January 4th, 2006
Ladies and Gentlemen of Council #41, Thank you for your nomination and election as your Interim Captain Rep last Thursday at our meeting at the Lagoon. The numbers were very small and disappointing to me and I want you to know that I consider it no mandate. I will need all of your help in representing you as you feel you deserve and leading in the direction you feel is appropriate for the situation. Please do not hesitate to contact me on any matter moving forwar d. My last communication to you has been pointed out to have a cut and copy error in it as the Resolution #153B: ALPA's resolution to think about actions concerning the Hemmenway Letter was copied twice. In order to reduce the confusion here they both are again. The one I characterized as from a Rep. who has no intention of doing anything is Resolution #153A. By the way this characterization was made before this rep. actually voted against his own resolution! Agenda item _153a___ Title: Contract Negotiations Mover: Swiatkowski/
WHEREAS Gerrold Glass has presented the JNC with a letter from Mr. Hemmenway dated _________, which in effect neuters any prospective post-bankruptcy gains to any combined merged pilot agreement, and
WHEREAS, in said letter, the company declares that closed sections are not really closed if the Association presents other sections that affect the economic impact of the com pleted agreement, and WHEREAS, in said letter, the company reserves a right to impose the US Airways CBA if it deems a new agreement is not reached in a timely manner, or absent the same cost structure as the US Airways CBA, and
WHEREAS, the US Airways pilots expect that their enormous sacrifices, which saved the company during bankruptcy, would be rewarded and partially restored in a post-bankruptcy environment, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the MEC withdraws its JNC members from further meetings with the company and terminate any further discussions until such time
as said letter is retracted, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MEC clearly express and management acknowledge expectations of increased returns in the combined agreement, for any negotiations to resume. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the America West MEC shall be encouraged to endorse an equivalent resolution from their pilots. THE MOVER / AUTHOR VOTED AGAINST HIS OWN RESOLUTION! The Resolution which passed was offered by ALPA National, authored by Bruce York, is Resolution #153B This is the second resolution from ALPA National which has every intention of doing nothing! AI 05-153b Contract Negotiations Motion: Swiatkowski/Svendsen
WHEREAS the Company wrote ALPA on November 15, 2005 after completion of Transition Agreement negotiations regarding the future negotiation of a single collective bargaining agreement applicable to the merged operations of America West and US Airways (the “Single Agreement”), and
WHEREAS that letter, among other things, suggests that “closed sections” of the Single Agreement could be reopened and discussed again based on the economic impact of other completed sections, and
WHEREAS that letter among other things, seeks to reserve rights to apply the US Airways collective barga ining agreement to the merged operation, and WHEREAS management’s suggestion to reopen contract sections is not consistent with efficient and good faith negotiations, and WHEREAS the Company’s supposed reservation of rights is inconsistent with the language, meaning and bargaining history of the Transition Agreement, and
WHEREAS the Company’s attempt to reserve rights never discussed in Transition Agreement negotiations, despite many opportunities to do so, is contrary to Mr. Parker’s often expressed desire to deal openly, fairly and in good faith with employees of the new company, and
WHEREAS ALPA has rejected the Company’s positions in a letter dated November 17, 2005, and WHEREAS despite ALPA requests to do so, the Company has not yet retracted its reservation of rights, and
WHEREAS US Airways pilots expect that their enormous sacrifices will be acknowledged and rewarded during the post-bankruptcy enviro nment, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the MEC directs legal counsel to prepare for discussion of alternatives and a joint decision of the MEC’s to resolve this issue in a manner satisfactory to both US Airways and America West pilots at the January MEC meeting, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MEC clearly express its expectation for quick resolution of these issues and its expectation for substantial improvements in pay, benefits and working conditions in the combined agreement to Mr. Parker. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a pending resolution MEC AI 05-153a be provided to the America West MEC in preparation for action at the January 2006 joint discussion MEC meeting. I am sorry for the confusion. We will now be discussing Resolution 153B in Dallas with the America West Pilots. And, By the way if you think your MEC Chairman is on top of the situation created by Mr. Hemmenwy's letter of November 15th you're w rong! The first correspondence to Mr. Hemmenway from the Chairman the MEC has been copied so far is one asking Hemmenway's permission to carry out a MEC resolution. Honest! You see the MEC wants to show the pilots, through the negotiating notes of 2004, just how well they met the company's needs for pay and working conditions relative to the other low cost carriers. Your Chairman is begging the question asking if much of the data is still confidential. The time for that debate was before the MEC passed the resolution. We have had the debate on the above Resolutions 153A & B. ALPA National got its way. We will now move ahead with their watered down course of action. Hopefully there will be no more letters from our Chairman to Mr. Hemmenway asking for permission to yank the JNC should ALPA ever get the stomach for it. Recent problems we are having with our chairman have to do with his
inability to communicate to the MEC matters of importance to the US Airways pilots. The first involves his knowledge ahead of time of the company's intention to fly America West flights with our aircraft and crewmembers. Your reps and our crewmembers had to find out about the company's plans at the time of implementation. There was no time for a thought out response or even a well thought out legal opinion from the drafter on our side of the Transition Agreement. Even some of the MEC members were unaware of the situation which occurred last week in Phoenix when our (PHL) pilots were told to fly extra sections in lieu of America West flights because of a shortage of flyable aircraft on their side of the equation. It is not OK with this rep that we do America West flying. If the Transition Agreement ultimately allows such whipsawing, someone did a poor job of crafting the language...we shall see. The story to date is that everyone will be paid, but we all know that wi ll not be actualized until the fifteenth. We will keep you posted. If you are asked to do anything that you think is suspect get in touch with the ALPA office, Dave, or myself ASAP. Bottom Line.......OUR CHAIRMAN KNEW, HE LET US ALL BE SURPRISED AND BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD. The Second Issue involves a little junket to Portugal by Chairman Pollock and Vice Chairman Snider. They knew they were going. No report. They knew they were there, no report. They knew they had been there, no report. When questioned about the trip your Chairman responded to Dave Ciabattoni, "Well Dave we stayed at a Holiday Inn which was 79EU/night and the food was expensive." When your Vice Chairman was queried about the trip in subcommittee while he was giving his quarterly report he told how important it was for them (he and Bill) to keep up on matters concerning global threats to our profession and to those relating to our alliances. He was unable, however to report to us about what he learned about either or how exactly either of them had been promoting the agenda of the US Airways pilots. Stay tuned. We will report from our Joint MEC meeting in Texas--neutral ground, you know, this week. Rumor has it that if the America West pilots have any surprises for Pollock, your Chairman will walk out. Hopefully that will not include an attempt on their part to resurrect Resolution #153A and the honor of its author!
