Message from the MEC Chairman - June 7, 2007
Fellow pilots,
Last night, I sent out an autodialer message as a special update for all America West pilots and their families. It read as follows:
“This afternoon, MEC Vice Chairman Mitch Vasin and I met with ALPA President John Prater and the US Airways MEC leadership in Washington. Captain Prater delivered the message that he wants the MECs to immediately engage in a process to utilize the JNC and other parties to explore fences and other career progression provisions. I have discussed this with the MEC and we are unified in our message. No Thank you. We will respectfully decline Captain Prater’s immediate request. Our MEC is quite willing to engage in any process that gets our pilots closer to a joint contract, but only after ALPA has made it clear that it will not set aside or review the Nicolau Award. Your MEC is unwilling to enter into those discussions while there remains any threat that ALPA will do anything other than comply fully and properly with its obligations under Merger Policy – namely defend the Award and present it to management.
As always, please continue to fly safe and secure.â€
At the meeting, the message I delivered was the same that was delivered to ALPA’s Executive Council in May. ALPA’s merger policy is clear – the arbitration panel’s decision is final and binding on all parties and we expect ALPA to defend this award. We expect that ALPA’s Executive Council will reconvene at the end of June and we also expect ALPA to effect the presentation of this Award to US Airways CEO Doug Parker and defend this award using all available resources. I have also asked our outside merger counsel, Jeff Freund, to begin reviewing all our legal options to ensure we carefully protect the interests of the America West pilots. The letter I sent to Captain Prater this afternoon responding to his invitation is attached.
I am pleased to announce that the AAA MEC clearly expressed that they are willing to continue to address both our pilot groups mutual collective bargaining concerns and continue the JNC process. To that end, the east and west JNC members have secured additional dates for the JNC process starting July 10 and going through the remainder of the summer. Additionally, I remain hopeful that we can find additional dates. To that end, the AWA MEC has authorized me to continue in the JNC process with the goal being that we can achieve a ratifiable tentative agreement by the fall.
We are at the pinnacle of our fight for the final resolution of seniority integration issues and are now faced with severe budget constraints that will limit our ability to defend, enforce, implement and interpret the award as necessary. No ALPA dues can be used to pay for seniority integration expenses, including our outside merger attorney and advisors. In addition, once the merger of MECs is complete, we will be unable to further assess our pilots to participate in the inevitable future disputes that will arise from the new seniority list. We are likely to continue to need the legal services of our merger professionals for months if not years to come if previous mergers serve as any example. If passed, this merger assessment will be for $75 per month per pilot for 4 months. If the MEC, upon consultation with the Merger Committee, determine more funds are necessary, the MEC, in consultation with our Merger Committee, can ONLY continue the assessment for $75 per month for ONLY four additional months. I want to thank both the Merger Committee and the Merger Fund Management Committee for their stewardship of our assessed funds thus far. I think we all agree that we have gotten enormous value out of our original 500 dollar investment. But there is very little left in this fund. We do not get the additional $300,000 in the Transition Agreement until management has been presented with the list and the list has been accepted by management. I want all of you to know that we intend to call upon them to help set up and administer this fund with strict financial controls to ensure we go above and beyond to protect our money.
That said, I encourage all pilots to take the time to review all information that we have sent out and please vote in favor of this assessment. Now is not the time to play politics with our careers on the line.
You can vote online by going to https://www.ballotpoint.com/alpa or by calling 1-888-647-1787.
I want to thank all of you and your families for your support, your patience and your perseverance as we work through these issues to protect your seniority and ensure we get you the best possible collective bargaining agreement going forward.
As always, please continue to fly safe and secure.
Fraternally,
Captain John McIlvenna
Chairman, AWA MEC
USA320Pilot comments: The US Airways JNC is required per the Transition Agreement to negotiate a joint CBA, but they are not required to reach a deal. The AWA Merger Committee is broke and does not have the required funds to continue the seniority integration process.
Finally, as indicated earlier, during the May 21 EC meeting there were a number of EVP's who wanted the Nicolau Award thrown out.
In my opinion, if the AWA MEC will not "utilize the JNC and other parties to explore fences and other career progression provisions" per ALPA persident John Prater's request then I believe this increases the odds the EC could thow out the award at June's meeting.
Regards,
USA320Pilot
Fellow pilots,
Last night, I sent out an autodialer message as a special update for all America West pilots and their families. It read as follows:
“This afternoon, MEC Vice Chairman Mitch Vasin and I met with ALPA President John Prater and the US Airways MEC leadership in Washington. Captain Prater delivered the message that he wants the MECs to immediately engage in a process to utilize the JNC and other parties to explore fences and other career progression provisions. I have discussed this with the MEC and we are unified in our message. No Thank you. We will respectfully decline Captain Prater’s immediate request. Our MEC is quite willing to engage in any process that gets our pilots closer to a joint contract, but only after ALPA has made it clear that it will not set aside or review the Nicolau Award. Your MEC is unwilling to enter into those discussions while there remains any threat that ALPA will do anything other than comply fully and properly with its obligations under Merger Policy – namely defend the Award and present it to management.
As always, please continue to fly safe and secure.â€
At the meeting, the message I delivered was the same that was delivered to ALPA’s Executive Council in May. ALPA’s merger policy is clear – the arbitration panel’s decision is final and binding on all parties and we expect ALPA to defend this award. We expect that ALPA’s Executive Council will reconvene at the end of June and we also expect ALPA to effect the presentation of this Award to US Airways CEO Doug Parker and defend this award using all available resources. I have also asked our outside merger counsel, Jeff Freund, to begin reviewing all our legal options to ensure we carefully protect the interests of the America West pilots. The letter I sent to Captain Prater this afternoon responding to his invitation is attached.
I am pleased to announce that the AAA MEC clearly expressed that they are willing to continue to address both our pilot groups mutual collective bargaining concerns and continue the JNC process. To that end, the east and west JNC members have secured additional dates for the JNC process starting July 10 and going through the remainder of the summer. Additionally, I remain hopeful that we can find additional dates. To that end, the AWA MEC has authorized me to continue in the JNC process with the goal being that we can achieve a ratifiable tentative agreement by the fall.
We are at the pinnacle of our fight for the final resolution of seniority integration issues and are now faced with severe budget constraints that will limit our ability to defend, enforce, implement and interpret the award as necessary. No ALPA dues can be used to pay for seniority integration expenses, including our outside merger attorney and advisors. In addition, once the merger of MECs is complete, we will be unable to further assess our pilots to participate in the inevitable future disputes that will arise from the new seniority list. We are likely to continue to need the legal services of our merger professionals for months if not years to come if previous mergers serve as any example. If passed, this merger assessment will be for $75 per month per pilot for 4 months. If the MEC, upon consultation with the Merger Committee, determine more funds are necessary, the MEC, in consultation with our Merger Committee, can ONLY continue the assessment for $75 per month for ONLY four additional months. I want to thank both the Merger Committee and the Merger Fund Management Committee for their stewardship of our assessed funds thus far. I think we all agree that we have gotten enormous value out of our original 500 dollar investment. But there is very little left in this fund. We do not get the additional $300,000 in the Transition Agreement until management has been presented with the list and the list has been accepted by management. I want all of you to know that we intend to call upon them to help set up and administer this fund with strict financial controls to ensure we go above and beyond to protect our money.
That said, I encourage all pilots to take the time to review all information that we have sent out and please vote in favor of this assessment. Now is not the time to play politics with our careers on the line.
You can vote online by going to https://www.ballotpoint.com/alpa or by calling 1-888-647-1787.
I want to thank all of you and your families for your support, your patience and your perseverance as we work through these issues to protect your seniority and ensure we get you the best possible collective bargaining agreement going forward.
As always, please continue to fly safe and secure.
Fraternally,
Captain John McIlvenna
Chairman, AWA MEC
USA320Pilot comments: The US Airways JNC is required per the Transition Agreement to negotiate a joint CBA, but they are not required to reach a deal. The AWA Merger Committee is broke and does not have the required funds to continue the seniority integration process.
Finally, as indicated earlier, during the May 21 EC meeting there were a number of EVP's who wanted the Nicolau Award thrown out.
In my opinion, if the AWA MEC will not "utilize the JNC and other parties to explore fences and other career progression provisions" per ALPA persident John Prater's request then I believe this increases the odds the EC could thow out the award at June's meeting.
Regards,
USA320Pilot
