US Airways Asks Pilots for Pay Cut - AGAIN...

[On Your Six]

How generous of USAirways management: the pilots could recoup their declining wages by flying a lot more! How magnanimous of them. This ship is sinking...


Reuters
US Airways Asks Pilots for Pay Cut
Friday August 20, 8:24 am ET


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Airways (NasdaqNM:UAIR - News), struggling to avoid a second bankruptcy, has asked pilots for a 16.5 percent pay cut, USA Today reported in its Friday editions.

The airline would give pilots the opportunity to recoup some of their salaries by flying more, the paper said, citing a copy of the proposal it had obtained.

US Airways also told union leaders that wage and benefit negotiations must end on Friday so employees can vote on proposals no later than Sept. 8, USA Today said.

The company has said it needs to find $1.5 billion in cost cuts by summer's end to avoid its second Chapter 11 filing in two years.

 

[michael707767]

A 16.5% paycut would put the USAir pilots below AWA. AWA is doing pretty well now, and you have to think if U can't make money with wages at least equal to AWA then they have a failed business plan and are not going to make money with any amount of pay.

 

[On Your Six]

With this potential change, what are we talking about in terms of hourly wages for say (mid-level):

1. A320/19 Capt and FO
2. 737-300/400 Capt. and FO
3. 757/767 Capt. and FO
4. MidAtlantic E170 Capt. and FO

Would MidAtlantic pilots likely be impacted too? How much lower can they go before they are the lowest paid pilots on earth?

 

[michael707767]

With this potential change, what are we talking about in terms of hourly wages for say (mid-level):

1. A320/19 Capt and FO
2. 737-300/400 Capt. and FO
3. 757/767 Capt. and FO
4. MidAtlantic E170 Capt. and FO

Would MidAtlantic pilots likely be impacted too? How much lower can they go before they are the lowest paid pilots on earth?

The article I saw does not reference mid-atlantic but here are the current rates (from AirlinePilotPay.com), with the cuts figured in. All rates are 12 year rates (since every pilot at U is over 12 years)


.................Now...................16.5%cut
A330 Capt 195......................163
75/76Capt 176......................147
320/737Capt 152...................127


A330 F/O 133......................111
75/76 F/O 120.....................100
320/737 F/O 104..................87

 

[reepicheep]

They also want to furlough 775 pilots, and in order to keep the current inferior retirement (the one that replaced our DB plan just over a year ago) they want a 33.5% paycut. That's not a misprint folks.

 

[CSY Mon]

Jeez, how many pilots left on the property after the 775, and how many years will the most junior guy have after the cut?

 

[michael707767]

They also want to furlough 775 pilots, and in order to keep the current inferior retirement (the one that replaced our DB plan just over a year ago) they want a 33.5% paycut. That's not a misprint folks.

So they want to furlough 775 MORE and to keep the current retirement, you have to take a 33.5 % pay cut. Lets see, that would make a 737 captain pay about 102 an hour? Less than a CRJ700 capt makes? Wow.

 

[On Your Six]

How about MidAtlantic pilots?

Are the MidAtlantic E170 pilots (future Jet Blue employees) expected to take huge pay cuts as well? I presume every pilot on the property would be impacted...

 

[reepicheep]

MidAtlantic pay is not affected by these proposals. Presumably all current MidAtlantic pilots would be forced out the bottom as new mainline furloughees displace in on top.

Bottom mainline hire date would be 12/86, and would leave around 3,000 active pilots and 2,600 furloughees.

 

[On Your Six]

Yikes! How soon COULD this happen? Things are going from really bad to REAL worse...

 

[reepicheep]

The daffodil boys running the union are scrambling like mad to cram this deal down our throats. Could be any hour. It's possible we might not even get to vote, although that would spell the end of ALPA on the property, if it's not doomed already. I'm just in it for the furloughee medical insurance now. And the great magazine.

 

[DH106]

reepicheep, not to change the subject, but what is furloughee medical insurance?

Midwest Express kindly showed me the door for two years, and I had no such insurance available, and now things might not be looking too hot at ATA... so, I'm preparing to be without medical insurance, again. Is this furloughee medical insurance just a USAirways thing?

 

[miles otoole]

reepicheep, not to change the subject, but what is furloughee medical insurance?

That's where you toss your wife out the front door and make her get a job.

 

[grinder]

This is ridiculous,

1986 Junior man? I think a "scorched earth" policy/ preferential hiring from ALPA is all that is left. How can the job be any worse? Put it down.

Grinder

 

[CSY Mon]

but what is furloughee medical insurance?

The union pay for yer medical:

APA got somthing like that: The basic plan is free.
For extended coverage, up to a mill, vision and other stuff, ya pay about $370.00 per year..
Only good for 2 years though.....Then the wife goes out the door...

 

[Steve 737]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the ALPA boys decided a few months ago to end the furloughee medical insurance program.

The daffodil boys running the union are scrambling like mad to cram this deal down our throats. Could be any hour. It's possible we might not even get to vote, although that would spell the end of ALPA on the property, if it's not doomed already. I'm just in it for the furloughee medical insurance now. And the great magazine.

 

[reepicheep]

I don't believe they did, but at some point when the number of furloughed nearly equals active I'm not sure it will continue.

 

[Heavy Set]

Can anyone actually see the situation getting better vs. worse? Fuel prices likely to stay high, competition increasing in major hubs, slow fall passenger period approaching. I wish Virgin America was starting earlier than later...

 

[Steve 737]

It was in a recent ALPA mailing. It talked about the furloughees coming up on 2 years and most of them have found other jobs etc,etc,etc..........

I don't believe they did, but at some point when the number of furloughed nearly equals active I'm not sure it will continue.

 

[mach none]

Jeez, how many pilots left on the property after the 775, and how many years will the most junior guy have after the cut?

I don't know how junior the last furloughee will be, but I read in USA Today the other day that the average age of a USAir pilot is now 52.