CWA agrees to discuss further concessions

C

chipmunn

Guest
US Airways unions to discuss more cuts
PITTSBURGH (Post-Gazette) - The union representing US Airways'' reservation, gate and ticket agents agreed yesterday to begin negotiations with the bankrupt airline over changes in work rules and additional wage-and-benefit concessions.
Although we don''t like it, we are willing to come up with more [concessions]. We know the company is in trouble, said Chris Fox, president of Communications Workers of America Local 113002 in Pittsburgh.
But Fox added that the willingness of the CWA to agree to additional concessions would depend on whether employees were convinced that the airline''s management was shouldering its fair share of the sacrifices needed to keep the airline in business.
Any agreement worked out between the CWA and the Arlington, Va.-based carrier would have to be approved by union members, who agreed last summer to $71 million in annual cuts in wages and benefits. The company is seeking $11 million in additional concessions from the union.
The company had given its unions, which represent among others pilots, flight attendants and mechanics, until yesterday to decide whether to begin negotiations on the airline''s request for additional concessions. There has been speculation that the carrier is seeking from $200 million to $400 million.
Leaders of the pilots union met yesterday to review the company''s proposals for additional concessions, including the airline''s desire to reduce the pilots'' vacation pay and trim pension benefits.
Some union leaders scoffed at the idea of additional concessions, noting that their members had collectively agreed to nearly $900 million in annual wage-and-benefit cuts.
Teddy Xidas, president of the Pittsburgh local of the Association of Flight Attendants, said she would oppose any changes in work rules unless US Airways was willing to discuss the restoration of pay cuts it''s already obtained.
With a prolonged drop in air travel and losses totaling $882 million for the first nine months of this year, US Airways announced last week 2,500 additional job cuts and reiterated it would need up to $1.6 billion in annual cuts from its employees and creditors -- $400 million more than originally projected -- to qualify for federal loan guarantees to get out of bankruptcy.
US Airways Chief Executive Officer David Siegel also said the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which has agreed to invest $240 million in US Airways in exchange for a 37.5 percent ownership stake once it emerges from bankruptcy, wants the airline to have a contingency plan in place should the United States go to war with Iraq. As part of that plan, the airline wants employees to accept wage deferrals for up to 18 months.
 
The only way CWA should consider accepting any more concessions is to demand an immediate rescinding of 1/2, if not all, the furloughs in CS beginning with the upcoming DEC 6 and the impending Jan 15th Res and CS furloughs. Otherwise they should tell MGMT to go straight to the proverbial heaven and make a U turn..No one with 1/2 a brain or any self respect and not a brown noser should agree to work quintuply harder than the triply harder they/we are doing now with the reduced agent numbers and reduced wages and benefits already accepted and agreed upon. This is a fact. Regardless of a survival or failure outlook, and in spite of more of the strong arm tactics similar to which CWA buckled under in SEPT, and subsequently "sold out" their members, no one I know of is willing to give another penny or bead of sweat, or listen to more false promises and then agree to vague contractual non-labor friendly language, just to have more and more and more and more and more cuts and cuts and cuts and cuts.And all the while for months on end ignoring the other real problem, that is inefficent and wasteful policys and procedures in sales and service that need to be addressed, but no one will. This is more mis-managemet, textbook case. And Truly sad.
 
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[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 12/3/2002 12:39:52 AM CS-pro wrote:
[P] no one I know of is willing to give another penny or bead of sweat, or listen to more false promises and then agree to vague contractual non-labor friendly language, just to have more and more and more and more and more cuts and cuts and cuts and cuts.----------------[BR][BR][FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3]Thats about the general sentiment from everyone I speak to at work.[/FONT][/P][/BLOCKQUOTE]
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CS-Pro,

DITTO!!! DITTO!!! DITTO!!!

The CWA cannot role over and die on us this time.

The thickheaded mis-managers of this company just don't get it.

"It's the customers stupid"

Our customers are leaving us at an alarming pace. Every time they reduce the amount of customer service agents, they take away customer service. The customers just can’t bear with us any longer. Morale is at an all-time low; we have become emotionless, which is worse than having a bad attitude. I agree, that the only way we should even consider any more concessions is with the assurance that we will get our help back. I am willing to give a little more to save the jobs of my fellow union members.

The list is getting too long. We have given, blood, sweat, tears, and money. We are dangerously close to giving up our dignity. This can't happen.

CWA, Siegel, Glass - WAKE UP !!!
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What else could they be asking for? We've closed locations, given up hours ..with now closing from 12mid-5Am, we've been the whipping post for pasengers not happy with new policy changes, we are paying more for healthcare, we have yet to see the labor friendly workplace as promised...

We all realize things must be done, but who is accountable for making sure this is the last time management comes back...I still do not see managements cuts reflecting a 7 yr time line. Maybe that work group should share a little more pain...along with the rest of us.