AFA MEC E-line "New USAirways"

[ClueByFour]

It is not whining, apparently you have not traveled to represent a member during peak travel times and the member would have never been able to get with the union rep unless the rep has positive space travel.

I am speaking from experience.

Stop paying the IAM brass so much and buy a freaking ticket. Or put representation where the member is. It's not the company's business to aid the IAM in representing it's members--that's why they pay dues.

 

[700UW]

The company has been providing positive travel to reps for years and years, if they try to take it away you will see it go to arbitration and the unions will prevail.

Past practice for over 40 years will prevail. You will see.

You should see how many Non-US Airways employees the company gives Positive Space Travel too.

 

[PITbull]

Stop paying the IAM brass so much and buy a freaking ticket. Or put representation where the member is. It's not the company's business to aid the IAM in representing it's members--that's why they pay dues.

For 35 years MEC officers flew space positive for company/union business only. Why? Because we are multibase company. Here lies another example of Doug P. inability to understand the dynamics of something as simple as "union representation" on the property. Not only has the union and its members contributed so significantly to USAirways through concessionary bargaining, but now have the responsibility to work under, educate, communicate to the members the drastic changes that have taken place over the past 3 years. It only shows me how insensitive DP is to his employees who are going through these changes and continue to go through these changes the next couple of years with more altering of the agreement.

Just from the drastic downsizing of the population has reduced the dues $$ so significantly, it is difficult to even pay for grievances, attorneys, offices, phone services. Grievances have gone up; members census has decreased and there has been NO union dues increase since 1992.

If DP truly and sincerely believes its a revenue issue, than this concept should apply to ALL the execs including himself when he opts to go on vacation with he and his family F/C space POSITIVE! We are only talking about 3 MEC officers having this ability for union business only; not 200 executives and their famiy members.

His rational is stupid and it makes him look absurd, and mostly arrogant.

Perhaps he shouldn't have used the "revenue loss" excuse. He should have been more honest with labor and say he truly doesn't give a crap whether the Union leadership get to the office to conduct union business or not.

Call the spade a spade.

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

ok guys i e-maild parker on this. here is what he had to say.....
A: . I had not seen this letter, but Mike and I have talked about this
issue a number of times so it doesn't surprise me. This is one of the
changes we've made at the new company that is unpopular with many at the old
company (much like retiree flight benefits was) and we're apparently just
going to have to agree to disagree.

The new policy is a compromise between what existed at AWA and at old US. At
AWA, we allowed positive space travel only for union members on company
business. If they wanted to travel for union business, it was space
available just as if they were non-revs on a leisure trip. At US, positive
space was allowed for all union business. We compromised by saying that we
would provide positive space for all company required travel and a higher
space available level for all union business.

This of course was good news for the AWA unions but worse than what the old
US unions were used to. Mike has argued that the difference is due to US
having multiple domiciles, but this of course is only relevant to AFA and
ALPA. Each of the other AWA unions had employees all over the US and made
this work. Furthermore, as we added a LAS domicile to AWA, no one suggested
we needed to change the union travel policy.

The fact is the difference is philosophical, like a lot of things we've
found at "legacy" US. I'm not sure how it came about and I understand the
resistence to change, but on differences like this we do what we think is
fair to all concerned and what we would do if we were starting a new
company. I am certain that when GM asks Detroit based UAW members to travel
with them to their Saturn plant in Smyrna, that GM pays for the ticket(as
they do for management). I am equally certain that if the UAW members decide
to make a similar trip on their own, then the union pays for the trip.

In the case of US' unions it is no different except they have one key
advantage -- they have the ability to non-rev for free! Better yet, in
recognition of past practice, we've given them a higher boarding priority
than any of our other non-revs. That seems very fair to me and I'm happy to
defend it to anyone who asks.

Hope this helps you better understand where we're coming from. Thanks for
the note. Doug.

-----Original Message-----
From: ######@aol.com
To: douglas.parker@usairways.com
Sent: Tue Mar 21 1056 2006
Subject: hey doug

The only trouble with Mr Parker's response is that America West only had one domicile. Why would a union official need to travel? The "new" US Airways has six. His logic is lost on me.

 

[flyingcat]

The only trouble with Mr Parker's response is that America West only had one domicile. Why would a union official need to travel? The "new" US Airways has six. His logic is lost on me.

Actually the have two. You forgot about LAS. I don't understand why it has to be all or nothing. DP said that they compromised at a higher priority level. If DP truly did not give a damn then he would offer nothing.

The union has shown once again how to screw up a negotiation. Never go out and air bad laundry it does nothing, but label you as reactionary and petty. Impressions mean a lot in negotiation.

BTW does anyone here how much money the unions collect in dues. Trust me paying for a ticket would not hurt them in the least. It always surprises me how much employees believe that the unions are truly their to help them and are not interested in collecting more money. Greed is universal watch out for the knife sticking out of your back.

Lets see how the capos would react if a union member campaigned for less dues as a concession for all the workers have lost. I guarantee that they would label you as someone trying to destroy the union.

 

[Bird Doctor]

Doug is paid more then the CEO of WN and B6.

WN is the most profitable airline and until last quarter B6 was profitable also.

Boy you kill me Doug holds three(3) positions in the new company 1.Chairman, 2.President and 3.Chief Executive Officer The salary for these three positions in any other company would far exceed what Doug is being paid. Learn to compare APPLES TO APPLES

http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/f...html#Leadership

WN Chairman Michael S Dell $950,000.00 Salary $2,050,000.00 in bonus. That is just one of the jobs Doug holds.

http://www.avrefdesk.com/two_letter_codes_by_code.htm
Alitalia AZ
Besit Servizi Aerei B1
Belavia B2
Bellview Airlines B3
Bankair B4
Bhoja Airlines B4
UNI Air B7
Italair B8
British Airways BA

WHO IS THIS B6 you want to talk about no such airline.
Why do you keep twisting every thing around.

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

Actually the have two. You forgot about LAS. I don't understand why it has to be all or nothing. DP said that they compromised at a higher priority level. If DP truly did not give a damn then he would offer nothing.

The union has shown once again how to screw up a negotiation. Never go out and air bad laundry it does nothing, but label you as reactionary and petty. Impressions mean a lot in negotiation.

BTW does anyone here how much money the unions collect in dues. Trust me paying for a ticket would not hurt them in the least. It always surprises me how much employees believe that the unions are truly their to help them and are not interested in collecting more money. Greed is universal watch out for the knife sticking out of your back.

Lets see how the capos would react if a union member campaigned for less dues as a concession for all the workers have lost. I guarantee that they would label you as someone trying to destroy the union.

One person says its a base, another one says its not. Are there LAS-based flight attendants? Didn't think so.

 

[PITbull]

BTW
Lets see how the capos would react if a union member campaigned for less dues as a concession for all the workers have lost. I guarantee that they would label you as someone trying to destroy the union.

There has been a profound and significant reduction in overall dues from job losses. USAirways already took care of that reduction for the unions.

So, the unions operate very conservatively and with many who volunteer their work,including those MEC/LEC members who work 7 days a week on call for the membership.

How I know this, Local 40 Pres.PIT, Local 82 LGA, and Local 69 BOS as well as Local 89 CLT...these Presidents are on duty 24/7 so that is a lot of volunteer work. We also have members in all bases that volunteer their time for reserve issues, safety, EAP that put in most of their time as all volunteer addressing issues that effect the f/as and resovling them.

These folks understand the financial crunch and regardless of whether the duties pay, they know it must be done.

Advocates for the flight attendants is who they are, and admirable indeed!

 

[allegheny37]

WHO IS THIS B6 you want to talk about no such airline.

Jetblue B6

 

[USAirBoyA330]

Doug Parker is showing his true colors it seems. It also shows he has little understanding of how the unions MEC vs. LEC offices work. We have 6 crew bases and a HQ now thousands of miles away from those bases. Logic would tell you if he wants this deal wrapped up and maintain a respective working relationship you give the union leaders a seat to and from conducting thier business. Sorry the world no longer revolves JUST around PHX....you are now merging with an much more complex airline.

 

[ClueByFour]

The company has been providing positive travel to reps for years and years, if they try to take it away you will see it go to arbitration and the unions will prevail.

Past practice for over 40 years will prevail. You will see.

You should see how many Non-US Airways employees the company gives Positive Space Travel too.

Is it called for in the contract? If not, good luck with arbitration.

"We've always given the union free travel to conduct union business" is as stupid as the non-US employees that get space positive travel.

It's not the company's need or business to facilitate "union business." That's the union's problem.

 

[soc-hpjester]

CLTBWIDAYSYR, LAS IS A BASE , HP HAS FLT ATTDS AND PILOTS BASED THERE.
ALSO, HOW CAN YOU CALL UNION BUSINESS, COMPANY BUSINESS ?

 

[openview]

No company wants to have a union within. I would think any flight benefit offering whatsoever is a gift to the union. Just like printing contracts for them or enabling dues collection to be coordinated with payroll.

Its like aiding and abeding the enemy so to speak.

And its more than 3 people wanting it. That one union of several each wanting the same for their own folks.

 

[700UW]

B6 is Jetblue

And Gary Kelly is the head of WN,salary is $542,000.

Mr. Gary C. Kelly , 50
Vice Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer and Member of Exec. Planning Committee $ 542.00K

Ms. Colleen C. Barrett , 61
Pres, Sec., Director and Member of Exec. Planning Committee $ 655.00K $

Mr. Ron Ricks , 56
Sr. VP of Law, Sr. VP of Airports, Sr. VP of Public Affairs and Member of Exec. Planning Committee $ 423.00K

 

[PITbull]

No company wants to have a union within. I would think any flight benefit offering whatsoever is a gift to the union. Just like printing contracts for them or enabling dues collection to be coordinated with payroll.

Its like aiding and abeding the enemy so to speak.

And its more than 3 people wanting it. That one union of several each wanting the same for their own folks.

Aiding and ebeding the enemy?? Its facilitating a binding agreement, charlie brown... what a union busting statment that is!