An Open Letter to USAPA’s Board of Pilot Representatives: November 28, 2011
Given the mounting body of evidence, available in the public arena as well as the letter, addressed to you, the Board of Pilot Representatives, dated November 21, 2011 from Lee Seham, we the undersigned request that you perform the following duties:
Call a BPR Meeting, as soon as possible. Address at least, agenda items covering legal and administrative oversight and direction, along with staffing of a new Communications Committee.
Remove from that meeting the Officers, Legal Counsel, all of whom now have conflicting interests. Also exclude anyone else, including BPR members, who even potentially had an involvement with the legal misdeeds involving the Seham, Seham, Meltz, and Peterson firm. Among the remaining members, and based on good judgment and common sense, decide what actions need to be taken to serve USAPA Member’s best interest and protect the Organization as a whole. We would remind you all that the union’s best interests trump any considerations of individual personalities, elected officers, lawyers, etc.
In light of the tone and content of the letter from Lee Seham, you have a couple of simple decisions to make. Your actions will determine whether or not the entire union becomes mired in yet another lawsuit, this one a certain loser.
In addition, we ask you all to consider the following:
The BPR needs to see the documentation from Seham, which he procured under subpoena. Of particular interest would be information therein, regarding the IP address and the internet service provider information, purportedly directly linking a computer controlled by Ms. Murphy or Randy Mowery to the libelous emails, falsely attributed to and signed by Nick Granath, a Seham attorney.
The BPR needs answers from both V.P. Mowery and Ms. Murphy as to whether their actions contrary to the best interests of Lee Seham and his law firm, were perpetrated under the umbrella of their duties and responsibilities as an officer and a legal counsel, respectively, of USAPA. Did Mowrey and/or Murphy undertake these actions under the direction of others, or of their own volition? The Board needs to ascertain whether these deeds were for personal retribution, or part of a scheme, cooked up within USAPA Headquarters..
If the V.P. Mowrey and Attorney Theresa Murphy were acting on their own and without the knowledge of others within USAPA, then the BPR needs to recoup any legal fees expended on their behalf and prevent any future expenditure in their defense in this matter and of course, the Board would have a responsibility to withhold union funds, going forward, in the event it is established that they acted alone.
If SSMP is willing, the Board must reassign the PHX Declatory Law suit back to their firm. USAPA may have to file for a continuance to properly prepare. Seham, Seham, Meltz and Peterson are the firm who know the case and who know Labor Law.
The Board must end the wasteful audit of the Seham Law Firm, in light of what you now know without a doubt about the truth of Lee’s claims.
The Board must withdraw the status quo lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York. It is a loser and an expensive one at that.
The Board should propose a permanent settlement with the company regarding the preliminary injunction in North Carolina.
The Board should assign interim USAPA designees who will act as points of contact for legal Counsel moving forward who are not conflicted with recent events.
The Board has the Constitution responsibility to hold interviews and an election for a USAPA Communication Chairman
We the undersigned would remind the Board of Pilot Representatives of the consequences of a lawsuit against the entire union, by its former law firm. Besides being virtually unprecedented, such an outcome would obviously preclude access to the expertise and experience of Seham and his firm. If USAPA loses the right to negotiate its own seniority system, the repercussions for the profession and our pilot group should be obvious to the Board. Also, if the allegations against Mowrey are proven, it could cost USAPA’s dues paying pilots millions of dollars, because of the reckless actions of our President and Vice President and the cover-up that followed by many in union leaderships positions. Consider carefully the consequences of dismissing this situation as a “political” one, as you all have done so many times before, when faced with questionable behavior by our officers.
Eric Rowe
PHL AB 330
Jed Thomas
PHL AB 320
Doug Mowery
CLT AB320
Woody Menear
PHL B-767
Dave Ciabattoni
PHL AB-320
Rich Wargin
CLT B-737
Dave Shryack
CLT AB-320
