Today's Alpa Meeting With Lakefield

USA320Pilot

Veteran
May 18, 2003
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www.usaviation.com
Today I attended the ALPA MEC meeting where union leaders re-convened its special meeting at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. The meeting agenda included a briefing on the status of US Airways by senior management, continuation of discussions between the Negotiating Committee and the MEC, and other business.

The meeting convened at 9:00 with management’s discussion first. Representing the company were president and chief executive officer Bruce Lakefield, chief financial officer Dave Davis, senior vice president of corporate development, alliances, & express Bruce Ashby, and vice president of flight operations Ed Bular.

The meeting lasted about 4.5 hours and had three segments: introductory comments by Lakefield, a confidential financial briefing by Dave Davis, and a MEC question and answer period.

This meeting was unique because like MEC and key ALPA committee members, those rank-and-file pilots in attendance were permitted to remain in attendance for the “closed sessionâ€￾ portion of the meeting, provided we signed a non-disclosure and confidentiality letter.

Thursday's August 12 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article titled "Pilot talks still haven't yielded concessions" is a very accurate description of today's meeting, including analyst opinions.

Complete Story

Tonight on the code-a-phone, ALPA MEC Communications Committee Chairman Jack Stephan said, “The MEC and management spent the morning in a lengthy Q&A session that focused on the pace and progress of Transformation Plan negotiations. After a candid discussion on both parties’ expectations, the Negotiating Committee and Company negotiators expect to accelerate their negotiating schedule. The Negotiating Committee plans to meet with the Company on Friday and all of next week in Crystal City. The MEC also received a PowerPoint presentation on current Company financial data in closed session. The MEC spent the remainder of the day discussing negotiating strategy in closed session and adjourned the meeting at 6:30. With negotiations entering an accelerated process, please be sure to keep updated on the progress of Transformation Plan negotiations through the code-a-phone and the pilots only website.â€￾

Complete Story

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot
 
Transformation Plan the captain's favorite theme.

What I am failing to grasp is this: If things are this dire and everyone is sure screaming so, then why bother, why prolong the inevitable and why not simply pull the the plug on this brain dead shell of a company, why oh why linger keeping everyone looking on with dread. Accept the fact that it's time and get it over with. So what's the hold up anyway? Have Mercy and End it ASAP!
 
The ALPA Negotiating Committee will be meeting with ALPA’S financial advisors today, tomorrow, and through the weekend as necessary. They will then meet with the company on Monday for what was described at yesterday’s special MEC meeting "for as long as it takes". Some people suggested the parties lock themselves into a room for 24/7 to reach an accord, and in my opinion that could nearly happen.

Respectfully,

USA320pilot
 
USA320Pilot said:
The ALPA Negotiating Committee will be meeting with ALPA’S financial advisors today, tomorrow, and through the weekend as necessary. They will then meet with the company on Monday for what was described at yesterday’s special MEC meeting "for as long as it takes". Some people suggested the parties lock themselves into a room for 24/7 to reach an accord, and in my opinion that could nearly happen.

Respectfully,

USA320pilot
[post="167828"][/post]​

I gotta a visual for ya.....

A summer camp, the head counsellor has all kinds of problems with the campers, especially one undersized kid. He decides that morale is a problem and that the kids need to get past being upset.

"It just doesn't matter."

It becomes a chant.

"It just doesn't matter"

Finally people feel empowered in their helplessness. They see that it is better to go out with your head held high.

"It just doesn't matter"

So, ALPO can do what it wants. You can howl at the moon that the sky is falling.

"It just doesn't matter."

Until the Company deals with the IAM, it just doesn't matter.

(With thanks to Bill Murray and Wudy da Wabbit, Meatballs .
 
USA320Pilot said:
The ALPA Negotiating Committee will be meeting with ALPA’S financial advisors today, tomorrow, and through the weekend as necessary. They will then meet with the company on Monday for what was described at yesterday’s special MEC meeting "for as long as it takes". Some people suggested the parties lock themselves into a room for 24/7 to reach an accord, and in my opinion that could nearly happen.

Respectfully,

USA320pilot
[post="167828"][/post]​


320:

I said it before and then I read it just today in the report. You likely read it too. We are going to C11 with or without an ALPA agreement. And based on what I read we are going to come out of C11 AFTER shedding unprofitable routes. This will downsize the airline. This is the best scenario for the survival of U.

I told you you were going to be a copilot. Providing we do survive you will indeed be a copilot. There is no judge in the country that will not allow the BOD to downsize this airline if he thinks it is in the best interest of the parties involved. And those parties DO NOT include the pilots, mechanics, F/A's, cleaners or any other employee. And this will be the case REGARDLESS of any agreement we may or may not reach with the company. Mark my word. This company is about to downsize drastically with or without any agreement from ALPA or any other union. And they will do it with the support of the C11 judge.

The agreement we reach (if we do) will be breached within a short time of entering C11. Count on it. If you truly wanted to save the airline, as you purport, you would embrace a downsizing of the company because that is what the report says is the best bet for U.

mr
 
mwereplanes said:
320:

I said it before and then I read it just today in the report. You likely read it too. We are going to C11 with or without an ALPA agreement. And based on what I read we are going to come out of C11 AFTER shedding unprofitable routes. This will downsize the airline. This is the best scenario for the survival of U.

I told you you were going to be a copilot. Providing we do survive you will indeed be a copilot. There is no judge in the country that will not allow the BOD to downsize this airline if he thinks it is in the best interest of the parties involved. And those parties DO NOT include the pilots, mechanics, F/A's, cleaners or any other employee. And this will be the case REGARDLESS of any agreement we may or may not reach with the company. Mark my word. This company is about to downsize drastically with or without any agreement from ALPA or any other union. And they will do it with the support of the C11 judge.

The agreement we reach (if we do) will be breached within a short time of entering C11. Count on it. If you truly wanted to save the airline, as you purport, you would embrace a downsizing of the company because that is what the report says is the best bet for U.

mr
[post="167888"][/post]​



Well so much for everyone saying this type plan doesn't work. But I agree 100%, this company is heading towards its beginnings, minus many employees. I still think that if that is necessary and it will hurt more employees including the retired employees, why go on, why not end it completely. As the "experts" say, it needs to happen to several airlines before this industry stabilizes therefore why doesn't the judge take that fact into account instead of simply prolonging the shaky airline industry pearls. SHUT IT DOWN ALREADY, END IT NOW!!
 
cavalier said:
Well so much for everyone saying this type plan doesn't work. But I agree 100%, this company is heading towards its beginnings, minus many employees. I still think that if that is necessary and it will hurt more employees including the retired employees, why go on, why not end it completely. As the "experts" say, it needs to happen to several airlines before this industry stabilizes therefore why doesn't the judge take that fact into account instead of simply prolonging the shaky airline industry pearls. SHUT IT DOWN ALREADY, END IT NOW!!
[post="167927"][/post]​


The answer cav is simply that the C11 judge cannot base his decision on what is good or bad for the industy. Only what is good or bad for U. The dropping of the 20 nonstops from PIT announced today is a harbinger of things to come. Of course, my post is entirely my opinion based on reliable sources both inside and outside the company.

From this observers perch U is going to shrink and allow all unprofitable routes to go away. Since this seems to be the best for ensuring the survival of U it would seem to me that 320 would support this plan regardless of his demotion to copilot. Likely reserve copilot at that. Do I like it? I don't like it any more than you but that is the reality of our situation. I look forward to the endorsement and agreement of 320 with the BK judges decision that will be forthcoming.

mr
 
cavalier said:
As the "experts" say, it needs to happen to several airlines before this industry stabilizes therefore why doesn't the judge take that fact into account instead of simply prolonging the shaky airline industry pearls. SHUT IT DOWN ALREADY, END IT NOW!!
[post="167927"][/post]​


Because that's for the market to decide, not some judge. I can not believe that anyone in his right mind would think that shutting down US would be a "good thing". In addition to the thousands of lost jobs, the ripple effects would have such a negative impact in so many places it's unfathomable to think even for a second that shutting US down would be good idea. US may go under on its own. Time will tell. But to just say shut it down for the good of the industry is myopic.
 
Mwereplanes:

Your comments are totally incorrect and I heard the information in "closed session" yesterday.

In fact, I believe you're going to see some different things between ALPA & the Company shortly.

Maybe if you attended an ALPA MEC meeting you would know the correct information too.

Could there be a downsizing in bankrputcy? Possibly because third parties will be involved with the process, but the "Transformation Plan" specifically calls for growth, both in hulls and ASM's, which is the best way to average down unit costs.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot
 
Mwereplanes:

Just one more point...

Do not be surrpised if the company scraps the JetBlue work rule approach and ALPA ends up with basically the America West contract -- with some other changes -- to bridge the $19 million cost gap between the America West contract and the $295 million cost cut target.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot
 
USA320Pilot said:
Mwereplanes:

Your comments are totally incorrect and I heard the information in "closed session" yesterday.

In fact, I believe you're going to see some different things between ALPA & the Company shortly.


Respectfully,

USA320Pilot
[post="167966"][/post]​
USA,

Are you on the USairways MEC or your negotiating committee? Closed sessions are usually subject to confidentiality agreements and closed to general ALPA membership.
 
Luv2fly:

As I stated above, this meeting was unique because like MEC and key ALPA committee members, those rank-and-file pilots in attendance were permitted to remain in attendance for the “closed sessionâ€￾ portion of the meeting, provided we signed a non-disclosure and confidentiality letter.

I was scheduled to work yesterday, but adjusted my schedule so I could commute to Washington for the meeting.

What's interesting is that there were only six rank-and-file pilots in attendance.

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot
 
The transformation plan is just what Siegal twice told employees earlier on: the mainline will be reduced to approximately 160-162 A/C, and MDA will be increased to more RJs than God can count.
 
i just wonder what 20 cities willbe dropped and then what cities will be added, that is if we have a marketing department that is smart enough and has the guts to add
routes instead of dropping them. by the way 320, i thought the alpa-mgmt closed doors sessions was strictly for pilots and mgmt?