US Airways Flightline (Pilot Negotiations Update): October, 2011
The Company and the Association continued negotiations the week of September 19th at the National Mediation Board offices in Washington D.C. Proposals regarding Section 27 (Retirement) were passed by each side. At the direction of Mediator Brown, interest based discussions took place on Section 1 (Scope), Section 7 (Vacation), and Section 25 (Reserve Processing) although no proposals were passed by either side on these issues.
Those involved in the costing of each side’s proposals, along with Mediator Brown, met again on September 27th and 28th in Phoenix. This meeting was specifically called in order to better understand the methodology used by each group and to attempt to narrow the gap in the financial projections for each section of the contract.
As of last week, using the Association’s costing methodology for their proposals; the first year increase in total pilot costs was $1.15 billion, with an approximate $300 million cost increase in total pilot costs for each year thereafter. This analysis did not include additional costs associated with Sections 8, 13, 18, 26, and 27. Obviously, there is extensive work to be done in order to narrow the sizable gap between the Association’s current proposal and what the Company can realistically afford.
In addition to the above costing exercise, the Association and their financial consultant responded to a presentation on the financial state of US Airways made by Stephen Johnson, Executive VP Corporate.
Negotiations previously scheduled for the week of October 17th were cancelled. The next scheduled meeting will be the week of November 7th in Washington D.C., followed by the week of December 5th in Phoenix AZ.
USA320Pilot comments: USAPA's NAC consists of 5 line pilots who have no negotiating experience and have never served on a negotiating committee before. In addition, USAPA does not have an E&FA Department and its sole Professional Negotiator, Scott Peterson, was let go from ALPA after his work on the CAL pilot contract. Peterson surfaced at SSM&P and he is now USAPA's Professional Negotiator.
In my opinion, one of the reasons Mike Cleary's prediction that the NMB will park or suspend our new contract talks is that USAPA is seeking an unrealistic new contract. If the Company's costing analysis is true even one-half of USAPA's comprehensive proposal could bankrupt US Airways in a couple of years.
It's time to appoint a NAC of experienced people with the resources available to take a healthy bite out of the apple and stop wasting time. Each day that goes by pilots are losing more-and-more due to the time value of money. Money that we will never, ever be recoverd.
Again, if I was king for day I would appoint Doug Dotter, Tony Lozano, Rocky Calvery, Donn Butkovic, Don Hollerbach, and Richard Obermeyer to the NAC for three reasons. One, for USAPA to to be in compliance with its contract, two, to build East-West trust, and three, to get the best contract as possible as soon as possible. I could be wrong, but that should be USAPA or any union's goals.
