If I was Doug Parker...

Status
Not open for further replies.

USA320Pilot

Veteran
May 18, 2003
8,175
1,539
www.usaviation.com
...I would move the location for Tuesday's reported meeting between US Airways and AMR Corp.'s UCC.

According to Susan Carey of the WSJ, arguably the most respect airline reporter, "American Airlines creditors committee and US Airways are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss revenue increases and cost savings that could be realized in a merger as part of crucial negotiations that could determine whether the rival airlines pursue a deal, said people familiar with the plans. The gathering is viewed as significant because potential financial synergies are among the most critical issues that will determine whether a marriage will create a more valuable airline for creditors of American parent AMR than another plan for the company to reorganize independently, the people said. Lawyers and bankers advising the parties are expected to attend the meeting, and some airline executives could also be present, some of the people said."

"One person cautioned the date of the meeting could change," Carey noted.

I was was Doug I would move the meeting from the New York offices of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, the law firm representing American, because of the State of Emergency and effects of Hurricane Sandy and the cold front moving eastward.

The meeting is important because as Carey indicated it "is part of an effort to get the airlines and American's creditors to come to some kind of consensus on how much additional revenue and costs savings a marriage would generate, said people familiar with the process."

This week there are a number of important proposed merger dates including:

October 29 - Printing of APA Flightline magazine with a featured articles titled “The Merger Reality: Bigger is Better.”
October 30 - US Airways-AMR UCC meeting at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
October 31 - End of NDA "black out" communications period
October 31 - November APA BOD meeting
October 31 - APA Informational Picketing DFW Airport’s Terminal D
November 1 - AMR's desired date to have an APA CBA TA
November 2 - End of APA BOD Meeting
 
Thank god your not Doug Parker, do you all remember this?

From the July 26, 2002 Charlotte Observer:

UNIONS CAN SINK US AIRWAYS
WITHOUT AGREEMENTS FROM ALL ITS UNIONS, AIRLINE'S FUTURE IS BLEAK

In recent days US Airways has made much progress toward ensuring that it
will have a future. It has reached tentative contract restructuring
agreements with its pilots, flight attendants and the Transport Workers
Union, which represents the dispatchers, simulator engineers and flight crew
training instructors, and with subsidiary PSA Airlines' pilots and flight
attendants.

The International Association of Machinists (IAM) unit representing
mechanics is close to a deal, and the IAM Fleet Service negotiators are
making good progress.

But that's not enough.

The Communication Workers of America (CWA), which represents customer
service and reservation agents, remains far from agreement with the company.
US Airways is on the brink of court-ordered bankruptcy because its situation
is "unsustainable." Failure to improve the situation will have devastating
effects on employees, customers and companies that depend on US Airways.

The airline has received a "conditional" federal loan guarantee approval,
but can't use those funds unless it gets restructuring agreements with all
labor groups, in accordance with the business plan submitted to the Air
Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB).

Needed for loan guarantees

Major obstacles remain in the way of a voluntary restructuring.

US Airways may not be able to reach agreements with lenders without
tentative agreements with the remaining unions. Unless it has those
agreements the company wouldn't get final ATSB loan guarantee approval,
government sources believe.

How bad is the situation? The carrier continues to burn cash during what is
historically the best-performing time of year. Ten months after Sept. 11, US
Airways has not resolved its cost problems, the economy remains sluggish,
revenue is off 20 percent and low-cost competitors are aggressively
attacking its market share. The industry has not recovered as expected.
Domestic fares are at 15-year lows. Shifts in buying patterns and travel
options indicate airlines may never get the revenue per available seat mile
they previously enjoyed.

Disturbing reports

US Airways needs restructuring agreements for either a voluntary
restructuring or successful bankruptcy reorganization. If the company gets
union concessions and qualifies for government financing, then if it's
forced into bankruptcy, it probably could get in and out of bankruptcy
quickly.

What's disturbing are reports that the CWA leadership is misleading its
members. Last Friday, company negotiators asked the union to meet, to try
and resolve their differences. The union said its negotiators couldn't meet,
but its advisers would be available. However, I'm told that when management
tried to schedule a meeting, they were told the advisers had other
commitments. Meanwhile, the CWA issued a report telling its members the
company met with the advisers last weekend - which management disputes.

Brinkmanship by any union could push the airline into bankruptcy. It's
disappointing to see a relatively small group of employees risk the
destruction of a viable company, with a devastating effect on 40,000
employees and their families.

No one can be sure what will happen in bankruptcy, but it's certain that if
the company reorganizes and successfully comes out of bankruptcy, the labor
groups that don't have tentative agreements with the company prior to
bankruptcy will lose.

As in other union negotiations, the parties that reach savings targeted in
the business plan will get a bankruptcy protection letter, which protects
against even deeper salary and benefit cuts if the company enters
bankruptcy.

Some may face pay cuts

If the company files for bankruptcy, workers in labor groups without that
bankruptcy protection letter may face deep cuts in pay and benefits, loss of
unused sick and vacation time, slashed retirement benefits and a crash in
the value of common stock in 401(k) accounts. In addition, they'll work for
a smaller airline that will hand out layoff notices at once with no
severance pay, and will pay members of unprotected unions significantly
less.

Each day the company moves nearer bankruptcy. New chief executive officer
David Siegel has brought a breath of fresh air to management. US Airways'
best chance to survive is for unions and creditors to bet on him and his
team. Employees wanting to keep their jobs must impress upon union
rank-and-file employees the importance of ordering union leaders back to the
bargaining table at once, to reach an agreement that is 85 percent of the
targeted concessions.

The choice is simple: Either all stakeholders move past their anger,
frustration and denial to obtain and ratify restructuring agreements, or the
carrier will almost certainly enter bankruptcy.

History has shown only two major airlines have successfully restructured in
bankruptcy - not good odds for this company to continue operation.

Chip Munn is a US Airways captain
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
I'll go out on a limb here and "assume" Doug and the other participants have access to the Weather Channel, but we all know you are "special" and now can claim credit for the move / rescheduling.

We now return you to our regular programming on the Narcissism Channel...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts