Pilot Negotiations - The Truth

Pacemaker

Senior
Sep 3, 2002
475
0
The MEC, the Negotiating Comm., and Chairman Bill Pollock all agree that the NC bargained in a timely manner, in good faith, and the company did not. The company has not been forthcoming with required valuation figures for proposed ALPA giveback items. The company has not treated negotiations with urgency. The company has repeatedly sidetracked negotations toward tangental issues like new-hire pilot pay rates. The company appears to either have no desire to reach a reasonable agreement, or is counting on weak elements of ALPA to force a vote and approve a deal that would far exceed their stated $295MM/yr. original request.
 
"approve a deal that would far exceed their stated $295MM/yr. original request."
WOW, even i would say vote it down. i can't believe the pilots would allow this trash to infiltrate the rest of the industry and bring down wages and benefits .
time to go chp. 11 and hope you go with the assests.
:down:
 
ClueByFour said:
http://www.justplanesense.com/documents/Co...etter082104.htm is a must read, methinks.
[post="172015"][/post]​


If anyone on these boards believes a word out of 320's keyboard they are as foolish as he. This company has a plan and it does not include many of the loyal employees still working here. There will be no liquidation. Only a transformation to a small hybrid LCC with working conditions equal to or below that of LUV and the rest. That will occur inside C11. And very quickly too I might add.

320 is going to be a reserve copilot if he's lucky enough to survive the cuts. He just may be furloughed depending on the whim of the people he chose to support. Reality hits where he never thought it would. These guys are going to line their pockets on our backs. Just like Siegel, Wolf, Gangwal, Nagin, Cohen and the rest. I should clarify that. On the backs of those who choose to stay. I likely will not.

mr
 
:up: alpa should give back to keep this company running ,its time to give back
a little when the company needs it the most.
 
28yrs........I Agree. For the good of the Company and the OTHER Employee Groups, APLA should just give them what want to save the Company.

alpa should give back to keep this company running ,its time to give back

Sarcasm, I'm inclined to believe....
 
Hope777 said:
28yrs........I Agree. For the good of the Company and the OTHER Employee Groups, APLA should just give them what want to save the Company.
[post="172051"][/post]​


my my i must wonder what good ol usa320pilot will say about this and how the alpa and u arent planning any more talks for now!!!!
 
:up: pilots have the most to lose their big fat paychecks for sitting on their a##
telling the mtc dept a 1000 reasons why they wont take the a/c off the gate.
 
What's interesting is that the MEC has called a special meeting for 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, but the Pittsbrugh First Officer Rep has 3 others have given notice (48 hour requirement) that they might be calling another special meeting at 1030 a.m. on Wednesady, with one agenda item -- discussion of "negotiation strategy".

Hummm?

People like Mwereplanes motivation is simple: your DC retirement plan, which is gone regardless of what happens, regardless of what occurs for others.

Regardless, nobody likes what is happening and here's what's important:

There is no time to worry about who to blame. ALPA was about $80-$100 million short of the company's ask, the NC was not going to go any higher, and the company had decided to insist on the full Monte. That's why negotiations broke down, and that's what ALPA's advisors told the MEC.

Which is really nothing more than stating the obvious. If the company now feels that it needs the whole ask, or close to it, and the NC is unwilling to give them anything closer than $80-100 million, then obviously negotiations are over.

Which leaves the MEC now to decide what to do next. Does the MEC send this "last and final offer" out to the pilots for them to vote on or not? Or in other words, is there something to be gained for this pilot group by considering the company's proposal versus simply waiting for the judge to decide?

After doing some research, it appears that there are some serious issues that the line pilots should be make aware of, among which are:

1. Are the pilot's offered a very meaningful Profit Sharing Plan under the company's proposal? Will the pilot's be offered one before the judge?

2. Are the pilot's offered a 1113 waiver letter under the company's proposal? Yes, then not having an agreement with the company prior to bankruptcy will obviously allow the company to request that the entire contract be vacated.

3. And what is the likelihood that, if a 1113 action is taken before the judge, ALPA will lose Section 1 of its contract, "Recognition, Scope, Successorship and LPPs," which, among other things, provides the pilot's with some of the best fragmentation protection in the industry?

4. What is the likelihood that, again before the judge, ALPA will lose Sections 22, 23 and 24 of their contract, "Seniority," "Furlough and Recall" and "Filling of Vacancies," thus allowing the company to furlough out of seniority in order to eliminate displacement and training costs? Is furlough pay, furlough recall rights, and displacement rights into MDA also in jeopardy?

5. And what happens to the rest of the contract if ALPA goes before the judge, such as Section 11, "Training," including "Failure to Qualify," Sections 19, 20, and 21, "Investigation and Discipline," "Grievances," and "System Board of Adjustment." Might all these provisions disappear as well, just as they are nonexistent in the Jet Blue contract?

This is what the pilots what to know about, and it's the obligation of the MEC to address these concerns. And after some reflection, the only way I believe to properly address all of those issues is through allowing the company's "last and final" offer go out to the membership for their consideration.

After all, what should the MEC be afraid of? To a man and woman, ALPA has promoted transparency, full disclosure and membership ratification. Unless the MEC are hypocrites, then what better method of fulfilling all of these noble goals than allowing the pilots to decide for themselves if the company's proposal is more acceptable to them then taking our chances before the bankruptcy court judge?

This is not for 12 men to decide, but for each and every active pilot on the list to determine for him or herself. Therefore, I support the sending of the company's proposal out to the membership, and will await their decision as to its acceptability.

The question is are the majority of the MEC mebers going to trust the pilots to "do the right thing," or are you going to decide for them because you can't trust them?

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot