Message From Perry Hayes

usfliboi

Veteran
Aug 20, 2002
2,070
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US Airways MEC message to members:

What is going on with this company? The answer:

Over the past several weeks, management has used the media to
deliver the message that the airline continues to have financial
problems and that management wants its workers to make more
sacrifices.

That is a message that should have been delivered directly to us
and to you. It was cowardly for management to go to the media
with the message rather than facing its workers directly. But
the cowardly path seems to be the favored one by US Airways
management.

For many weeks, management has been claiming that the unions
representing US Airways workers have refused to hear
management's plan for future success. Apparently, it's a new
plan, different from the one they told us would make our carrier
successful coming out of bankruptcy after we sacrificed over
$100 million per year to save this company.

The new plan is needed, management says, because the airline is
losing the competition with low-fare carriers. But management's
claim that we refused to hear their new plan is wrong. We openly
criticized management for the failure of its original plan, but
we never said we wouldn't listen to their new plan.

Our criticism was justified. Competition from low-fare carriers
has been growing exponentially over the past two decades. It's
not new, like management claims. It should have been planned for
in the original business plan coming out of bankruptcy. That it
wasn't seems to be a mistake bordering on utter incompetence.

Regardless, management's initial plan is failing, and the
airline has some short-term problems as a result. Those problems
range from being close to a downgrade from the credit rating
companies (like Standard & Poors), which would trigger other
financial problems, to possibly losing financing for its RJ's.
It is this possibility that pushed the company to find out the
value of some of its assets, as recently reported in the media.
It needs to know what it can sell to raise the money it may need
to fix its short-term problems.

Problem is, selling those assets to fix a short-term problem
would create even more long-term problems. So, we wait. There is
absolutely nothing we can do to get management out of its
short-term problems (save working for free and we will NOT do
that, Dave, in case you're listening). The problems were created
by management's short-sighted business plan coming out of
bankruptcy. We did with a bankruptcy gun to our heads everything
management wanted. We gave twice. And management said it was
what it needed to succeed.

So here we are, still failing.
Well, finally, after a lot of fanfare in the media, management
has asked to show us their plan. And we will hear it in a
meeting between Dave Siegel, some other management-types, and
the AFA Master Executive Council on Feb. 11.

All we will be doing is listening to their business plan. There
will be NO NEGOTIATIONS during this meeting. We will listen to
how management plans to turn the airline around for the
long-term. We will ask questions for clarity.

We will tell management that anything it brings to the workers
will be a tough sell. We will tell them that their inability to
succeed after our massive sacrifices has ruined their
credibility. We'll remind them that they unilaterally changed
the sick leave policy, the reserve system, the way we get paid
and that flight attendants are routinely harassed about health
benefits. We will tell them that these unilateral actions over a
number of months have demolished their credibility even more.

We will say that he needs to restore his credibility with his
workers. Then we will say, thanks, Dave. And he will be on his
way.

Again, there will be no negotiations in this meeting. We are not
going to start any discussions over more sacrifices. The well is
dry.

Following the meeting, we will report out to you.

In Solidarity,

Perry Hayes
MEC President

====================
 
Just a few questions: Firstly, will this meeting be video taped or recorded? Secondly, how long "After" this meeting will members be informed? Thirdly, are you sure they are just asking for AFA to just "listen"????

I personaly agree that the well is dry. <_<
 
if as you say the company you work for chooses to negotiate (yes round one is building your case) via the media, then would not a similar response be appropriate?
Example : company says they are behind in the turn around phase and indicate they will remain in compliance with atsb loan covenance.
they next day employees should run an ad that says Mechs gave up 25% wages,F/As gave up 22% wages, CWA gave up 24% wages, ALPA gave up 42% wages (update % as each group sees fit) right next to it post S.wolf compensation 700,000 d.siegel 3.0million d.cohen 750,000 ect 0.0% decrease. thats all and let the company explain itself as opposed to continuing with rhetoric workers gave up..... just state facts....or if you wish the ever popular empploye costs are 10c per seat mile while say jblu is 6.1 or swa is 8.5 c counter with
jb ceo pay=250,00 uair ceo pay=750,000 (plus options)
again with nothing further the public will get your message.

Lead Follow Or get out of the way
 
ktflyhome said:
Just a few questions: Firstly, will this meeting be video taped or recorded? Secondly, how long "After" this meeting will members be informed? Thirdly, are you sure they are just asking for AFA to just "listen"????

I personaly agree that the well is dry. <_<
Firstly, this is just a meeting to hear the business plan.
And, meetings are never videoed.

second, this business plan should not be desiminated from the union leaders to the members, as it is not a plan that was devised by labor. I suspect management will let the employees know collectively.

However, they are very crafty. They may think the leaders will be their stoolies and give this "plan" to the members for the purpose of giving the illusion that the union leaders are on board. LOL... Not going to happen.

Rest assured, management will be spuing that there is just a short window of time that all has to be resolved. Just watch. Will have all these "critical deadlines" or else.
 
Please dont forget to add the mainline/express and MDA salaries have resulted in a 45pct cut......since many of the cities will fall victim to these new categories under the new "restructuring plan"