2014 Pilot Discussion

[EastUS1]

Most west guys(if they saw it) would wince at posts from him and a few other posters.

 
Completely agreed here Pi.. The vast majority of west folks I've ever personally conversed with seem to be largely decent sorts. As I've many-times-noted; it's the delusional punks/self-styled-"spartans"/"soldiers"/"dire wolves"/"battle"-tested-"knights/etc that my rantings here are always directed towards. Suggestions to just grow up have never proved at all effective, and seriously; how could anyone not otherwise just laugh at such "confused" sorts? 😉

 

[Pi brat]

Completely agreed here sir. The majority of west folks I've ever conversed with seem to be largely decent sorts. As I've many-times-noted; it's the delusional punks/self-styled-"spartans"/"soldiers"/"dire wolves"/"battle"-tested-"knights/etc that my rantings here are always directed towards.

Yep. I'll add that some west guys I know I'd put up there with the best pilots/persons I know. Every group has it's 5%.

 

[EastUS1]

Yep. I'll add that some west guys I know I'd put up there with the best pilots/persons I know. Every group has it's 5%.

 
Agreed again, save perhaps for that 5% figure. In order to get any group of supposed professionals to "enlist" themselves under such as their self-styled "supreme commander", and at any level fantasize themselves "spartans", "soldiers" and perfect paradigms of "integrity"...well...the majority of them seem decent, but it's a far higher percentage of dysfunctional excuses for people than a mere 5%, by a long shot.

 

[Pi brat]

[quote name="EastUS1" post="1093371" timestamp="140246092 but it's a far higher percentage of dysfunctional excuses for people than a mere 5%.[/quote]

Might have to give you that one east. Two east posters come to mind...

 

[EastUS1]

Might have to give you that one east. Two east posters come to mind...

 
Indeed. Arrested Development is hardly unique to PHX...although sufficiently prevalent amongst "spartan" ranks to have honestly warranted study. These boards have provided a fascinating study of both the influences of the internet on personal interaction, ie; largely anonymous and thus safely distanced behavior, as well as the formative/sustaining phases of essentially cultist behavior..."This is sparta!"/etc.
 
In fairness though, as regards these boards; I've no doubt I'm within the 5% out east myself. 😉 To even begin to pretend that all my time spent on this internet nonsense has been invested from purely clinical interest would be a complete lie. Even as an ancient curmudgeon...well...I guess a bit of idealist yet lives within that would, however irrationally, imagine that at least within the ranks of "fellow pilots", that some ability to "play well with others" might somehow, magically surface. I've seen the notions of fellows and brothers within some fairly severe, if military circumstances, to behave accordingly, so it really IS possible for people with a shared sense of experience, identity and purpose, which it turns out doesn't at all exist within the "ranks" of commercial flying, perhaps by way of it's very definition....Umm...and with that, as pertains things here with the supposed "spartans"?....I'll now properly exit Fantasyland myself. "This is sparta!"...."Integrity matters!"...Umm...yeah kids, sure thing...whatever floats your boats....
 
I'll now leave the floor open for any "battle"-tested, mighty "spartan knights" to discuss "integrity", "karma"/whatever, and of course, for traderjake/"LT Hardy" from merely the fantasy-movie "Striking Distance" to lecture us all on "honor"...from their vast personal experience and intimate knowledge of all such, of course. 😉

 

[EastUS1]

 
Great work by ALPA, again.

 
"Great work"?...For what exactly?...Waving pom poms? Sigh! It's a good thing for ancient Egypt that you were in no way associated with the construction of the Pyramids, lest they'd have never seen the light of day.

 

[Claxon]

History repeating itself with American Airlines merger?
 
Vacation pay, reserve rules, what ever else the company decides at their whims, ie: the plums.  You bent over, you were not bent over by force East pilots.
 
US Airways MEC Message seven years ago;
 
"Resolution passed 08-15-07
 
WHEREAS this September will mark two years since the merger between US Airways and America West Airlines, and
 
WHEREAS US Airways management has benefited from scope relief granted by the US Airways pilots allowing the use of the US Airways marketing identity on America West flights for nearly two years, and
 
WHEREAS there has been little substantial economic progress made during Joint Negotiations for both pilot groups, and
 
WHEREAS there has been a disparity of pay between the pilot groups since the onset of the US Airways and America West merger, and
 
WHEREAS this disparity between the two pilot groups has increased due to the recalling of US Airways furloughed pilots that are not at top of scale, and
 
WHEREAS the America West Pilots received the support of the US Airways pilots in dealings with management that culminated in the America West pilots successfully achieving substantial gains in the areas of Defined Contribution Retirement Plan and Corporate Profit Sharing Plan, and
 
WHEREAS since the US Airways and America West Merger, management has seen fit to grant other employees pay and parity raises throughout the corporation, and
 
WHEREAS US Airways management continues to reward themselves with lucrative compensation packages, and
 
WHEREAS the profits are reported separately for US Airways and America West by the company, and they indicate an extreme disproportionate profit generated from the East operation resulting in East profits disportionately funding items such as West profit sharing plans, other employee raises and executive compensation packages and
 
WHEREAS the Transition Agreement envisioned substantial progress being made by June of 2006, and
 
WHEREAS Management has intentionally manipulated the timeline and slowed the progress of the JNC process, in particular during it's ill conceived hostile takeover attempt of Delta Airlines, and
 
WHEREAS during that failed Delta Airline Takeover attempt, management clearly promised that all pilots would be brought up to the highest contract of the three pilot groups, and
 
WHEREAS CEO Doug Parker on July 26, 2007 during the 2nd Quarter Report publicly stated that US Airways has already budgeted 122 million dollars for 2007 and beyond for the assumed cost of matching US Airways pilots pay with America West pilot pay plus an additional three percent, and
 
WHEREAS also during this same public forum CEO Doug Parker declared that employees performing the same work should be paid at the same level of pay, and
 
WHEREAS the expense of continued fruitless negotiation is not in the best interest of the US Airways East pilots.
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the AAA MEC immediately reassign our members of the JNC back to Negotiating Committee duties, and
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our members of the JNC will not reengage in Joint Contract Negotiations until the US Airways Pilots are provided parity with our Brother and Sister pilots at America West, and
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that parity is defined as pay as put forth to the company in our June 28th proposal, and
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That retro pay for all US Airways pilots will take affect starting September 1, 2007, including a fair interest charge of 8% that will be calculated onto any future agreements, and
 
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the US Airways MEC authorizes a media campaign, including but not limited to informational picketing and other forms of lawful demonstrations, in order to inform the traveling public of the un-American pay discrimination that the professional union pilots at US Airways have been enduring for the last two years."

 

[Claxon]

alpa bullshit;
 
[SIZE=12pt]May 4, 2010[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Fellow United Pilots,[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]On Monday morning, United Airlines announced a merger with Continental Airlines. This letter is intended to provide information on the merger process and to let you know that the UAL Merger Committee is well-prepared to deal with this announcement. The Committee has a wealth of experience and diversity, and is well-suited to represent the interests of all United pilots.   [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]We appreciate that a merger can create confusion and anxiety, and in that light we want to communicate with you about the salient points of ALPA Merger Policy and how we’ve prepared to work through an integration of the pilot seniority lists. But first, it is essential to a complete understanding of Merger Policy to understand the most recent seniority integrations and apply the lessons learned from those mergers to increase our opportunities for success.[/SIZE]
 

[SIZE=12pt]US Airways and America West[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]In accordance with Merger Policy at the time of the US Airways (East) and America West (West) merger[/SIZE], the two pilot groups pursued a dual track approach that entailed negotiating a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) while simultaneously going through the process of integrating the seniority lists.
 
[SIZE=12pt]As provided for by ALPA Merger Policy, the two groups’ merger committees worked through negotiation, then mediation, in an effort to reach an integrated seniority list. Because they were unable to reach agreement, they proceeded to arbitration - the final step of Merger Policy. Each merger committee selected a pilot neutral from the list of ALPA Pilot Neutrals to serve on the Arbitration Board along with professional arbitrator, George Nicolau. As expected, there were great differences in the groups’ concepts of a fair and equitable merger. In basic outline, the East pilots proposed a Date of Hire integration, adjusted for length of service, subject to further conditions and restrictions (equipment fences) that would push the most senior West pilots down the seniority list, and inserted many furloughed East pilots above active West pilots. They did not move off that position throughout the process despite urging from the arbitrator. The West pilots proposed integrating the lists based on a series of ratios with all the furloughed US Airways pilots and some active pilots on the bottom of the list. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]The Board held hearings for weeks and, months later, issued its decision. In its Opinion and Award, the Board integrated the seniority lists by reserving a number of positions (commensurate with the staffing of the A330 and B767) at the top of the list for the former East pilots on the theory that the West pilots did not have expectations to fly widebody equipment. The remainder of the list was an integration of active pilots through ratios derived from fleet and seat data. The Board also created a “fence” around the A330 and B767 flying, making those positions available only to East pilots for a period of four years, although those fences were to disappear – and did – if mandatory retirement was moved from 60 to 65.  The former East pilots who were on furlough were placed at the bottom of the active list.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]The Nicolau Award was accepted by the merged company but was never implemented. A majority of the pilots at the new US Airways (LCC) voted to change their bargaining agent to the US Airways Pilot Association (USAPA). A USAPA founding document tenet provides that seniority lists are to be integrated on a Date of Hire basis, however, to date, that has not been achieved. Changing bargaining agents resulted in terminating substantive talks on the JCBA. To this day, five years after the announced merger, LCC operates as two independent entities with two separate seniority lists, and both pilot groups are still working under their concessionary agreements. With litigation ongoing over the seniority list, LCC management has had little incentive to negotiate a follow-on agreement. Furthermore, the airline’s constriction coupled with the failure to integrate the lists has resulted in furloughs of the West pilots.[/SIZE]
 

[SIZE=12pt]Delta and Northwest[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]The Delta/Northwest merger applied a different approach, based in part on the lessons learned from the US Airways/America West merger. There were some significant differences: the pilot groups were able to leverage professional relationships with the managements to expedite exchange of economic data that formed the basis for moving forward. The management teams conditioned the merger on the smooth and expeditious transition to an integrated pilot seniority list (Integrated System Seniority List or ISSL) and a JCBA. Unfortunately, although the two pilot groups and the prospective merged company were able to reach agreement on what would become a JCBA as well as an equity stake in the new enterprise, they were unable to reach agreement on the ISSL for months. When consensual agreement on an ISSL could not be achieved, the Delta pilots successfully modified and extended their CBA along the lines tentatively agreed to previously for both pilot groups and as well captured an equity stake. On that basis, the merger was executed. When the Delta pilots reached that agreement, the companies announced their intention to move forward with the merger.  Shortly thereafter, the parties were able to negotiate a transition agreement that paved the way for the eventual ratification of a JCBA for both the Delta and Northwest pilots and to a process agreement that restarted the seniority integration process under the auspices of three impartial arbitrators.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]In the seniority integration arbitration, the Delta pilots proposed a 7-group Status and Category ratio approach that they argued preserved each pilot group’s pre-merger career expectations. The Northwest pilots proposed an integration based on Date of Hire with conditions and restrictions. In the alternative, they proposed a “Dynamic Seniority List” concept that would create fixed seniority “slots” for each pre-merger pilot group and would populate those slots with only the active pilots from their respective groups, in seniority order. As vacancies arise through attrition, the more junior pilots in the respective group would advance to the more senior vacant slots. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]In its Opinion and Award, the Board rejected both Northwest’s DOH and Dynamic List approaches.  Instead, it adopted Delta’s Status and Category methodology but based on four categories (widebody captains, narrow body captains, widebody FOs and narrow body FOs) rather than seven. Remember that a Status and Category methodology is only concerned with the number of positions brought to the arbitration, not to individual pilots’ current equipment bid position. The Board also incorporated a Pull-and-Plug mechanism to accommodate the Northwest pilots’ assertion that their higher rate of attrition from retirements should be taken into account.  This methodology resulted in removing the oldest 274 Northwest pilots from the Northwest pre-merger list, applying the ratios to the remaining pilots and reinserting the removed pilots directly above the next junior Northwest pilot thereafter. The Board also added some conditions and restrictions that created five year fences around each group’s respective premium aircraft (B777, B747, and B787).[/SIZE]
 

The New Merger Policy​

[SIZE=12pt]Subsequent to the LCC/AWA merger, the ALPA Merger Policy Review Committee was charged with a review of Merger Policy to reflect lessons learned. After 18 months of work, and with input from pilots involved in the Delta/Northwest merger, the Committee drafted a new Merger Policy which was approved by the Executive Board in May 2009.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]The new policy emphasizes the three major components necessary to fully complete a merger:[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]• a joint collective bargaining agreement (JCBA) and a possible transition agreement,[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]• an integrated seniority list, and[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]• a merged MEC, representing a unified pilot group.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]The integration of seniority lists is now viewed as one step in the more comprehensive merger process. The merger is a transaction consisting of the seniority integration process, the contract negotiation process, the ratification process  and the transition process, all leading to a single pilot group and one MEC.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Under the new Merger Policy, merger committee representatives’ role is to make a strong and focused effort to resolve seniority integration issues, with mediation and final and binding arbitration mandated on unresolved issues. Factors that must be considered in constructing a fair and equitable integrated seniority list in no particular order and with no particular weight include but are not limited to:  career expectations, longevity, status and category. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]There are also changes to the seniority list arbitration process. Hearings are now limited to a maximum of 15 nine-hour days of hearings. The default makeup of the Arbitration Board is a panel of three arbitrators, though the merging MECs may agree to revert to a panel of one arbitrator and two pilot neutrals. In the interest of fostering open communications between MECs, new policy language discourages arbitrators from admitting MEC communications as evidence. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]What has not changed is that the Integrated Seniority List is not subject to ratification by either MEC or pilot group. Another constant is a pilot’s position relative to his pre-merger brother or sister pilot: your internal relative seniority cannot be changed.[/SIZE]
 

[SIZE=12pt]Our Merger’s Timeline[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]Now that there has been a merger announcement, there is a concise timeline and an orderly process to prepare for integrating the seniority lists.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]At the Merger Announcement Date (May 3, 2010), the Merger Committee can begin updating and verifying the employment data of all our pilots. After we have collected the data, we will post the information electronically so that you can validate the data we have collected. If you disagree with the findings with respect to your employment data, you must contest the findings within 20 days of receiving notice from us, with a written statement of fact to support your protest. That challenge can be transmitted via email, and you can request a hearing with us. Within 10 days of the protest, we will notify you of the decision, using the same transmission medium you used.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Within 10 days of the May 3 Merger Announcement Date, the UALMEC will designate our negotiating committee members to serve on the Joint Negotiating Committee for the purpose of jointly negotiating transition agreements, if necessary, and the JCBA.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Within 20 days of the May 3 Merger Announcement Date, the Merger Committee will have finalized the selection of the three impartial arbitrators. Additionally, we will forward the employment data to every non-verified and non-updated pilot. We will also post that data electronically.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]It’s now important to reemphasize that the revised ALPA Merger Policy states that negotiations for the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement should be scheduled consistent with the high priority goal of concluding the JCBA prior to the date for conclusion of the seniority list integration process. [/SIZE]
 

[SIZE=12pt]Our Furloughed Brothers and Sisters[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]By design, the Merger Committee is composed of pilots from across our domicile network and from cross-sections of our seniority list. Pursuant to the UALMEC Policy Manual, our committee must include a pilot from the bottom 25 percent of our seniority list. The important perspective this position carries has not been lost. When we first met as a committee, we realized that one of the greatest challenges we would face was our work on behalf of our furloughed pilots.  Past seniority integration arbitration awards have generally placed at least some pilots on furlough as of the date of the merger announcement at the bottom of the integrated list. While past decisions aren’t “binding” on future cases – each of which will turn on its own facts - and while ALPA Merger Policy has changed since those decisions were issued, we would be less than candid with you if we did not point out this historical treatment of furloughed pilots in seniority list integration arbitrations.  That said, we are committed to advancing the interests of ALL our pilots – those who are active and those who are on furlough. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Subject only to the caveat that experience in seniority integration arbitration tells us that to be effective with the arbitrators we have to maintain credible positions supported by facts and logic rather than emotion, we will advocate in the strongest terms for all of our pilots and our furloughed pilots are no exception.   We pledge to communicate with you frequently, openly and candidly: it may not always be what you want to hear, but it will be the unvarnished truth. Please remember, however, we must communicate with you without compromising our strategies deployed on your behalf. We take very seriously our charge to represent the entirety of our seniority list. We will use all means to defend the United pilots, and we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of the best integration possible. We will communicate with you again soon, and are fortified by your keen interest.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Traditionally, no subject is more sacred to an airline pilot than his/her seniority. It is critical for all of us to remember, especially during times of uncertainty, that there is and will continue to be a lot of noise and confusion on the line. In this instance, that noise and confusion stems directly from the many hypothetical seniority scenarios promulgated by those who claim to be in the “know.” They may even claim that certain methodologies are more relevant than others. We urge you to resist the temptation to succumb to the noise.  Those of us who have been thinking about seniority integration in general and an integration with Continental in particular - including your Merger Committee and its supporting professionals who have participated in all of the recent merger activity in the industry - are unwilling to “predict” at this early stage how the integration will turn out. It is thus surely the case that those who are more distant from the process have no special insight into that result. That said, there is one thing we can say with certainty: no integrated list will be constructed, either by agreement or by an arbitrator, that[/SIZE] would change the order of flight deck crew members on their own respective seniority lists. The bottom line is that ALPA Merger Policy is explicit in what the Seniority Arbitration Board is to use to consider the facts of the case.
 
[SIZE=12pt]In Unity,[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Your[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] Merger Committee[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]F/O Jeff Ruark, Chairman[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Captain Steve Gillen[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Captain Bill Bales[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]F/O Dan Madruga[/SIZE]
 

 

[snapthis]

Tell us how it's done, Claxitive, how did you earn the award?
 

US Airways Pilots Union Earns a Long Overdue Cranky Jackass Award For Using Safety as a Negotiation Tactic
By CF on Jul 28, 2011  |  127 Comments

Ive written many times about the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), and its never been in a good light. This week, the group which represents the pilots at US Airways has once again topped itself by taking out a full page ad in USA Today talking about how US Airways is unsafe. Though there are other groups in the running, I think USAPA has demonstrated that it is the most ineffective, poorly run union group out there.







For the misguided representation it provides its pilots, USAPA gets the Cranky Jackass award. This has been a long time coming.
You may already know the story. USAPA was created when the US Airways East (pre-merger US Airways) pilots didnt like the seniority agreement that was decided upon in binding arbitration (yes, binding is apparently a loose term) with the US Airways West (pre-merger America West) pilots. So they marched off and voted in a new union, casting off the arbitration result. The West pilots didnt like that (its been working its way through the courts), but they didnt have the numbers to prevent the move. You can read more of the history here. In short, USAPA has done absolutely nothing good for its members, but it wrongly likes to blame US Airways management for its failings.
And that brings us to USAPAs current strategy . . . try to burn down the company and apparently put all of its members out of a job.
The latest shameful tactic is the taking out of a full page ad in USA Today claiming that US Airways is unsafe. Lets see. You work for an airline that pays your salary with revenue that comes in the door, and now youre going to turn around and try to shut off that revenue by falsely claiming your airline is unsafe? Simply pathetic. Its such a blatant negotiating tactic, but how will the general public react? Thats unclear, though this hasnt received much press at all considering all the more important real news in the aviation world in the last week.
The ad itself used a single pilot incident that happened on June 16 to show the supposed danger of flying the airline. Apparently there was a flight scheduled to cross the Atlantic from Philly that evening and there were a couple of mechanical issues. There are some mechanical issues that arent considered crucial to be fixed, and that appears to be the case here, but the captain refused to fly the airplane and then, according to the union, she was escorted out of the airport by corporate security. The next crew refused to fly the airplane as well. Over the next couple hours, some maintenance work was done and the airplane went on its way with a third crew.
This is why the union says US Airways is an unsafe airline. It says the airline is intimidating its pilots and pushing them to fly even if its not safe. Then if they refuse, it has security remove them. Sounds bad, right? Too bad its a crock.
Now, regarding the mechanical incident itself, I dont know whether the captain did the right thing by refusing to fly the airplane. I do know that the FAA found US Airways did nothing wrong. Heres the statement:

The FAA manager assigned to the US Airways certificate reviewed the June 16, 2011 incident. The APU shutdown the aircraft experienced is a failure that pilots are well aware can happen and that they are trained to recognize. The battery apparently was depleted by attempts to restart the APU. Flying an aircraft with an inoperative APU is not an unusual event and normally poses no safety issues when proper limitations are applied. The Captain simply chose to exercise her pilot-in-command authority of not accepting an aircraft. Our information indicates that US Airways followed their approved MEL procedures, and all maintenance procedures were followed in accordance with the operators approved maintenance program. We found no violations of Federal Aviation Regulations.

That being said, if a captain doesnt feel comfortable flying an airplane, then its his or her right to deny it. The problem arises when that privilege is abused just to delay or cancel flights without good reason. Im not saying that happened here. I dont know, and frankly, its not central to my point. I have no problem in theory with her walking away from the flight.
But why would security come escort the captain from the airport? USAPA wants you to believe its because she refused to fly the airplane. Not quite. According to US Airways, the Captain was escorted out of the airport by corporate security (after being released from duty) not for her refusal to fly but for her comments made to customers regarding the safety of the aircraft. Unfortunately, I dont know details about what she said to the passengers, but it was apparently highly inappropriate. See more in this a.net discussion. I would have had her carted off the airplane as well.
In reality, there is nothing pointing to US Airways being unsafe but rather more evidence of the airline having good safety practices. It recently passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit, for example. But that wont stop the union from trying to sully the airlines reputation. (Get it? Sully? I crack myself up.)
In the end, USAPA simply wants to damage US Airways as if this will somehow convince the airline to throw a ton of money at the union and solve all its problems. Unfortunately, the union needs to solve its own problems regarding seniority before it can even be ready to talk to management, and it doesnt seem any closer to doing so. I feel really bad for those pilots who never even wanted this union to represent them in the first place. This whole thing is simply pathetic and more than worthy of the Cranky Jackass Award.
[Thanks to Johosofat for the excellent Cranky Jackass Award]




 

 

[end_of_alpa]

alpa bullshit;
 
May 4, 2010
 
Fellow United Pilots,
 
On Monday morning, United Airlines announced a merger with Continental Airlines. This letter is intended to provide information on the merger process and to let you know that the UAL Merger Committee is well-prepared to deal with this announcement. The Committee has a wealth of experience and diversity, and is well-suited to represent the interests of all United pilots.  
 
We appreciate that a merger can create confusion and anxiety, and in that light we want to communicate with you about the salient points of ALPA Merger Policy and how we’ve prepared to work through an integration of the pilot seniority lists. But first, it is essential to a complete understanding of Merger Policy to understand the most recent seniority integrations and apply the lessons learned from those mergers to increase our opportunities for success.
 

US Airways and America West​

In accordance with Merger Policy at the time of the US Airways (East) and America West (West) merger, the two pilot groups pursued a dual track approach that entailed negotiating a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) while simultaneously going through the process of integrating the seniority lists.
 
As provided for by ALPA Merger Policy, the two groups’ merger committees worked through negotiation, then mediation, in an effort to reach an integrated seniority list. Because they were unable to reach agreement, they proceeded to arbitration - the final step of Merger Policy. Each merger committee selected a pilot neutral from the list of ALPA Pilot Neutrals to serve on the Arbitration Board along with professional arbitrator, George Nicolau. As expected, there were great differences in the groups’ concepts of a fair and equitable merger. In basic outline, the East pilots proposed a Date of Hire integration, adjusted for length of service, subject to further conditions and restrictions (equipment fences) that would push the most senior West pilots down the seniority list, and inserted many furloughed East pilots above active West pilots. They did not move off that position throughout the process despite urging from the arbitrator. The West pilots proposed integrating the lists based on a series of ratios with all the furloughed US Airways pilots and some active pilots on the bottom of the list.
 
The Board held hearings for weeks and, months later, issued its decision. In its Opinion and Award, the Board integrated the seniority lists by reserving a number of positions (commensurate with the staffing of the A330 and B767) at the top of the list for the former East pilots on the theory that the West pilots did not have expectations to fly widebody equipment. The remainder of the list was an integration of active pilots through ratios derived from fleet and seat data. The Board also created a “fence” around the A330 and B767 flying, making those positions available only to East pilots for a period of four years, although those fences were to disappear – and did – if mandatory retirement was moved from 60 to 65.  The former East pilots who were on furlough were placed at the bottom of the active list.
 
The Nicolau Award was accepted by the merged company but was never implemented. A majority of the pilots at the new US Airways (LCC) voted to change their bargaining agent to the US Airways Pilot Association (USAPA). A USAPA founding document tenet provides that seniority lists are to be integrated on a Date of Hire basis, however, to date, that has not been achieved. Changing bargaining agents resulted in terminating substantive talks on the JCBA. To this day, five years after the announced merger, LCC operates as two independent entities with two separate seniority lists, and both pilot groups are still working under their concessionary agreements. With litigation ongoing over the seniority list, LCC management has had little incentive to negotiate a follow-on agreement. Furthermore, the airline’s constriction coupled with the failure to integrate the lists has resulted in furloughs of the West pilots.
 

Delta and Northwest​

The Delta/Northwest merger applied a different approach, based in part on the lessons learned from the US Airways/America West merger. There were some significant differences: the pilot groups were able to leverage professional relationships with the managements to expedite exchange of economic data that formed the basis for moving forward. The management teams conditioned the merger on the smooth and expeditious transition to an integrated pilot seniority list (Integrated System Seniority List or ISSL) and a JCBA. Unfortunately, although the two pilot groups and the prospective merged company were able to reach agreement on what would become a JCBA as well as an equity stake in the new enterprise, they were unable to reach agreement on the ISSL for months. When consensual agreement on an ISSL could not be achieved, the Delta pilots successfully modified and extended their CBA along the lines tentatively agreed to previously for both pilot groups and as well captured an equity stake. On that basis, the merger was executed. When the Delta pilots reached that agreement, the companies announced their intention to move forward with the merger.  Shortly thereafter, the parties were able to negotiate a transition agreement that paved the way for the eventual ratification of a JCBA for both the Delta and Northwest pilots and to a process agreement that restarted the seniority integration process under the auspices of three impartial arbitrators.
 
In the seniority integration arbitration, the Delta pilots proposed a 7-group Status and Category ratio approach that they argued preserved each pilot group’s pre-merger career expectations. The Northwest pilots proposed an integration based on Date of Hire with conditions and restrictions. In the alternative, they proposed a “Dynamic Seniority List” concept that would create fixed seniority “slots” for each pre-merger pilot group and would populate those slots with only the active pilots from their respective groups, in seniority order. As vacancies arise through attrition, the more junior pilots in the respective group would advance to the more senior vacant slots.
 
In its Opinion and Award, the Board rejected both Northwest’s DOH and Dynamic List approaches.  Instead, it adopted Delta’s Status and Category methodology but based on four categories (widebody captains, narrow body captains, widebody FOs and narrow body FOs) rather than seven. Remember that a Status and Category methodology is only concerned with the number of positions brought to the arbitration, not to individual pilots’ current equipment bid position. The Board also incorporated a Pull-and-Plug mechanism to accommodate the Northwest pilots’ assertion that their higher rate of attrition from retirements should be taken into account.  This methodology resulted in removing the oldest 274 Northwest pilots from the Northwest pre-merger list, applying the ratios to the remaining pilots and reinserting the removed pilots directly above the next junior Northwest pilot thereafter. The Board also added some conditions and restrictions that created five year fences around each group’s respective premium aircraft (B777, B747, and B787).
 

The New Merger Policy​

Subsequent to the LCC/AWA merger, the ALPA Merger Policy Review Committee was charged with a review of Merger Policy to reflect lessons learned. After 18 months of work, and with input from pilots involved in the Delta/Northwest merger, the Committee drafted a new Merger Policy which was approved by the Executive Board in May 2009.
 
The new policy emphasizes the three major components necessary to fully complete a merger:
 
• a joint collective bargaining agreement (JCBA) and a possible transition agreement,
 
• an integrated seniority list, and
 
• a merged MEC, representing a unified pilot group.
 
The integration of seniority lists is now viewed as one step in the more comprehensive merger process. The merger is a transaction consisting of the seniority integration process, the contract negotiation process, the ratification process  and the transition process, all leading to a single pilot group and one MEC.
 
Under the new Merger Policy, merger committee representatives’ role is to make a strong and focused effort to resolve seniority integration issues, with mediation and final and binding arbitration mandated on unresolved issues. Factors that must be considered in constructing a fair and equitable integrated seniority list in no particular order and with no particular weight include but are not limited to:  career expectations, longevity, status and category.
 
There are also changes to the seniority list arbitration process. Hearings are now limited to a maximum of 15 nine-hour days of hearings. The default makeup of the Arbitration Board is a panel of three arbitrators, though the merging MECs may agree to revert to a panel of one arbitrator and two pilot neutrals. In the interest of fostering open communications between MECs, new policy language discourages arbitrators from admitting MEC communications as evidence.
 
What has not changed is that the Integrated Seniority List is not subject to ratification by either MEC or pilot group. Another constant is a pilot’s position relative to his pre-merger brother or sister pilot: your internal relative seniority cannot be changed.
 

Our Merger’s Timeline​

Now that there has been a merger announcement, there is a concise timeline and an orderly process to prepare for integrating the seniority lists.
 
At the Merger Announcement Date (May 3, 2010), the Merger Committee can begin updating and verifying the employment data of all our pilots. After we have collected the data, we will post the information electronically so that you can validate the data we have collected. If you disagree with the findings with respect to your employment data, you must contest the findings within 20 days of receiving notice from us, with a written statement of fact to support your protest. That challenge can be transmitted via email, and you can request a hearing with us. Within 10 days of the protest, we will notify you of the decision, using the same transmission medium you used.
 
Within 10 days of the May 3 Merger Announcement Date, the UALMEC will designate our negotiating committee members to serve on the Joint Negotiating Committee for the purpose of jointly negotiating transition agreements, if necessary, and the JCBA.
Within 20 days of the May 3 Merger Announcement Date, the Merger Committee will have finalized the selection of the three impartial arbitrators. Additionally, we will forward the employment data to every non-verified and non-updated pilot. We will also post that data electronically.
 
It’s now important to reemphasize that the revised ALPA Merger Policy states that negotiations for the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement should be scheduled consistent with the high priority goal of concluding the JCBA prior to the date for conclusion of the seniority list integration process.
 

Our Furloughed Brothers and Sisters​

By design, the Merger Committee is composed of pilots from across our domicile network and from cross-sections of our seniority list. Pursuant to the UALMEC Policy Manual, our committee must include a pilot from the bottom 25 percent of our seniority list. The important perspective this position carries has not been lost. When we first met as a committee, we realized that one of the greatest challenges we would face was our work on behalf of our furloughed pilots.  Past seniority integration arbitration awards have generally placed at least some pilots on furlough as of the date of the merger announcement at the bottom of the integrated list. While past decisions aren’t “binding” on future cases – each of which will turn on its own facts - and while ALPA Merger Policy has changed since those decisions were issued, we would be less than candid with you if we did not point out this historical treatment of furloughed pilots in seniority list integration arbitrations.  That said, we are committed to advancing the interests of ALL our pilots – those who are active and those who are on furlough.
 
Subject only to the caveat that experience in seniority integration arbitration tells us that to be effective with the arbitrators we have to maintain credible positions supported by facts and logic rather than emotion, we will advocate in the strongest terms for all of our pilots and our furloughed pilots are no exception.   We pledge to communicate with you frequently, openly and candidly: it may not always be what you want to hear, but it will be the unvarnished truth. Please remember, however, we must communicate with you without compromising our strategies deployed on your behalf. We take very seriously our charge to represent the entirety of our seniority list. We will use all means to defend the United pilots, and we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of the best integration possible. We will communicate with you again soon, and are fortified by your keen interest.
 
Traditionally, no subject is more sacred to an airline pilot than his/her seniority. It is critical for all of us to remember, especially during times of uncertainty, that there is and will continue to be a lot of noise and confusion on the line. In this instance, that noise and confusion stems directly from the many hypothetical seniority scenarios promulgated by those who claim to be in the “know.” They may even claim that certain methodologies are more relevant than others. We urge you to resist the temptation to succumb to the noise.  Those of us who have been thinking about seniority integration in general and an integration with Continental in particular - including your Merger Committee and its supporting professionals who have participated in all of the recent merger activity in the industry - are unwilling to “predict” at this early stage how the integration will turn out. It is thus surely the case that those who are more distant from the process have no special insight into that result. That said, there is one thing we can say with certainty: no integrated list will be constructed, either by agreement or by an arbitrator, that would change the order of flight deck crew members on their own respective seniority lists. The bottom line is that ALPA Merger Policy is explicit in what the Seniority Arbitration Board is to use to consider the facts of the case.
 
In Unity,
 
Your Merger Committee
F/O Jeff Ruark, Chairman
Captain Steve Gillen
Captain Bill Bales
F/O Dan Madruga

Goodbye ALPA. Relevancy of irrevelance.

 

[snapthis]

Lunch is over? Lost me there.
 
Anyway, as explained to me there won't be an USAPA LLC. But hey, keep on believing, you guys have never gotten any bad info from the AOL team yet.

Bad info? I thought there was going to be an USAPA LLC.

Was the explanation insufficient fund raising, no support, no dues?

No case?

 

[traderjake]

 
You are speculating about things unprovable.  
 
If you hate him because the company paid him the pension they also promised you... that's on you.  
 
If you blame ONE man for what 13 punks did in the middle of the night... that's mindless.   😀
 

 
You can't fix stupid.

 

[Pi brat]

Bad info? I thought there was going to be an USAPA LLC.

Was the explanation insufficient fund raising, no support, no dues?

No case?

Ask your reps to explain.

 

[Phoenix]

 
You can't fix stupid.

 
P.S.  Don't give us any bull about you wanting the company to give you any money...  you were dead set against Doug giving you anymore than $10K (before taxes) to sign the MOU.... and now you pretend to be upset about $1M.  Admit it.  You hate John and love Chip.  That too is mindless.     

 

[snapthis]

Ask your reps to explain.

I will. I'm curious what happened to Airways ALPA funds when the USAPA era of hegemony began on April 18, 2008?