America West Pilots Seek Pay For Efforts Toward

[USA320Pilot]

America West pilots seek pay for efforts toward merger

Nearly 20 America West pilots are serving on merger or negotiating committees, or in some other capacity, to help "put the pilot groups together," said J.R. Baker, chairman of the America West pilots union.

"We want to get the merger done just like management does," said Baker. "We just want to have the resources to do it."

Baker said America West pilots' contract does not provide for pay when performing merger-related work. Instead, the union compensates that pilot who is pulled from duty.

"We're looking for reasonable reimbursement in exchange for working to get this merger done," he said.

Complete Story

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[firstamendment]

America West pilots seek pay for efforts toward merger

Nearly 20 America West pilots are serving on merger or negotiating committees, or in some other capacity, to help "put the pilot groups together," said J.R. Baker, chairman of the America West pilots union.

"We want to get the merger done just like management does," said Baker. "We just want to have the resources to do it."

Baker said America West pilots' contract does not provide for pay when performing merger-related work. Instead, the union compensates that pilot who is pulled from duty.

"We're looking for reasonable reimbursement in exchange for working to get this merger done," he said.

Complete Story

Regards,

USA320Pilot

[post="278011"][/post]​

US Airways management is doing the same thing with the f/a's. AFA's response? When you are ready to pay us, we will be ready to start the necessary merger negotiations.

 

[Schwanker]

Another article about AWA Pilots / Merger Concerns:

bizjournals.com
ALPA worries about America West
Tuesday June 21, 1:01 am ET


The Air Line Pilots Association expressed "deep concern" Monday that management of America West Airlines is ignoring what it calls reasonable requests to help ALPA protect jobs in a US Airways merger.

In a meeting with senior AWA management, leaders of the AWA pilots union said it raised "a small number of concerns" but did not get the assurances from some senior managers that they had gotten earlier from CEO Doug Parker.

"It is unfortunate that the pilots are not getting a clear and consistent message from all levels of AWA management," ALPA said.

Parker had assured the pilot union leadership that he wanted to protect his frontline employees, including pilots, from potentially adverse career impacts from the merger, ALPA said.

"Despite his assurances, in less than one week, we were back to the same mentality that legitimate labor concerns come a distant second in the priorities of some senior AWA managers," said J.R. Baker, chairman of the AWA Master Executive Council.

US Airways, now working to emerge from a second Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is the sixth largest legacy airline, while America West is the second largest discount carrier. The two recently announced not only that they would merge, taking the US Airways name, but that a key expansion plan would be to add service to Hawaii. Neither carrier now flies to Hawaii, but America West sells code-share tickets over Hawaiian Airlines.

 

[USA320Pilot]

With a reduction in workforce and pay, union budgets are under pressure and it is difficult for unions to pay their expenses. The America West ALPA MEC is trying to get management to pay their "flight pay loss" to perform union duties by using the news media as a third party influence versus assessing the membership.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[700UW]

And I will bet the farm Pollack all ready has his hand out wanting the same from Glass and company.

 

[USA320Pilot]

700UW:

A responsible union leader gets the best possible deal for the rank-and-file versus giving the company more than their “askâ€￾. That includes FPL for merger and negotiating expenses and union consultant fees, which normally happens in these type of discussions.

ALPA MEC chairman Bill Pollock would be remiss if he did not negotiate such a deal because in the end union members would have to pick up the tab.

Earlier today Dan Fitzpatrick of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said US Airways pilot leaders also have a few demands that must be met for the process to go smoothly. Like their counterparts at America West, they want to be compensated, as they have in the past, for any flight time lost to the negotiations.

"I am fairly confident US Airways will be resistant," said Bill Pollack, chairman of the US Airways pilots union.

US Airways union leaders want a signed commitment that the two airlines will be fully integrated, from top to bottom, and not exist as two separate organizations. They also want the companies to agree that a merger of two employee groups will be governed by policies of the national Air Line Pilots Association and for both airlines to preserve the respective level of flying at both operations while the merger is being approved.

Pollock said he wanted to avoid any "horseplay by the companies in playing one group off the other."

"We will need a commitment on the process to enjoy our support," Pollack said.

Complete Story

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[700UW]

Lets see I guess you forget that Pollack gave more than the company's ask in the first bankruptcy when he and the fellow MEC members voted amongst themselves to terminate the pilot's pension without a membership vote.

Funny I don't remember during the first or second round of concessions in the first bankruptcy mention the termination of the pilot's pension, so in reality ALPA gave more then both asks.

Once again, don't let the facts get in your way.

 

[ClueByFour]

"We will need a commitment on the process to enjoy our support," Pollack said.

That's rich. The company neither cares nor needs Pollack's (or any other ALPA rep's) support. Bill has to come down off the high horse a bit for a guy who has been at the helm for multiple concessionary givebacks.

 

[openview]

Just curious what incentive or interest either company would have by either paying for or getting involved with the unions' integration issues.

No company wants a union to begin with. Doubt this process will happen without many problems. Why wouldn't either company's position be: decide what you want; tell us when its done.

 

[jimntx]

Just curious what incentive or interest either company would have by either paying for or getting involved with the unions' integration issues. 

[post="278244"][/post]​

Unless the unions go along with the merger--which they won't (or shouldn't) until seniority integration and other issues are settled--the merger won't happen. US Airways can run to BK judge and force its unions to comply (which does not rule out the possibility of a strike), but AWA is not in bankruptcy. They have to have the agreement of their unions to proceed. Who's going to invest in a "new" company facing a strike its first day in business?

I would say that the AA/TWA example is a very good reason for the unions to make sure that every I is dotted and every T crossed before agreeing to proceed.

 

[openview]

Unless the unions go along with the merger--which they won't (or shouldn't) until seniority integration and other issues are settled--the merger won't happen.

If the current state of the company (at least for US) and the prospect for survival isn't incentive enough for the unions to go along with a merger, nothing will be...

US or AW could merge the lists tomorrow running a simple program. The issue is the unions will have issue with each and every detail. So why get involved in it, or pay for it, from a company standpoint.

In essence the unions would be getting paid by the company and by the membership to disagree amongst themselves.

 

[jimntx]

If the current state of the company (at least for US) and the prospect for survival isn't incentive enough for the unions to go along with a merger, nothing will be...

[post="278255"][/post]​

I don't dispute the fact that the US employees have a vested interest in seeing that this merger is completed, but I don't think that the AWA employees are convinced that their survival depends upon this merger. They may be in some financial trouble down the road a bit, but they are viewed as a viable airline. They can still attract investors with or without the merger.

 

[BoeingBoy]

openview,

I think you're overlooking the fact that the companys have a vested monetary interest in integrating the employee groups. Some of that $600 million in "synergies" depends on it. How much does it cost to have two training departments, two scheduling departments, two contracts to enforce/comply with, etc. It doesn't take too long for that extra cost to far outweigh the cost of paying the unions negotiators while they work out the differences.

Jim

 

[Bear96]

Unless the unions go along with the merger--which they won't (or shouldn't) until seniority integration and other issues are settled--the merger won't happen.

[post="278248"][/post]​

Why is that? Does something in the HP pilot's contract prohibit a merger / acquisition (whatever you want to call this)?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Bear,

Not to put words in jimntx's mouth, but I think "merger" can mean two different things - the corporate merger and the operational merger.

The corporate merger could go forward without an operational merger, which is what is apparently going to happen since it's said we'll operate separately for 2-3 years.

The operational merger can't go forward until the integration issues have been resolved.

Jim