prechilill said:
I'm glad you think so. He has a long history of nailing it, so just hang on every word of his. He nailed it with this one, didn't he?
USA320pilots said on 9/13/2007:
"Junebug,
You have been proven before to not only misrepresent information, but to flat out lie and you're doing it again.
Junebug said: "And Prater did not tell anyone that about "stewing" in anything.
USA320pilot responds: I talked to a buddy of mine who told him this directly. What is interesting is how would you know what was said, where you there?
Junebug said: "I've talked to a buddy of mine whose close to Prater and he said he was fed up with the east's nonsense and he was going to do what he should have done in May. This has been backed up with his latest email the was sent out to all east and west pilots."
USA320Pilot responds: Wrong again. Doug Parker is very concerned about the situation at hand and he knows he cannot put the two airlines together because the US Airways pilots will never vote for a new contract if it triggers the Nicolau Award.
Junebug said: "As for USAPA, I understand that their money situation is becoming quite dire and they have resorted to begging. Cards are great, but you need money to make it all work."
USA320Pilot responds: Wrong again. It does not take a lot of money to operate via the Internet or by word-of-mouth. And, when you and others are accessed to help fund USAPA next quarter the USAPA treasury will grow.
Moreover, many successful independent unions have started with nothing but debt. By contrast, USAPA is operating in the black and anticipated dues flow will more than cover our financial needs. Remember, we will not have an enormous bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. to support.
According to USAPA, "We have enough to do the initial work to get to a representational dispute determination. We will need more to conduct an effective campaign for election (the last mailing cost over $3K) and also for the legal advice we are getting. We have the premier law firm in this area of law; Lee Seham’s father was the man who represented the APA pilots in 1962 when they left ALPA. That case went to the Supreme Court and APA prevailed. Bottom line, until we win the election and start receiving dues."
Junebug said: "And, it is yet to be determined whether or not we are a SBU. I'm sure USAPA knows how badly the east has pissed off their feeders. Enough so that they're willing to do anything to get even - even dillute those 2400 cards. Ask about this scenario during your next 10 hour phone call with USAPA."
USA320Pilot responds: You're wrong on two counts here. Yesterday Piedmont Chairman Gordon Daniels addressed the MEC and I know exactly what was said. Daniels is courting the MEC to create flow through support. And, my conversation was not on the phone with Stephen Bradford because we sat next to each other from PIT-SFO & a return, as well as spend 24 hours together in SFO.
As far as the wholly owned pilots voting, they’re not a part of our union’s and they will not have time to be a part of the group before the USAPA vote takes place.
Junebug said: "And, its an iron-clad guarantee, that Nicolau will stand along with our respective CBA (LOA93 in your case) should a new union come on property."
USA320Pilot comments: The majority of US Airways pilots have no problem with LOA 93 remaining in place because it prevents the Nicolau Award from being implemented. Do the East pilots want a pay raise? Absolutely, and they are going to keep fighting until they get one. However, according to Lee Seham The Nicolau is the product of an ALPA-mandated process and ALPA is bound to defend that process. The ALPA-US Airways MEC cannot prevail in its current litigation because it voluntarily submitted to the ALPA-mandated process. The USAPA, however, is not bound by ALPA's Constitution and cannot be subjected to ALPA’s political control. USAPA will assert its right under the Railway Labor Act to negotiate over the terms of any seniority integration. Under the RLA, seniority is a mandatory subject of bargaining.
USA320Pilot concludes: Junebug, it's over for the AWA pilots and if you're not nice you might get stapled to the bottom of the new seniority list.
Now I believe USAPA will be fair to the AWA pilots follwoing union "imposition". According to USAPA, "We have a federally protected right under the RLA to change union representatives. A successor union, such as the USAPA, has the legal right to negotiate changes in the terms and conditions of employment, including seniority. Federal courts have routinely upheld a union’s right to address seniority issues within a wide range of reasonableness."
By the way, I just received an email from an ALPA EVP who said, "Solutions are available, but they will require compromises on both sides.
Otherwise, the award is useless, and both sides lose. There are ways to mitigate the effects of the award; vacating the award is next to, if not impossible. I think both sides need to reasonably assess their options. I think the motivation of ALPA trying to find solutions has been greatly misconstrued. If these attempts fail, those with the most to lose are not other ALPA pilots or ALPA National, it is the US Airways pilots themselves. There has been progress, but the pace has been discouraging - at times."
Junebug, since the AWA MEC has just begun to negotiate a settlement to the Nicolau Award problem, with behind-the-scenes activity, I believe the pace of these negotiations must dramatically pick up or you will be forced to pay USAPA union dues or be placed in bad standing around the first of the year.
By the way, when do you start your fourth year of AWA service and how is your advancement going? What's interesting is that the AWA pilots could found (and maybe still can) a way to capture and share some of the seniority list growth, but people like you and your MEC are creating a war you cannot win because the US Airways pilots will control all voting.
Regards,
USA320Pilot"
