lowecur
Well-known member
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- Sep 14, 2003
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But will they be able to tally before the judge makes his decision tomorrow? The judge will grant UAIR 23% for all the other work groups, and probably withhold a decision on the pilots pending the tally. UAIR released this statement after an acrimonious session in PIT. I'm sure the threat of a lawsuit from members played into this decision. I'm guessing a 65 to 70% majority will rule the day. The seniority deal is out the window if this passes, so Freshwater and the other seniors can bump less senior pilots if they decide to go all Airbus. We'll see if job actions will eventually prevail.
Reuters
US Air Pilots to Vote on Pay-Cut Proposal
Wednesday October 6, 3:43 am ET
By John Crawley
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bankrupt US Airways took a crucial step toward securing $300 million in concessions from its pilots union late on Tuesday when leaders of the labor group said they would forward a plan to cut wages and benefits to all pilots for a vote.
The 12-member executive committee of the Air Line Pilots Association has been sharply split on the need for more wage and benefit reductions, and key members had blocked previous efforts to let the group's 3,200 pilots decide the matter for themselves.
Tuesday's decision to forward the proposal that includes an 18 percent wage cut was preceded by an acrimonious day-long meeting in Pittsburgh. Pilots, like other unions at US Airways, are under enormous pressure to agree to concessions to avoid court-imposed cuts.
The company is set to go to bankruptcy court in Virginia on Thursday to press the need for temporary forced concessions, which would cut more deeply than anything that would be reached voluntarily.
"We have again stepped up to save this company so that it can emerge from bankruptcy and demonstrate sustained profitability," said Capt. Bill Pollock, chairman of the Master Executive Council for the US Airways pilots.
US Airways has struggled for months to get its major unions to agree to nearly $1 billion in new annual cost savings to help it restructure as a low-cost carrier and survive. The company hopes voluntary cuts taken by pilots, its most powerful unionized work force, will prompt other unions to go along.
"We have enormous respect for Capt. Bill Pollock and the (executive committee) for their leadership and good judgment in passing a resolution that allows our pilots a choice in the direction of this company," said US Airways chief executive Bruce Lakefield.
Flight attendants, mechanics and airport workers are talking to the company, but there are no indications that agreements are close.
BITTER NEGOTIATIONS
The big unions filed sharp objections on Tuesday with the bankruptcy court to the airline's bid to impose savings that include a 23-percent across-the-board cut in wages and reduced pension contributions.
US Airways says it needs to save $38 million a month over the next few months to pool enough cash and survive past January.
The Association of Flight Attendants said US Airways has "neglected to meaningfully pursue negotiations" on voluntary contract modifications, and instead "seeks to use the hammer" of the bankruptcy court to force a solution.
Mechanics represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM), which has so far refused to reopen its contract for new concessions, took the criticism a step further by blasting the company's reorganization plan.
The IAM says the restructuring is "anything but realistic" and depends mostly on "slashing labor costs to the core" while "hoarding unrealistically high levels of cash."
US Airways spokesman David Castelveter reaffirmed the company's immediate need for cost cuts and defended the reorganization's course.
"We believe that we have a strong plan, one that with the right cost structure will not only make the company prosper but will enable it to become more competitive," Castelveter said.
The company announced management cuts on Monday exceeding $45 million annually, including hundreds of job cuts and wage and benefit reductions of more than 20 percent.
US Airways entered bankruptcy for the second time in two years on Sept. 12.
Reuters
US Air Pilots to Vote on Pay-Cut Proposal
Wednesday October 6, 3:43 am ET
By John Crawley
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bankrupt US Airways took a crucial step toward securing $300 million in concessions from its pilots union late on Tuesday when leaders of the labor group said they would forward a plan to cut wages and benefits to all pilots for a vote.
The 12-member executive committee of the Air Line Pilots Association has been sharply split on the need for more wage and benefit reductions, and key members had blocked previous efforts to let the group's 3,200 pilots decide the matter for themselves.
Tuesday's decision to forward the proposal that includes an 18 percent wage cut was preceded by an acrimonious day-long meeting in Pittsburgh. Pilots, like other unions at US Airways, are under enormous pressure to agree to concessions to avoid court-imposed cuts.
The company is set to go to bankruptcy court in Virginia on Thursday to press the need for temporary forced concessions, which would cut more deeply than anything that would be reached voluntarily.
"We have again stepped up to save this company so that it can emerge from bankruptcy and demonstrate sustained profitability," said Capt. Bill Pollock, chairman of the Master Executive Council for the US Airways pilots.
US Airways has struggled for months to get its major unions to agree to nearly $1 billion in new annual cost savings to help it restructure as a low-cost carrier and survive. The company hopes voluntary cuts taken by pilots, its most powerful unionized work force, will prompt other unions to go along.
"We have enormous respect for Capt. Bill Pollock and the (executive committee) for their leadership and good judgment in passing a resolution that allows our pilots a choice in the direction of this company," said US Airways chief executive Bruce Lakefield.
Flight attendants, mechanics and airport workers are talking to the company, but there are no indications that agreements are close.
BITTER NEGOTIATIONS
The big unions filed sharp objections on Tuesday with the bankruptcy court to the airline's bid to impose savings that include a 23-percent across-the-board cut in wages and reduced pension contributions.
US Airways says it needs to save $38 million a month over the next few months to pool enough cash and survive past January.
The Association of Flight Attendants said US Airways has "neglected to meaningfully pursue negotiations" on voluntary contract modifications, and instead "seeks to use the hammer" of the bankruptcy court to force a solution.
Mechanics represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM), which has so far refused to reopen its contract for new concessions, took the criticism a step further by blasting the company's reorganization plan.
The IAM says the restructuring is "anything but realistic" and depends mostly on "slashing labor costs to the core" while "hoarding unrealistically high levels of cash."
US Airways spokesman David Castelveter reaffirmed the company's immediate need for cost cuts and defended the reorganization's course.
"We believe that we have a strong plan, one that with the right cost structure will not only make the company prosper but will enable it to become more competitive," Castelveter said.
The company announced management cuts on Monday exceeding $45 million annually, including hundreds of job cuts and wage and benefit reductions of more than 20 percent.
US Airways entered bankruptcy for the second time in two years on Sept. 12.