posted on December 09, 2013 09:10
The Road Ahead — Together
The powerful trend of airline industry consolidation has brought our pilot groups together through an unusual and historic process that will be studied for years to come. Rather than fight it,
APA and USAPA recognized and embraced this trend. After many years of unfruitful talks at our respective negotiating tables, we've leveraged consolidation to our collective advantage. Today, we find ourselves in a remarkably strong position, with an even more promising future.
During the past 18 months, USAPA and APA have developed a collegial working relationship on many fronts, which will be instrumental to our collective success going forward. Our negotiating committees worked well together during the critical memorandum of understanding negotiations. Our cooperation was pivotal to bringing a deal together with a reluctant and unwilling AMR management team in the room. AMR's strategy at the time was to demonstrate that our pilot groups could not work together and that no deal would be achievable. We proved them wrong.
A healthy, functional labor-management dynamic must be embedded in the heart and soul of the new American Airlines. Our management team has promised a new corporate culture — we're going to hold them to that promise. We will begin joint collective bargaining agreement (JCBA) talks soon and expect to achieve mutually beneficial results. A smooth transition from two airlines into one will depend on it.
Cooperative work between our two unions has been underway for some time. Committee members and national officers have addressed each other's boards. APA officials participated in USAPA road shows. Our DCA reps have conducted joint domicile meetings. Our training committees have established an outstanding level of cooperation and data-sharing that will benefit us all. The USAPA Retirement and Insurance Committee and the APA Pension Committee have already made substantial progress toward a pilot-only 401(k) plan, which we hope to implement in 2014. The APA Negotiating Committee and the USAPA Negotiating Advisory Committee have worked tirelessly together on the PBS memorandum of understanding, which is nearing completion. Those two committees have also worked closely in developing JCBA goals, which are being used as a starting point for our respective boards. Our boards have already conducted a joint get-acquainted meeting and are planning another to review JCBA goals and strategies after the first of the year.
integration — we must respect each other's ways of doing things as we re-examine each company's approach to training, scheduling, bidding and other facets of our work life. Our shared goal is to ensure that we all enjoy careers commensurate with our status as pilots for a premier global carrier. We are committed to serving the best interests of the pilots we represent with the appreciation that in the not-too-distant future, there will be one pilot group: the pilots who fly for the new American Airlines.
Most of us have been down the merger road before, and there's one thing we can probably agree on: Moving forward, unity will be imperative. While we're not quite there yet, we should now consider ourselves one pilot group. As equals, an outreached hand and a smile will go a long way toward fostering the courtesy and respect we'll need as we look to an exciting shared future.
CA Keith Wilson
APA President
CA Gary Hummel
USAPA President
