Found on the Internet.......some valid points.
I have been contacted by many pilots on here and talked to quite a few more and there are opinions all across the spectrum as to whether this offer by the company should be taken or rejected. I appreciate everyone that has contacted me for giving me their opinions. It helps when I get them so I can pass some of that information to the Reps.
First of all, the APA BOD HAS NOT SEEN THE OFFICIAL PROPOSAL. What they have seen is press releases from the company in their effort to by-pass the union and persuade you to take their deal sight unseen. They will get the official document along with recommendations by the Negotiating Committee and lawyers as well as the opinions of the other Board members in an effort to decide their next move.
So, it was disconcerting to say the least when out of no where and without input from the Reps, USAPA decided to place itself into the middle of the negotiations. Remember, USAPA is no longer a union and does not represent you in these negotiations. It is now just a company whose sole purpose is to fight for our seniority rights and has no leadership direction except what Gary Hummel dictates. Who paid for this so called 'study?' Where did the information come from that they know for a fact is correct? If this is not a violation of any protocols, it is at the very least bad form. The information that came out of it is incomplete, could very well be misleading and could harm any future negotiations with the company. In fact, it plays into the hands of the company to influence you before the APA has seen the official document.
Sounds once more like Gary Hummel, who obviously OK' d this, to help the company at the expense of the pilots. The pattern continues. USAPA should keep their noses out of APA business and stick only to items concerning our seniority. They no longer represent the pilots here but represent the sole views of Gary Hummel and maybe the company with no oversight from a BPR.
What is Hummel's motivation for getting so involved in a contract dispute that he is not a part of, unless it's to sway you to sign off on something that the company needs? I don't trust him and never will with what I know. Take my word for it, you shouldn't either and at some point in the future, I will explain why. But all litigation needs to be completed first.
Let me give you some examples of what we may be giving up by just signing off on this proposal.
There is limited wide-body protection for US Airways pilots meaning there will be a reduction in Group III without the A-321 being considered a Group III airplane so many pilots will take a downgrade and many more will end up on reserve. Also, furloughed pilots will have limited credit for their Length of Service. This is just two examples that need to be discussed at the next meeting.
So, let me once again emphasize this. The APA BOD has not seen any official document from the company and has only seen a press release by the company. The devil is always in the details. What we have not seen is what we are giving up, how much this will cost us in quality of life issues and we are being told we have no time to discuss it or ask questions or even put it out to a vote by the pilots as was contemplated in the MOU and signed by both the company and the unions. Oh, how history repeats itself.
I know the Reps feel that they are disappointed with the quality of life issues that the company refuses to address. But that does not mean they will reject it. Nothing has been decided!
There is also the problem of signing off on this proposal and not having every detailed spelled out in contract form before hand. We have seen how the company has had us sign off on an incomplete document in a rush only to implement the contract in ways we never intended. Then we when object, we are told to "Grieve it." That is how we ended up with over 500 grievances. We definitely don't want to repeat that mistake.
The meeting of the APA Board in January 2, 2015. At that meeting, they will listen to the Negotiating Committee, read the actual document, listen to advisors and the other Board Members and have a change to ask their own questions. Then, they will vote on what they believe is best for the pilots here. Make your opinions known, but remember that neither you nor they have seen anything official that can be trusted. These men are pilot advocates and they understand everyone wants more money. But after the dust settles, will you blame them if you insist on more money only to find that your quality of life has substantially deteriorated? Give them a chance to do what you elected them to do.
