By Thomas Olson
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 16, 2004
Wanted: Labor negotiator to face the nation's 7th-largest airline in concession talks.
Qualifications: US Airways pilot with nerves of steel.
Salary: Same as you'd have made flying that day.
The US Airways arm of the Air Line Pilots Association is looking for at least one negotiator to join a new three-man team currently preparing for tough upcoming talks with the airline, the union said Thursday.
"These are going to be absolutely difficult negotiations," said union spokesman Richard Obermeyer, who served as a negotiator from 1995 to 1998. "It takes a personal toll, put it that way."
To compete with low-cost carriers, US Airways wants to cut expenses by about $1.5 billion, or roughly 25 percent. It also wants to have new contracts in place this summer.
Earlier this week, ALPA negotiators Jeff Tokash and Gerry McGuckin informed the union's Master Executive Council they would "no longer participate" in negotiations, said Obermeyer. They were the only two left on the negotiating committee after last Friday, when Chairman Phil Carey and Vice Chairman Donn Butkovic were recalled by a voting majority of the executive council.
The council, comprised of two leaders from each of six US Airways bases, then installed Philadelphia pilot Doug Mowery as negotiating committee chairman, Charlotte pilot Ted Schott as vice chairman, and Pittsburgh pilot Jack Greenhall as a third negotiator.
The open position is for a note taker, who would keep a record of the talks and participate in them. The negotiating committee could be enlarged to seven members, according to union rules.
"You get paid for the trips you miss," said Obermeyer. "You don't get any pay on top of that."
Pilots union leaders voted Feb. 20 to allow union negotiators to help management draft a plan to restructure the airline. US Airways has not made a specific proposal to re-open the pilots contract, said union spokesman Tim Baker. He was on the 12-member leadership council in 2002, a tumultuous time when US Airways declared bankruptcy.
"We all have a Ph.D. in crisis bargaining, I think," said Baker. "So, we're ready."
Baker said few candidates have surfaced thus far, but it's still early in the process.
"Your work lingers forever, in terms of the contract and then all the interpretations thereof," he said.
US Airways CEO David Siegel has said he wants to "be in serious talks" with unions before May. Siegel is expected to present management's restructuring plan to US Airways' board Monday and approach the pilots union with a proposal to bargain shortly after that.
"These negotiations are not at all like buying a car, where you find out how much the dealer paid for the car; and then if he won't meet your price, you go down the street to another dealer," said Obermeyer.
"In this case, you only have one employer," he said. "So, going down the street is not an option."
Thomas Olson can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 320-7854.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 16, 2004
Wanted: Labor negotiator to face the nation's 7th-largest airline in concession talks.
Qualifications: US Airways pilot with nerves of steel.
Salary: Same as you'd have made flying that day.
The US Airways arm of the Air Line Pilots Association is looking for at least one negotiator to join a new three-man team currently preparing for tough upcoming talks with the airline, the union said Thursday.
"These are going to be absolutely difficult negotiations," said union spokesman Richard Obermeyer, who served as a negotiator from 1995 to 1998. "It takes a personal toll, put it that way."
To compete with low-cost carriers, US Airways wants to cut expenses by about $1.5 billion, or roughly 25 percent. It also wants to have new contracts in place this summer.
Earlier this week, ALPA negotiators Jeff Tokash and Gerry McGuckin informed the union's Master Executive Council they would "no longer participate" in negotiations, said Obermeyer. They were the only two left on the negotiating committee after last Friday, when Chairman Phil Carey and Vice Chairman Donn Butkovic were recalled by a voting majority of the executive council.
The council, comprised of two leaders from each of six US Airways bases, then installed Philadelphia pilot Doug Mowery as negotiating committee chairman, Charlotte pilot Ted Schott as vice chairman, and Pittsburgh pilot Jack Greenhall as a third negotiator.
The open position is for a note taker, who would keep a record of the talks and participate in them. The negotiating committee could be enlarged to seven members, according to union rules.
"You get paid for the trips you miss," said Obermeyer. "You don't get any pay on top of that."
Pilots union leaders voted Feb. 20 to allow union negotiators to help management draft a plan to restructure the airline. US Airways has not made a specific proposal to re-open the pilots contract, said union spokesman Tim Baker. He was on the 12-member leadership council in 2002, a tumultuous time when US Airways declared bankruptcy.
"We all have a Ph.D. in crisis bargaining, I think," said Baker. "So, we're ready."
Baker said few candidates have surfaced thus far, but it's still early in the process.
"Your work lingers forever, in terms of the contract and then all the interpretations thereof," he said.
US Airways CEO David Siegel has said he wants to "be in serious talks" with unions before May. Siegel is expected to present management's restructuring plan to US Airways' board Monday and approach the pilots union with a proposal to bargain shortly after that.
"These negotiations are not at all like buying a car, where you find out how much the dealer paid for the car; and then if he won't meet your price, you go down the street to another dealer," said Obermeyer.
"In this case, you only have one employer," he said. "So, going down the street is not an option."
Thomas Olson can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 320-7854.
