nic4us said:
Let's get something straight for all the lurkers right now.
The West did not write the Nicolau award. The Nic is not a West scam.
But, the intentional forcing of separate ops, in violation of the former TA. The intentional stealling of West jobs through the SCAB union, well, those are the east SCABs....SCAM!
Call your attention to paragraphs 3 and 4.
March 14, 2008
Dear US Airways Pilot:
I want to respond quickly and in a definitive way to the positive reactions and
questions from many of you to my letter on separate operations and separate
ratification votes.
There should be no confusion on these important points, so I will be as clear and
precise as I can be.
The Transition Agreement requires that the parties maintain separate operations
until the implementation of a new collective bargaining agreement covering the
entire airline. Both the Transition Agreement and ALPA Merger Policy prohibit US
Airways from utilizing the single seniority list until we reach a single agreement.
Merger Policy does not contain a timetable for completing the single agreement.
Rather, Merger Policy calls on the two MECs to work toward that ultimate goal.
While they are doing that, it is not the responsibility or prerogative of the
Association to direct them to reach agreement on specific contract issues or impose
specific contract solutions.
Some members have asked what will happen if pilots from one group or the other
sue the Association either to block implementation or to force implementation of
the Nicolau award. I repeat—there is no required timetable for implementation of
the award. That only happens with a single collective bargaining agreement.
So, as required by Merger Policy, the Association will defend the award but will
also work tirelessly to help the two MECs forge solutions and craft comprehensive
proposals that resolve all seniority, career advancement, and contract issues for all
US Airways pilots. That course of action is consistent with the resolutions of our
Executive Council. As long as the two MECs are working in this direction, there is
a solid defense against court intervention.
When the representation election is behind us, the two MECs can turn their
attention to resolving their differences and reaching an agreement on contract and
career progression issues that will benefit all US Airways pilots. This will lead to a
contract that is much better than any contract that USAPA can obtain, as it will be a
contract that addresses all pilot concerns. On the other hand, USAPA will propose a
quick, cheap, cost-neutral contract that addresses only seniority, that will be tied up
in endless litigation, and that is subject to being undone in future negotiations or in future
mergers.
When a tentative agreement is reached under the ALPA structure, each MEC, followed by
each pilot group, will have the right to a separate ratification vote on that agreement. I
want to assure you that trusteeship will not be used to deprive you of your right to separate
membership ratification. That protection—for each MEC and each pilot group to analyze,
debate, and ratify a contract that meets its needs—exists in ALPA Merger Policy and does
not under USAPA representation.
In Unity,
Captain John H. Prater
President