mechanics may be free to strike by Sept 17th

[jettek]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 9/8/2002 7:23:41 PM Lakeguy67 wrote:

Jettek, you need to get of your high horse and face reality. Airbus offers cradle to grave maintenance, there are MRO's all over the world that can accomplish overhaul of airplanes. Timco in GSO just got their certification for the A320 family. A A&P can be replaced just as easy as anyone else. And you are not counting the numerous a&p's all ready on layoff and the ones who will still stay employed at U for what ever the company sets their working conditions at. Also any a&p at any of the stations where we dont have mtc does your job when it is not minor mtc you file a grievance just like anyone else.

Southwest has more airplanes then we do, they have 1,200 mechanics, we are going to 279 A/C and we have 4,300 mechanics, do the math yourself, you are easily replaced just like anyone else. And as the tech at NWA where there DC10's get overhauled, I can tell you Singapore. Ask them why there ATL engine shop shut down and now they lease engines from UA's parked planes?

The only advice I have to offer you is if you live in a gl*** house you should not throw stones. Taking this offer is better then giving the company your job back on a silver platter for them to pick and choose what work they will do and what employees they will keep. It is easier to live to fight another day than to commit economic suicide.
----------------
[/blockquote]
I have to admit, I was impressed by Gangwal's intelligence. I also admit that the negotiations between him and our union should have gone better. We missed important opportunities at merger that can never be recovered. it's going to hurt either way, I just don't want to subsidize unskilled groups that should have been elminated long ago.

 

[t-man]

I heard a rumor that Southwest is gonna start doing their own Q-Checks because the vendors can't keep up to the work load.
Is this true or just another rumor.
I hope it is because that meens they will be hiring.

 

[jettek]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 9/8/2002 7:31:32 PM t-man wrote:

I heard a rumor that Southwest is gonna start doing their own Q-Checks because the vendors can't keep up to the work load.
Is this true or just another rumor.
I hope it is because that meens they will be hiring.
----------------
[/blockquote]
t-man,
They started back in the summer. they are also comtemplating a hangar in BWI.

 

[nutzo]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 9/8/2002 8:00:55 PM jettek wrote:

[blockquote]
----------------
On 9/8/2002 7:31:32 PM t-man wrote:

I heard a rumor that Southwest is gonna start doing their own Q-Checks because the vendors can't keep up to the work load.
Is this true or just another rumor.
I hope it is because that meens they will be hiring.
----------------
[/blockquote]
t-man,
They started back in the summer. they are also comtemplating a hangar in BWI.
----------------
[/blockquote]
jettek, we do not do full D's. I do not see us ever doing them either. I stated a few posts up on the checks we do. There is plans for a hangar in BWI but who really knows when. It keeps getting pushed back as MDW has one now.

 

[Lakeguy67]

Jettek, there is no seniority when you are an employee at will, the company can do whatever and whenever they want.

 

[diogenes]

Jettek,

First, my bona fides.

I am a ramp rat. Me and mine voted Steel because we did not want to be the mech's stepchild. I have lived the stepchild experience at the personal, local, district, and international level, on enough occasions to know that's the way it is, and will be. I'd pay big money to get the he// out of the IAM, and leave it to you. Interestly, you and I share the same view of the IAM, beginning with district arrogance, and ending with them serving themselves, as opposed to the membership.

Here is where we differ. Craft or artisan unions negotiate contracts so that only they can do the work. This is good in the short run. in the long run, however, it doesn't work out so well. You are either outsourced or byp***ed by technology. Two examples, one historical and one ongoing. The boilermakers had a tight craft union at the turn of the century. Companies started getting boilers made overseas, and imported. Then turbines came online, and now there is no boilermaker's union. Change the dates, and the same can happen to you. Work can be outsourced, and whenever whatever comes along to replace CFM's, your contract will have you constricted to CFM's. The company can successfully argue your contract does not cover the new technology, and now you're SOL. The current example is the Steelworkers. They restricted themselves to steel, and now they are a dying union as steel production has moved overseas (the ethics of that is another post). They made a belated effort in the 90's to diversify, but it may be to late. Diversified unions, as investments, offer long term protections.

I cannot do A and P work, so separation of contracts is appropriate between me and you. While you can do R and D, it is very expensive for you to do so. The plane can't push until I dog down the cargo door, and it doesn't cost the company another dime for me to push; I'm already there. In my opinion, this function has cost you serious dollars, not only now, but in the past.

How to solve all of this? I know a bunch of you guys are thinking AMFA. That is your business. In the meantime, it would be smarter for fleet and mechs to get involved in the nuts and bolts operations of this union, and kick some SOB's out of office. I literally watched mechs nominate guys on the district slate they LOATHED. WTF? This must change, because until it does, we bear some responsibility for the way things are.

The membership is going to have to take over this deal to fix it.

Lastly, I think only mechs should do mech work, and then negotiate your best deal. I am good with negotiating the market rate for my group. Currently, my counterpart at WN is making $24 an hour. I made 17.33 until '99, and am now at 21.60, headed for 19 and change. As WN is and has turned a profit, it doesn't appear my salary was the problem.

Good luck.

 

[G4G5]

LUV does not matter, they could have 2 tech's. It what your Ops specs require, that is your blue print for running the airline. All the FAA cares about is that you are in compliance with your FAA approved maint inspection programs, not LUV's.

Why is it that all the other majors have proportional A&P numbers when compaired to U? Because that's what is required. If they could get away with less, they would. To move to the 1,200 number that you refer to would require a complete re write of the IAM contract. What is the chance of that? Not to mention FAA approval on a complete re-write to the Op's specs? What are the chances of getting that approved before U goes ch7?

Don't be so arrogant about the A&P's. The current levels of staffing are handling a tremendous more maint then LUV. Which only tells me Dave should think about sitting back down again with the A&P's

 

[757fixer]

Pay no attention to Lakeguy67 aka Boof67 from the yahoo board.He's an unskilled parts clerk who sees his meal ticket being revoked.

 

[KCFlyer]

Perhaps you're right Bob, it would be better to liquidate U and pay off the secured creditors, then maybe an investor might buy the operating certificate (hey maybe the hooters guy will consider U over Vanguard) and start up a new airline without that $5 million dollar bonus fund.

 

[Lakeguy67]

757fixer, I hate burst your skilled bubble, but I am not this person you say boof67, that is not me

 

[Bob Owens]

Why do we all assume that the offer from TPG, CSFB and the BOA is not amendable? Look these organizations are in this to make a profit. Not out of the goodness of their hearts. In fact they are out to make as much money as possible. If the mechanics say no to concessions, which in theory means that these people will make $150Million less, does that necessarily spoil the deal? Of course they will say it does now but this is all a game to these people.They stand to gain an extra $150 million by playing along. It’s called bluffing. When push comes to shove they are not going to lose the opportunity to make billions by holding out for the extra $150million.The mechanics would be fools to commit themselves to a minimum of six years of further concessions. If the company were really that desperate they would offer a year-by-year concessionary deal. The outrageous threats made by management and the even more outrageous statements that more than likely come from management on this thread show that they really don’t have anything. They are simply trying to bluff the mechanics into concessions. Mechanics have to assume that the IAM is either incompetent or has sold them out for several reasons.
1. The addition of U’s feeder subsidiaries employees as dues paying members without a challenge from U.
2. The kickback to cover expenses.
3. The chance to tie you into the IAM pension fund.
4. The fact that if you guys get a better deal than Fleet Service the IAM can expect a severe backlash from Fleet Service. Elected officers will all get voted out of office due to the fact that they failed to provide leadership, which led the Fleet Service workers to accept a bad deal. They failed to stress the fact that the longer you hold out the better the deal gets.
The fact is that USAIR has to have a deal. The creditors know that if the agreement is abrogated that you have the right to strike. It’s pretty clear and that’s what has happened in the past when companies used bankruptcy to void contracts. There is no precedence where the company was allowed to change terms at will and the employees were not allowed to strike. The RLA is still in effect. Everything in the RLA revolves around Status Quo. Once one party is released so is the other. Creditors are unlikely to lend money to the carrier if its mechanics go on strike. The company knows this. The union should know it and they should be informing their members. Basically you both are holding guns to each other’s heads. Mutually assured destruction.
I've seen posts that say that the company can do whatever it wants WHEN the judge abrogates the agreement. What makes them so sure that he will? Abrogating a labor agreement is serious business. When the normal pace for labor negotiations has been established as at least a year and often more than two years can the company really say that it’s negotiated in good faith after just two months? Is it reasonable for the company to demand concessions for such an extended period of time? Sure the judge may have abrogated vendor contracts but is USAIR demanding that the vendors commit to 6-year contracts or will those contracts be reopened right after USAIR steps out of Bankruptcy? Have any of the vendors agreed to such long-term contracts? The fact is USAir’s demands are unreasonable given the history of this industry. USAir’s Mechanics wages do not put the airline at a disadvantage with other carriers. The industry is cyclical which means that two years from now the company could be earning record profits while mechanics are stuck in concessionary contracts for 4 years beyond. USAIR has not negotiated in good faith. The excuse that it’s the outside creditors that are setting the terms is bull. Are the creditors demanding that USAIR acquire a contract with the oil companies to purchase fuel for 10 cents a gallon for the next six years? Of course not! It’s unrealistic. Labor is the weak link because they can play on the ignorance of the workforce and cause panic. The creditors stand to profit even more by backing managements ridiculous demands. The best course for the USAIR mechanic is to vote NO. If the worst happens and the judge abrogates the agreement the mechanics still have options. They can strike. They can come to work with a fresh pen every night and make up for whatever the company cuts their pay by documenting every single minute defect they can find. An arbitrated case already established that as long as a mechanic stays within the scope of the check to which he is assigned and performs his duties in the most reasonable fashion to get the aircraft back in service that a mechanic cant be terminated based upon the number of items written up. However if he indicates that he is writing up more items to deliberately cause disruptions then he will be terminated. This way the mechanic gets to work overtime doing repairs. The airplane sits on the ground instead of flying. The company will then see decreased revenues with soaring overtime expenses. They can stage intermittent strikes. Gordon Bethune wrote in his book From Worst to First that you do not want to get your mechanics mad at you because if you do, they wont fix your airplanes and there isn’t much that you can do about it. They will work on it but they wont fix it. If you guys agree to this deal all you will hear from management and the IAM is You guys agreed to it. And they will be right.
You know what will happen if you say yes, and it isn’t good. Management and the IAM have been playing upon the eternal fear of the unknown to scare you into a bad deal. You have been told of what might happen if it gets turned down. Much of what you have been told is false. Several things may happen. The judge may reject the motion or if he does pass the motion and you gear up to strike the government would probably step in on the 11th hour. The government may even impose a contract. One thing that you can be certain of is that it will be better than what is on the table now. You just need to hold out. The revocation of status quo could likely lead to a confrontation that would kill the company. The creditors don’t want that, the government wont allow it and the company doesn’t want it.
To quote Thomas Paine; “Our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we sufferâ€. If you vote in this contract, two years from now when the industry has recovered and you still have at least four more years left, (when we are in a position to get increases the airlines have a habit of delaying a settlement) you will have to live with the fact that you have deprived yourselves and your families because of your lack of courage and Common Sense.

Just think about this little point. If you guys accept this you will be the first mechanics in history that ever gave the company retro pay! You guys will be giving the company retro while management is using your retro for their $5million bonus fund. Talk about adding insult to injury! I can’t think of anything more degrading than that! Your uniforms (that you have to pay for)would be an embarrasing stigma throughout the industry.

 

[Lakeguy67]

Bob Owens, why dont you stick your nose into AAs business and the TWUs. You are posting false information by leaps and bounds. When a company is in bankruptcy, bankruptcy laws take all presidence over anyother federal law. The status quo in the RLA only pertains to section 6 negotations. If you were a true trade unionist you would not post false information.

Congress established section 1113 of the bankruptcy code because in 1982 with just a stroke of a pen a judge abrogated all contracts at Continental Airlines, under Lorenzo as CEO and WOlf as President. In 1983 section 1113 was passed, all this does is ensure that a judge at just a stroke of a pen does not abrogate a contract. There are nine criteria a company has to meet in order for the judge to abrogate. So far US Airways is batting 100% in having every motion they have filed granted to them. You are posting numerous falsehoods that will directly affect one of your major competitors, do you want to see 40,000 employees out of work so your company can benefit?

The mechanic and related are NOT particpating in the IAM national pension fund, the 401K match is still there.

You as a treasure of your local would not under the landrum-griffith act it is illegal for the company to pay the IAM money and for the IAM to accept money for a contract passing. That money is being paid directly to the Financial Advisors, Lawyers and to reimburse the cost of the ratificaton vote, just as ALPA, AFA and TWU recieved under their concessionary package.

And we are not getting a better deal then fleet service, you fail to know your history, the IAM has represented mechanic and related at US Airways since 1949, Fleet Service only since 1995, with their first contract being ratified in 1999. Mechanic and related are giving $152 million a year and fleet service is only giving $70 million. Simple math tells you we as mechanic and related are giving up more.

And if you were a trade unionist you would be glad about the fact that the IAM got representation at MDA so a flow thru agreement is reached so furloughed mainline employees would still have a job, granted at a lesser rate, but still be employed and accruing seniority at mainline with the chance to go back to mainline once it grows.

You are a not a US employee and you did not attend the bankruptcy presenations nor did you negotiate. And on a post you made on yahoo you called this a T/A, this is not a T/A, it is the company's last offer given to us before they would seek abrogation of our contract and make us employees at will with no job protections at all.

I really find it hard to believe as an officer of the TWU you would risk 40,000 employees where some of them are members of your union careers.

 

[t-man]

Excelent post Bob,
Thats exactly how I feel about the whole deal,these concessions are all smoke and mirrors and the company is trying to take advantage of a bad thing.


I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[chipmunn]

Lakeguy67:

You are correct and very accurate. Your post and comments were very well written.

Chip

 

[Lakeguy67]

[BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Mid Atlantic Letter [/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Attachment H. [/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Wholly Owned Carriers. [/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Employment and other conditions at Wholly Owned Carriers are described in Attachment B of this agreement.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Furloughees. Employees involuntarily furloughed on or after September 1, 2001 employees will receive on-line non-revenue travel privileges for themselves and eligible family members while on furlough for a period not to exceed three (3) years following their last day of active service.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Returns.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The IAM will participate in a returns program as described in Attachment K.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Labor Advisory Committee[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]A Labor Advisory Committee will be established consisting of one designee from ALPA, AFA, IAM, CWA, TWU and non-contract employees for the purpose of addressing issues of common interest among all employees at US Airways. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Information Release[/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The Company will provide to the IAM on no less than a quarterly basis certain information in order to permit the IAM to monitor the employees’ investment. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Bankruptcy Protection[/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The Company will provide Section 1113 protection as described in Attachment F and G upon ratification of this agreement. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Participation by Other Groups. This agreement shall be contingent upon the Company reaching meaningful voluntary restructuring agreements with other labor groups and MSP satisfactory to the IAM. Additionally, if restructuring occurs with no bankruptcy filing, this agreement shall also be contingent upon the Company reaching meaningful restructuring agreements aircraft lessors and vendors satisfactory to the IAM. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Corporate Governance. [/STRONG]The IAM will be entitled to elect and remove a member of the US Airways Group, Inc. Board of Directors on terms as described in Attachment E.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG][FONT color=#ff0066]Struck Work [/FONT][/STRONG]. Amend Agreements to provide that the Company shall not perform Struck Work of Wholly Owned Carriers and of MDA. Struck work is mechanic and related work traditionally and regularly performed by a Wholly Owned Carrier or MDA where and during the period the mechanic and related employees of that Wholly Owned Carrier or MDA are engaged in a lawful strike, and where the Company has not previously performed the work in question. There shall be no prohibition against a concerted refusal of employees of the Company to perform Struck Work. Moreover, the Company will not hire employees of Wholly Owned Carriers or MDA to perform Mechanic and Related work at the Company during a period when the Company’s Mechanic and Related employees are engaged in a lawful strike. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Productivity Exchange[/STRONG]. The parties agree to meet to discuss modifications to IAM's collective bargaining agreement to allow IAM represented employees to buy-back wage concessions in exchange for productivity.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]In addition, a standing committee of Union and Management Members will be established no later than January 1, 2003 with the responsibility of exploring and implementing measures to achieve cost savings by insourcing of work, improving the efficiency of operations and/or by any other methods that create cost savings for US Airways.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#ff0000 size=3][STRONG]Successorship: Amend CBA to provide as follows:[/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and any Successor, defined as a purchaser, assignee or transferee of all or substantially all of the assets or stock of the Company or US Airways Group. Neither the Company nor US Airways Group shall enter into an agreement with a Successor which creates a Successor Transaction unless the Successor agrees, in writing, as a prior condition of the Successorship Transaction, to cause the Company and US Airways Group to continue to be bound by the Agreement, as it may be amended pursuant to the provisions of applicable law, and to cause any operating airline which obtains the assets of the Company to honor and be bound by the Agreement as it may be amended pursuant to the provisions of applicable law. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]If a Successor is an air carrier, and the Successor conducts an operational merger between the Company and the Successor or another air carrier, then the Successor will provide the Company employees with a seniority integration governed by Sections 2, 3 and 13 of the Allegheny-Mohawk Labor Protective Provision. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Upon a change in control defined as the sale of all or substantially all of the assets or common stock of the Company or US Airways Group in a single transaction (or in multi-step related transactions) to a single purchaser (or a group of purchasers acting in concert), the hourly rates of pay under this agreement shall be increased to the rates which would have been effective following the Pay Parity Adjustment in June 2003 under the Letter of Agreement on pages 59-63 in the basic agreement. In addition to such hourly rates of pay, the IAM will have the right to extend the duration of the IAM Restructuring Agreement for one, two or three years at the IAM’s option, past the amendable date of the IAM Restructuring Agreement, with across the board wage increases of four and one half percent (4.5%) on the amendable date and on each of the three (3) annual anniversaries of the amendable date thereafter (i.e. 12/31/08, 12/31/09 and 12/31/10). For the purposes of this paragraph, Common Stock is the Common Stock of US Airways Group then outstanding and the Common Stock issuable on exchange, exercise, and/or conversion of securities of the Company or US Airways Group which are then currently exchangeable into, exercisable for, or convertible into such Common stock[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG][FONT color=#ff0066]Duration Clause[/FONT][/STRONG]. The Basic Agreement, as modified herein, will remain in effect through December 31, 2008. The parties will commence bargaining for a new collective bargaining agreement no later than January 15, 2008. If the parties have not reached a tentative agreement by July 1, 2008, they will, no later than July 10, 2008, jointly apply for mediation with the National Mediation Board. In the event the parties have not reached a tentative agreement during the status quo period following the amendable date, all base rates will be increased by three (3) percent on July 1, 2009 and on each July 1st thereafter until a new agreement is signed.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#ff0066 size=3][STRONG]Scope and Job Security. Add to Scope Clause in Article 2(B) of the basic agreement:[/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The Company will maintain a fleet size of 275 Total Aircraft (inclusive of maintenance and spares) (if no bankruptcy petition is filed) or 245 Total Aircraft (inclusive of maintenance and spares) (if a bankruptcy petition is filed). Additionally, [FONT color=#9999cc][STRONG]the Company agrees that it will not furlough employees on the Seniority List as of the effective date of this Agreement as the direct result of the reduction of Mainline Aircraft below 275 (or 245 in the case of bankruptcy) because of the introduction of New Aircraft[/STRONG]. [/FONT][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]For purposes of this provision, Total Aircraft refers to the total of both Mainline Aircraft and New Aircraft; Mainline Aircraft refers to aircraft of the type currently flown by the Company (or on firm order) as of the effective date of this agreement; the term New Aircraft refers to aircraft of the type not currently flown (or on firm order) by the Company as of the effective date of this Agreement.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The Company will meet and confer with the Union by January 1, 2004 regarding bringing in-house avionics and composite work where the Company has the necessary facilities and equipment, provided limited employee familiarization and/or training is required.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]Attachment B [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3][STRONG]Employment and other conditions at Wholly Owned Carriers[/STRONG][/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]A. US Airways shall request PSA, Piedmont, and Allegheny (hereafter Wholly Owned Carriers) to make job offers and employ furloughed Employees who apply for Wholly Owned Carrier Vacancies in accordance with the following provisions. It is recognized, however, that US Airways does not control the hiring and employment policies of the Wholly Owned Carriers, and thus cannot be responsible for their compliance with these provisions. US Airways will request that the Wholly Owned Carriers indicate, in writing, within seven (7) days of the agreement between the Company and the Union, whether they will comply with the provisions below.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]1. Employees who are furloughed on or after the effective date of this agreement who desire transfer to a Wholly Owned Carrier Vacancy will be required to notify the Wholly Owned Carrier and submit their application to the Wholly Owned Carrier. Employees who are on furlough as of the effective date of this agreement who are interested in applying for Vacancies at the Wholly Owned Carrier must submit their application to the Wholly Owned Carrier within forty-five (45) days of the date that the Wholly Owned Carrier notifies the Employee that it will begin to accept applications. Applications must include all locations for which the employee is applying.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]2 The Wholly Owned Carrier will be requested to offer employment to any qualified furloughed Employee who has applied under the terms stated in item (1) above prior to employing anyone else in that Vacancy. As employment opportunities become available, the Wholly Owned Carrier will be requested to offer such positions in relative seniority order to qualified Employees who have submitted applications in accordance with this Agreement.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]3. Furloughed Employees who accept positions at the Wholly Owned Carrier under these terms will be entitled to such seniority and terms and conditions of employment as are applicable in the CBA or employment policies of the Wholly Owned Carrier. Severance allowance, and any other benefits to which these Employees are entitled under the US Airways CBA shall not cease, or be adversely affected, upon the effective date of hire at the Wholly Owned Carrier.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]4. Wholly Owned Carriers will be requested to release Furloughed Employees who accept recall or transfer back to US Airways positions in order to comply with report dates pursuant to the terms of the US Airways CBA. [/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]5. In addition to the above and as a condition to this agreement between the Company and the Union the President of Mid Atlantic Airways (MDA) will be asked to provide a letter to IAM addressing MDA’s commitments, if any, regarding union recognition, the bargaining process for a first contract and hiring procedures. This letter will be provided to the Union prior to concluding the agreement between the Company and the Union. For Company employees hired by MDA, Severance Allowance and any other benefits to which these Employees are entitled under the US Airways CBA shall not cease, or be adversely affected, upon the effective date of hire at MDA.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]B. Furloughed Employees working at a Wholly Owned Carrier will continue to be considered on furlough from US Airways and will accrue US Airways seniority under the terms of the US Airways CBA applicable to Furloughed Employees.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]II. Definitions[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]The following definitions apply to certain terms used in this Agreement.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]1. Employees. The term Employees refers to Mechanic and Related employees of US Airways represented by the IAM.[/FONT][BR][BR][FONT color=#0000ff size=3]2. Vacancies. The terms vacancies refers to vacant job positions in the Mechanic and Related craft or clas[BR][/FONT]