I'm glad to see US Airways and the AFA reach an agreement with the assistance of the NMB.
In my opinion, the new deal is no only important for a standalone company, but places US Airways' F/As on a more equal footing with APFA's F/As and guaranttes AFA a seat at the MOU/JCBA table. And, the MOU provides an opportunity for further economic rank-and-file benefits is fist bite of the apple towards the JCBA.
Furthermore, the East pilots and F"as are splitting and will not be co-paired if the pilot's ratify their MOU because Pref Bid will be implemented in the first quarter of January 2014, not to mention after FAR 117 is implemented this fall F/As will suffer because they will still be co-paired with the pilots and according to Chip Mayer will not be able to fly "on duty, all nighters, be able to back-to-back transatlantic trips, will be required to fly more multi-day trips, and will need 1.5 days on the road more per month to get full pay,
I believe vote "no" to the TA risks include:
1. No pay raise or other economic benefits.
2. No bonus payment if the proposed merger proceeds.
3. APFA becoming the F/As union and deciding the joint contract.
4. The MOU puts US Airways' AFA F/As on an equal playing field with APFA at the time of the merger PID, which is important to subsequent seniority integration because of the importance economics pay when determining career expectation in a M_B SLI arbitration if APFA does not agree to a DOH SLI. How will US Airways' F/As career expectation be viewed by the Board of Arbitration with APFAs F/As paid MOU rates with overrides and East & West F/As paid about $41 and $37 per our hour, respectively? Could a no vote on TA III cause a bad relative position SLI with APFA's F/As if the proposed merger proceeds?
5. By being at the MOU table and agreeing to a MOU with APFA this will prevent the successor Company from leveraging one group against the other.
I believe the merger is likely to happen and APFAs MOU requires the union to file for single carrier CBA certification with the NMB within four months of the "effective" date. In my opinion, APFA is likely to be appointed the new company's F/A union and once they do they will negotiate US Airways' F/As next contract's Pay, Benefits, Work Rules, Scope, Retirement, and Health & Welfare. Therefore, I believe "voting no" only delays the inevitable of APFA deciding US Airways' F/As MOU/MTA/JCBA, US Airways' F/As and their families suffering longer on bankruptcy era contracts, the continued time loss of money & no economic gain, and a serious SLI risk that could be worse than the the view of how the Nicolau Award effected USAPA's pilots based east of the Mississippi River.
USA320Pilot