.H.3. - snapback of 4.5% wage increase and snapback of June 2005 longevity step
·From the February 2005 LOA, maintain the following paragraphs;
i.D. – Management Compensation Reduction
ii.E. – Longevity restoration, now effective June 1, 2006
iii.J. – Company paid union leave and travel
iv.K.2. and K.3. – pay above guarantee and report times
v.L. – miscellaneous, including Successorship language
·Pay Table (see rate table page 4)
i.CL-700 Capt. at SKW rates + 1% (15.5% reduction on average)
ii.CL-65 Capt. at DCI average rates (8.9% reduction on average)
iii.CL-700 F/O & CL-65 F/O at DCI average rates, blended rate (20.8% & 13.6% reduction on average)
·Resume longevity steps June 1, 2006, includes 89 day restoration
·Per diem @ $1.50 per hour
·MPP retirement plan – full funding for year 2005 paid no later than March 1, 2006, eliminate any future Company contribution in 2006 and beyond

B.PBS and Duration

·Agree to test and then if successful, implement Carmen System no later than first quarter 2007
§KRONOS or other PBS agreed PBS replacement for pilots only upon failure of Carmen
·Duration – 4 years from date of signing, maintain current early open language

C.Returns

·Increase rates of pay at Date of Signing (DOS) plus 36 months – 2% (see rate table page 4)
·Increase per diem at DOS plus 36 months - $1.55 per hour
·Maintain PPP plan for 2006
·Implement Profit Sharing Plan
§January 2007
§Based on net income percentage (net margin), paid each quarter
§Allocated to W-2 earnings
§Caps @ 6% in 2007, 7% in 2008, 8% 2009 and beyond
§Pilot options on payouts (to MPP or cash out)
·Stock option, grants, equity plan, or stock purchase on a “me too” basis except if offered to Management, Directors or Officers
·After 10 years of service, Company will match 401K @ 70% of first 5% of eligible earnings


D.Grievance Resolutions

·04-10-GG (Staffing) – resolved via ongoing process discussions, includes specific triggers to increase staffing
·04-13-GG and 04-16-GG (reassignment issues) – ALPA will withdraw
·05-11-GG (Insurance) – continue with grievance/arbitration

E.Commitments

·This LOA submitted to court for approval
·Comair Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with DAL Inc., submitted to court for approval
·Future Aircraft Award
·Included in CPA
·No less than 40% of all future CRJ 70-80 seat turbojet aircraft
§Only applies to uncommitted and unawarded aircraft not already promised to any other carrier

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

§ Only applies to aircraft “awarded” by Delta in either 2006 or 2007, for delivery possibly beyond 2007
§
§ Provided CMR achieves cost reductions goal of $42 million based on Dec 2005 schedule on ongoing basis
§ Provided CMR is able to attain financing
§ Remedy for failure to award aircraft as promised in 2006 or 2007 is normal Section 6 bargaining effective January 1, 2008
· CMR first right of refusal on any Q-400 “provided economics are competitive”
· Company acknowledges that modifications are based on the most complete and reliable information

F. Contingency

· Agreement becomes effective only if all other employee groups, including management, grant relief as outlined by the Company in the November 1, 2005 restructuring document, equivalent to the relief imposed on ALPA

G. Additional Issues
· Eliminate all “No Furlough” provisions of the Agreement and LOA’s
· Reserve days off
§ 11 for all bid periods
§ 1 moveable day moved 1 time
§ If moveable day moved, all others become locked
§ JM provisions still applicable to “locked” moveable days
· Institute three tiered Long Call / Short Call system
§ Short call = current system, percentage of reserves TBD
§ Long Call 1 = 9 hour callout, 10 hour window, percentage of reserves TBD
§ Long Call 2 = 12 hour callout, 2 hour window, percentage of reserves TBD
· Day prior notification window = 2 hours
· Process for moving to different windows
· All based on seniority bid
· Reserve leveling system
§ Similar to monthly rundown, by pass once at 74 credit hours
· Specific credit TBD
· All junior available provisions still apply
· Displacement / Reassignment time frame – day of operations
§ Company allowed 60 minutes to reassign
§ Release no later than scheduled release
· Future meet and concur to discuss how reserve system is working
· Vacation credit reduced to 20 hours per week
· NFP credit reduced to 4 hours
§ Assigned first to available reserves, then to instructors, then to volunteers
· Deadhead credit and pay @ 75%
§ Schedules built with 100% block
§ Ground deadhead maintains 100% credit and pay
· New equipment clause applies when turbo jet a/c with greater than 80 seats are placed into operation, with addition of binding arbitration if rates are not agreed

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

No F***********CKING way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I already took my paycut (LOA: please vote yes to save our minimum fleet bullsh*t) That worked really well boys!

F*ck You Fred!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

Shut This F*cker down before we take cuts.

I was not here for the first strike but I would like to be here for the second.

Stand strong boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Doberman]

Tell Delta to kiss you where you crap!

 

[ubpilot]

All the Comair pilots out there! I think now is the time for all you guys and gals to stand together again, and vote NO!!!!!!! I strongly believe Comair pilots will show the regional industry they have the backbones, which Mesa pilots lack.

 

[amcnd]

Do you realy think that Comair can tell Delta that they get 40% of all 70-80 seaters... I dont think the judge will go for that and the easy out is " if they can get financing" and the Crap + 1% is still crap. Good luck

 

[WateryGrave]

To all of you Morons out there who want us to "Stand strong and shut the place down". Tell you what. you give up your job come on over here and make a statement with us and I'll go work for your company instead. Blow off, What F***ing good does it do to shut this place down and then go start on the bottom of the list at Mesa, Skywest, Chicken Taco, or some other sh**hole when where I can make less money than is being proposed here? Someone explain where it makes economic sense for any of us????

 

[wmuflyguy]

To all of you Morons out there who want us to "Stand strong and shut the place down". Tell you what. you give up your job come on over here and make a statement with us and I'll go work for your company instead. Blow off, What F***ing good does it do to shut this place down and then go start on the bottom of the list at Mesa, Skywest, Chicken Taco, or some other sh**hole when where I can make less money than is being proposed here? Someone explain where it makes economic sense for any of us????

Very well said...This pay cut It sucks but look at the alternatives they suck prety bad too. Something tells me this will be close.

 

[OCP]

For the most part this is still better that what ASA has to work under.

 

[comrcap]

It'll pass because the alternative is not an option...I for one am not willling to take one for the team

 

[uba757]

I guess I'm one of those morons, Watery we have to do something. Fred is sitting at the GO smoking a cigar with his feet on top of the desk just thinking about how we trusted him when he told us that he had our back. He was just waiting for the moment we "dropped the soap". UBA757

 

[wmuflyguy]

I guess I'm one of those morons, Watery we have to do something. Fred is sitting at the GO smoking a cigar with his feet on top of the desk just thinking about how we trusted him when he told us that he had our back. He was just waiting for the moment we "dropped the soap". UBA757

Why do we have to do "something". It will not uphold the profession, It will not stop the backward slide, It will just get 1800 pilots to the unemployement line.

 

[WateryGrave]

I guess I'm one of those morons, Watery we have to do something. Fred is sitting at the GO smoking a cigar with his feet on top of the desk just thinking about how we trusted him when he told us that he had our back. He was just waiting for the moment we "dropped the soap". UBA757

Uba I understand where you are coming from. I'm not happy about Fast Phreddy's antics either, but when it comes down to it I don't care. Because whether he told us the truth or not, whether he had our back or not does not matter to me in the slightest. I'm looking at the plain and simple personal economics of it. I'm I better off here at a reduced payscale or better off somewhere else. And the winner is door number one.

Don't get emotional about whether or not Phreddy lied to you or not, its not going to help you make an educated decision about your future with this company.

 

[ILS2DH]

This proposal is BS. Why are the FOs taking the biggest paycuts? And they FO rates are NOT blended 50-70 seat rates from DCI carriers. They are not even blended 50 seat rates at 5 year pay. I will definetly vote NO!!!!!

 

[bvt1151]

Taking a stand is the stupidest reason anyone could give for voting this contract in. If Comair pilots take a stand, the aircraft will be transferred to Mesa, ASA, or Skywest and will be flown by newhire pilots at less than the Comair proposed pay. What kind of statement is that?

When Comair pilots vote this down, I want to see every pilot group standing behind them. This means actual support, not "gee nice try but thanks for the airplanes." Mesa, Skywest, ASA, and Chautaqua pilot groups need to put out resolutions that say they will refuse to fly any aircraft that is transferred from Comair. Without this, there is no tangible support whatsoever from the other groups, regardless of what you "say." Without those resolutions, Comair taking a stand will only result in the lowest paid pilot groups benefiting, and Delta management winning the labor war in greater fashion than if the Comair pilots voted this in.

 

[WateryGrave]

This proposal is BS. Why are the FOs taking the biggest paycuts? And they FO rates are NOT blended 50-70 seat rates from DCI carriers. They are not even blended 50 seat rates at 5 year pay. I will definetly vote NO!!!!!

Of course the FO rates are the worst!! You think the Negotiating commitee sat around and tried to figure out ways to keep FO pay. HELL NO! They did everything they could to keep the 70 scale for the Captains only and the top end pay for the Captains. The Union could give two Sh**s about someoned who has been here less than 10 years or anyone who is not planning on trying to make a career at this company.

Aren't you glad that 2% of your paycheck is going to represent you????

 

[JetPilot_Mike]

Of course the FO rates are the worst!! You think the Negotiating commitee sat around and tried to figure out ways to keep FO pay. HELL NO! They did everything they could to keep the 70 scale for the Captains only and the top end pay for the Captains. The Union could give two Sh**s about someoned who has been here less than 10 years or anyone who is not planning on trying to make a career at this company.

I think it is more the "DCI Average" that is hurting the FO's. Look at the pathetic pay for FO's at Mesa, ShittyTaco...etc...

Mesa is the real culprit here. They dragged the average so far down, it hurts. Sorta like the real smart, or stupid person in school who fucks up the curve for everyone else.

 

[kntrdr]

It'll pass by at least 85%