I just got this on the Allegheny email loop. I don't know how true some of it is or not, but I thought I'd post it here for all.
March 21, 2002 Update
SkyWest Pilots Overwhelmingly Reject ALPA’s "Jet for Jobs" Code-Share Proposal.
By nearly a 4 to 1 ratio, the SkyWest pilots overwhelmingly rejected the ALPA’s latest attempt to use code-share agreements as a vehicle to secure special employment rights for mainline pilots. The vote followed the announcement that US Airways was in talks with SkyWest management and pilots concerning operating as a US Airways code-sharing partner under the terms of the "small jet protocol" imposed by the US Airways MEC.
Events at SkyWest are significant because they demonstrate that when the rank-and-file are given the right to vote without ALPA’s "scope gun" held to their heads, there is no doubt what "regional" pilots think about the "Jet for Jobs" proposal. In a letter to the SkyWest pilots, Captain Chris Abell, President of the SkyWest Airlines Pilots Association (SAPA) wrote, "It sends the message to our management, and it sends the message to USAir and to other major airlines that may seek to do something similar."
Delta MEC Again Decries ASA and Comair Growth
For the second time in three months, the Delta MEC has made public comments citing concerns about ASA and Comair growth. As published in the March 16th edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Delta MEC said, "When we have pilots on furlough and the company is still growing these smaller lines, that’s when the scope clauses become even more important to us." Last December, the Delta MEC chairman told the same paper that the lack of ASA and Comair furloughs was "a very emotional issue with Mainline pilots."
Public statements such as these indicate that ASA and Comair jobs will indeed be on the table when the Delta MEC bargains with management this spring. The issue is whether ALPA will uphold its duty to the ASA and Comair pilots and prevent the Delta MEC from using the livelihoods of other ALPA members as bargaining capital to achieve their contractual objectives.
Pilots at US Airways Wholly Owns Decry ALPA’s Double-dealing
On February 27th, the Piedmont, Allegheny, and PSA MEC’s issued a joint public statement to their pilots rebutting the US Airways MEC’s assertion that the wholly owned pilots were responsible for ALPA’s failure to secure regional support for its "Jet for Jobs" proposal. Furthermore, it was revealed that the US Airways negotiating committee is approaching each wholly owned pilot group separately with different proposals. The wholly owned MEC’s strenuously objected to ALPA’s attempt to eviscerate their labor agreements by creating a "contract within a contract" that would permit furloughed US Airways pilots to gain employment at the wholly owns, but under separate pay and workrules negotiated by the US Airways MEC.
As the wholly owned MEC’s stated in their recorded message, "The fact remains that they [ALPA] are doing exactly what they have accused Airways management of doing, and that is of intentionally whipsawing labor groups against themselves." So while ALPA vilifies management for whipsawing the union, it turns out that it will eagerly whipsaw its own members if it benefits their short-term political interests.
ALPA Prevents Mesa Airlines from Operating Larger RJ’s, Even Under Its Own Code
New evidence of how ALPA uses mainline scope as a "remote control" device to restrict all RJ flying surfaced in the form of a US Airways MEC grievance (MEC 01-08-07 RJ 700). According to ALPA, Mesa may not acquire CRJ-700’s and CRJ-900’s, even if it flies them under its own reservations code or that of another major airline without RJ scope restrictions.
In response, Mesa Air Group has announced that they will be forming a new subsidiary called Freedom Airlines. Unfortunately for the Mesa pilots, the same union that is supposed to protect and promote their interests has again allowed the mainline politicians to abuse their collective bargaining authority and dictate to the Mesa pilots what aircraft they can fly, even under their own brand name.
The fact that ALPA’s mainline scope clauses can restrict far more than code sharing flights shows how such "non-compete" clauses are designed to prevent "regional" carriers from growing to the point that they can compete economically or politically with ALPA’s mainline carriers. Furthermore, such clauses raise serious questions of fairness when ALPA’s "mainline" pilots can reap the benefits of new, larger aircraft, but ALPA’s "regional" members are prohibited from enjoying the same benefits as long as their airline is a party to any mainline code-share agreement.
ALPA President Labels Mesa’s CEO the New Frank Lorenzo
In his March 16th message to ALPA’s Board of Directors, Captain Woerth stated that Jonathan Ornstein was, "trying to become the Frank Lorenzo of the 21st century." Certainly all pilots should be concerned about the whipsaw and abuse of Mesa and CC Air pilots. But given Delta’s announcement that it wishes to operate a "portfolio" of small jet airlines, what is the difference between Mesa Air Group and Delta Connection?
Unfortunately, Mesa’s labor practices are not unique in the regional airline industry. Perhaps the real problem for ALPA is the fact that Mesa Air Group is currently the only small jet operator that is not effectively prohibited from ordering and operating an unlimited number of the 70 and 90 passenger Regional Jets. Delta, USAirways, Northwest, and Continental all own or control ALPA approved alter-ego airlines. The only apparent reason for the new level of concern is that Mesa’s new alter-ego subsidiary will operate the wrong type of aircraft.
American Eagle Pilots Attempt to form New Independent Union
The Coalition of American Eagle Pilots for Change has formed the American Eagle Pilots Association. The coalition’s web site states that it’s mission is to "Remove the Air Line Pilots Association from the American Eagle property and to replace it with an effective bargaining agent."
While the RJDC agrees that the American Eagle pilots certainly have legitimate grievances with ALPA, we must emphasize that as long as their flying and aircraft are controlled by another pilot group’s scope clause, any "regional" pilot union will be left negotiating for leftovers. In order for any pilot union (independent or otherwise) to be effective, it must have total control over the flying performed by its members.
The RJDC believes that compelling ALPA to uphold its legal obligations to treat its members "equally and without discrimination" is the most effective way to protect the rights and interests of its "regional" members
March 21, 2002 Update
SkyWest Pilots Overwhelmingly Reject ALPA’s "Jet for Jobs" Code-Share Proposal.
By nearly a 4 to 1 ratio, the SkyWest pilots overwhelmingly rejected the ALPA’s latest attempt to use code-share agreements as a vehicle to secure special employment rights for mainline pilots. The vote followed the announcement that US Airways was in talks with SkyWest management and pilots concerning operating as a US Airways code-sharing partner under the terms of the "small jet protocol" imposed by the US Airways MEC.
Events at SkyWest are significant because they demonstrate that when the rank-and-file are given the right to vote without ALPA’s "scope gun" held to their heads, there is no doubt what "regional" pilots think about the "Jet for Jobs" proposal. In a letter to the SkyWest pilots, Captain Chris Abell, President of the SkyWest Airlines Pilots Association (SAPA) wrote, "It sends the message to our management, and it sends the message to USAir and to other major airlines that may seek to do something similar."
Delta MEC Again Decries ASA and Comair Growth
For the second time in three months, the Delta MEC has made public comments citing concerns about ASA and Comair growth. As published in the March 16th edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Delta MEC said, "When we have pilots on furlough and the company is still growing these smaller lines, that’s when the scope clauses become even more important to us." Last December, the Delta MEC chairman told the same paper that the lack of ASA and Comair furloughs was "a very emotional issue with Mainline pilots."
Public statements such as these indicate that ASA and Comair jobs will indeed be on the table when the Delta MEC bargains with management this spring. The issue is whether ALPA will uphold its duty to the ASA and Comair pilots and prevent the Delta MEC from using the livelihoods of other ALPA members as bargaining capital to achieve their contractual objectives.
Pilots at US Airways Wholly Owns Decry ALPA’s Double-dealing
On February 27th, the Piedmont, Allegheny, and PSA MEC’s issued a joint public statement to their pilots rebutting the US Airways MEC’s assertion that the wholly owned pilots were responsible for ALPA’s failure to secure regional support for its "Jet for Jobs" proposal. Furthermore, it was revealed that the US Airways negotiating committee is approaching each wholly owned pilot group separately with different proposals. The wholly owned MEC’s strenuously objected to ALPA’s attempt to eviscerate their labor agreements by creating a "contract within a contract" that would permit furloughed US Airways pilots to gain employment at the wholly owns, but under separate pay and workrules negotiated by the US Airways MEC.
As the wholly owned MEC’s stated in their recorded message, "The fact remains that they [ALPA] are doing exactly what they have accused Airways management of doing, and that is of intentionally whipsawing labor groups against themselves." So while ALPA vilifies management for whipsawing the union, it turns out that it will eagerly whipsaw its own members if it benefits their short-term political interests.
ALPA Prevents Mesa Airlines from Operating Larger RJ’s, Even Under Its Own Code
New evidence of how ALPA uses mainline scope as a "remote control" device to restrict all RJ flying surfaced in the form of a US Airways MEC grievance (MEC 01-08-07 RJ 700). According to ALPA, Mesa may not acquire CRJ-700’s and CRJ-900’s, even if it flies them under its own reservations code or that of another major airline without RJ scope restrictions.
In response, Mesa Air Group has announced that they will be forming a new subsidiary called Freedom Airlines. Unfortunately for the Mesa pilots, the same union that is supposed to protect and promote their interests has again allowed the mainline politicians to abuse their collective bargaining authority and dictate to the Mesa pilots what aircraft they can fly, even under their own brand name.
The fact that ALPA’s mainline scope clauses can restrict far more than code sharing flights shows how such "non-compete" clauses are designed to prevent "regional" carriers from growing to the point that they can compete economically or politically with ALPA’s mainline carriers. Furthermore, such clauses raise serious questions of fairness when ALPA’s "mainline" pilots can reap the benefits of new, larger aircraft, but ALPA’s "regional" members are prohibited from enjoying the same benefits as long as their airline is a party to any mainline code-share agreement.
ALPA President Labels Mesa’s CEO the New Frank Lorenzo
In his March 16th message to ALPA’s Board of Directors, Captain Woerth stated that Jonathan Ornstein was, "trying to become the Frank Lorenzo of the 21st century." Certainly all pilots should be concerned about the whipsaw and abuse of Mesa and CC Air pilots. But given Delta’s announcement that it wishes to operate a "portfolio" of small jet airlines, what is the difference between Mesa Air Group and Delta Connection?
Unfortunately, Mesa’s labor practices are not unique in the regional airline industry. Perhaps the real problem for ALPA is the fact that Mesa Air Group is currently the only small jet operator that is not effectively prohibited from ordering and operating an unlimited number of the 70 and 90 passenger Regional Jets. Delta, USAirways, Northwest, and Continental all own or control ALPA approved alter-ego airlines. The only apparent reason for the new level of concern is that Mesa’s new alter-ego subsidiary will operate the wrong type of aircraft.
American Eagle Pilots Attempt to form New Independent Union
The Coalition of American Eagle Pilots for Change has formed the American Eagle Pilots Association. The coalition’s web site states that it’s mission is to "Remove the Air Line Pilots Association from the American Eagle property and to replace it with an effective bargaining agent."
While the RJDC agrees that the American Eagle pilots certainly have legitimate grievances with ALPA, we must emphasize that as long as their flying and aircraft are controlled by another pilot group’s scope clause, any "regional" pilot union will be left negotiating for leftovers. In order for any pilot union (independent or otherwise) to be effective, it must have total control over the flying performed by its members.
The RJDC believes that compelling ALPA to uphold its legal obligations to treat its members "equally and without discrimination" is the most effective way to protect the rights and interests of its "regional" members