Jettubby

Doug Parker and the new USAirways merged every employee group strickly by date of hire. The flight attendants, mechanics, gate agents, rampers, schedulers, dispatches, etc all were merged date of hire. Non-rev travel priority was decided to be based on date of hire. Doug Parker stated that date of hire integration was the fair way to merge USAirways and America West employees. This is what the East pilots requested from ALPA; date of hire with fences. This was a fair request. No more no less.

But this was not to be for the AW pilots nor ALPA. For some reason the AW pilots think they deserve more of the pie than their own flight attendants, mechanics, gate agents, etc. You can site "arbitration", "union policy" and whatever all day long but you have to look yourself in the mirror every day and ask yourself why you think it right to step on your fellow man. Why you feel it right to take advantage of a fellow pilot and their families, and why you feel it fair to get more than everyone else. Isn't that what we blame management for doing?

In fact the east pilots for two years now decided & voted to "give" the west pilots $2000 from each east pilot's profit sharing as the west pilots currently don't have profit sharing. This was a jesture of cooperation to their fellow pilot. In return the west pilots went to Doug Parker and demanded that the east pilots don't get parity pay and the west pilot now ourwardly in the terminals call east pilots "scabs". The definition of "scab" is one who crosses a strike picket line. This is all because the east pilots are upset that ALPA's arbitration award seniority list if employed will make every West pilot (even 2005 hires) a Captain overnight (at east bases)while 20yr never-furloughed east pilots are FOs and will never upgrade. Would you be upset?

The new USAPA union, in represention of ALL USAirways pilots, recently had the balls to hold a road show in PHX. Brave guys. The USAPA interrim president is one of the nicest, calmest persons you've ever met. As he spoke west pilots threw things at him, called him a scab, and yelled curse words. It's really sad what the industry and some selfesh pilots have done to the industry.

The above are facts, no matter what your opinion.

The USAirways pilots seek other representation not to only try and overthrow a ridiculous ALPA seniority award. For USAirways pilots it's the last straw. Under ALPA they've lost everything; retirement, pay, work rules, benefits, etc. It's clear that their 12million annually they pay in dues to ALPA has only worked to their detriment and now like American Airlines pilots did years ago, it's time to try another avenue. Like one pilot said, "If you hired a guy to paint your house and he's painted it and messed it up 6 times, are you going to hire him a 7th time and 'hope' this time he does it right this time?"

ALPA has recently removed Date of Hire as a merger policy and replaced it with, "Mergers shall be based on 'No windfall for either pilot group' & 'Career expectation'". So why did ALPA back the USAirways/AW award when it clearly violated their policy above? Hmm? Something rotten in Denmark maybe? This new ALPA policy is exactly the reason why Delta and Northwest pilots can't agree on a pilot merger. There is no base like date of hire to start with, so both side will argue forever and never reach an agreement. Both pilot groups want the advantage and are afraid to go to ALPA's arbitration based on how the east USAirways pilots were railroaded.

Date of hire is all you have as a pilot. ALPA years ago rejected a part 121 national seniorty list that would have prevented all this from happening. It's interesting as pilots how we look at management as the enemy, but unfortunately our own fellow pilots can be worse. It's selfeshness and greed.

So support your fellow USAirways pilot. They've been fighting through hell like everyone in this industry. The time now is not to badger one another.

Something to think about. Good day

GeeWizDriver

Step away from the crack pipe......

TriStar_drvr

They probably backed it because the ALPA pilots involved agreed to accept the binding arbitration award.

Jettubby

What choice did they have? ALPA set forth no rules for merging. Just sit in a room and work it out. Well when two pilot groups don't work it out what choice do they have? Only one; arbitration so ALPA says. They agree thinking that the judge (arbitrator) will be fair. Again what choice do they have? Keep meeting and not agreeing forever? The east pilots simply wanted what every other employee group had gotten; date of hire integration. AW pilots said, "No way we want it all". Again what choice is there but go to arbitration. That was the east's pilots only choice.

See this thread: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/sh...ad.php?t=23984

weirdbiz

Is that true? I'm not familiar with the history.

Justdoinmyjob

Seems to me I remember the US Airways MEC agreeing to the change. I guess they never thought that it would come back and bite them in the pants.

crewdawg52

It is a pilot groups right to vote out a union and replace it with another. Go for it! Good luck USA!

flyharm

binding arbitration...yes. You West people seem to forget that besides binding arbitration, Nicolau, in his own words, was "bound by the tenets of ALPA Merger Policy". No windfall to either group, maintain or improve pre merger positions etc....the list is doubly flawed in the the MDA pilots were treated as furloughed. They WON the lawsuit against ALPA, proving the point. ALPA now owes them big $$$. Binding arbitration is but one thing agreed to. So please don't listen to your McIlvenna's one sided and slanted, inaccurate report....go search the truth yourself. The entire deal is flawed, and thus binding arbitration is null and void as well. ALPA and Nicolau did not keep their deal. Is this too much information for your simple one line answers?

flyharm

wrong. ALPA merger policy was changed long ago. Woerth and Prater did not have the smarts or is it bravery to change it.

flyharm

I find it hard to believe that jettubby is a pilot? I guess not an ALPA pilot, as ALPA Merger Policy is on the website for all to see, and it's five tenets clearly stating that there is to be NO WINDFALL TO EITHER GROUP. The four other points are equally clear about maintaining pre merger status. ALPA policies were not heeded by Nicolau, and ALPA in their high brass EC meetings decided they did not wish to face the music and alter an arbitrated list, opening the door to other before US. ALPA backtracked, and says now that they only "provide a proccess for merger policies..." OH! Then what's all the mumbo jumbo about Merger Policy? Why is it even there is ALPA won't heed it? No wonder a dozen or more ALPA folks recently resigned over this sham. As one pilot on the EC board said after reading the Nicolau "award" , and I quote: "This is the biggest turd I have ever seen!"