March 23rd Alpa Code-a-phone

[ClueByFour]

This is Jack Stephan with a US Airways MEC update for Tuesday, March 23rd, with three new items.

Item 1. The MEC reconvened its first quarter meeting today at the MEC office in PIT to review the latest proposal from the Company on modified small jet scope language. Subsequently, the MEC passed a resolution directing the Negotiating Committee to seek additional returns, as the MEC determined that the returns in the Company’s proposal were inadequate for the relief they were seeking. The resolution and details on the additional items sought by the MEC can be found on the US Airways pilots only website at usairwayspilots.org.

Read the rest at http://www.alpa.org/aaa/DesktopModules/Cod...?DocumentID=120.

Alas, I (obviously) don't have access to the pilot's only part of the ALPA website, but it is interesting to note that this is one of the very first actions of the "new" MEC. Sort of jives with the officers from Council 94 have said (http://www.justplanesense.com/documents/Council094Ltr032204.htm).

Hopefully, this new MEC will resist further urge to eat their young. One can only hope.

 

[mwereplanes]

I can assure you this MEC will not be driven by fear or "time constraints". It (the new members) will hold this management accountable for their incompentence.

mr

 

[WOJetDreamer]

I dont know if anyone on this board is aware of what is going on over at PSA (WO)but I see alot of comments on how the U MEC should quit trying to "eat their young". I couldnt agree more. Right now at PSA there is a WAR going on over the staffing and pay of the 70 seat CRJs. So here goes:

PSA agreed to the Jet for Jobs agreement which states that 50% of the seats (CA & FO) which is created at PSA will be filled by furloughed U pilots. J4J CA will get first year CA pay and FO will get TOP FO pay. The J4J pilots will have senority according to Date of Hire here at PSA for bidding purposes which means all the J4J pilots will be junior to all PSA who were already on property at PSA (about 300 PSA pilots for approx 30 DO328) Now the plan was based on getting 60-85 CRJs which, for simplicity I will use 60 CRJs, would give PSA pilot 30 CRJs and J4J pilots 30 CRJs, with the bottom half of the J4J pilots being on reserve. (Keep in mind FOs are being paid TOP Pay) Now that the J4J pilots have signed on and are flying here at PSA they think they deserve more. Now that the company wants to put the CRJ700 here at PSA the Mainline MEC wants the rules changed giving the J4J pilot sernority over current PSA pilots for bidding purpose because they already are getting paid out of senority. So now I guess giving up airplanes at our company is not enough they want us to give up our senortiy!!!!

So what do you guys think, I am curious wo see what the outside people say about this.

PSA is not my first avaition job out of college and Flight Instructing. I have flown Corporate, Charter, another Part 121 airline and now here trying to climb the ladder of senority so I can make a living being a pilot. I have been here at PSA for 2 years now. First year pay I made $21000 this year will not be a whole lot better, around $25-26000 and still bidding at the bottom of the senority list. So should I give up senority to J4J pilots?

Just wondering,
WoJetDreamer

 

[oldiebutgoody]

You should have picked a different field. How do you think the mainline guys, who have upwards of 15 years seniority and are now "stuck" at PSA flying RJs feel? Sorry, nobody said anything about "fair" when they hired me; I doubt if they did when they hired you either! (NO, I'm not one of those J4J guys, either!)

 

[BoeingBoy]

SUBJECT:
Scope Language

SOURCE:
Brookman / Freshwater

BACKGROUND:

RESOLUTION:

WHEREAS the US Airways Negotiating Committee has returned to the MEC, a management proposal regarding scope modifications, and

WHEREAS in the opinion of the MEC there are inadequate returns for the Small Jet Language relief requested by management,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the US Airways MEC directs the Negotiating Committee to achieve the following returns for MEC consideration of the scope modifications requested by management:

The immediate return to the manner in which ACARS times were calculated for pay purposes, i.e., the company shall return to the long-established past practice of recording “out times†predicated upon main cabin door closure and parking brake release, and “in times†based upon the opening of a main cabin door.

The company shall comply with the clear and unequivocal language contained in the Restructuring Agreement of July 2002 regarding the retirement calculations for pilots hired prior to January 1, 1998, and subsequently furloughed.

The establishment of and compliance with, clear and complete contract language, defining the exercise of the Tag-a-long Rights of the US Airways ALPA pilots’ stock to the satisfaction of the Association.

All financial documents that are required under the terms of the Restructuring Agreement shall be made immediately available to the Association, and future documents shall be delivered in a timely manner to its satisfaction.

The establishment of a schedule for the deduction of future FICA taxes due on monies deposited into pilots’ notional retirement accounts, to the satisfaction of the Association.

The company shall immediately restore, to the pre-grievance level, the non-revenue travel privileges of those pilots who retired with fewer than 20 years of service.

The Company and the Association shall agree upon a dollar amount associated with the scope relief that is being requested, and that dollar amount shall be used going forward, as a future credit, in the event that the Association elects to participate in any subsequent contract modifications.

The establishment of and compliance with, clear and complete contract language regarding Universal Access and CASS Jumpseat policy, to the satisfaction of the Association.

Immediate restitution and corrective action taken on all grievances that have been awarded to the satisfaction of the grievant.

The immediate staffing of all positions identified in the Improper Furlough Arbitration Awards.

There shall be no additional furloughs from the mainline due to the effects of any scope relief that may be granted as a result of this agreement.

Association input to trip pairing construction, to include parameters for maximum duty day, minimum overnight, and elimination of excessive “productivity breaksâ€, to the satisfaction of the Association.

MDA pilots’ Life Insurance, AD&D Insurance, and 401k concerns are addressed to the satisfaction of the Association.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the above items must be implemented prior to any scope relief being utilized by the Company.

 

[savyinvestor]

Is this why a certain captain was calling for a recall? Savy

 

[BoeingBoy]

Savy,

Presumably.

Jim

 

[ClueByFour]

Is this why a certain captain was calling for a recall? Savy

Yeah, but why the PHL reps?

I suppose one could start with with Brookman and Freshwater, although given last year's recall effort in PIT, that's probably a waste of time.

I wonder how the LGA reps voted?

 

[BoeingBoy]

LGA reps voted for the management offer - at least in senatorial voting.

"The roll call vote was done by four men: Fred Freshwater, John Brookman, John Crocker, and Dan Von Bargen. These are the four representatives from the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Councils, respectively."

Why PHL rep recall request? I assume USA320Pilot feels recalling PIT reps is out of the question, as well as unnecessary if the PHL reps can be recalled. That would give the "moderates" (?) both senatorial and rollcall majorities.

Jim

 

[passed_over]

WO Dreamer how correct you are. It appears that once a pilot leaves the regionals and goes on to the mainline that pilot believes that she/he for some reason is a "better more qualified" pilot and that is why they are there and now they feel that they should recieve more then those of us that remained at the regional for a career. To all mainline pilots there are many of us who remained at the a WO because we were not interested in moving to a hub and or commuting to a hub. It is unbelievable that you now feel that the PSA pilots should give up there seniority. This J4J program is a travesty and should never have been allowed. It is once again the mainline pilots arrogance that will harm the carreers of the th WO pilots

 

[TBONEJ4J]

WOJetDreamer,

Two years at PSA?

Try 20 or 25 years at PDT or ALG. At least PSA is getting replacement equipment. There are people at ALG/PDT that have many more years service to the US Air Group than you, and their only concern right now is how to get that job at the Home Depot and survive when all the Dashes go away without replacement.

The PSA MEC gave birth to Jets for Jobs, so you're complaints need to be directed where they belong. The US Airways MEC only invented the idea, it was dying on the vine until PSA capitulated.

Can we also expect the PSA new-hires (200+, I believe, in the coming months) to moan about Jets for Jobs?

Will they be made aware of all the other wholly-owned careers thrown to the side to make way for their entry to the circus that is the US Air Group?

 

[TBONEJ4J]

Why was the Negotiating Committee charged to return to the company?

What are the scope changes being considered? Will MESA be the proud new owner of MDA?

 

[smfav8r]

WOJETDREAMER

The whole idea of the J4J program (as I understand it) was to find jobs for the furloughed U pilots in exchange for SCOPE relief for a large amount of RJ's.

I feel that the intentions were good, but then it turned into a gaggle...so to speak.

In your case, staying at the bottom of a growing regional....I agree, it sucks!!!

But, you've only been employed with PSA for two years, think about the poor folks at ALG/PDT....there getting the short end of the stick!!!

Also you should have been fully aware of the possibility of PSA becoming a J4J carrier when you where hired on.

This may sound harsh....but your MEC agreed to the terms, if you don't like it, go somewhere else.

 

[BoeingBoy]

smfav8r,

To add some more perspective to your post (and not defending what the J4J has morphed into) -

It takes 15 years longevity to even be at mainline - the pilots with less than that are gone and the intent of the J4J program was to give them something - the so called "soft landing" - in exchange for the scope relief to get the RJ's (including those going to PSA).

Jim

 

[smfav8r]

Jim,

I'm furloughed from U with all of three years of longevity. When the J4J program first came out....it seemed to be a good idea.

Your statement of "soft landing" for the furloughed U pilots hit the nail on the head.

That was the intention of the J4J program.

I went to the non-scheds after getting furloughed...not real happy, but it's a job.

I'm considering leaving the non-scheds for the J4J program, but not sure with all the bickering I see on the various web-boards.

Which was the reason for my reaction to WOJETDREAMER.

If only I had one of them crystal balls!!