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Dear Duane Woerth from Allegheny MEC

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Well-known member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
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6,137
ALLEGHENY AIRLINES MEC
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL
CAPTAIN REZA OSTADALI, MEC CHAIRMAN
2041 GARDEN DRIVE „T FOREST HILL, MARYLAND 21050 „T 410-877-7231„T FAX 410-877-7236


August 1, 2002


VIA E-MAIL AND U.S.MAIL


Captain Duane Woerth
President
Air Line Pilots Association
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington D.C 20036

Re: Your letter of July 31, 2002

Dear Duane:

I appreciate you taking time to address some of the Allegheny pilots concerns regarding the recent U S Airways restructuring agreement (¡§TA¡¨). However, I believe you also did not see fit to attend the same meeting. Had you done so, you would have known what the meeting was about and who had attended.

Contrary to what you state in your letter, the informational meeting was not held exclusively for the leaderships of the wholly owned U S Airways Express ALPA groups. Also, none of the MEC Chairmen of the wholly owned carriers were able to attend. In attendance were representatives of Mesa Airlines, DHL Airlines, Midway Airlines and MEC Vice Chairman of PSA who happened to be in Herndon for the regional bargaining conference. The only reason that Allegheny did not have a representative at that meeting was our inability to get released by our company. Even if we had representatives at that meeting, we would have received the similar briefing and the 79-page document (¡¥TA¡¨) that we had received from U S Airways MEC Vice Chairman on July 16, 2002.

With all due respect, you continue your misrepresentation of facts regarding the U S Airways TA. While I sympathize with U S Airways pilot¡¦s concessionary agreement, one has to wonder as to how the company and their employees got into this situation in the first place. Let¡¦s examine some of the facts:

„« U S Airways has had the highest cost structure of any airline.
„« U S Airways has had the most restrictive Scope Clause of any major airline.

While I applaud the efforts of the U S Airways pilot¡¦s leadership in achieving such pay and work rules, I also question their judgment in securing language that has essentially choked them to death and now we are being asked to give up our oxygen masks due to smoke and fire at their property. The blame should equally be borne by U S Airways management for signing on to an agreement that they cannot live with.

Duane, a twelve year veteran at U S Airways is being asked to work for $200,000 per year while a fifteen year veteran at Allegheny is being asked to work for $50,000 almost equal to what a senior ramp worker at U S Airways is compensated, assuming he will not get down graded if we decide to sign on to the extortion program know as ¡§Jet for Jobs¡¨. A U S Airways pilots will keep his 2.5% retirement multiplier while an Allegheny pilot¡¦s current multiplier is only 1% and we are being asked to freeze his retirement. I beg your pardon, but I fail to see the parallel in fairness in this restructuring plan.

You mentioned in your letter that U S Airways pilots have eliminated their no-furlough clause. If one hundred percent of Mid Atlantic positions and at least fifty percent of the RJ positions at a wholly owned or an affiliate is to be filled by U S Airways pilots, then how could anyone suggest that the no-furlough clause has been eliminated? Granted the career expectation of a U S Airways pilot was not to fly a Regional Jet once hired at a major, but at the same time a Regional pilot never expected to give up his seniority so he could perhaps someday fly a Regional Jet.

You continue with your misrepresentation of the facts by suggesting that if the Allegheny MEC chooses to take part in the restructuring plan, then we can participate in opportunities made available through the TA. I would like to examine those opportunities.

„« Allegheny pilots will have a right to be hired at MDA in seniority order based on the ¡§existing integrated seniority list¡¨ at the wholly owned carriers behind the U S Airways pilots.

I would like to know which ¡§existing integrated seniority list¡¨ you are referring to, and whether you have an official agreement signed by the parties involved?

„« MDA pilot longevity for pay and benefit purposes will be based on longevity with the originating carrier plus MDA length of service.

How does a twenty year captain at Allegheny who transfers to MDA as a first officer get paid with only a 12 year first officer scale and what happens to his defined benefit plan and his social security bridge?

„« MDA will agree to an ALPA contract with terms no less favorable than the average of ACO, CALEX and CMR.

If any of the wholly owned carriers are going be part of the MDA, are they going to get any representatives on the negotiating committee or the governing structure?

„« Allegheny pilots will be entitled to flow through to new-hire U S Airways pilot positions, in seniority order based on the integrated wholly-owned seniority list.

Once again I have to question the proverbial ¡§integrated wholly-owned seniority list¡¨ and also ask, what happens to an Allegheny pilot¡¦s seniority and pay once at U S Airways?

„« You mention in your letter that Allegheny pilots will be entitled to flow through to new hire positions, in seniority order based on the ¡§integrated wholly-owned seniority list¡¨ and that management has agreed to.

I don¡¦t believe you have such a document in your possession since page 9 of 79 of the TA that references such agreement, also indicates that the [¡§procedure is to be discussed¡¨]

Finally, I appreciate your efforts in trying to sell the idea of all these ¡§opportunities¡¨ to us, however you conveniently left out one important part and fact. That is the price for such ¡§opportunity¡¨. Lets examine those facts:

„« Allegheny pilots must accept the extortion program known as ¡§Jets for Jobs¡¨.


„« Allegheny pilots must eliminate their current furlough protection if they decide to participate in such program.


„« Allegheny pilots only have four years for recall rights, which looking at it optimistically, all U S Airways pilots would have to be either at MDA or at U S Airways, if not Allegheny pilots on furlough loose their recall rights.


„« Allegheny pilots must wait their turn to be called to MDA list behind furloughed U S Airways pilots.


„« While furloughed U S Airways pilots are at Allegheny, they would also exercise super seniority for bidding in the RJ equipment.


„« In order to have the opportunity to flow to MDA list or U S Airways list, Allegheny pilots have to agree to give up fifty percent (50%) of their current positions to furloughed U S Airways pilots.


„« Once at MDA, Allegheny pilots would only receive a maximum of eight (8) years of credit in a first officer position and a maximum of eighteen (18) years of credit when finally in a captain position regardless of their previous years of service at Allegheny.


„« If an Allegheny pilot decides to maintain his/hers position at Allegheny while senior pilots move on, he/she would still be junior to a MDA pilot in case of a flow back.
„« Once an Allegheny pilot moves to the top of the seniority list of MDA and has an opportunity to flow to U S Airways, he would be back to new hire first officer pay at main line.

Duane, while you mention the ¡§dramatic sacrifices of the U S Airways pilots¡¨ you fail to mention even greater sacrifices that Allegheny pilots have to make in order to make a living. It is incomprehensible that you actually endorse the idea of creating yet another wholly-owned subsidiary (MDA) at the expense of the existing wholly-owned U S Airways carriers.

Hence, contrary to your un-informed accusations, the TA does limit and it does slow the career advancements of Allegheny pilots. I hope this letter clears up any misunderstandings that you may have had. My hope is that all affected parties involved, and not just the preferred group can meet and come up with a fair and equitable agreement.




In Solidarity,



Reza Ostadali
Chairman, ALG MEC




Cc: Capt. Chris Beebe, MEC Chairman, U S Airways
Capt. Paul Templeton, MEC Chairman, Piedmont
Capt. Steve Toothe, MEC Chairman, PSA
Executive Council
 
Most know that this extortion plan is designed to provide the principle benefit for mainline while continuing to perpetuate the ALPA national-inspired myth that regional pilots are inferior to mainline and exist only if mainline allows them to.

Mainline likes this deal because its good for them.

Regional hates this deal because its bad for them.

For Mr. Weorthless to try to put a fancy dress on this cheap whore and convince the regional pilots that she's an upstanding woman is sad. That dog won't hunt.

ALL regional pilots should take note.
 
Draginass said:
Regional pilots ought to dump ALPA, stop carping, and start their own union.

Wrong! That would simply leave ALPA free to devastate the careers of regional pilots with no legal recourse.

Regional pilots need to stand together and force the ALPA to comply with its duty, under law, to fairly represent their interests.

If ALPA continues to make arbitrary and discriminatory decisions with respect to the interests of its "regional pilot" members and, to bargain in bad faith by excluding those affected directly from the bargaining process, then regional pilots should take legal action against the ALPA and force it to comply with DFR law or go out of business.

If mainline pilots are not happy with the concept of DFR law, then THEY can leave the ALPA and form their own union(s).

And, that's not carping!
 
Well said Surplus. Running away from problems does not make them go away. It is better to face your problems than run from them. In fact if we had faced this problem 20 years ago instead of running from it we might not be in this mess now.
 
All the regionals could ask to join APA, then tell ALPA to take a hike. This doesn't have to be a one horse town.
 
canadflyau said:
All the regionals could ask to join APA, then tell ALPA to take a hike. This doesn't have to be a one horse town.

When it comes to these issues, ALPA and the APA are six of one, half-dozen of the other. That move would be out of the frying pan, into the fire.
 
Freedom Air?

I am still trying to figure out how ALAP is going to explain the difference between the "alter ego" Freedom air, and Mid Atlantic as a U WO? How can any court of law, back ALPA in their suit against Mesa with Mid Atlantic being started at the same time??:rolleyes:
 
"All the regionals could ask to join APA, then tell ALPA to take a hike. This doesn't have to be a one horse town."

It would make them compete to represent us. I am hypothetically suggesting that we could create some competition and maybe get some fair representation by scaring ALPA a little bit.. just a pipe dream
 
A note from the RJDC...

Dear RJDC Friends and Supporters;

In solidarity with our fellow ALPA members employed by the US Airways wholly owned express carriers, we are forwarding you their announcement detailing plans to conduct informational picketing outside of ALPA's national headquarters. ALPA's bad faith and predatory actions at US Airways underscores the importance of the RJDC's actions at ASA and Comair to ensure that ALPA does not seek to do the same at Delta.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reprint from flyer being forwarded by the MEC's of the US Air Wholly Owned Airlines:
Fellow ALPA pilots,

On August 8, 2002 ALPA President Captain Duane Woerth will, in all likelihood, sign the latest edition of the Jets For Jobs protocol, contained within the Mainline pilots TA, at the expense of the regional Wholly owned carrier’s pilots, employees, and their families.

By signing this TA, Captain Duane Woerth is endorsing the unprecedented replacement of one group of ALPA pilots, with another group, from a different seniority list. It is incomprehensible for him, to enter into such an agreement that so viciously impacts the careers of all ALPA regional pilots, with negative repercussions to be felt for years to come.

In Captain Duane Woerth’s recent dissertation of July 2, 2002 (ALPA release 02.60) concerning the Mesa single carrier lawsuit he slams Mesa CEO J. Ornstien for " his corporate shell game of threatening to shift jobs from one company to another… His strategy has been to divide and conquer, attempting to pit pilots of CC Air and MESA against one another…Pilots should not have to choose between keeping their jobs, working under ridiculously poor conditions, or having their jobs transferred to an upstart non union carrier". Clearly from his statement, Captain Woerth knows it is wrong to pit one pilot group against another.

We cannot sit back and allow the hypocritical actions of Captain Woerth to proceed. We must let Captain Woerth know that this is an unacceptable situation. To this end, we are organizing a trip down to DC to remind Captain Woerth, and the rest of the high-ranking ALPA officials, of their obligations to treat all ALPA pilots equally. Preferential treatment of one group over another cannot and will not be tolerated. This violates everything a union represents, and everything Captain Woerth claims to stand for.

We are now down to the wire. Are you going to take an active role in your future, or will you sit back, do nothing, and hope for the best? Please join fellow ALPA brothers and sisters from numerous carriers, as we converge on our union headquarters in Washington D.C., Tuesday, August 6, at 10:30 AM. Together, we can make a difference!!!
 

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