Talks Break Down Between Us Airways And Its Pilots

[FOForevere]

Talked to Bill Pollock last night in DCA. He was on his way home. Said the company basically gave back their Aug 18th proposal (maybe a little worse) and said that's it! Might be a little room on a couple items but sort of take it or leave it.

MEC meeting on Wed to decide where to go from here.

I personally doubt it'll be sent out for a vote.

Cheers

 

[delldude]

WE'LL SEE YOU IN COURT THEN??
had to be the MO from the start......its been nice!

 

[mwereplanes]

All:

This was not unexpected by the MEC members who understand and can see through the nonsense. The biggest clue was the ridiculous company counterproposal of August 17th. At that point it was apparent to intelligent men they were setting up a negotiating stance for the C11 judge. The proposed termination of the pilot DC plan stood out like a beacon for those who cared to open their eyes. Now I hope certain pilots understand they never wanted a deal to begin with. And if those certain pilots place ANY blame on their comrades, after we actually offered a change to the DB plan to see how serious the company was, they are to be considered fools for life.

What now? Pretty simple IMO. C11. Contracts decided by a judge and the ability for labor to accept or reject them. Massive layoffs as the airline shrinks by about 75 to 125 mainline jets as more RJ's come into the fleet and we become a hybrid LCC with international routes and about 150 or so widebody and 320 type jets for Europe and Latin America. The rest will be MDA with the associated pay rates and working conditions. This was the transformation plan all along. Whether it works or not and we end up in C7 is still the major question.

But for all the pilots (did I say all?) who have been carrying the company water: Welcome to the reality you heaped on your non pilot comrades. Order your F/O hat or call NetJets. It's about to hit the fan.

mr

 

[700UW]

Monday, August 23, 2004

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Critical concessionary talks between US Airways and its pilots union broke off Sunday without an agreement, with the airline claiming a "substantial gap" between the pilots' proposal and the $295 million in annual savings being requested by US Airways.

The company, perhaps as a last resort, provided the pilot negotiators with a new proposal that meets the carrier's needs and asked that it be given to the pilots' 12-man governing body, the Master Executive Council. The council plans to meet Wednesday to review the proposal and "determine what further actions should be taken," pilot spokesman Jack Stephan told 3,000 US Airways pilots early this morning via a recorded telephone message.

The fact that the weekend passed without a new cost-cutting agreement is a setback for the nation's seventh-largest airline, which is asking all its labor groups for $800 million in cuts by mid-September to avoid a second descent into bankruptcy. It originally asked for talks to end Friday but continued to meet Saturday and Sunday in Arlington, Va., hoping a new accord with the pilots would put pressure on the flight attendants, passenger service workers and machinists.

Despite the fact that management and union negotiators ended more than two and half months of talks without an agreement yesterday, the pilots' governing council could still decide at Wednesday's meeting to send the company's last proposal out for a vote of the pilots' rank and file. But such a move might not be endorsed by five pilot representatives from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston, who effectively control the votes of the union council and believe union leaders have negotiated away too much in years' past.

 

[Hope777]

Well it looks like we can now THANK ALPA for Chapter 7.........

 

[delldude]

Well it looks like we can now THANK ALPA for Chapter 7.........

[post="171867"][/post]​

best look to the companies gamesmanship here guy....

 

[700UW]

No you can thannk inept management that has no idea on how to run an airline.

 

[Hope777]

Yes I understand the problem here, but my comment was a jab at a certain pilot who claimed they would have a T/A by this weekend.

 

[usfliboi]

I didnt get the impressions that talks BROKE down? No where did it say that ? Sounds to me if ifts talks as usual. How many inept managers can u call inept. No one in their rt buisness mind will do what iam whats them to do, so anyone who comes in will be in ept in your eyes. Thats why IAM has to be irrelevant at this point!

 

[usfliboi]

Everything has to be drama? Did u expect it to be different? Alpa knows what has to be done and will do whats in the best interest of their group, just like IAM!

 

[us0004us]

thank both sides.....it takes two to dance this tango....


but is it the tango of termination/liquidation?


maybe round two has just started....

just part of the negotiation game....down to the wire ..its not new to this industry


good luck to all

 

[ua767fo]

There comes a point where enough is enough when it comes to paycuts. I'm not going to say what the USAirways pilots should or should not give up. But the question for them is 'when is enough'. There is a point where I, and thousands of others in this industry will say no more. At that point and with 25+ years, I personally will be willing to walk away, as I will not give away my services. There is an old addage, you get what you pay for, and if you want to pay a young kid with minimal experience a minimal wage to fly you, the general public, then so be it. You might not then get what you'd wished you'd payed for.

Continually accepting wage cuts to just have a job defeats self worth, and drags down labor. In the macroscopic sense, preserving a quality wage might be better in the long run, as reemployment in the future would probably be at a higher wage level. Many on this board seem to feel that keeping a company going at all costs is worth it. Well, it isnt. I'm glad its not my decision. The collective wisdom of multi member labor councils will generally always yield a better decision than an individuals. We at UAL had one guy, P.W., negotiate our last concessionary contract. Bad news. I trust the results of a group effort alot more.

Denver, CO

 

[oldiebutgoody]

usfliboi,
just wait and see what they want from the f/as. It'll be EVEN UGLIER!

 

[Walmartgreeter]

All:

. The proposed termination of the pilot DC plan stood out like a beacon for those who cared to open their eyes. Now I hope certain pilots understand they never wanted a deal to begin with.
mr

[post="171857"][/post]​

That, in a nutshell, is the key to this whole process...U management does not WANT a deal...they are, indeed, only posturing for the judge. If it comes to that, excellent notes HAVE been taken by the pilots of U during negotiations.....U will have a very hard time proving management negociated in good faith. Best, Greeter.

 

[usair_begins_with_u]

ALPA Keep your pimp hand strong.... your pimp hand strong.. ALPA keep your pimp hand strong.