US Air Express pickets ALPA National

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Reprint from flyer being forwarded by the MEC's of the US Air Wholly Owned Airlines...

Fellow ALPA pilots,

On August 8, 2002 ALPA President Captain Duane Woerth will, in all likelihood, sign the latest edition of the Jets For Jobs protocol, contained within the Mainline pilots TA, at the expense of the regional Wholly owned carrier’s pilots, employees, and their families.

By signing this TA, Captain Duane Woerth is endorsing the unprecedented replacement of one group of ALPA pilots, with another group, from a different seniority list. It is incomprehensible for him, to enter into such an agreement that so viciously impacts the careers of all ALPA regional pilots, with negative repercussions to be felt for years to come.

In Captain Duane Woerth’s recent dissertation of July 2, 2002 (ALPA release 02.60) concerning the Mesa single carrier lawsuit he slams Mesa CEO J. Ornstien for " his corporate shell game of threatening to shift jobs from one company to another… His strategy has been to divide and conquer, attempting to pit pilots of CC Air and MESA against one another…Pilots should not have to choose between keeping their jobs, working under ridiculously poor conditions, or having their jobs transferred to an upstart non union carrier". Clearly from his statement, Captain Woerth knows it is wrong to pit one pilot group against another.

We cannot sit back and allow the hypocritical actions of Captain Woerth to proceed. We must let Captain Woerth know that this is an unacceptable situation. To this end, we are organizing a trip down to DC to remind Captain Woerth, and the rest of the high-ranking ALPA officials, of their obligations to treat all ALPA pilots equally. Preferential treatment of one group over another cannot and will not be tolerated. This violates everything a union represents, and everything Captain Woerth claims to stand for.

We are now down to the wire. Are you going to take an active role in your future, or will you sit back, do nothing, and hope for the best? Please join fellow ALPA brothers and sisters from numerous carriers, as we converge on our union headquarters in Washington D.C., Tuesday, August 6, at 10:30 AM. Together, we can make a difference!!!

 

[surplus1]

Picketing is OK, but it will have little effect. They need a good lawyer.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Responses from mainline

<Deleted by author in light of the Duane Woerth letter received by the Allegheny MEC July 31>

Its gonna get ugly...

 

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Aside from the labor issues, one part of this that makes no sense is how US Air is going to obtain financing to purchase, or lease, these airplanes. 400 plus RJ's is $10,000,000,000.00 plus dollars. RJ's are very expensive. An MD-11 is less expensive to acquire in the current environment than a CRJ200. Even Delta has had problems getting their financing together for RJ purchases.

The RJ party was three years ago. Now is a little late to be getting a credit card, to buy a dress, for the Ball.

Speaking of Delta, it seems they are aware of what is coming and are devising another low cost plan to defend against a competitor in bankrputcy who does not have to pay their bills to continue operations.

Could ALPA's stupid and proven ineffective scope policies actually be responsible for killing an airline? Of course, US Air's management helped. Flying the Line III will be an interesting read for sure...

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Misreading?

I hope that I am misreading your post...

It sounds almost as though you are gloating at the demise of US Airways since their MEC held the line on scope.

Tell me I'm wrong.

Disagree with whatever you wish, but please do not wish 50,000 people out of a job.

I'm just a furloughed guy and I admit I dont know much...but I know that I would never, ever wish that someone lose their job -- regardless of what their MEC might have done.

 

[surplus1]

Re: Misreading?

I hope that I am misreading your post...

It sounds almost as though you are gloating at the demise of US Airways since their MEC held the line on scope.

Tell me I'm wrong.

Disagree with whatever you wish, but please do not wish 50,000 people out of a job.

I'm just a furloughed guy and I admit I dont know much...but I know that I would never, ever wish that someone lose their job -- regardless of what their MEC might have done.

I didn't think he was gloating at all, just stating some rather obvious facts or probabilities.

In view of what the UMEC has done, I would not be able to define it as "holding the line on scope". It's more like scoping themselves out of business, then when facing the piper, giving in on scope in a way that is likely to cause other pilots to lose their jobs and increase subcontracting 5 fold at U.

I'm sure no one wishes U pilots to lose their jobs. My wish is that both ALPA and the UMEC would stop making agreements that don't "wish" other pilots should lose their jobs, but directly cause that to happen. Additionally, agreements that also coerce other pilots to relinguish their seniority and abrogate their conctracts in order that furloughed U pilots may gain preferential treatment at other airlines.

That's rotten anway you look at it. I don't blame the average U line pilot (they haven't voted yet) but I do blame ALPA and the UMEC. J4J, LOA81 and the current TA all contain provisions that are no less than despicable.

If it passes and ALPA signs officially that will remove all remaining doubt as to the decadence of the national institution's current leadership.

 

[Boeingman]

And some wonder why people cross an ALPA picket line.

 

[surplus1]

And some wonder why people cross an ALPA picket line.

It gives you pause, but I wouldn't cross any picket line (ALPA or otherwise). Two wrongs never make a right.

 

[Boeingman]

It gives you pause, but I wouldn't cross any picket line (ALPA or otherwise). Two wrongs never make a right.

True. Not saying it does but I see history repeating itself all over again with a cadre of very pissed off people at ALPA.

 

[surplus1]

True. Not saying it does but I see history repeating itself all over again with a cadre of very pissed off people at ALPA.

Sadly, your observation is accurate and unfortunately there is more to come.

What's that about history repeating itself? We never seem to learn.

 

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Re: Misreading?

Disagree with whatever you wish, but please do not wish 50,000 people out of a job.

I'm just a furloughed guy and I admit I dont know much...but I know that I would never, ever wish that someone lose their job -- regardless of what their MEC might have done.

No, I'm not gloating, or pleased at the situation. My family lived through many furloughs and I don't wish that fate on anyone.

But, what about the pilots who will lose their jobs as a result of ALPA scope and the jets for jobs protocol - what about their fate? Your MEC and your union is engaged in something much more harmful than gloating.

When ALPA comes for my job I will fight, I will picket, I will sue and when completely disenfranchised by ALPA I will proudly lead others to cross the picket line that gives ALPA the power to destroy careers. Then ALPA will gleefully let me back in for my dues, just like they did the Continental scabs. Tell me why, if scabbing means nothing to ALPA national, should we be concerned about the morality of the issue?

This is not to say that I would cross any line. I'd stand hard and long for my fellow Connection pilots. But you tell me, why should I honor a major's strike when one of the goals is to put me on the street? ALPA lacks the ethical legitimacy to lead me into supporting a strike based on morality alone.

 

[AV8700]

and yet ALPA continues to steer towards the iceberg. There are so many other options out there that are inclusive and beneficial to mainline and the WO. Small jets, kinda small jets, mini-jets, a little bigger small jet............that is some real constructive leadership. I hope for all our sake they change course soon.

 

[Boeingman]

Re: Re: Misreading?

No, I'm not gloating, or pleased at the situation. My family lived through many furloughs and I don't wish that fate on anyone.

But, what about the pilots who will lose their jobs as a result of ALPA scope and the jets for jobs protocol - what about their fate? Your MEC and your union is engaged in something much more harmful than gloating.

When ALPA comes for my job I will fight, I will picket, I will sue and when completely disenfranchised by ALPA I will proudly lead others to cross the picket line that gives ALPA the power to destroy careers. Then ALPA will gleefully let me back in for my dues, just like they did the Continental scabs. Tell me why, if scabbing means nothing to ALPA national, should we be concerned about the morality of the issue?

This is not to say that I would cross any line. I'd stand hard and long for my fellow Connection pilots. But you tell me, why should I honor a major's strike when one of the goals is to put me on the street? ALPA lacks the ethical legitimacy to lead me into supporting a strike based on morality alone.

Interesting post. I'd bet you a year ago you'd never even of considered what you just wrote.

One of the most shocking lessons I learned after striking was that many of the scabs crossed not out of opportunism but of a past serious indescretion by the union. Many of our original CAL/TXI pilots crossed because they did not believe in the direction of our MEC or ultimate goals of ALPA national. The "list" contains a large number of former ALPA members. I asked myself many times why? We are seeing just a different version of disenfranchising of union members like in the 81 - 83 time frame. Inever understood that because I was never affected like many post 83 hires.

It is very easy for those working for the stable carriers with no true economic or labor problems to point fingers and pass judgement on our pilot group. Trouble is, these same blind people will be pointing at quite a few more people on the "list" as soon as the next knock down airline strike happens.

And it will occur sooner rather than later. The current economic pressure and climate will force some management to take the Lorenzo scorched earth policy should the financials not change in this industry.