From last week's thread:
I think it's safe to say that every airline pilot values seniority - it's just the definition that's being disputed.....
Apparently still most East pilots....
"Delta pilots flying the airline's biggest jets have fewer years on the job, on average, than their counterparts at Northwest. They have feared Northwest pilots with more years in the air could bump them out of these coveted cockpits. But under the agreement reached by union negotiators,
a Delta pilot hired in 1988 might have the same seniority as a Northwest pilot hired in 1985, the pilot said."
"Seniority determines which planes pilots qualify to fly and, therefore, their pay rate."
i.e. Seniority is
where a pilot is on the list, not
when a pilot got on the list.....
Both quotes from article linked
here
Jim
SENIORITY MATTERS
The second in a series that takes an honest look at seniority.
Seniority Matters - Even on the West property
Recently USAPA published Part 1 of a series called "Seniority Matters;" this article detailed the different aspects of where seniority comes from.
As an overview, the article referenced Section 22 of the AAA pilot contract which determines seniority for the East pilots. We showed, through what is contained in Section 22, that seniority is defined through the collective bargaining agreement. In other words, each pilot here gets their seniority from the contract.
In Part 2 of this series, we explore the questions, "What about a West pilot? Where does he/she get their seniority?"
Turns out a West pilot also gets their seniority from Section 22 of their contract. Let's take a look at Section 22.A.1 of the AWA contract...
_______________________________________
SECTION 22
SENIORITY
A. GENERAL
1. SENOIRITY OF A PILOT SHALL BEGIN ON THE PILOT'S DATE OF HIRE.
____________________________________________
Well, there it is again. The basic tenant of unionism; Date of Hire really does mean something. In fact, it appears that Date of Hire at the former America West operation means a lot in many ways. Date of Hire means that pilots use this to bid for equipment, base, and position on their system bids. Also the former America West pilots use Date of Hire to bid for monthly schedules, reserve lines and vacation. Yes, Date of Hire as a determinate of seniority is alive and well at the former America West operation.
As USAPA has proposed a Constitution and Bylaws which has the basic fundamental of Date of Hire, we trust that since this basic union tenant is already in place in the West contract, they will understand and embrace this concept. If it's good enough for the former America West pilots now, why wouldn't it be good enough later? Especially in consideration of possible industry consolidation through mergers.
USAPA and its supporters are very concerned about industry consolidation; as our Senior mgt. are quick to say on every news and business show they can land an appearance, they look forward to industry consolidation and the quick stock option payouts a new deal can bring. Looking forward, the concept of Date of Hire seniority is something everyone can understand. It is a time-tested, and court-tested methodology that is fair today, and is fair tomorrow. Your Date of Hire is something that no one can alter, and it is embodied within the pilot's working agreements, just like it is today in Section 22 of the East contract and Section 22 of the West contract. A pilot's Date of Hire, rather than being completely arbitrary, is something quantifiable that he or she will bring with them to the next merger.
Unions that embrace the basic fundamentals (such as seniority based on Date of Hire) within their Constitution and By-Laws fare much better during mergers and acquisitions. One only needs to look at the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) to see how easily they are able to combine workforces when they use the understandable premise of Date of Hire in mergers, unlike what is happening at ALPA, with an arbitrary policy that is tearing the union apart from within.
Seniority is a right of all pilots flying for American carriers, that prevents mischief from Management. This protects pilots and promotes unity and safety in our industry today. A concrete policy is not only desirable, but necessary for union pilots today.
USAPA applauds the West pilots and acknowledges their foresight in placing "Date of Hire" in Section 22 of their contract.
