BluDevAv8r
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ExpressJet Negotiating Committee Update
September 24, 2004
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is Neal Schwartz with a XJT Negotiating Committee (NC) update for Friday, September 24, 2004. There are 3 items for review.
Item 1: NC Update
ExpressJet management and ALPA representatives met all week in Houston, TX to discuss compensation and job security issues in face-to-face negotiations. Jim Ream, ExpressJet CEO, joined Jim Nides and other members of the management team during some of the talks. There was substantial progress on all issues as follows:
Job Security and Scope Issues – After the exchange of multiple written proposals, the parties had a candid table discussion on different approaches to job security on which we could find common ground. After lengthy discussion, a "framework" for successfully resolving Section 1 of our contract may exist.
The conceptual approach that was discussed, however, is subject to the drafting of complex contract language that, upon review by both parties, may still be unsatisfactory to the NC and the MEC. If the concepts discussed can be memorialized in this contract language format, Section 1 would contain provisions that provide the Company certain flexibility it claims it needs to be viable in a challenging and competitive industry environment and, just as important, ensure that XJT pilots continue to have growth opportunities and serious job protection against downward pressure on our ExpressJet careers from other airlines. In a positive step, management agreed to revisit concepts for pilot protection that it had earlier opposed and rejected.
Committees from both sides are hard at work on this contract language already and will work over the next week to see if this conceptual approach and framework can ultimately be agreed upon.
Compensation Issues – All remaining economic issues were constructively discussed this week and the parties believe major progress was made towards a deal in this area. The Company made new proposals this week in the areas of retroactivity, pay rates and contract duration that made this additional progress possible.
Conclusion – The NC is hopeful that this work may provide the basis for additional reports of progress the week after next. Instead of traveling to Washington, DC for mediation sessions conducted by the NMB, as previously scheduled, the parties have agreed to continue to work to see if a scope provision can be mutually agreed upon and the miscellaneous minor problems can be solved.
While we are looking forward to the task of reaching final agreement on scope and language drafting, the negotiating process is inherently unpredictable. So CALEX pilots should be cautioned that there is not yet a tentative agreement and that there is always the possibility that unforeseen problems will be encountered.
Consequently, the CALEX NC, SPC and MEC continue to move forcefully ahead with all existing plans to bring our dispute into clearer public focus (as mentioned below) and prepare for any eventuality.
Item 2: Aircraft Banner Tow at Continental Airlines Regatta in NYC Harbor
The 8th annual Continental Airlines Corporate Regatta, took place on September 23, 2004, in North Cove Harbor on Manhattan.
Each of the corporations competed to win a portion of a $65,000 purse, which will be awarded to the charity of their choice. The top four winning teams received $35,000, $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively, for their selected charities, pooled from the $5,000 entry fee paid by each corporation.
Each company sailed a J-24 sailboat with a crew of four executives from each company, along with a professional skipper. The company's logo appeared on each boat's spinnaker.
The most important part of the event appeared at 2:30pm An ALPA banner tower flew by the North Cove Harbor as the boat crews were preparing for the race. He flew a pass north up the river, then turned around for a pass southbound. The pilot spent the next hour cruising along the shores of Long Island.
The message was: CONTINENTAL EXPRESS PILOTS OK STRIKE
Item 3: Strike Ballot
The polls for the Authorization to Strike vote have closed. The ballot passed with a 98.6% approval rating and 87% of the ExpressJet pilot group casting their vote. This ballot will send a strong message to management that our pilot group is prepared
The XJT SPC provided voting reminders through blastmails, e-mails and phone calls to XJT pilots. We had several pilots whose contact information was out of date. Any ExpressJet pilots that did not receive information concerning the vote should update their personal information on the CALALPA website at www.calalpa.org.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please forward them to [email protected].
-- END --
September 24, 2004
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is Neal Schwartz with a XJT Negotiating Committee (NC) update for Friday, September 24, 2004. There are 3 items for review.
Item 1: NC Update
ExpressJet management and ALPA representatives met all week in Houston, TX to discuss compensation and job security issues in face-to-face negotiations. Jim Ream, ExpressJet CEO, joined Jim Nides and other members of the management team during some of the talks. There was substantial progress on all issues as follows:
Job Security and Scope Issues – After the exchange of multiple written proposals, the parties had a candid table discussion on different approaches to job security on which we could find common ground. After lengthy discussion, a "framework" for successfully resolving Section 1 of our contract may exist.
The conceptual approach that was discussed, however, is subject to the drafting of complex contract language that, upon review by both parties, may still be unsatisfactory to the NC and the MEC. If the concepts discussed can be memorialized in this contract language format, Section 1 would contain provisions that provide the Company certain flexibility it claims it needs to be viable in a challenging and competitive industry environment and, just as important, ensure that XJT pilots continue to have growth opportunities and serious job protection against downward pressure on our ExpressJet careers from other airlines. In a positive step, management agreed to revisit concepts for pilot protection that it had earlier opposed and rejected.
Committees from both sides are hard at work on this contract language already and will work over the next week to see if this conceptual approach and framework can ultimately be agreed upon.
Compensation Issues – All remaining economic issues were constructively discussed this week and the parties believe major progress was made towards a deal in this area. The Company made new proposals this week in the areas of retroactivity, pay rates and contract duration that made this additional progress possible.
Conclusion – The NC is hopeful that this work may provide the basis for additional reports of progress the week after next. Instead of traveling to Washington, DC for mediation sessions conducted by the NMB, as previously scheduled, the parties have agreed to continue to work to see if a scope provision can be mutually agreed upon and the miscellaneous minor problems can be solved.
While we are looking forward to the task of reaching final agreement on scope and language drafting, the negotiating process is inherently unpredictable. So CALEX pilots should be cautioned that there is not yet a tentative agreement and that there is always the possibility that unforeseen problems will be encountered.
Consequently, the CALEX NC, SPC and MEC continue to move forcefully ahead with all existing plans to bring our dispute into clearer public focus (as mentioned below) and prepare for any eventuality.
Item 2: Aircraft Banner Tow at Continental Airlines Regatta in NYC Harbor
The 8th annual Continental Airlines Corporate Regatta, took place on September 23, 2004, in North Cove Harbor on Manhattan.
Each of the corporations competed to win a portion of a $65,000 purse, which will be awarded to the charity of their choice. The top four winning teams received $35,000, $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively, for their selected charities, pooled from the $5,000 entry fee paid by each corporation.
Each company sailed a J-24 sailboat with a crew of four executives from each company, along with a professional skipper. The company's logo appeared on each boat's spinnaker.
The most important part of the event appeared at 2:30pm An ALPA banner tower flew by the North Cove Harbor as the boat crews were preparing for the race. He flew a pass north up the river, then turned around for a pass southbound. The pilot spent the next hour cruising along the shores of Long Island.
The message was: CONTINENTAL EXPRESS PILOTS OK STRIKE
Item 3: Strike Ballot
The polls for the Authorization to Strike vote have closed. The ballot passed with a 98.6% approval rating and 87% of the ExpressJet pilot group casting their vote. This ballot will send a strong message to management that our pilot group is prepared
The XJT SPC provided voting reminders through blastmails, e-mails and phone calls to XJT pilots. We had several pilots whose contact information was out of date. Any ExpressJet pilots that did not receive information concerning the vote should update their personal information on the CALALPA website at www.calalpa.org.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please forward them to [email protected].
-- END --
