- Nov 12, 2007
- 99
- 4
$4000 in emergency room bills and still called on the carpet and a week without pay? Somebody needs to call the FAA
This is MEC Chairman Jack Stephan with a Chairman's message to the pilots for Tuesday, December 4th.
For the past few months, US Airways management has been attempting to intimidate pilots who have legitimately used sick time or have had to notify the company that they are fatigued. The senior management of US Airways has concocted a “work stoppage" in order to bulldoze right through your contract.
The Company has acted as the “judge, jury and executioner†concerning the issuance of over 70 letters of discipline alleging that our fellow pilots participated in an illegal act. Not only are their actions morally repugnant, but they are a direct violation of not only our working agreement, but two settlement agreements and an arbitrator’s award.
Specifically, Chief Pilots are REQUIRED by the contract and reconfirmed by a recent arbitrator’s award to conduct a full and fair investigation concerning any allegation of misconduct of a pilot. The Company’s request to have pilots attend a meeting to “discuss†their sick call or validity of sick notes can only be portrayed in the best light as a sham. Pilots who attempted to explain the nature of their sick call were completely dismissed by their Chief Pilots. A meeting that is required by the Contract to allow a pilot the opportunity to tell his side of the story was nothing more than an avenue that allowed the Company to deliver unwarranted and excessive discipline. In fact, one pilot who was in the emergency room over the day in question and ready to produce more than $4,000 in bills was instead issued a one week suspension.
This type of action by management is not only in direct violation of our contract, but the way they are pursuing disciplinary action against scores of our pilots is nothing short of flat out harassment, attempted intimidation, and in some cases, hostage-taking.
In response, ALPA has readied a strong defense to deal with any and all of these contract violations, as your MEC Grievance Committee and ALPA legal staff have been working overtime to correct management's gross violations of our working agreement and abuse of pilots' rights. Make no mistake, your MEC elected representatives are considering all legal options available and will spare no expense in protecting our hard fought contractual provisions and the rights and reputations of our individual pilots.
Your MEC is not going to stand by and tolerate any contractual abuses or any attempt to intimidate pilots who have legitimate sick excuses and follow guidelines established in the contract. US Airways admittedly has problems with their operations, and they find it convenient to blame their problems on everything but themselves. You know the story: In the summer, it's thunderstorms. In the winter, it's snow. Now they are using an "illegal work stoppage" as the basis for their poor operations.
This harassment and abuse could create an unsafe environment for our pilots, fellow crewmembers, and our passengers. Do you want your family and loved ones flying on an airline that is attempting to force pilots to fly sick and fatigued? Remember that schedule with safety is paramount.
If you feel the same way, then I'm asking you to help your fellow pilots by taking time out of our busy holiday schedule on Thursday, December 20th at Washington National Airport to participate in picketing on the sick/fatigue issue. We must tell management that these actions will not stand unchallenged, and that we will very publicly expose their cowardly tactics for what they are.
Each of us has an opportunity to let our management know in clear terms what we think of the manner in which they are treating this pilot group. Join your fellow pilots in Washington, D.C. and send the message to management that we will not let them pick us off one at a time; that we will not let them take hostages; that we will not let any pilot on our property be made an example of; that instead of causing fear, they are solidifying our resolve. We simply can not tolerate these abuses. We will not fly sick and we will not fly fatigued.
Thanks for listening. And as always, fly safe and continue to look out for each other.
This is MEC Chairman Jack Stephan with a Chairman's message to the pilots for Tuesday, December 4th.
For the past few months, US Airways management has been attempting to intimidate pilots who have legitimately used sick time or have had to notify the company that they are fatigued. The senior management of US Airways has concocted a “work stoppage" in order to bulldoze right through your contract.
The Company has acted as the “judge, jury and executioner†concerning the issuance of over 70 letters of discipline alleging that our fellow pilots participated in an illegal act. Not only are their actions morally repugnant, but they are a direct violation of not only our working agreement, but two settlement agreements and an arbitrator’s award.
Specifically, Chief Pilots are REQUIRED by the contract and reconfirmed by a recent arbitrator’s award to conduct a full and fair investigation concerning any allegation of misconduct of a pilot. The Company’s request to have pilots attend a meeting to “discuss†their sick call or validity of sick notes can only be portrayed in the best light as a sham. Pilots who attempted to explain the nature of their sick call were completely dismissed by their Chief Pilots. A meeting that is required by the Contract to allow a pilot the opportunity to tell his side of the story was nothing more than an avenue that allowed the Company to deliver unwarranted and excessive discipline. In fact, one pilot who was in the emergency room over the day in question and ready to produce more than $4,000 in bills was instead issued a one week suspension.
This type of action by management is not only in direct violation of our contract, but the way they are pursuing disciplinary action against scores of our pilots is nothing short of flat out harassment, attempted intimidation, and in some cases, hostage-taking.
In response, ALPA has readied a strong defense to deal with any and all of these contract violations, as your MEC Grievance Committee and ALPA legal staff have been working overtime to correct management's gross violations of our working agreement and abuse of pilots' rights. Make no mistake, your MEC elected representatives are considering all legal options available and will spare no expense in protecting our hard fought contractual provisions and the rights and reputations of our individual pilots.
Your MEC is not going to stand by and tolerate any contractual abuses or any attempt to intimidate pilots who have legitimate sick excuses and follow guidelines established in the contract. US Airways admittedly has problems with their operations, and they find it convenient to blame their problems on everything but themselves. You know the story: In the summer, it's thunderstorms. In the winter, it's snow. Now they are using an "illegal work stoppage" as the basis for their poor operations.
This harassment and abuse could create an unsafe environment for our pilots, fellow crewmembers, and our passengers. Do you want your family and loved ones flying on an airline that is attempting to force pilots to fly sick and fatigued? Remember that schedule with safety is paramount.
If you feel the same way, then I'm asking you to help your fellow pilots by taking time out of our busy holiday schedule on Thursday, December 20th at Washington National Airport to participate in picketing on the sick/fatigue issue. We must tell management that these actions will not stand unchallenged, and that we will very publicly expose their cowardly tactics for what they are.
Each of us has an opportunity to let our management know in clear terms what we think of the manner in which they are treating this pilot group. Join your fellow pilots in Washington, D.C. and send the message to management that we will not let them pick us off one at a time; that we will not let them take hostages; that we will not let any pilot on our property be made an example of; that instead of causing fear, they are solidifying our resolve. We simply can not tolerate these abuses. We will not fly sick and we will not fly fatigued.
Thanks for listening. And as always, fly safe and continue to look out for each other.
