- Banned
- #1
AWA, US Air Chiefs Propose 'Proportional' Labor Merge
Aviation Daily
05/23/2005, page 04
Steven Lott
The chief executives of America West and US Airways promised labor last week that they will not "staple" the seniority list of one carrier to the other's, but merging union forces can still mean headaches for management.
Aviation history shows many instances of integrating labor forces from two airlines as a difficult and often destructive process. In the case of the proposed America West-US Airways merger, America West CEO Doug Parker notes that nothing in the proposed deal requires an amendment to current labor contracts and said much of the transition will focus on talks between the two units of the Air Line Pilots Association.
Parker and US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield last week issued a "joint statement of labor principles" to address staff concerns. For staff represented by unions, "the question of what will happen to your jobs is even harder for us to answer because so much of what will happen is outside management's control."
The executives said the labor contracts have different provisions governing how seniority lists will be integrated, and depending on the specific contract, "provide for integration in accordance with a particular union's merger policy or certain 'Allegheny Mohawk' seniority integration provisions. Lakefield and Parker plan to honor those commitments, and "the ultimate outcome of seniority integration will be determined by your collective bargaining representatives as dictated by your contracts."
Management hopes and expects that the unions will "honor certain obviously fair and equitable protocols as they implement their merger policies." More specifically, management expects that no employee who had been furloughed before the merger would be permitted to bump an active employee out of a job. The executives believe that a plan to staple a seniority list of all employees of one airline to the bottom of the other's seniority list is "unacceptable and unconscionable." Management sees some type of proportional integration as "reasonable."
America West made clear that it is "fully prepared to safeguard the careers of America West pilots." The America West pilots' merger policy "provides for a process and timeframe for events to occur, but does not dictate how two ALPA pilot groups will integrate their seniority lists." Specifics on how the two merge their seniority lists are left up to negotiations between the pilot groups. If no agreement is reached, a merged list would result from mediation and arbitration.
Parker said he hopes most of the headcount cuts will come from attrition but acknowledged there would be some layoffs. -SL
Aviation Daily
05/23/2005, page 04
Steven Lott
The chief executives of America West and US Airways promised labor last week that they will not "staple" the seniority list of one carrier to the other's, but merging union forces can still mean headaches for management.
Aviation history shows many instances of integrating labor forces from two airlines as a difficult and often destructive process. In the case of the proposed America West-US Airways merger, America West CEO Doug Parker notes that nothing in the proposed deal requires an amendment to current labor contracts and said much of the transition will focus on talks between the two units of the Air Line Pilots Association.
Parker and US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield last week issued a "joint statement of labor principles" to address staff concerns. For staff represented by unions, "the question of what will happen to your jobs is even harder for us to answer because so much of what will happen is outside management's control."
The executives said the labor contracts have different provisions governing how seniority lists will be integrated, and depending on the specific contract, "provide for integration in accordance with a particular union's merger policy or certain 'Allegheny Mohawk' seniority integration provisions. Lakefield and Parker plan to honor those commitments, and "the ultimate outcome of seniority integration will be determined by your collective bargaining representatives as dictated by your contracts."
Management hopes and expects that the unions will "honor certain obviously fair and equitable protocols as they implement their merger policies." More specifically, management expects that no employee who had been furloughed before the merger would be permitted to bump an active employee out of a job. The executives believe that a plan to staple a seniority list of all employees of one airline to the bottom of the other's seniority list is "unacceptable and unconscionable." Management sees some type of proportional integration as "reasonable."
America West made clear that it is "fully prepared to safeguard the careers of America West pilots." The America West pilots' merger policy "provides for a process and timeframe for events to occur, but does not dictate how two ALPA pilot groups will integrate their seniority lists." Specifics on how the two merge their seniority lists are left up to negotiations between the pilot groups. If no agreement is reached, a merged list would result from mediation and arbitration.
Parker said he hopes most of the headcount cuts will come from attrition but acknowledged there would be some layoffs. -SL