USA320Pilot comments: I understand your point, but let me add a couple of comments.
Oh yes, your comments. So many false assumptions, misinformation and convoluted erroneous thinking that it is difficult to know where to begin.
The East MEC believes the Nicolau Award violates ALPA Merger Policy, which is why they are objecting to the Award. I guess you could say that the West MEC believes the EC Resolutions are not valid, and use the same argument.
Your MEC has agreed that all steps of the policy were followed and no evidence of fraud has been presented. Arbitration is binding. The EC resolutions are being followed by the West MEC (no MEC reolutions passed that only one solution is acceptable and still in compliance with the transition agreement) and the Rice committee
suggestions ( the Rice committee has stated that they cannot mandate) will be considered.
Lets say next year United Airlines acquires Virgin America or Skyways and both of these pilot groups are represented by ALPA. United and one these companies arbitrate a list and a 1-year Captain is given a relative seniority number one number junior to the most senior United narrowbody Captain, who has over 12 years seniority. Would that be fair?
First of all, the wide gap between MC's will not exist because AAA has provided a fantastic lesson to all regarding leaving so much to arbitration. Secondly, United Airlines is not now a failing airline as was the case of AAA. Like it or not, that directly plays into the "career expectations" stated in ALPA merger policy.
Just as if US Airways and United had merged it would be unfair for the US Airways pilots to have B747 rights it is unfair for the AWA pilots to be able to hold virtually all of the A350, A330, and B767 flying in the not-to-distant future. Nor is it right for a 3-month AWA F/O who was on probation and an ALPA apprentice member at the time of the merger now be senior to a 18-year US Airways F/O, just like it would be unfair to have a 3-month Virgin America pilot senior to a United pilot who had more tenure.
When I was in new-hire groundschool we launched B747 flights to Hawaii and then Japan, shortly thereafter. If you can pull wild career expectations out of your ass, we can too! The 3-month AWA F/O brought a job to the new merged airline. The 18-year US Airways F/O had been furloughed from US Airways at the time of merger announcement. He may have been working at MDA, but to work there he had to have been furloughed from US Airways (he couldn't simply bid to that operation) and he had to receive a furlough recall letter to return to US Airways.
Little that you say, does!
Furthermore, I agree with Parker’s comments that he “happens to believe that if we could get everyone together at the negotiating table, we could work something out that meets everyone’s needs – though both sides would need to move some from their increasingly hardening positions.â€
But, hasn't the east unilaterally withdrawn from JNC discussions?
The challenge? The AWA MEC refuses to move from their position of “bindingâ€, which the EC and the US Airway pilots will not accept.
We refuse to reward bad behavior.
After National sends the list to Parker and
after the east returns to JNC discussions as previously agreed to in the transition agreement, I believe you will see some flexability. Until then, we refuse to yield to your temper tantrums or National's unwarranted medaling.
Meanwhile, there is another interesting dynamic in play here. Last week John Prater told a number of US Airways pilots that that while the US Airways are the lowest paid pilots in the industry, all other pilot groups would have a tough time negotiating pay raises when their contracts became amendable because management’s will want to have competitive labor costs. So getting us a better contract is very important in the airline pilot big picture. And, Prater indicated the only way for the US Airways pilots and the industry better contracts is for the Executive Council to help the US Airways-AWA pilots find a solution to this mess.
OMG, we actually agree on something!
Finally, it is my understanding the Rice Committee is going to present its recommendations to the JNC next week, which could include fences, furlough, and future merger protections. It should be interesting to see the Rice Committee recommendations and the results of the meeting during a period when ALPA’s existence is at stake.
As I stated earlier,
after National sends the list to Parker and
after the east returns to JNC discussions as previously agreed to in the transition agreement, I believe you will see some flexability. Until then, we refuse to yield to your temper tantrums or National's unwarranted interference.