August 30, 2007
Captain John Prater, President
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20016
Captain John McIlvenna, Chairman
America West MEC
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
Two Gateway
432 North 44th Street, Suite 340
Phoenix, AZ 85008
Dear Captains Prater and McIlvenna:
As you know, the US Airways pilots’ pay rates are at the bottom of all ALPA carriers. This is an unfortunate result of the 9/11 tragedy, which happened in US Airways' backyard and devastated the entire U.S. airline industry. For our pilots, it has taken $6.8 billion worth of concessions and nearly 2,000 fellow pilots on the street to arrive here at the new US Airways along with our fellow America West ALPA pilots.
We now find ourselves under the employ of a cash-rich company that has the ability to raise over $10 billion to pursue such things as a hostile bid for Delta Airlines. Even with such financial muscle, day after day goes by with our company allowing our pilots to struggle financially, while others prosper from our sacrifices. The end result for all ALPA pilots is a bar set so low that “Taking it Back†seems like a distant dream.
The US Airways pilots need financial relief, and there is no question that they deserve the same pay as their Union brother and sister America West pilots. All of our pilots have witnessed 18 months peel off the calendar before management finally delivered their first comprehensive economic proposal. During this long drawn-out JNC process, management time and again controlled the pace of negotiations. Throughout this process, our pilots fully supported the JNC, not only in words, but also by contributing their time and effort to make the goal of successful negotiations a reality.
It has been two long years into this merger and the US Airways MEC, supported by its pilots, has chosen a path to achieve pay parity now as the first step to an industry standard-plus contract. To deliver that message personally to management, the AAA MEC will lead the way with an informational picketing event at our corporate headquarters in Tempe , AZ on Thursday, September 6, 2007. We would greatly appreciate that our National Officers and our brother and sister AWA MEC members assist us in raising the bar now for all ALPA pilots. It will be for the good of the entire pilot group, and we could use your support.
We respectfully ask you to participate and support us for this important event. We are all ALPA pilots, and although we may disagree on how to advance our collective future, our mission—to bring the best returns to our pilot groups—remains the same.
Fraternally,
Captain Jack Stephan
US Airways MEC Chairman
cc: ALPA International Officers
Captain John Prater, President
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20016
Captain John McIlvenna, Chairman
America West MEC
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
Two Gateway
432 North 44th Street, Suite 340
Phoenix, AZ 85008
Dear Captains Prater and McIlvenna:
As you know, the US Airways pilots’ pay rates are at the bottom of all ALPA carriers. This is an unfortunate result of the 9/11 tragedy, which happened in US Airways' backyard and devastated the entire U.S. airline industry. For our pilots, it has taken $6.8 billion worth of concessions and nearly 2,000 fellow pilots on the street to arrive here at the new US Airways along with our fellow America West ALPA pilots.
We now find ourselves under the employ of a cash-rich company that has the ability to raise over $10 billion to pursue such things as a hostile bid for Delta Airlines. Even with such financial muscle, day after day goes by with our company allowing our pilots to struggle financially, while others prosper from our sacrifices. The end result for all ALPA pilots is a bar set so low that “Taking it Back†seems like a distant dream.
The US Airways pilots need financial relief, and there is no question that they deserve the same pay as their Union brother and sister America West pilots. All of our pilots have witnessed 18 months peel off the calendar before management finally delivered their first comprehensive economic proposal. During this long drawn-out JNC process, management time and again controlled the pace of negotiations. Throughout this process, our pilots fully supported the JNC, not only in words, but also by contributing their time and effort to make the goal of successful negotiations a reality.
It has been two long years into this merger and the US Airways MEC, supported by its pilots, has chosen a path to achieve pay parity now as the first step to an industry standard-plus contract. To deliver that message personally to management, the AAA MEC will lead the way with an informational picketing event at our corporate headquarters in Tempe , AZ on Thursday, September 6, 2007. We would greatly appreciate that our National Officers and our brother and sister AWA MEC members assist us in raising the bar now for all ALPA pilots. It will be for the good of the entire pilot group, and we could use your support.
We respectfully ask you to participate and support us for this important event. We are all ALPA pilots, and although we may disagree on how to advance our collective future, our mission—to bring the best returns to our pilot groups—remains the same.
Fraternally,
Captain Jack Stephan
US Airways MEC Chairman
cc: ALPA International Officers
