Closing Arguements

[700UW]

Posted on Fri, Dec. 17, 2004
Union makes final plea to judge in US Airways bankruptcy
MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Mechanics at bankrupt US Airways are unfairly being asked to approve a new labor contract that would eliminate more than half the jobs in that work group, a union lawyer argued Friday

The International Association of Machinists, which represents mechanics and fleet service workers at US Airways, made their final arguments to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Mitchell, asking for rejection of the airline's request to terminate certain union contracts and impose new terms that would lower pay, reduce benefits, and allow extensive outsourcing.

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[SpinDoc]

Posted on Fri, Dec. 17, 2004
Union makes final plea to judge in US Airways bankruptcy
MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Mechanics at bankrupt US Airways are unfairly being asked to approve a new labor contract that would eliminate more than half the jobs in that work group, a union lawyer argued Friday

SpinDoc replies:

UNFAIRLY being asked? Where in the he11 was
the IAM when the company asked for concessions
back in 2003?

IMHO, and that of Piney Bob, the IAM should
have presented a plan to keep heavy MTC in
house and take on outside contracts from other
carriers to keep their members on the property.
Instead, the insisted that "The Concession Stand
in Closed" and now they will feel the pain of
outsourcing. No ones fault but their own.

 

[USA320Pilot]

SpinDoc, you're likely correct. Here's a better link to the story:

See Story

Best regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[repeet]

SpinDoc replies:

IMHO, and that of Piney Bob, the IAM should
have presented a plan to keep heavy MTC in
house and take on outside contracts from other
carriers to keep their members on the property.
Instead, the insisted that "The Concession Stand
in Closed" and now they will feel the pain of
outsourcing. No ones fault but their own.

[post="229730"][/post]​

There is nothing prohibiting or discouraging outside work in the IAM's contract. As a matter of fact, many shops did indeed do outside work, and made the company good money doing it. The decision to stop doing vendor work was made by middle management about seven years ago.

The decision to gut the mechanics jobs at US Airways starting over a decade ago.

First when the 767's, 757's were bought, they were bought with leased engines under the "power by the hour" program run by GE (GECAS). Also instrument and other rotables were "under warranty". Even though mechanics in and out of the shops had been doing "warranty" work for the manufactures for decades, these airplanes were handled "differently".

Then came the Airbuses. Once again, GECAS arranged "power by the hour". The Avionics and Instrument shops were offered test stands for various systems in the Airbus. We have copies of the "NO COST" P.O.s given to our managers for us to receive them. These "NO COST" P.O.s were signed and passed up the managerial chain where the Vice President of Maintenance let them languish in a drawer as he arranged for outside vendors to do 99% of all of the Airbus electronic and instrument systems.

The "Concession Stand Is Closed" stance has never been the "Negotiation Stand Is Closed". The IAM has been, and is, eager to do work historically done by us cheaper and quicker than most all vendors.

Over the last ten years our historic work has been stolen from us, stolen from us, stolen from us. The mechanics are eager to bring to the table the cheaper alternative, but instead the company for a decade has chosen the expensive alternative in order to diminish our work group. The IAM has hundreds of grievances where the vendor P.O.s prove that we do the work cheaper in house. Yet the company continues to choose the costlier alternative because "they choose to".

The Concession Stand Is Closed. Bring back the work our contract says is ours and we will bring value and cost saving to our company. Ask us to conceed away our jobs and we will shut this mother down.

Finally we, the rank and file Mechanics and Related, have a chance to make our stand. Don't think we won't!!!

 

[700UW]

This says it all:

The machinists' union is the only one without at least a tentative agreement. The union's lawyer, Sharon Levine, said the reason is simple: No other union has been asked to make such severe concessions. Even management conceded that US Airways' request would likely require furloughs of more than 50 percent of the 4,000 or so mechanics working under an IAM contract. Union officials estimated that as many as 75 percent could be laid off.

"There is no precedent for the type of sweeping relief the debtor (US Airways) is seeking," Levine said. The requested concessions "are tantamount to gutting the entire collective bargaining agreement."

So SpinDoc and A320PP, why don't you personally go to the 4,000 families affected and tell them to vote themselves out of a job.