Nothing to do with Politics hunh? Please explain your post below from April!
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2014 Fleet Service Discussion
Posted by
Tim Nelson on 15 April 2014 - 10:36 AM in
US Airways
Fleet Service Update
1. When the IAM is talking about a release, the NMB will likely not consider releasing both MX and Fleet service at the same time. Thus, even though a release is not likely, if it were granted, the question becomes which group gets released.
2. Over the past 12 months, we have seen a normal pattern by the NMB which calls a meeting about every other month, then ices both parties and repeats the cycle. Some of you have PM'd me and have mistakenly thought that the NMB already ruled that there was an impasse. The reality is that the IAM has put out news reports about every 3 months talking about an impasse but no impasse was ever ruled upon. Thus, we are simply not at that part of the process. Hopefully, the NMB rules that there is an impasse and then furthers the process and grants a release.
3. Chances of a release. Nobody knows but the likelihood winds down to null around June 1. The best we can do is follow NMB patterns which says that a release is unlikely. Our hope should be that some political pressure in the Obama administration will intervene and break the pattern.
4. Single carrier. Management signed a pact with the TWU last year that promised 4.3% pay increase in return for other items, which included filing single carrier status by June 9, 2014. There is a resolution process in that contract that puts this, at the latest, July 9. The significance of this is that management expects and knows that a single carrier will be filed, at the latest, in less than 3 months. In application, you should also know that the NMB has never, ever, granted or considered a release by any union, in the entire history of the RLA, when a single carrier application was triggered. That means that if the NMB doesn't release your group after considering the May 1 meetings, then it isn't going to.
5. Stand alone talks. You should know that stand alone talks can continue even if the NMB rules that there is now only one carrier. However, the Association Q & A clearly says that the IAM will negotiate stand alone until [IAM's words, not mine] the NMB rules on a single carrier. I am not privy to the Association arrangement but undoubtedly, the TWU agreed to support stand alone until at least single carrier is ruled upon [presumably in September]. It is my hope, and should be your's, that the IAM and TWU extend the agreement past the single carrier ruling as both parties can certainly amend the agreement.
regards,
