Just to make certain some of the people on this board get the facts and not rumors or conjecture.
Fellow Council 94 pilots:
Today, Sunday, Aug. 22, talks between the Company and ALPA to reach accord on a Transformation agreement broke down. The Company’s position, unsurprisingly, is that the NC’s final proposal was nowhere close to the stated amount that the company would need to become competitive (read as we got them to bend over, but we couldn’t get their knickers off). Again, no surprise, the NC stated that the reason is because the company was negotiating in "bad faithâ€. As I see it, two questions beg to be answered; for the answers might lead us to a potential resolution:
Wherein lies the truth? Said another way … is someone lying? Sometimes what we’re told differs from the truth!
Where do we go from here?
The consequence, if a deal is not consummated soon, has the potential to be very unpleasant, indeed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The facts … just the facts
On Saturday August 21, the NC proffered a counterproposal, which, among other things, offered a 16.25% wage reduction, coupled with a 10% reduction to your DC contribution. The NC stated that this was a final offer. We hold the opinion that certain, very important items must be satisfied by the Company prior to proposing any settlement offer. Nevertheless, briefly, ALPA’s proposal contained:
Wage reductions of 16.25% Contract Amendable date 12/31/08 DC Plan contributions reduced by 10% Vacation reduced by 10%
Sick accrual reduced to 5:00 Paycap 95:00 VM 6:00 Lineholder guarantee 81:00 Reserve guarantee 82/86 Reserve days off immovable Junior assignment pay 25%
On Sunday, August 22, the Company countered with the following proposal, which, among other things, included the following:
Wage reductions of 16.5% Contract Amendable date 12/31/11 DC Plan contribution lowered to 7% to 10% Vacation 15+ years - 21 days
Sick use allowance 60 hrs annually Paycap 95:00 NO VM Lineholder guarantee 71:00 Reserve guarantee 72/76 Report to Operations 2 hrs from call-out
The Company’s negotiating stratagem was not unlike previous sessions, in that this proposal was similar, if not worse than the previous one. Instead of moving closer to an agreement, this opened a major schism in discussions. ALPA’s total capitulation is the coveted prize.
From the BOS CO Rep:
I find no solace in reporting that our NC and all our advisors agree with the fact that the company has NOT NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH. We heard from our NC chairman that that is the unanimous conclusion by all experts present and involved in these negotiations … Even after our CEO plainly told the MEC last week that the company's approach to cram down the Jet Blue contract was a mis-step on their part, we see the exact same response to our concessionary offers. It's their way or the highway. This is not about lowering our costs to be competitive, this is about destroying 50 years of labor agreements. This has been an anti-union movement from day one.
From the PHL Reps:
MEC Chairman Bill Pollock, the Negotiating Committee, and all our advisors have agreed that the ability to reach a consensual agreement with Management for transforming US Airways into a viable competitor is not present. MEC Chairman Pollock and the Negotiating Committee Chairman Doug Mowery both have stated that the Company is not bargaining in good faith. The Company’s stance had made the Negotiating Committee superfluous at this time, despite all attempts to partner with Management to make US Airways a competitive carrier.
The Company has rebuffed all attempts to make a deal. They asked for America West pay, we offered America West pay. They asked for productivity, we offered productivity better than Southwest and America West, approaching that of JetBlue. Yet, still, they will not acknowledge the value of these offers and continue to dig deeper into the contract that we have worked over 50 years to achieve.
From the PIT Reps:
If you have been following the NC reports that have been posted on the AAA website, you are likely aware of the Company’s disingenuous bargaining position, manifested in the absurd proposals passed across the table. Incredibly, the picture being painted is rather typical of normal negotiations, with no apparent sense of urgency.
It is no secret at this point, that the Company’s latest proposal is, as were the previous proffers, a “no surprise†draconian, 40 page “land grabâ€. This particular proposal, however, was purposefully crafted to convince the pilot group that the DC plan must be placed on the table. I can only view this Company “proposal†(attempting to maintain my gentility) as nothing less than a final attempt to extort as much as possible from this pilot group.
Phil Comstock, of Wilson Polling fame, stated in his synopsis of recent polling data, that when companies emerge from bankruptcy, the operative strategy often becomes one of “union-bustingâ€. Could that prophetic statement be more clearly spelled out than with the events, which are occurring on this property?
MEC Chairman, Bill Pollock, has called a special MEC meeting for Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 2:30 p.m., Eastern. The meeting shall adjourn on Friday, August 27, 2004 at 5:00 p.m., or at the completion of business. The Special MEC Meeting will be held at the Key Bridge Marriott, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209, phone: 703-524-6400, fax: 703-524-8964. The agenda for the meeting will be an update from the Negotiating Committee and Advisors regarding the status of negotiations and a determination of MEC action, if any.
We will keep you apprised of any developments
Note: The following link is the latest Council 94 Letter, published August 21, 2004.
Fellow Council 94 pilots:
Today, Sunday, Aug. 22, talks between the Company and ALPA to reach accord on a Transformation agreement broke down. The Company’s position, unsurprisingly, is that the NC’s final proposal was nowhere close to the stated amount that the company would need to become competitive (read as we got them to bend over, but we couldn’t get their knickers off). Again, no surprise, the NC stated that the reason is because the company was negotiating in "bad faithâ€. As I see it, two questions beg to be answered; for the answers might lead us to a potential resolution:
Wherein lies the truth? Said another way … is someone lying? Sometimes what we’re told differs from the truth!
Where do we go from here?
The consequence, if a deal is not consummated soon, has the potential to be very unpleasant, indeed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The facts … just the facts
On Saturday August 21, the NC proffered a counterproposal, which, among other things, offered a 16.25% wage reduction, coupled with a 10% reduction to your DC contribution. The NC stated that this was a final offer. We hold the opinion that certain, very important items must be satisfied by the Company prior to proposing any settlement offer. Nevertheless, briefly, ALPA’s proposal contained:
Wage reductions of 16.25% Contract Amendable date 12/31/08 DC Plan contributions reduced by 10% Vacation reduced by 10%
Sick accrual reduced to 5:00 Paycap 95:00 VM 6:00 Lineholder guarantee 81:00 Reserve guarantee 82/86 Reserve days off immovable Junior assignment pay 25%
On Sunday, August 22, the Company countered with the following proposal, which, among other things, included the following:
Wage reductions of 16.5% Contract Amendable date 12/31/11 DC Plan contribution lowered to 7% to 10% Vacation 15+ years - 21 days
Sick use allowance 60 hrs annually Paycap 95:00 NO VM Lineholder guarantee 71:00 Reserve guarantee 72/76 Report to Operations 2 hrs from call-out
The Company’s negotiating stratagem was not unlike previous sessions, in that this proposal was similar, if not worse than the previous one. Instead of moving closer to an agreement, this opened a major schism in discussions. ALPA’s total capitulation is the coveted prize.
From the BOS CO Rep:
I find no solace in reporting that our NC and all our advisors agree with the fact that the company has NOT NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH. We heard from our NC chairman that that is the unanimous conclusion by all experts present and involved in these negotiations … Even after our CEO plainly told the MEC last week that the company's approach to cram down the Jet Blue contract was a mis-step on their part, we see the exact same response to our concessionary offers. It's their way or the highway. This is not about lowering our costs to be competitive, this is about destroying 50 years of labor agreements. This has been an anti-union movement from day one.
From the PHL Reps:
MEC Chairman Bill Pollock, the Negotiating Committee, and all our advisors have agreed that the ability to reach a consensual agreement with Management for transforming US Airways into a viable competitor is not present. MEC Chairman Pollock and the Negotiating Committee Chairman Doug Mowery both have stated that the Company is not bargaining in good faith. The Company’s stance had made the Negotiating Committee superfluous at this time, despite all attempts to partner with Management to make US Airways a competitive carrier.
The Company has rebuffed all attempts to make a deal. They asked for America West pay, we offered America West pay. They asked for productivity, we offered productivity better than Southwest and America West, approaching that of JetBlue. Yet, still, they will not acknowledge the value of these offers and continue to dig deeper into the contract that we have worked over 50 years to achieve.
From the PIT Reps:
If you have been following the NC reports that have been posted on the AAA website, you are likely aware of the Company’s disingenuous bargaining position, manifested in the absurd proposals passed across the table. Incredibly, the picture being painted is rather typical of normal negotiations, with no apparent sense of urgency.
It is no secret at this point, that the Company’s latest proposal is, as were the previous proffers, a “no surprise†draconian, 40 page “land grabâ€. This particular proposal, however, was purposefully crafted to convince the pilot group that the DC plan must be placed on the table. I can only view this Company “proposal†(attempting to maintain my gentility) as nothing less than a final attempt to extort as much as possible from this pilot group.
Phil Comstock, of Wilson Polling fame, stated in his synopsis of recent polling data, that when companies emerge from bankruptcy, the operative strategy often becomes one of “union-bustingâ€. Could that prophetic statement be more clearly spelled out than with the events, which are occurring on this property?
MEC Chairman, Bill Pollock, has called a special MEC meeting for Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 2:30 p.m., Eastern. The meeting shall adjourn on Friday, August 27, 2004 at 5:00 p.m., or at the completion of business. The Special MEC Meeting will be held at the Key Bridge Marriott, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209, phone: 703-524-6400, fax: 703-524-8964. The agenda for the meeting will be an update from the Negotiating Committee and Advisors regarding the status of negotiations and a determination of MEC action, if any.
We will keep you apprised of any developments
Note: The following link is the latest Council 94 Letter, published August 21, 2004.
