Temporary Injunction against USAPA filed today

[Pi brat]

Wonder how USAPA is going to pay for this.

If it comes down to an assessment, at least the west won't have to pay.

And USAPA won't be able to fire any west pilot for not paying.

I just skimmed the document. Is the company asking for 400+ million, or just stating that was what it cost?

 

[toganoflex]

Memorize this east holes:

"The Company has overwhelming evidence indicating that this slowdown campaign is being waged in our East operation only, while our West flights continue to operate normally."

 

[Pi brat]

Memorize this east holes:

"The Company has overwhelming evidence indicating that this slowdown campaign is being waged in our East operation only, while our West flights continue to operate normally."

That sure is interesting. You see anything in there the FAA might have an issue with?

 

[toganoflex]

That sure is interesting. You see anything in there the FAA might have an issue with?

Nope.

 

[nic4us]

That sure is interesting. You see anything in there the FAA might have an issue with?

That is not where he is going with it Pi.

The West pilot contract..section 29, prohibits a pilot from having to pay a union assesment that arrises over any illegal strike, or work slowdown.


So, this one is all on you guys. Lets see $400 million/3000 east=$133,333.33 dollars per east pilot. Coincidentally just about the same amount per pilot you fine east ladies and gentlemen have foregone in pay increases since you walked out of negotiations 4 years ago.


Also just skimmed the injunction, here are some interesting points not discussed yet.

Seems Addington is far from dead, as the company refers to it in the injunction.

The company states that the West pilot contract became amendable on 01-01-06 and the east pilots contract on 01-01-2010 (get that LOA 93 date there?).

And my favorite, the company once again acknowledges that it accepted the Nic. Therefore, the Nic is still the only "accepted system seniority list at LCC".

 

[Pi brat]

That is not where he is going with it Pi.



So, this one is all on you guys. Lets see $400 million/3000 east=$133,333.33 dollars per east pilot. Coincidentally just about the same amount per pilot you fine east ladies and gentlemen have foregone in pay increases since you walked out of negotiations 4 years ago.

Can you quote the part where the company is asking for that much? Or anything except an order to cease? Do you really believe if it was costing the company that much they would have waited this long? How about you nic, see anything in that request for relief that seems a little odd?

I know it's been a big night for you guys, but try not to wet yourselves too much. I'm not liquidating and heading for South America yet.

You have a good night.

 

[toganoflex]

6. East pilots are causing these disruptions by engaging in the specific delay tactics encouraged by USAPA, such as slowing down when they taxi aircraft. The average historical “taxi-in” time (when a pilot taxis the aircraft to the gate after landing) and “taxi-out” time (when a pilot taxis the aircraft from the gate to take off) for East pilots have increased dramatically since May 1. Also, there has been a similar dramatic increase in flight departure delays attributed to East pilots — another tactic encouraged by USAPA. Historically, 1.31% of US Airways’ flights flown by East pilots are delayed for reasons attributable to those pilots. Since May 1, however, that rate has more than doubled to 2.85%. During this same time, these operational metrics have been within normal ranges for West pilots.

 

[toganoflex]

17. Although US Airways was not a party to that arbitration, it agreed in the Transition Agreement to accept the resulting integrated seniority list so long as certain conditions were satisfied. The arbitrator issued an award, referred to as the “Nicolau Award,” in May 2007. According to ALPA’s constitution, the results of the arbitration were to be “final and binding” as between the East pilots and the West pilots. The East pilots perceived the Nicolau Award to be less favorable to them as a group than the “date-of-hire” integrated seniority list they had sought from Arbitrator Nicolau. Pursuant to the Transition Agreement, ALPA presented to the Company the integrated seniority list based on the Nicolau Award, and US Airways was obligated to accept that seniority list. US Airways did so in late 2007.

-----------------

And to this day its the ONLY list they have.

 

[toganoflex]

Nice work USAPA. Was this part of your safety campaign as well?


80. Then on July 24, 2011, an anonymous text message was sent to East pilots stating: “Seems like we have our first winner for the COMPANY SUCK UP AWARD... PINK PANTY AWARD or whatever you want to call it. This A330 CAP on Reserve, on July 15th had 1 Day Available, suddenly on July 16th he is on a FRA 3 day trip. Congratulations go to [rank and file US Airways pilot] TOM BELTZ as our first winner. Keep up the good work by screwing all your fellow pilots that are trying to get a contract we deserve. If you have a good reason please let everyone know.” Around this same time, a card was placed in a pilot’s mailbox stating: “CONGRATULATIONS! You’re a WINNER! Your heroic effort to help management achieve their bonus checks has earned you the Pretty Pink Panties award[.] Do you want a new contract? EARN IT[.]”

 

[toganoflex]

FAA May Ground America West
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P H O E N I X, Aug. 26

America West planes will be grounded unless the airline proves within a week that it has completed maintenance on a quarter of its fleet, federal regulators said Friday.

It was the second time this year in which the nation’s ninth-largest carrier faced disciplinary action over maintenance issues. The Federal Aviation Administration threatened in January to bar the suburban Tempe-based airline from acquiring additional planes until it provided adequate maintenance for the ones it had.

This time, David Gillom of the FAA told the airline by letter that, based on an audit and review, “we have serious concerns about American West’s continuous airworthiness maintenance program.”

Overall, the airline must show it has completed the checks on 35 of its 130 planes.

Airline Says It Can Answer Charges

America West President Douglas Parker and other senior executives were away on a company retreat and couldn’t be reached for comment, but Parker issued a statement saying the airline has completed the required maintenance and can prove it.

However, company spokesman James Sabourin said America West canceled seven flights on Thursday in order to complete maintenance checks on nine aircraft.

The FAA is auditing all nine major carriers in response to a January Alaska Airlines crash that killed 88 people, which lead to a review of Alaska’s maintenance practices. Six of those audits have been completed.

FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitalierie said its audit of America West found no flight safety issues but that the agency nonetheless doesn’t consider proper record-keeping and oversight of major maintenance a minor issue, since those practices represent a way to prevent accidents.

History of Problems

America West has been under FAA scrutiny over maintenance for more than two years. The airline was fined $5 million in July 1998 over maintenance issues that included failing to conduct required inspections. Half of the fine was forgiven, despite local FAA officials’ objections.

This past July, the airline temporarily reduced the number of flights in order to double the number of spare planes available and otherwise to give maintenance increased attention in light of reduced earnings resulting in part from delays and cancellations.

In February, a computer glitch led to cancellation of 160 flights and left about 1,000 passengers stranded. Maintenance problems then led to flight cancellations during the Memorial Day weekend in May.

The airline had laid off 500 maintenance workers in 1995 in favor of having an outside firm handle much of the work. Many of the mechanics were rehired in late 1998.

In the current warning, the FAA expressed concern about deferred maintenance and poor oversight of heavy maintenance overhauls conducted by outside vendors.

You have to love these guys in Tempe, They sure know how to run a airline. 😀 Did the pilots get blamed for this also?

How many passengers have you guys killed? Operation Restore Confidence - you remember that one? You guys had to stand down the airline because of all the accidents you were having.

AWA has killed ZERO passengers. You guys were putting one into the dirt every year for a while.

 

[toganoflex]

Now the above is pretty comical. ATC and weather have been absolutely horrible for the last 3 months. I guess neither of those have any thing to do with taxi times or delays, or people getting run down and sick from long work days as a result of delays.

Sick time is an earned benefit? What, are we not supposed to use it when we are sick?

The aircraft are not getting any younger, so I guess that could explain write ups. Before I go, because this is a supreme waste of time, had an APU Master switch that was coming out of the panel. It gets MEL'd with no delay. Want to know where the part was? PHX. Great place for that part considering the number of Airbus' we have operating on the East side.

I fully get who we work for, it's pretty obvious.

Have a nice weekend. NLG out.

Here's your answer per the filing:

85. A comparison of US Airways’ East operations with its “Express” operations (those performed by US Airways’ regional carrier partners whose pilots are represented by a different union and have not been part of USAPA’s campaign) also demonstrates that the increase in taxi times is a result of concerted action. This comparison is important because US Airways’ Express operations are subject to the same weather and any other airport specific issue that would impact taxi time performance, but the pilots for express operations are not members of USAPA. In general, Mainline taxi times tend to be longer than Express taxi times. Historically, the difference between East and Express “taxi in” times is 0.24 minutes, but this has increased to 1.14 minutes since May 1 — nearly four times the historical average. By way of example, the probability of the observed difference between East Mainline and Express taxi-in times for the week ending July 26, 2011 being random as opposed to the result of concerted activity is approximately one in 6,179. The gap between East and Express taxi out times has similarly widened from a historical average of approximately 2 minutes to nearly 3.5 minutes since May 1.

 

[nic4us]

How about you nic, see anything in that request for relief that seems a little odd?

I know it's been a big night for you guys, but try not to wet yourselves too much. I'm not liquidating and heading for South America yet.

You have a good night.

A little odd?

The fact that the company has to file it at all is "a little odd".

What I find inexplicably odd is that the east pilot group does not understand the meaning of final and binding. But, I digress.

I did not read all 22 documents filed today, and do not know were the $400 million figure is coming from.

 

[nic4us]

Nice work USAPA. Was this part of your safety campaign as well?


80. Then on July 24, 2011, an anonymous text message was sent to East pilots stating: “Seems like we have our first winner for the COMPANY SUCK UP AWARD... PINK PANTY AWARD or whatever you want to call it. This A330 CAP on Reserve, on July 15th had 1 Day Available, suddenly on July 16th he is on a FRA 3 day trip. Congratulations go to [rank and file US Airways pilot] TOM BELTZ as our first winner. Keep up the good work by screwing all your fellow pilots that are trying to get a contract we deserve. If you have a good reason please let everyone know.” Around this same time, a card was placed in a pilot’s mailbox stating: “CONGRATULATIONS! You’re a WINNER! Your heroic effort to help management achieve their bonus checks has earned you the Pretty Pink Panties award. Do you want a new contract? EARN IT!

I also find this a little odd.

You east pilots think you deserve a contract? You already have a contract in the TA. It offers you a choice, Nic or LOA93. You choose LOA93.

CONGRATULATIONS! You all win the Pretty Pink Panties Award.

 

[Res Judicata]

I have to wonder; Now that Mike Cleary will be losing his home in personal BK, I wonder if his wife is still "on board" with his hare brained scheme.

USAPA is doomed. I had a feeling the company was simply sitting back and waiting for them to hang themselves with those stupid yellow lanyards. If USAPA can be counted on for anything it's their uncanny ability to have their plans blow up in their faces. Today was a very VERY bad day for the fake union.

 

[toganoflex]

I have to wonder; Now that Mike Cleary will be losing his home in personal BK, I wonder if his wife is still "on board" with his hare brained scheme.

USAPA is doomed. I had a feeling the company was simply sitting back and waiting for them to hang themselves with those stupid yellow lanyards. If USAPA can be counted on for anything it's their uncanny ability to have their plans blow up in their faces. Today was a very VERY bad day for the fake union.

History continuously repeats itself with these guys.