AAA ALPA Thread 9/28 to 10/5

[BottomFeeder]

United pilots also seem unhappy with ALPA. I think there are good points made on their web site why to have your own in house union. American Airlines and Southwest airlines pilots, the best paid pilots in the industry by the way, have their own pilots union, they are not associated with ALPA. I think there is no chance to salvage the careers of the older Usairways pilots. But it would be nice to vote ALPA off the property enjoy the holidays off at the same time this season.

I have added a link below for the many United Airline pilots that are dissatisfied. Listen to their opinions and give it a thought. One of their links are to our new union that will be voted in soon.

United Pilots Association. The Majority Will Be Heard.

nos,

This part of the UPA site was very interesting.


Question: Won’t ALPA protect us during a merger?

Answer: If United and another ALPA carrier do get together, we had better be sure to be OUT of ALPA. Whether we are the buyer or being purchased, ALPA national and the MEC's will invoke ALPA merger policy. Our Union will write by-laws to protect United pilots from others’ "merger" policies. We need to take care of ourselves first and foremost.

 

[nostradamus]

ALPA is obviously taking a stand against Usairways pilots. Their web site propaganda is totally against us. Only a 4 year alpa member that will get 20 years instant seniority will believe them.

We are toast. The best thing we can do is get ALPA off the property. When their secretaries make more than most major airline f/o,s, this should be a big red flag.

Also I truly believe that every original Usairways pilots do what they can to arrange their schedule to have off on the holidays. by legal means of course. You spent 20 years plus with no guarantees of success. Things did not work out our way. The management and awa pilots gourged on our sacrifices of years past.
Well I guess we lost.

Think of that with the holidays coming up, enjoy what is most important, time with your family. If you are scheduled to work, well you will have to choose your priorities in life.

I have a good eggnog recipe for those that will be home on the holidays. 3 ounce brandy, 3 ounces eggnog.

 

[USA320Pilot]

AWA320,

AWA320 said: “They (USAPA) don't have the money and the majority of the cards they collected belong to pilots who are on furlough soon to be purged. They don't have the numbers and will never get them!!!â€￾

USA320Pilot asks: How do you know? Are you a USAPA Officer?

Let me give you some facts.

Last week USAPA exceeded 2,600 cards received.

An audit is nearly complete that will identifiy the exact number of East/West active pilots who have and have not submitted Authoirzation Cards. USAPA officials believe they have more cards than they need to force an election, but a final push to obtain more cards is underway to ensure victory.

The final mailing has been completed with a letter and a self addressed, stamped Authorization Card sent to those East pilots who have not submitted their card. Each of these pilots are being personally contacted by Crew Base Coordinators.

In early October US Airways will hold its last furlough recall class (except for the 140 pilots frozen at J4J jobs). A CLT Training Center Coordinator has established contacts to reach out to each of these pilots, once this group has proceeded past the one-time DC plan contribution and they resign or stay in class.

For the class earlier this month 66 pilots accepted recall, 16 resigned after they received their DC Plan monies and 1 quit after aircraft/base assignments. That left 49 pilots and by the end of the first week and all of them have submitted Authorization Cards.

USAPA’s lawyers started the work late last week to file the NMB Form 1 and IRS paperwork.

Per Lee Seham’s recommendation, USAPA hired a well known consultant last week who has significant experience coordinating a representational dispute card count and working with the NMB.

USAPA’s credit card processor reached its maximum capability to accept donations and another credit card vendor/processor has been hired. An automatic credit card debit program has been established for monthly donations, which eliminates the requirement to write a check.

A group of AWA pilots have joined USAPA’s effort and are providing important information to USAPA that will be used to verify active and inactive AWA pilots during the card count.

Click here for more interesting USAPA information.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[AAA73Pilot]

They don't have the money and the majority of the cards they collected belong to pilots who are on furlough soon to be purged. They don't have the numbers and will never get them!!!

All good things take time. We have the money and the cards. The final audit is under way and we do have the numbers. You would think you are connected to USAPA the way you post. However, being the staunch ALPA supporter you are, I hope you're not too disappointed when ALPA is no longer at USAirways.

 

[nostradamus]

Interestingly the law firm Usairways ALPA chose is the same one who represented TWA merger with American Airlines. For those folks that are not in this business here are the facts. TWA was represented by ALPA, the great airline pilot association, American Airlines is not part of ALPA. TWA pilots were put on the bottom of the list after the merger.

What smells bad is the same law firm that represented TWA, an ALPA carrier that was put on the bottom of the list of the non alpa carrier American Airlines is now "representing" Usairways ALPA pilots. Baptiste and Wilder. They are representing ALPA Usairways pilots who are being condemned by the National ALPA. which represents the Usairways on the national level and they are fighting the local ALPA mec.

BS all of it.

TWA pilots screwed by ALPA and Baptiste and Wilder

 

[nostradamus]

Consultation fees
A lawyer's dog, running around town unleashed, heads for a butcher shop and steals a roast. The butcher goes to the lawyer's office and asks, "if a dog running unleashed steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog's owner?" The lawyer answers, "Absolutely."

"Then you owe me $8.50. Your dog was loose and stole a roast from me today."

The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for $8.50. The butcher, having a feeling of satisfaction, leaves.

Three days later, the butcher finds a bill from the lawyer: $100 due for a consultation.

 

[markkus757]

Nostradamus: I took theose words to heart when I left the airline I used to work for. If you don't love the job, there isn't any other reason to be there. It used to just be the customer service agents that got pi^^ed on by their company, but it seems like their unit has the range for all employees now. Times have changed and I still believe that until the industry angers the wrong person in Congress, the airlines continue what the airlines have done over the past 5 or so years. Also, I want to know whether you thought your officers were overpaid before the abritration decision or just after???? Have fun with your new seniority list.

 

[AAA73Pilot]

Have fun with your new seniority list.

We intend too. Because the best part is ALPA won't be on the property.

 

[nostradamus]

Nostradamus: I took theose words to heart when I left the airline I used to work for. If you don't love the job, there isn't any other reason to be there. It used to just be the customer service agents that got pi^^ed on by their company, but it seems like their unit has the range for all employees now. Times have changed and I still believe that until the industry angers the wrong person in Congress, the airlines continue what the airlines have done over the past 5 or so years. Also, I want to know whether you thought your officers were overpaid before the abritration decision or just after???? Have fun with your new seniority list.

Our officers were over paid they were ALPA which was lead by national ALPA. I have not paid dues since June to ALPA. My new union will be voted in soon because of this.

Happy Holidays by the way.

 

[Cactus737]

They will have the same bloated structure and 11 million less in revenue. Expect ALPA to take care of itself and nothing else. That is one certainty you can be assured of with ALPA. Their lawyers won't argue principle but self interest and it remains to be seen what view they will take on their obligations at that point. If the NIC award or your interest happen not to be theirs, you are screwed if you are relying on their help.

We won't need ALPA's help to ensure USAPA's failure.

You're right about ALPA acting in their own self interest though. It's definitely in their self interest to ensure that USAPA fails, and that seniority integrations arbitrated under merger policy be recognized by the courts. They're not going to defend Nicolau because they care about AWA, that's for sure.

 

[Bear96]

USAPA’s lawyers started the work late last week to file the NMB Form 1 and IRS paperwork.

Wait a minute.

"Started the work" to file the Form 1? As in, it is not yet filed as of today, 9/30/07?

I am pretty sure last week you posted the Form 1 was ACTUALLY FILED.

Can you clarify? Which is it?

 

[Bear96]

Interestingly the law firm Usairways ALPA chose is the same one who represented TWA merger with American Airlines.

And the Seham law firm USA320 keeps burbling and gushing about is the same firm that advised the NW mechanics under AMFA on how to lose their jobs by participating in a strike that was obviously doomed from the start.

 

[BoeingBoy]

MEC CODE-A-PHONE UPDATE
September 29, 2007

This is Arnie Gentile with a US Airways MEC update for Saturday, September 29th, with three new items.

Item 1. When viewing the ALPA Intl home page on the Association’s web site, you will see two America West press releases, one reporting that ALPA will pass and defend the Nicolau award and another commenting on the US Airways East picketing event in DCA. It will also be very obvious that our press release from our own picketing event in DCA was not posted and in fact, the successful picketing event was not reported anywhere within ALPA.

An inquiry was made, and ALPA International has determined that our Strike Prep events for parity, outside of JNC talks, flies in the face of an EC resolution. The result being ALPA International will not post press releases, will not send any ALPA staff for video and there will be no distribution of information on our fight for equal pay to brother and sister union pilots.

It was stated that anytime we were in non-compliance with EC resolutions, we would have full support.

Item 2. Communications has posted in What’s New, a Media Report that is a compilation of actual news reports made public in conjunction with our picketing in DCA last Thursday. This media report is well worth your time and we suggest you don’t miss the link to the TV spot from WSOC TV CLT.

Some of the issues addressed in the media besides pay discrimination were statements on management’s customer service reputation being indicative of how they treat their employees. Questions were also fielded on a reported pilot sick out, employee moral and motivation, the de-certification effort of ALPA, and pilot fatigue.

After reading through the media report and concentrating on management's responses, it is apparent that they have adopted another theme. Their new pitch is we can run on two contracts forever. Also their comeback in the press for equal pay is we offered them parity +3% back in May, and have not received a counter offer in 4 months.

Item 3. There will be a slight change on our W.A.R. item procedure, which is one of the prongs of the US Airways Pilot’s “Three-Prong Approach.†In order for pilots to view and focus on published W.A.R. items, we will leave each item posted for a two week period, designating every second Friday as a time to update the W.A.R. item. Pilots are asked to view these items in the “News You Can Use†section of the Code-a-Phone.

News you can use:

W.A.R. Item 929

CBS message, 8/9/07

Recently, we have had several crews that have found or been made aware of aircraft damage and not followed the FOM to have maintenance address the issue before taking the aircraft on the next flight. It is very important that all aircraft damage or maintenance irregularities be evaluated by maintenance before the aircraft is flown. As a reminder, no matter how insignificant the damage may appear, by FAR, pilots are not authorized or qualified to ascertain the extent of damage or tolerance limit. In one instance, the damage was out of limits and had to be repaired before the aircraft could be put back into revenue service.

Educate to Vacate

The number of moves from First Officer to Captain as a result of Bid 07-05 for November and December is 105.

Equal pay for Equal Work:

It has been 29 days since September 1, 2007, the start of retro active pay.
Money to be paid to each Group 2 Captain is $1578
Money to be paid to each Group 2 First Officer is $773.
Pilots on all other aircraft will receive the same percentage increase as Group 2 Pilots (approximately 15%).

Follow the three-prong approach, fly safe and thanks for listening.

Jim

 

[USA320Pilot]

Bear 96,

Bear 96 said: "I am pretty sure last week you posted the Form 1 was ACTUALLY FILED. Can you clarify? Which is it?"

USA320Pilot comments: Either you're mistaken, purposely argumentative, or misrepresenting information (again). I said the process has started, which it has. With all due respect, maybe you should do a little research before you post.

It takes an enormous amount of work and time to kick a union off of the property by a grass roots effort. The USAPA Officers, attorney's, and consultants are preparing the application and eliminating objections during the East & West seniority list audit. USAPA's advisors have briefed the Board on measures ALPA is expected to take to try to keep the US Airways pilots in the Association -- even though the majority of pilots want nothing to do with ALPA. It will be very important to be able to effectively counter ALPA's objections and is prudent to be fully prepared.

Furthermore, with new pilots from the West now assisting the process USAPA needs a little more time to audit the West seniority list, which will dramatically increase the chances ALPA will be gone, nonetheless, the final process has begun!

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[Bear96]

Bear 96,

Bear 96 said: "I am pretty sure last week you posted the Form 1 was ACTUALLY FILED. Can you clarify? Which is it?"

USA320Pilot comments: Either you're mistaken, purposely argumentative, or misrepresenting information (again). I said the process has started, which it has. With all due respect, maybe you should do a little research before you post.

If anything, I was mistaken. I thought in last week's ALPA East thread you said the form was actually filed. My apologies if you didn't (seriously). However, notice I said I was "pretty sure" it happened (as in, not definite), and I asked you to clarify, which you did.

Now, where have I "misrepresented information" before? Specifics, please. I admit to being "purposefully argumentative" with you at times. But if you are accusing me of repeatedly misrepresenting information, you will have to back that up with some examples.