How did this thread come off the tracks, and turn into another pilot pissing match. Don't you fellas have your own arena for that here?
Let me turn the tables on you. How did you get off the tracks and end up on the AA forums?
Who is or was your employer?
As a pilot for America West and having worked under his leadership long before you, I have a good undestanding of anything, titled Doug Parker.
Go ahead like the us air pilot group, stomp your feet, bury your head in the sand and pretend problems carried into this merger will just go away. Keep dreaming.
Here's the latest:
February 23, 2013
Leonidas Update
On Wednesday, February 20, 2013, USAPA filed a 38-page “Motion to Expedite” with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the company’s Declaratory Judgment (DJ) case. (Click here to view.)
US Airways filed a “Notice of Appeal” on December 31, 2012 and they have until the end of March to file. Will US Airways follow through with an appeal? The MOU makes the DJ case almost irrelevant as its claim was submitted on the premise of a “Hobson’s choice” – If the company did not negotiate with USAPA for a seniority scheme other than the Nicolau Award under Section 6 of the RLA, then they would be faced with a possibility of a strike versus being sued by the West pilots for not using the legitimately arbitrated seniority solution. Now, there is only one side of the “Hobson’s choice” - be sued by West pilots for aiding and abetting USAPA for not honoring the arbitrated Nicolau Award going forward.
USAPA’s filing contains many of the same tired arguments that were first considered and addressed by George Nicolau. But we find the following pair of statements to be incriminating. USAPA's very first sentence reads:
“Defendant-Appellee US Airline Pilots Association (“USAPA”) is the exclusive bargaining representative for all pilots employed by Plaintiff-Appellant US Airways, Inc. (“US Airways).”
Then, on Page 4, USAPA states:
“USAPA...has repeatedly sought to engage the former America West Pilots and the West Pilot Class in substantive discussions to resolve the seniority dispute.”
How can USAPA exclusively represent US Airways Pilots and simultaneously negotiate with West Pilots? The answer is simple: They Can’t. When attempting to negotiate with West Pilots, USAPA defaults to what it has always done - representing just the East Pilots. This immediately places USAPA in violation of its legal obligation as the exclusive bargaining representative of all US Airways pilots. The second statement is an admission that USAPA is violating its DFR by not representing West pilots.
Gary Hummel claims in his latest “President’s Message” that West Pilots will attempt to delay or stop the merger. If so, this is only a consequence of USAPA's failing to provide, “...[t]he West Pilots a union that will not abrogate the Nicolau Award without a legitimate purpose.” We would like nothing better than to avoid court altogether but the West Pilot Class, as represented by our legal firm, will use all means at its disposal to defend our seniority rights. We continue to expect the company and USAPA to honor the obligations created in the 2005 America West/US Airways merger.
With the recent MOU ratification along with the merger announcement, there are substantial legal activities now occurring to defend the West pilots’ Seniority rights.
We thank you for your continued contributions as your career undoubtedly depends on it.
Leonidas, LLC
