US Airways ALPA MEC Chairman's Message - August 15, 2007
This is MEC Chairman Jack Stephan with a Chairman’s message to the pilots for Wednesday, August 15, 2007.
During our second quarter MEC meeting on June 14th, the MEC unanimously passed a resolution demanding pay increases in order to obtain pay parity with the higher AWA pilot rate. That resolution also reactivated the Strike Prep Committee to help with activities that we plan to use to achieve equal pay for equal work. The Negotiating Committee was then directed to engage the Company in discussions for equal pay, which resulted with the parity pay proposals submitted to management on June 28th. Just recently, during LCC’s second quarter earnings web cast, Doug Parker stated that paying your employees the same wages for doing the same job is the right thing to do, and has indicated that money has already been budgeted for that purpose.
Today, your MEC passed a resolution that once and for all draws a line in the sand concerning the equal pay issue. Effective immediately, members of the JNC are reassigned back to Negotiating Committee duties, and they will not reengage in Joint Contract Negotiations until the US Airways Pilots are provided pay parity with our Brother and Sister pilots at America West. Furthermore, the resolution calls for retro active pay for all US Airways pilots which will take affect starting September 1, 2007, including a fair interest charge of 8% that will be calculated onto any future agreements.
On September 27, it will be two years since US Airways emerged from its second bankruptcy and merged with America West. The profits Doug Parker enjoys and shares with the entire company are generated directly on our backs. It’s time to level the playing field for those pilots most responsible for our profitability.
Another resolution passed today directs the MEC officers to meet initially with ALPA International and request the release of the US Airways MEC’s portion of the MCF funds with an updated time line for their use, so as to mutually achieve the goals of both the AAA MEC and all ALPA pilots by raising the bar of the lowest pay rate. These funds in the past were used by the US Airways MEC in support of Joint Negotiations.
Our number one goal has not changed, our strategy concerning the Nicolau award is in place and underway. However, we must refocus on getting returns for our pilots. Communications and Strike Prep will be working together, but it will be our pilots who ultimately supple the wherewithal to bring an end to pay discrimination and B-Scale wages. So stay informed and stand by for our request for your participation in helping us achieve what is rightly ours. As always, we can not be successful without you on board.
For now, fly safe, follow the three prong approach, and thanks for listening.
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Resolution passed 08-15-07
WHEREAS this September will mark two years since the merger between US Airways and America West Airlines, and
WHEREAS US Airways management has benefited from scope relief granted by the US Airways pilots allowing the use of the US Airways marketing identity on America West flights for nearly two years, and
WHEREAS there has been little substantial economic progress made during Joint Negotiations for both pilot groups, and
WHEREAS there has been a disparity of pay between the pilot groups since the onset of the US Airways and America West merger, and
WHEREAS this disparity between the two pilot groups has increased due to the recalling of US Airways furloughed pilots that are not at top of scale, and
WHEREAS the America West Pilots received the support of the US Airways pilots in dealings with management that culminated in the America West pilots successfully achieving substantial gains in the areas of Defined Contribution Retirement Plan and Corporate Profit Sharing Plan, and
WHEREAS since the US Airways and America West Merger, management has seen fit to grant other employees pay and parity raises throughout the corporation, and
WHEREAS US Airways management continues to reward themselves with lucrative compensation packages, and
WHEREAS the profits are reported separately for US Airways and America West by the company, and they indicate an extreme disproportionate profit generated from the East operation resulting in East profits disportionately funding items such as West profit sharing plans, other employee raises and executive compensation packages and
WHEREAS the Transition Agreement envisioned substantial progress being made by June of 2006, and
WHEREAS Management has intentionally manipulated the timeline and slowed the progress of the JNC process, in particular during it's ill conceived hostile takeover attempt of Delta Airlines, and
WHEREAS during that failed Delta Airline Takeover attempt, management clearly promised that all pilots would be brought up to the highest contract of the three pilot groups, and
WHEREAS CEO Doug Parker on July 26, 2007 during the 2nd Quarter Report publicly stated that US Airways has already budgeted 122 million dollars for 2007 and beyond for the assumed cost of matching US Airways pilots pay with America West pilot pay plus an additional three percent, and
WHEREAS also during this same public forum CEO Doug Parker declared that employees performing the same work should be paid at the same level of pay, and
WHEREAS the expense of continued fruitless negotiation is not in the best interest of the US Airways East pilots.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the AAA MEC immediately reassign our members of the JNC back to Negotiating Committee duties, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our members of the JNC will not reengage in Joint Contract Negotiations until the US Airways Pilots are provided parity with our Brother and Sister pilots at America West, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that parity is defined as pay as put forth to the company in our June 28th proposal, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That retro pay for all US Airways pilots will take affect starting September 1, 2007, including a fair interest charge of 8% that will be calculated onto any future agreements, and
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the US Airways MEC authorizes a media campaign, including but not limited to informational picketing and other forms of lawful demonstrations, in order to inform the traveling public of the un-American pay discrimination that the professional union pilots at US Airways have been enduring for the last two years.
Just kidding; I've a weakness when helpless, dumb animals are concened.....
