Pilots Make New Pitch To Us Airways

[BoeingBoy]

Pilots make new pitch to US Airways
Carrier not yet sold on proposal proposal

Thursday, August 05, 2004
By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

US Airways pilots, more than two months into a set of do-or-die concessionary talks, sent management a new cost-cutting proposal this week that union leaders say will make the airline as productive as its low-cost rivals. The company appeared dubious.

Article

Jim

 

[mwereplanes]

"The company will discuss profit sharing AT THE END of negotiations"!

These cretins don't want an agreement. They want to set the stage for the judge to determine what will be the contract. If you look at the pace and the meat of what the company counterproposals contain it is readily apparent that is the goal.

My guess is that ALPA will counter at some point with a "take it or leave it" offer and then let the company decide. The judge will figure it out and then we will have an agreement. Same with the IAM.

Big difference with the IAM however. That group has the balls to reject the judge imposed contract and I predict they will and then enter self help. And that, unlike another C11 filing, is a HUGE gamble. The mechanics could shut this airline down.

This company doesn't want to "partner" with its employees. They want to dictate JetBlue contracts at a company that they can't even run like JetBlue. Here is my negotiating position once again:

When you have a management as competent as JetBlue.
When you have a fleet as modern as JetBlue.
When you run the airline as efficiently as JetBlue.
When you have the same employee relations as JetBlue.
Then we will work for JetBlue contracts.

mr

 

[Dark Cloud]

Just wondering about the above mentioned article. Is that correct, that the pilots can cash out on their sick time upon retirement. Is there a limit on the amount of sick time they could cash out on? Gee, that's a nice little retirement perk. Can say one thing. ALPA knows how to take care of their members.

 

[javaboy]

considering the PILOT group is the ONLY group to have had its pension plan TERMINATED, cahing in a few hundred hours or even a thousand hours of sick is a step in the right direction.

now here's how the company wins, you get pilots taking less sick to save for that day of separation from the company

so you can reward employees for good attendance or you can offer to simply cut accrued sick balances (punish them) which one do you think is the better plan

 

[gso-crew]

What have they offered, to fly 2 more hours a week for the same pay check? Am I missing something?

12.5% cut then fly 8 more hours a month ='s same W2 amount each month.... h34r:

CWA members would be happy to work two more hours a week for the same pay....


"considering the PILOT group is the ONLY group to have had its pension plan TERMINATED"

WHAT, you better check that one out

 

[flyin2low]

2 more hours per week is eqivalent to 4 hours extra in your job classification. Only paid during aircraft motion time not preflight, boarding etc...Your pension was not TERMINATED it was frozen.........

 

[delldude]

funny how if we become jet blue clones all our troubles will be gone.
still we will be run by the same morons whose incompetence has gotten us here in the first place.

 

[Pacemaker]

There is no provision for pilots to cash out sick time upon retirement, and never has been to my knowledge.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Pacemaker is absolutely right. There is no current provision for "cashing out" sick leave at any time, up to and including retirement.

The company's proposal calls for wholesale changes to the sick leave policy - converting sick leave/vacation to a PTO (paid time off) scheme that includes a "retirement bank" where unused time could be used to offset retirement medical costs.

ALPA's counter calls for being able to "cash out" a small amount of unused PTO time yearly.

Jim

PS - the wholesale changes envisioned are the reason I have said that the company's offer to revert to the previous sick policy are not a very good sign of a change in corporate culture. It appears that a complete overhaul of the sick policy is coming shortly anyway.