From USAPA:
Last month the pilots of US Airways voted overwhelmingly to ratify the Memorandum of Understanding for a merger with American Airlines. This historic decision will lead to better wages, benefits, and working conditions for us all. While a final JCBA will be negotiated with the New American Airlines that can bring even more improvements, the MOU itself provides $1.6 billion in economic improvements for you over the next six years.
The vote on the MOU was impressive. Some 95% of US Airways pilots turned out, with 76% voting in favor of it. Every domicile overwhelmingly supported the MOU, including Phoenix where 98% of Phoenix-based pilots voted in favor of it. Despite this overwhelming support for the MOU, a few represented by Leonidas LLC are threatening the American Airlines/US Airways merger that was endorsed so strongly by the Phoenix-based pilots.
Eleven days after the MOU was ratified by the pilots of US Airways and five days after the boards of American Airlines and US Airways unanimously approved and announced the merger, the attorney for Leonidas LLC threatened “to file a third round of litigation and seek an injunction of the merger process until we can get a court order directing that the only [seniority] list that can be used is the Nicolau.” The next day, the same attorney wrote a second letter, stating that Leonidas LLC “anticipates litigation and hereby requests that the US Airline Pilots Association... place a litigation hold on certain materials that will be discoverable in such litigation.” Similar letters were sent to APA and US Airways.
Unfortunately these are not idle threats. In the past five years, Leonidas LLC has spent a significant amount of time and money suing USAPA, only to have their cases dismissed.
While Leonidas LLC claims to represent all West pilots; I do not think that is the case. Why? Because 98% of Phoenix-based pilots voted in favor of the MOU and the process outlined for JCBA negotiations and seniority integration. Just 11 days after their near unanimous vote, the attorney for Leonidas LLC threatened to derail the deal. No other domicile showed greater support for the MOU. In fact, only 24 out of 1041 PHX pilots voting said no to the MOU.
We cannot stand idly by while a handful of individuals seek to derail an MOU that US Airways pilots overwhelmingly support. That’s why your BPR today approved the filing of a lawsuit in the American Airlines bankruptcy court to prevent Leonidas LLC from interfering with the bankruptcy. This is not an action against the Phoenix-based pilots, nor is it a course of action that anyone desires. Rather, we have been forced to file this action to protect the rights of all pilots – West and East – who overwhelmingly voted in favor of the MOU and the process to move us all collectively forward.
Despite our filing in the bankruptcy court today, we will continue to represent all pilots – East and West alike. Pilots from all domiciles are on our BPR and important committees such as NAC and Grievance. They continue to find common ground and have learned how to work together in a process that benefits us all.
On my first day in office, I appointed a West pilot, Ken Stravers, to the Merger Committee, based on the recommendation of Phoenix-based pilots. Unfortunately, before the BPR could approve Ken’s appointment, the same West pilots changed their mind and withdrew their recommendation. Despite this, I am still committed to appointing Phoenix-based pilots to important committees. We are stronger when we work together.
It’s no secret that the Company has exploited our divisions for far too long. Over the past 10 months we were able to turn down the volume, unite the parts into the whole, and work as one union toward our mutual goal of industry standard wages, benefits and working conditions. That is my pledge to you. Despite the noise being generated by a few, USAPA will continue to represent all pilots and ensure that this union moves in a direction that benefits us all.
imp: <-- Your brain on flight info.
