AUG/SEPT 2012 US Pilots Labor Discussion

[nic4us]

I am wondering if acceptance of the MOU and subsequent furlough out of Nic seniority order would sufficiently ripen a hybrid DFR. Hmmm?

Possibly but probably not...but trying to use any list other than the Nic during an SLI certainly would.

 

[USA320Pilot]

Is the MOU perfect? No, of course not. But, our options are to accept the MOU as a bridge Transition Agreement to a JCBA or remain on LOA 93/C2004.

MOU Benefits:

• US Airways will bargain with USAPA and APA versus just APA to convert MOU/Term Sheet our new contract.
• US Airways will recognize USAPA as a CBA agent, exchange confidential/new contract information, reimburse USAPA for its expenses versus the union having to pay for its own expenses, and will provide our union information related to the merger as requested by USAPA.
• Dramatic pay increases and equal pay from Day 1, which will also increase retirement benefits.
• Improved aspects of Scope with Furlough and pay protection.
• Protect Hawaii and Shuttle flying.
• Proportional reductions.
• Reduce the time from DAL/UAL pay parity by 50% from 6 to 3 years for total cockpit costs for Compensation (pay rates, premiums, profit sharing, and per diem), Vacation, Retirement, and Health & Welfare.
• For West pilots 3-year bridge for STD coverage.
• Sick balance 1,000 hours. Pilots with over 1,000 hours retain the balance. Pilots will not accrue additional sick leave over 1,000 hours but can use the annual accrual or sick occurrences and sell sick leave back to the company.
• Improved E-190 Pay.
• Negotiations for a new contract begin on JCBA 4 year anniversary.
• Fleet protections: Establish two baselines with one for US and one for AA, total scheduled flying in a 12-month period proceeding the effective date with a widebody and narrowbody baseline. US ratio window for US mainline fleet is 5% or about 18 total East & West aircraft and 10% for widebody aircraft or about 3 or 4 aircraft. (I believe the downside risk of 18 total airplanes with pilots retirements would have minimal staffing problems).
• Minimum block hour protection.
• US & AA E-190 ratio split after 30th aircraft (20 already in US Airways' inventory).
• Eliminate Star Alliance, UAL and CAL code sharing and replace it with JetBlue, Hawaiian, Alasks, and Oneworld code sharing - The NAC said, "this is the holy grail of the merger."
• $40 million lump sum payment.

MOU Givebacks:

• Waive COC.
• LPPs
• Transition Agreement language on minimum fleet count and daily utilization.

Comments:

1. COC - If the merger dies East pilots keep the COC. If merger proceeds who needs the COC? We will work for the largest airline in the world offering career job security, have significant MOU/JCBA/Pay Parity economic benefits; therefore, the COC will no longer be needed.

2. LPPs - According to USAPA, "LPP Section 3 and 13 provide for the fair and equitable seniority integration and a specific time table for final and binding arbitration. However, unlike previous mergers, a merger with American would be governed by the McCaskill-Bond Amendment. In 2007, U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond secured a provision to the Senate’s omnibus spending bill that guarantees airline employees not already covered by some other arrangement (such as the Air Line Pilots Association Merger Policy) a process for integrating seniority. McCaskill-Bond incorporates sections 3 and 13 of the Allegheny-Mohawk Labor Protective Provisions which require 'integration of seniority lists in a fair and equitable manner' either through the agreement of the parties or, absent agreement, through binding impartial arbitration."

Therefore, LPPs are no longer an issue because they have been incorporated into McCaskill-Bond; therefore, we now have to comply with federal law and LPPs should be taken off of the table. They exist in McCaskill-Bond.

3. Transition Agreement language on minimum fleet count and daily utilization - This section is being adjusted with other scope protections including pay protection, a no furlough clause, minimum block hours and other fleet protections as described above.

In conclusion, the bottom line is this. All four NAC members, every USAPA legal adviser, and every USAPA financial adviser recommend we vote for this deal and that there will be no other MOU (could be minor changes negotiated next week on Force Majeure and the 17 pilots on furlough from the West).

And, according to USAPA "Pat Szymanski and Gary Hummel reaffirmed (based on a conversation between President Hummel and US Airways President Scott Kirby), that the Company had no intention of changing the provisions in paragraph 7 of the MOU concerning mainline, wide body, shuttle and Hawaii flying protections. Additionally Pat Szymanski reported that the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) AMR sent to US Airways to protect sensitive AMR financial and other information included a prohibition against US Airways negotiating with APA over terms and conditions that apply to a potential merger, and that once US Airways signed the NDA it could be barred from further negotiations with APA and USAPA concerning the merger until the NDA expired."

Why? I believe the UCC will not permit any meaningful improvements to the MOU or they will vote for AMR's standalone plan.

Therefore, my decision is simple. Do we want the benefits of the MOU/merger and a front row seat at the JCBA table now or do we want to remain with LOA 93/C2004 as our contract for an indefinite period, which could be a long period of time? Thus, I will vote for the MOU TA and take the advice of the NAC and every USAPA financial and legal adviser.

 

[Phoenix]

Phoenix

C'mon now. How many have mixed up Mowrey with Mowery, or misspelled Nicolau (Nicolai), or simply missed a key on the keyboard.

Regarding Parity+1, that sure was a good week.

Sure, spell "Wolf" incorrectly all you want, but if you are going to claim to be more informed than the average pilot, and thus more capable of spotting hidden "bad deals" in the MOU (and claim they really aren't there) don't present your experiences under the Wolf Era in comparison to the DUI era, and especially the DUI era that he is casting as his new vision.... He envisions you without scope, LPPs, Min Fleet, and parity. We had all those under Wolf, which were much better days, and now folks are saying we should hand over those protections... And they claim to be more informed?

How about we just stick with the notion that pilots can see through the BS and be informed themselves.. People that can't consider themselves informed should do everyone a favor and just abstain.

 

[Phoenix]

Is the MOU perfect? No, of course not. .

MOU Givebacks:

• Waive COC.
• LPPs
• Transition Agreement language on minimum fleet count and daily utilization.

If DUI wants my vote for his merger he can't have more concessions from me.

He is the one arguing the synergies will be worth more than a billion dollars. If he is telling the truth then he doesn't need any concessions, unless of course he gets to that number because of the new concessions he is asking for.

No more concessions from me.

 

[EastCheats]

They are his to take. The Angry F/O's got their upgrades and now can vote Yes and screw the more junior, which was USAPA's plan from the beginning.

This should be called the Bradford MOU since facing it is a direct result of his hairbrained scheme

All I hear is Moo Moo from a herd.

 

[luvn737s]

. Do we want the benefits of the MOU/merger and a front row seat at the JCBA table now or do we want to remain with LOA 93/C2004 as our contract for an indefinite period, which could be a long period of time? Thus, I will vote for the MOU TA and take the advice of the NAC and every USAPA financial and legal adviser.

Those aren't the options. The options are get what's given to us through the MOU or take what's behind Door Number 2. Door number two, when dealing with an airline in bankruptcy, could be anything. Parker could abandon the non-binding agreemeents with the APA and go to the court asking for contract relief for the newly merged airline and place the entire pilot group under those terms. With many more stakeholders, a judge would be hard pressed to let folks with a history of labor disruptions (read injunction) topple the new Jenga tower. Rejecting a deal against the recommendations of folks the court recognizes as impartial will gain a lot of points with the judge too. Parker will need new investment and no one will bother investing in an airline with even higher labor costs (is Bronner still around?).

The point is, US has no pilot labor leadership with any positive track record so there is no reason to expect them to trigger more generousity out of management. You may be very lucky to stay on LOA93 and the west contract, but don't count on luck.

USAPA handed Parker a loaded gun to point at our heads and then giggles about only giving him 7 bullets.

This pilot group wasn't smart enough to stave off USAPA or keep them from getting us parked. I would hope enough would do the smart thing and take the better of the two evils the east has left us with under Operation Hobson's Choice.

 

[luvn737s]

unless of course he gets to that number because of the new concessions he is asking for.

Don't end a sentence with a preposition.

 

[Phoenix]

Don't end a sentence with a preposition.

That sentence didn't end with a preposition. It ended with an ellipsis. Be that as it may, the answer to more concessions is still the same.

 

[luvn737s]

That sentence didn't end with a preposition. It ended with an ellipsis. Be that as it may, the answer to more concessions is still the same.

Better go see if 3rd grade grammar has any night classes available.

And you still won't be given the opportunity to answer. You gave that up in the back of the van.

Foolish youth!

 

[Freighterguynow]

Usa329pilot the Queen of the let my daddy vote vote yes to concessions crowd

 

[Phoenix]

Better go see if 3rd grade grammar has any night classes available.

And you still won't be given the opportunity to answer. You gave that up in the back of the van.

Foolish youth!

Ah, the ellipsis was taught in 4th grade. Irony in 5th. Sarcasm in 6th.

The answer to more concessions is still no, but I'm always willing to reconsider if new evidence is brought to light. Revisiting internal union disputes would be just that.

 

[luvn737s]

Apparently character education never made the cut. Judge Silver may offer tutoring. If you find a judge that wants to indulge you by listening to you babble on about an internal union dispute, have at it. Just because you haven't in 5 years doesn't mean you ought to give up.

Or does it?

Why do you suppose your childish union was incapable of generating a decent MOU? Further, why didn't Cleary get the same audience with Parker?

Don't get too attached to COC. 70% of the folks involved in this transaction could care less about it.

 

[BLT]

USAPA: I want this, that and the other things!
COMPANY: OK, here you go.
USAPA: Thats not good enough! Wah, wah, wah.
COMPANY: (Crickets chirping)
USAPA: Uh, hello? Hello? I think we have a bad connection. Hello.............?

 

[traderjake]

If DUI wants my vote for his merger he can't have more concessions from me.

I don't think Doug wants your vote.

I think we wants to keep you on LOA 93 as long as possible.

 

[Move2CLT]

I don't think Doug wants your vote.

I think we wants to keep you on LOA 93 as long as possible.

Doug doesn't really care about what you want. This is happening with or without you.