United, US Airways fly closer to merger (Article - May 11)

[TWA Dude]

How would you have done in the TWA/AA merger with DOH?

As Thebadcat1313 wrote, a DOH with AA would've done me very nicely. I was a '99 hire at TWA with about 400 hired below me. AA hired around 2400 during that period. I would've been happy simply maintaining my status, ie, relative seniority. I've no doubt an arbitrator would've given us something better than what the APA imposed.

 

[FLYLOW22]

So, you are opposed to stapling 370 NJI guys to your list, but you're OK with AAA stapling about 1300 AWA guys to their list?

I never wrote that I supported stapling. DOH was the topic. I, personally, would have a hard time looking a NJI guy in the eye if they had been stapled. I'm very happy that the proposal was never on the table.


For starters....It's not ALPA's merger policy. Also, DOH puts too many AWA pilots in harms way if US has to furlough. If a furlough were to occur, the new hires would be the first to go and rightly so, but there aren't many of them. Next to go would be a mix of our new hires that were hired from 2004 to 2005 and AAA 1999 hires. The next batch to get furloughed would be mostly the AWA pilots that were hired after 1990. That would account for all but about the top 1/3 of the AWA pilots. After that, it would be a mix of AWA and AAA guys, but at a pace that favors AAA.

So, what you are saying above is that those with the most longevity with the combined company would still be employed.

Answer me this:

Our bottom guy at the time of the merger had a few months on the property. Why should he be put in a more precarious position than the guy on the bottom of AAA's list? Remember, before you answer, the old US Airways does not exist. The merger created a new company that goes by LCC on the NYSE.

Seniority, simply.

It just seems like such a tremendous waste or time, money, resources and earnings to debate this issue. But whatever...


After seeing the actions of the US Airways east pilots in the last few months, I am too.

I dunno man... I just dunno.

 

[Caspian27]

I stand to gain nothing in this conversation or to my career.

You sure comment a lot about something that you yourself say doesn't matter to you, or in no way are involved with.

 

[eaglesview]

No. its because they are paid the same per flight hour whether they are a Flight Attendant working a trip flying domestic or a widebody trip international. They aren't paid more per flt hr for flying on different aircraft within their airlines fleet as pilots are . They are only paid more for their lengh of time with their company. This is the only reason why DOH works for flight attendants No pay differential for different aircraft types flown.

PHXFLYR

Maybe no pay difference in the desert but there is a pay difference between domestic and international. Other considerations Summer vacation vs February vacation..weekends off vs weekends on...reserve vs holding a line...Florida layovers on beach in January vs MSP,DTW ALB ect. DOH

 

[steveg]

So, let me get this straight, you want to base career and union decisions off of what flight attendants do?

Are you lumping professional pilots in the same boat as flight attendants?

And yes, I have a pretty high regard for what FA's do. But it is not the same job or career.

 

[FLYLOW22]

You sure comment a lot about something that you yourself say doesn't matter to you, or in no way are involved with.

Ok....

 

[TWA Dude]

I never wrote that I supported stapling. DOH was the topic.

I don't think you understood Guppiedriver's point. A DOH integration with the AAA group is a staple of 3/4 of the AWA group. If one is interested in fairness rather than expediency in an integration one must pay attention to the effects. Nicolau did.

 

[tomgoodman]

Marketwatch excerpt

Maybe this is "old news":

UAL is expected to discuss strategic options with its board of directors on Thursday, including the progress of its merger talks with rival U.S. Airways, the Financial Times said, citing people familiar with the matter.
To help move talks forward, UAL's chief executive Glen Tilton has reportedly offered to groom U.S. Airways' Doug Parker to succeed him if the merger takes place, the newspaper said.

 

[Guppiedriver]

I never wrote that I supported stapling. DOH was the topic. I, personally, would have a hard time looking a NJI guy in the eye if they had been stapled. I'm very happy that the proposal was never on the table.

The east's DOH argument was a staple for most of the AWA pilots.

So, what you are saying above is that those with the most longevity with the combined company would still be employed.

Minus the new hires and recalls, all pilots at the combined company have no more than 3 years longevity. We will be slotted by what we brought to the merger.

Seniority, simply.

You're confusing seniority with longevity. He's at the bottom of his list, so he has no seniority.

I dunno man... I just dunno.

On this, we can agree.

 

[Superpilot92]

http://consumerist.com/5009137/unit...th-us-airways-keeping-continental-on-the-side

The picture used in the article is just plain sad.


However on a more positive note it looks like you will finally get rid of Tilton.

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - United Airlines' chief executive Glenn Tilton has offered to make US Airways CEO Doug Parker a top candidate to succeed him if the airlines agree to merge, the Financial Times said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Parker does not have any firm contracts on succession but Tilton offered him a senior operating role and to put him on the potential chief executive candidates list if he meets certain performance goals, the report said.
The report added that it was unclear if Parker is willing to be Tilton's apprentice.
United's board is to meet on Thursday to hear about its strategic options from officials, including the US Airways merger and a marketing alliance with Continental Airlines (CAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the FT said.
Officials for both airlines were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman; Editing by David Holmes)

 

[FLYLOW22]

http://www.kmov.com/localnews/stories/kmov_localnews_080509_doll.e5cba55a.html

So this is what happens when the integration goes "well"?

What's next guys?

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Boy, that gives a whole new meaning to
PRofessionalism" and "Leadership"

How much longer are those 2 pilots gonna stay on the property?

 

[Fubijaakr]

I gotta tell you, boys, this Parker thing means this merger is going to happen.

First order of business...representation election to toss USAPA into the garbage can of history.

 

[Guppiedriver]

http://www.kmov.com/localnews/stories/kmov_localnews_080509_doll.e5cba55a.html

So this is what happens when the integration goes "well"?

What's next guys?

Who said it was going well?

I'm sure DOH would have prevented this from occurring.

Hmmm....I didn't realize that the USAPAians were an ethnic group.

 

[TWA Dude]

I'm sure DOH would have prevented this from occurring.

Only if Nicolau had ruled it.

Hmmm....I didn't realize that the USAPAians were an ethnic group.

Naw, they're just a hate group.