InclusiveScope
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2002
- Posts
- 385
RJ Defense Coalition
Ensuring One Level of Representation
www.rjdefense.com
reply to: [email protected]
RJDC Update
March 8, 2003
Delta Pilot Leadership Prepares for Full Scale Concessionary Bargaining
On February 12th, Delta management officially requested that ALPA renegotiate its PWA (pilot working agreement) so that Delta's pilot costs can be brought in line with Delta's competitors whose mainline pilot groups recently agreed to steep cost concessions. The Delta pilot leadership has responded that negotiations at this time were not appropriate but nonetheless invited management to make a presentation to the full MEC at its March 10th meeting.
The question remains, however, whether ALPA will take necessary steps to assure that all future negotiations at Delta are conducted in a manner that reflects the union’s duty to the ASA and Comair pilots. Despite years of flowery rhetoric and countless study committees, ALPA's mainline bargaining record proves that the union continues to support efforts of its mainline members to use livelihoods of affiliated "regional" members as bargaining capital.
Management's request to re-open the Delta PWA represents a watershed opportunity for ALPA. Not only does the Association have ample time to make sure that the Delta MEC's bargaining agenda does not encroach upon rights and protections guaranteed the ASA and Comair pilots, but the prospect of mainline negotiations affords the Association the opportunity to correct past injustices and establish a framework to guarantee that all its members at Delta, ASA, and Comair are represented fairly and equally into the future.
Related Link: http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/business/delta/0203/27mullin.html
Furlough Relief or New Scope Ratio?
On February 13, a System Board of Adjustment issued a ruling that prohibited Delta Air Lines from furloughing any more pilots under the force majeure provisions of the Delta PWA. The board refused, however, to order the immediate recall of all furloughed pilots and instead ordered that all pilots currently on furlough be recalled when Delta's system-wide revenue passenger miles (RPM's) reach pre-9/11 levels for four months.
While many pilots may view the ruling as good news, it should be noted that the "trigger," which would mandate immediate recall of all furloughed mainline pilots, is premised upon the same flawed economic assumptions that have harmed ALPA members throughout the industry. Labor contracts that seek to manipulate market demand are fundamentally flawed and will continue to harm those they are designed to protect. High paying jobs are created by matching airframe capacity with market demand, not by restricting deployment of the RJ.
Furthermore, ALPA’s continued attempts to force the recall of a thousand mainline pilots where jobs do not exist raises serious questions about the union’s ultimate goal. Will ALPA seek to use the RPM "trigger" as an economic incentive to restrict ASA and Comair’s growth? Or does it hope that the arbitration award can be a bargaining chip to coerce management into accepting the Delta MEC’s new definition of "mainline" flying? In either case, ALPA’s conflict of interest is apparent and its willingness to protect the interests of the ASA and Comair pilots remains in doubt.
Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/2003/dalfmrul.pdf
Nothing More Than Feelings?
In recent months, ALPA has published a series of articles in its Air Line Pilot magazine rehashing what pilots already know -- that good scope has its place in every labor agreement. The RJDC agrees and has said so repeatedly. Unfortunately, these "educational" articles have underestimated their audience. Rather than suggesting that ALPA’s "regional" pilots merely perceive scope incorrectly, they should illustrate how scope that harms some members eventually harms all members.
ALPA’s articles cannot hide the fact that their lawyers are in court arguing that the union’s mainline politicians are free to unilaterally impose any scope restrictions they wish and that ALPA’s "regional" members have no standing to object. Rather than wasting members’ time and money with warm and fuzzy stories, ALPA’s leadership should instead educate its members by addressing the following questions in the next edition of the Air Line Pilot:
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the Delta MEC’s bargaining conforms with the union’s Constitution and Bylaws?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the Delta pilot leadership will not unilaterally redefine "their" flying at the expense of the ASA and Comair pilots?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure the Delta pilot leadership does not attempt to divert aircraft destined for ASA and Comair?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the interests of the ASA and Comair pilots are not used as bargaining capital in the Delta mainline negotiations?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the Delta MEC will not unilaterally attempt to secure special employment or seniority rights for their pilots at ASA and Comair?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to end all unilateral restrictions imposed on ASA and Comair pilots by the Delta MEC?
While ALPA’s leadership is not obligated to publish flowery magazines, they are legally obligated to protect the interests of the ASA and Comair pilots and to enforce the union’s Constitution and Bylaws. Given ALPA’s past bargaining record, the informed pilots at ASA and Comair would like ALPA’s leaders to explain how they intend to do this.
Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/bsicsub.pdf
The RJ's Crucial Role in Industry Recovery Validates RJDC's Long-held Positions
According to reports, United has joined the ranks of distressed carriers that have called for the end of numerical and operational restrictions on the RJ. United’s management indicated that deploying the RJ in a manner dictated by passenger demand was crucial to the creation of a competitive fleet and the company’s survival.
The RJ's prominence in United's recovery plan echoes the RJDC's long-held positions that ALPA's anti-RJ restrictions are inherently self-destructive and reveals the folly of ALPA's arguments that RJ restrictions somehow promote mainline growth. In addition, the fact that the industry’s two largest bankrupt carriers have said they cannot survive as full-service airlines without a competitive RJ fleet refutes ALPA's contention that its members are not harmed by its anti-RJ agenda.
Obviously the RJ has proven itself as a capable airliner and it's time for ALPA to end its disparate treatment of the RJ and the ALPA members who fly it.
Related Link: http://www.suntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-united06.html
ALPA asks Court to Accept Belated Submission
On February 12, 2003, nearly two weeks after oral argument and literally months after the close of written arguments on ALPA’s motion to dismiss the Duty of Fair Representation lawsuit brought against it, the union asked the Court to accept a supplemental filing that seeks to justify its failure to process grievances filed by Comair pilots more than two years ago. According to the union, its failure to take any action whatsoever on the grievances was justified on the basis that the grievances were merely "internal" and did not fall within the jurisdiction of an ALPA hearing board. What was particularly noteworthy about ALPA’s belated filing was that it relied upon a document that was available to ALPA since before the lawsuit even began. The time following oral argument is, in the absence of new evidence, traditionally a time simply to sit and wait for a decision.
In response, plaintiffs asked the court to reject ALPA's additional filing, arguing that the letter upon which ALPA relies is more than two years old, and thus was available to ALPA during the briefing of the motion and during the oral hearing. Plaintiffs also contend that additional arguments submitted after the oral hearing shows disrespect for the judicial process and for the Judge.
In addition we have shown the court how ALPA’s belated filing only proves that the union violated its duty to the Comair pilots when it attempted to cite technicalities rather than acting upon the substance of the grievances. As stated in our letter to the Court, ALPA not only failed to disclose other pertinent information, but it ignored four separate requests to purge itself of a conflict of interest and took no action on documented allegations that the Delta MEC’s bargaining violated the Comair pilot’s working agreement and the union’s Constitution and By-laws.
Plaintiff's letter and supporting declaration are available on the RJDC’s web site and we will forward the Court’s decision on ALPA’s latest request and its motion for dismissal as soon as it is rendered.
Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/2003/sup&dec.pdf
Ensuring One Level of Representation
www.rjdefense.com
reply to: [email protected]
RJDC Update
March 8, 2003
Delta Pilot Leadership Prepares for Full Scale Concessionary Bargaining
On February 12th, Delta management officially requested that ALPA renegotiate its PWA (pilot working agreement) so that Delta's pilot costs can be brought in line with Delta's competitors whose mainline pilot groups recently agreed to steep cost concessions. The Delta pilot leadership has responded that negotiations at this time were not appropriate but nonetheless invited management to make a presentation to the full MEC at its March 10th meeting.
The question remains, however, whether ALPA will take necessary steps to assure that all future negotiations at Delta are conducted in a manner that reflects the union’s duty to the ASA and Comair pilots. Despite years of flowery rhetoric and countless study committees, ALPA's mainline bargaining record proves that the union continues to support efforts of its mainline members to use livelihoods of affiliated "regional" members as bargaining capital.
Management's request to re-open the Delta PWA represents a watershed opportunity for ALPA. Not only does the Association have ample time to make sure that the Delta MEC's bargaining agenda does not encroach upon rights and protections guaranteed the ASA and Comair pilots, but the prospect of mainline negotiations affords the Association the opportunity to correct past injustices and establish a framework to guarantee that all its members at Delta, ASA, and Comair are represented fairly and equally into the future.
Related Link: http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/business/delta/0203/27mullin.html
Furlough Relief or New Scope Ratio?
On February 13, a System Board of Adjustment issued a ruling that prohibited Delta Air Lines from furloughing any more pilots under the force majeure provisions of the Delta PWA. The board refused, however, to order the immediate recall of all furloughed pilots and instead ordered that all pilots currently on furlough be recalled when Delta's system-wide revenue passenger miles (RPM's) reach pre-9/11 levels for four months.
While many pilots may view the ruling as good news, it should be noted that the "trigger," which would mandate immediate recall of all furloughed mainline pilots, is premised upon the same flawed economic assumptions that have harmed ALPA members throughout the industry. Labor contracts that seek to manipulate market demand are fundamentally flawed and will continue to harm those they are designed to protect. High paying jobs are created by matching airframe capacity with market demand, not by restricting deployment of the RJ.
Furthermore, ALPA’s continued attempts to force the recall of a thousand mainline pilots where jobs do not exist raises serious questions about the union’s ultimate goal. Will ALPA seek to use the RPM "trigger" as an economic incentive to restrict ASA and Comair’s growth? Or does it hope that the arbitration award can be a bargaining chip to coerce management into accepting the Delta MEC’s new definition of "mainline" flying? In either case, ALPA’s conflict of interest is apparent and its willingness to protect the interests of the ASA and Comair pilots remains in doubt.
Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/2003/dalfmrul.pdf
Nothing More Than Feelings?
In recent months, ALPA has published a series of articles in its Air Line Pilot magazine rehashing what pilots already know -- that good scope has its place in every labor agreement. The RJDC agrees and has said so repeatedly. Unfortunately, these "educational" articles have underestimated their audience. Rather than suggesting that ALPA’s "regional" pilots merely perceive scope incorrectly, they should illustrate how scope that harms some members eventually harms all members.
ALPA’s articles cannot hide the fact that their lawyers are in court arguing that the union’s mainline politicians are free to unilaterally impose any scope restrictions they wish and that ALPA’s "regional" members have no standing to object. Rather than wasting members’ time and money with warm and fuzzy stories, ALPA’s leadership should instead educate its members by addressing the following questions in the next edition of the Air Line Pilot:
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the Delta MEC’s bargaining conforms with the union’s Constitution and Bylaws?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the Delta pilot leadership will not unilaterally redefine "their" flying at the expense of the ASA and Comair pilots?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure the Delta pilot leadership does not attempt to divert aircraft destined for ASA and Comair?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the interests of the ASA and Comair pilots are not used as bargaining capital in the Delta mainline negotiations?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to assure that the Delta MEC will not unilaterally attempt to secure special employment or seniority rights for their pilots at ASA and Comair?
What steps is ALPA prepared to take to end all unilateral restrictions imposed on ASA and Comair pilots by the Delta MEC?
While ALPA’s leadership is not obligated to publish flowery magazines, they are legally obligated to protect the interests of the ASA and Comair pilots and to enforce the union’s Constitution and Bylaws. Given ALPA’s past bargaining record, the informed pilots at ASA and Comair would like ALPA’s leaders to explain how they intend to do this.
Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/bsicsub.pdf
The RJ's Crucial Role in Industry Recovery Validates RJDC's Long-held Positions
According to reports, United has joined the ranks of distressed carriers that have called for the end of numerical and operational restrictions on the RJ. United’s management indicated that deploying the RJ in a manner dictated by passenger demand was crucial to the creation of a competitive fleet and the company’s survival.
The RJ's prominence in United's recovery plan echoes the RJDC's long-held positions that ALPA's anti-RJ restrictions are inherently self-destructive and reveals the folly of ALPA's arguments that RJ restrictions somehow promote mainline growth. In addition, the fact that the industry’s two largest bankrupt carriers have said they cannot survive as full-service airlines without a competitive RJ fleet refutes ALPA's contention that its members are not harmed by its anti-RJ agenda.
Obviously the RJ has proven itself as a capable airliner and it's time for ALPA to end its disparate treatment of the RJ and the ALPA members who fly it.
Related Link: http://www.suntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-united06.html
ALPA asks Court to Accept Belated Submission
On February 12, 2003, nearly two weeks after oral argument and literally months after the close of written arguments on ALPA’s motion to dismiss the Duty of Fair Representation lawsuit brought against it, the union asked the Court to accept a supplemental filing that seeks to justify its failure to process grievances filed by Comair pilots more than two years ago. According to the union, its failure to take any action whatsoever on the grievances was justified on the basis that the grievances were merely "internal" and did not fall within the jurisdiction of an ALPA hearing board. What was particularly noteworthy about ALPA’s belated filing was that it relied upon a document that was available to ALPA since before the lawsuit even began. The time following oral argument is, in the absence of new evidence, traditionally a time simply to sit and wait for a decision.
In response, plaintiffs asked the court to reject ALPA's additional filing, arguing that the letter upon which ALPA relies is more than two years old, and thus was available to ALPA during the briefing of the motion and during the oral hearing. Plaintiffs also contend that additional arguments submitted after the oral hearing shows disrespect for the judicial process and for the Judge.
In addition we have shown the court how ALPA’s belated filing only proves that the union violated its duty to the Comair pilots when it attempted to cite technicalities rather than acting upon the substance of the grievances. As stated in our letter to the Court, ALPA not only failed to disclose other pertinent information, but it ignored four separate requests to purge itself of a conflict of interest and took no action on documented allegations that the Delta MEC’s bargaining violated the Comair pilot’s working agreement and the union’s Constitution and By-laws.
Plaintiff's letter and supporting declaration are available on the RJDC’s web site and we will forward the Court’s decision on ALPA’s latest request and its motion for dismissal as soon as it is rendered.
Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/2003/sup&dec.pdf
