New ALPA Message to USAirways Pilots pt 1

[grog_sit_reserv]

From ALPA in case you don't get this thru normal distribution:

1. What has happened lately?
Since the ALPA Rice Committee’s first report a few weeks ago, its members and Captain Prater have visited with East and West pilots; ALPA has received the results of polling conducted by the Wilson Center for Public Research; and the Rice Committee has continued to meet with each pilot group’s representatives to discuss both career advancement issues and contract negotiations. Pilot participation in the telephone polling was very high. Thanks to everyone who took the time to meet with us and talk to the Wilson Center.
2. What are pilots saying?
The meetings and polling provide clear guidance: the vast majority of East pilots want career advancement, economic gains, and quality-of-life improvements—not just a remote chance to overturn the Nicolau award. West pilots, while frustrated by the slow pace of developments, understand that a new contract to replace the one negotiated under ATSB constraints is the key to their futures, too.
3. Does ALPA support East as well as West pilots?
Yes. While ALPA’s Executive Council decisions last week did not adopt the East MEC positions, the Executive Council actions not only were required by ALPA Merger Policy, they also set out the only realistic way to achieve the goals outlined by a majority of pilots on both the East and West. In plain terms, they are to provide career advancement and obtain significant gains for all US Airways pilots—not frustrate East pilots’ desires.
One of the Executive Council’s decisions was to direct the resumption of joint negotiations. Resources and MCF funding were approved to support these activities. Joint negotiations, once resumed, can achieve both parity and parity plus within the process. ALPA National did not withdraw funds; East leadership declined to let their negotiators participate in the joint bargaining process for which the funds were authorized. We have asked the East MEC to reverse its effort to impose pre-conditions on the JNC process and to actively participate in the joint negotiations. If you are an East pilot, we need your help to make that happen.
4. What is ALPA’s plan?
The Rice Committee and the ALPA Executive Council believe there is a clear path within ALPA to career advancement, economic gain, and quality-of-life improvements for all US Airways pilots. More specifically, pay parity can be obtained by negotiating jointly with West pilots who have already voiced their support for retroactive application of common pay rates. Completed sections—yes, completed sections—of the new contract clearly confirm that substantial economic and quality-of-life improvements will be a reality. Those improvements, along with ideas being discussed in the Rice Committee, address both the career advancement and the economic goals laid out by both pilot groups.
5. Do pilots who want to replace ALPA have a plan?
You’ll find that pilots who advocate changing unions are suggesting something like building your entire football game plan around a last-second “Hail Mary” pass. Rather than focusing bargaining on the economic improvement that East Airways pilots and their families deserve and need, they argue for endless litigation over the Nicolau award with a slim to no chance of success, long periods where nothing happens, and, regardless of the outcome in court, years of your continued cheap labor while a new organization tries to unify itself, build resources, and negotiate changes in seniority with management. All the while, you’ll work longer under a bankruptcy-era or ATSB contract with diminished quality of life.
6. Can pilots who want to replace ALPA deliver?
Even if those pilots unveil a plan, can it be executed without the money, staff, and pilot unity that will be sorely lacking in a new organization? How will they fund their work when dues check-off for half of the pilot group is canceled and West pilots sue the union? Do you believe rumors that management will bargain with you over seniority changes and expose the corporation to years of litigation and potentially massive damages claims from West pilots? If management does so, won’t they ask for hundreds of millions from your pocket to protect against their litigation risk and to achieve a competitive advantage over costs at other airlines?
Some East pilots have said that they won’t “sell” their seniority. Those who advocate leaving ALPA had better start planning on how they will “buy” it from management.
7. Is ALPA’s plan realistic?
Other pilot groups are negotiating in the new economic environment, advancing their careers and helping their families recover from bankruptcy and ATSB hell. United pilots have a newly improved short- and long-call reserve system and more days off for reserves. Northwest pilots just negotiated premium pay and recovered deadhead pay at 100% instead of 50%. Delta pilots will be getting a pay bump on January 1, 2008. Alaska, Hawaiian, Continental, American, and Southwest pilots are bargaining changes to their contracts in a negotiating environment that looks more like the early years of this decade when US Airways pilots got pay rate increases totaling over 33%.
Without careful analysis and deliberate decision-making about the future, US Airways pilots (East and West) will miss this entire bargaining cycle and be frozen in time.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. ​

 

[FlyByNight1]

What has happened lately?
-USAir Pilots lost their retirement and took pay cuts

What are pilots saying?
-They would like their retirement and pay back

Does ALPA support East as well as West Pilots?
-Hey..... Who ever wants to pay us... we'll "support"

Does ALPA have a plan?
-See above statement

Do pilot who want to replace ALPA have a plan?
-Yeah, put their money into an IRA so they can live after age 60

Can pilots who want to replace ALPA deliver?
-Does it matter at this point at USAIR. 4th quarter down by 3 touch-downs- Hail Mary on three. hut hut

Is ALPAs plan realistic?
-Sure. Pay them money, and they make more money... seems like a simple enough business plan to me.

OK - Before you ALPA "rah rah" guys jump on my case, I have to say, Im just poking fun at you. You have to admit this post looks a little bit like political propaganda. I kept reading.. waiting to see "This ad paid for by ALPA and its supports" at the end...

 

[grog_sit_reserv]

Do pilot who want to replace ALPA have a plan?
-Yeah, put their money into an IRA so they can live after age 60

Well, if they elect USAPA then I bet there will be no IRA.

It was an ALPA communique... but after only hearing USAPA guys for a while, its refreshing to finally get ALPA national's take on the situation.

 

[PCL_128]

You have to admit this post looks a little bit like political propaganda.

No, it looks like the dose of reality that the East pilots need, since it's becoming clear that the East MEC has no intention of doing what is right for their pilots.

 

[A350]

PCL:

What would you say is "right" for their pilots?

The funny thing about Prater's letter....He expects the MEC to represent National, not their own pilot group.

Sad.

A350

 

[vetrider]

PCL:

What would you say is "right" for their pilots?

The funny thing about Prater's letter....He expects the MEC to represent National, not their own pilot group.

Sad.

A350

No, he expects the east mec to follow through with what they signed on for in the beginning. Just because the seniority issue didn't turn out as they thought it would doesn't give them the right to renege. They DID sign on for all this.

If they can pull of a decert and put in a new union thats a different issue all together. In the meantime though, they need to quit acting like jack asses.

 

[PCL_128]

PCL:

What would you say is "right" for their pilots?

Exactly what Prater says is right: put this petty bulls&^* behind you and move ahead on a joint contract.

The funny thing about Prater's letter....He expects the MEC to represent National, not their own pilot group.

No, he's expecting them to do both. As an elected Officer of the Association, you represent pilots on the local level, the MEC level, and the National level. You aren't solely beholden to your local pilots.

But, that's besides the point, because in this case, what's best for the Association is also what's best for the AAA pilots. I used to have a lot of respect for Captain Stephan. He's completely soiled his good name during this process. Not to mention the fact that the AWA MEC has for years been viewed as one of the most dysfunctional MECs in the Association, and now the AAA MEC has far surpassed them for that "honor." Not that the AWA MEC has acted completely above board here, but they certainly haven't made fools of themselves the way that the AAA MEC has.

It's time for the AAA MEC to put their egos aside, admit that they completely fu*&ed up this process, and go on about the business of representing the pilots in achieving a single CBA. That is what is best for both pilot groups.

 

[grog_sit_reserv]

Bump Bump

Read the thread and the letter from ALPA and then post up.