"A key feature of the bill, designed by a bipartisan Congress to stabilize the industry, has been converted into a labor-bashing weapon by the White House. Anybody who doesnt believe that should have a talk with Herb Holland, Chris Beebe, and Paul Whiteford.
The bottom line then is this: In spite of the seven best years of growth and profitability in aviation history, a tough situation has been made critical because
(1) many airline managements wasted billions of dollars buying back their undervalued stock instead of making regular, affordable contributions to their pension plans;
(2) managements believed that their pricing model, which was built on the false hope of a bubble economy, would last forever;
(3) taxes and user fees are $11 billion a year26 percent of the average ticket, and almost three times as high as total pilot costs, which average 8 to 10 percent of operating costs ;and
(4) after the terrorist attacks victimized the airline industry, two-thirds of the Airline Stabilization Act funds are being held back to extort long-term labor contract restructurings.
And, finally, to add insult to injury, if the McCain/Lott bill ever becomes law, collective bargaining will be over for this industry.
So, what are we going to tell your MECs in six weeks when they show up in Florida, assembled as the Board of Directorsour unions highest governing body?
How are wethe National Officers, the Executive Council, and especially you, the Master Chairmen along with your fellow MEC officersgoing to lead these delegates in such a manner that they leave Florida energized, focused, committed, and united to preserve, protect, and enhance this profession, which is basically under siege now?
We have only one way. If we are to have any chance of being successful as leaders in Floridawe must leave this Executive Board in Virginia energized, focused, committed, and united ourselves.
We must process this agenda, which is the Board of Directors agenda, so that our recommendations to the Board reflect a consensus of the leadership here who realize how high the stakes are for our collective futures.
Whatever honest differences of opinions exist on agenda items over content, over intent, or over wording, must be resolved here by the forty Master Chairmen here who know each other and have worked together before, because, I guarantee you, if you cant work it out here in Virginia, 300 relatively inexperienced delegates who dont know each other have no chance at all in Florida.
I must tell you that not since the early 1980s has there been such a critical need to have a unifying Board of Directors meeting. During the period from 1981 to 1987, an average of 10 percent and as much as 15 percent of ALPAs seniority list was out of work. In a three-year timespan, Braniff failed, Continental went into bankruptcy, American started the B-scale, and United went on strike.
Most of the participants at the 1982 and 1984 Board of Directors meetings believed that the delegates spent more time arguing over minutiae and fighting with each other than dealing with the growing crisis in the piloting profession. Not until after the United strike was a special Board of Directors meeting called in 1985 to form the Major Contingency Fund. Only then did we begin to unify our fight against hostile managements and governments instead of wasting energy jousting with each other.
Now, to defend this profession in 200220 years laterwe must begin our counterattack on hostile managements and government at this meeting. Not in 2004 or at some special meeting we might call in 2005. We must do it now." ALPA FASTREAD.
At least Herb was smart enough to fight for ALL pilots. Ferguson, Koontz, Vasin and Simmons have piled on other airline pilots working for other carriers to ladder themselves up on others backs.
Modern day pirates.
The bottom line then is this: In spite of the seven best years of growth and profitability in aviation history, a tough situation has been made critical because
(1) many airline managements wasted billions of dollars buying back their undervalued stock instead of making regular, affordable contributions to their pension plans;
(2) managements believed that their pricing model, which was built on the false hope of a bubble economy, would last forever;
(3) taxes and user fees are $11 billion a year26 percent of the average ticket, and almost three times as high as total pilot costs, which average 8 to 10 percent of operating costs ;and
(4) after the terrorist attacks victimized the airline industry, two-thirds of the Airline Stabilization Act funds are being held back to extort long-term labor contract restructurings.
And, finally, to add insult to injury, if the McCain/Lott bill ever becomes law, collective bargaining will be over for this industry.
So, what are we going to tell your MECs in six weeks when they show up in Florida, assembled as the Board of Directorsour unions highest governing body?
How are wethe National Officers, the Executive Council, and especially you, the Master Chairmen along with your fellow MEC officersgoing to lead these delegates in such a manner that they leave Florida energized, focused, committed, and united to preserve, protect, and enhance this profession, which is basically under siege now?
We have only one way. If we are to have any chance of being successful as leaders in Floridawe must leave this Executive Board in Virginia energized, focused, committed, and united ourselves.
We must process this agenda, which is the Board of Directors agenda, so that our recommendations to the Board reflect a consensus of the leadership here who realize how high the stakes are for our collective futures.
Whatever honest differences of opinions exist on agenda items over content, over intent, or over wording, must be resolved here by the forty Master Chairmen here who know each other and have worked together before, because, I guarantee you, if you cant work it out here in Virginia, 300 relatively inexperienced delegates who dont know each other have no chance at all in Florida.
I must tell you that not since the early 1980s has there been such a critical need to have a unifying Board of Directors meeting. During the period from 1981 to 1987, an average of 10 percent and as much as 15 percent of ALPAs seniority list was out of work. In a three-year timespan, Braniff failed, Continental went into bankruptcy, American started the B-scale, and United went on strike.
Most of the participants at the 1982 and 1984 Board of Directors meetings believed that the delegates spent more time arguing over minutiae and fighting with each other than dealing with the growing crisis in the piloting profession. Not until after the United strike was a special Board of Directors meeting called in 1985 to form the Major Contingency Fund. Only then did we begin to unify our fight against hostile managements and governments instead of wasting energy jousting with each other.
Now, to defend this profession in 200220 years laterwe must begin our counterattack on hostile managements and government at this meeting. Not in 2004 or at some special meeting we might call in 2005. We must do it now." ALPA FASTREAD.
At least Herb was smart enough to fight for ALL pilots. Ferguson, Koontz, Vasin and Simmons have piled on other airline pilots working for other carriers to ladder themselves up on others backs.
Modern day pirates.
