Junebug,
Piedmont1984 said: "Regarding point one, the East is trying to capture their own attrition. Should years of legal battles ensue, even if we lose in the end, we still succeed in capturing those retirements."
Junebug responded: "All the while working under LOA93 and AWA pilots making more money. Bravo, champ!!! Have fun."
USA320Pilot comments: Junebug, this year US Airways East has recalled over 500 pilots and there are over 200 vacant positions in November and December alone. Each bid US Airways F/O's upgrade to Captain, Reserves to Lineholders, and Narrowbody pilots to Widebody pilots. Each of these promotions provide pilots meaningful pay raises and in many cases these attrition based promtions are greater than what is expected in a joint contract with improved quality of life. Furthermore, LOA 93 provides the East pilots with a $70 million in lump sum payments, which is over $20,000 per pilot, and there will be another 500 pilots added to the payroll next year (mostly to the East side of the operation).
Do the US Airways pilots want a pay raise? Yes, of course, but the vast majority of East pilots would prefer to live under LOA 93 and continue to capture their attrtion based career expecation, which could include the new A340 flying, by not permitting the Nicolau Award to be implemented. Once the AWA pilots understand that the US Airways pilots will not give up their leverage then the AWA pilots can obtain a pay raise and move up the seniority list.
Finally, I understand the AWA MEC does not have EC support to immediately implement the Nicolau Award and today's Just the Facts clearly shows ALPA's USAPA fear. Interesting, huh?
Speaking of USAPA, according to their website, "We have received a copy of a flier, alleged by the Company to have been posted in US Airways’ workplaces by a US Airways pilot, advocating a “No-Fly Day.†The flier includes a reference to USAPA. We hereby advise all US Airways pilots that the flier in question was neither published nor authorized by USAPA. In our view, the suggested No-Fly Day would be both a violation of the Railway Labor Act and contrary to the interests of the pilot group. If you want change, then sign and submit the USAPA authorization card found below. Do not participate in an illegal job action that would subject the pilot group to court action and potential sanctions. Instead, change to a labor union whose exclusive mission is to protect the interests of US Airways pilots. Click
here for an Authorization Card."
Junebug, the only way out of this mess is for the AWA MEC to negotiate an agreement acceptable to the US Airways pilots including fences, widebody restrictions for current and replacement aircraft, DOH furlough protections, and future merger protections; otherwise this war will continue with AWA union "imposition" likely happening in the near-term.
Regards,
USA320Pilot