USA320Pilot
Veteran
- May 18, 2003
- 8,175
- 1,539
ALPA MEC CODE-A-PHONE UPDATE - May 21, 2003
This is Roy Freundlich with a US Airways MEC update for Wednesday, May 21, with one new item.
The MEC reconvened its special meeting in Herndon, Va., today and accepted a late agenda item to address the inappropriate and unprofessional conduct of US Airways senior management. The MEC has heard you, the US Airways pilot, loud and clear regarding management’s behavior toward you, your working agreement and the commitments we made in good faith and thought we received in good faith to ensure US Airways would survive bankruptcy and emerge as a respectable airline moving forward. While we, the pilots, have delivered through sacrifices that financially stabilized our airline and professionalism that has kept operations reliable and safe, management continues to refuse to honor its contractual commitments to you and continues to mislead you through its public and private communications.
The MEC took action today to reflect the position that you, the pilots, have taken regarding the unacceptability of management failure to deliver on its commitments to you, its false and misleading statements made to you, and the aggressive misapplication of our working agreement.
The MEC unanimously passed the following resolution, by acclamation:
WHEREAS the US Airways pilots have saved the company from liquidation by sacrificing pay, work rules, benefits and retirement for over $3 billion in savings to the corporation, and
WHEREAS the US Airways pilots have lost over 1,827 pilot jobs with management announcing 52 more pilot furloughs on June 4, 2003, in direct violation of the pilots’ working agreement, and
WHEREAS the US Airways pilots entered into negotiations with US Airways management in good faith and agreed to amend the pilots’ contract with LOA 84 and LOA 85, and
WHEREAS US Airways management has chosen to not comply with the pilots’ working agreement and has issued inaccurate, provocative and belligerent statements, publicly and through emails, that are in direct violation of the signed agreements that have recently been executed, and
WHEREAS management has falsely claimed that the contract is ambiguous and has ordered SJs that clearly violate the scope limitations of the pilots’ working agreement, and
WHEREAS US Airways’ management lied to the Negotiating Committee about the value of concessions that was being required of other employee groups within the company during the second restructuring negotiations, and
WHEREAS management is refusing to honor the contractual provisions requiring US Airways to pursue and support restoration of the pilots’ defined benefit pension [plan] through legislation, and
WHEREAS management has unilaterally implemented an egregious and arbitrary interpretation of sick policy that was never agreed to by the Association, and has placed additional financial burdens and safety concerns on the US Airways pilots, and
WHEREAS RSA is attempting to renege on portions of the pilots’ working agreement regarding stock and tag-along rights, and
WHEREAS the MEC has determined that upper management, specifically David Siegel, Neil Cohen and Jerry Glass, have proven that they do not honor either their word or their signed agreements if the situation does not suit their perceived needs and designs,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the MEC publicly comments on the duplicitous character of upper management, specifically David Siegel and Neil Cohen, and the disrespect that the Labor Relations Department, under the direction of Jerry Glass, has taken toward the employees that saved this airline and the agreements that they have signed, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Mr. Siegel be reminded that the use of bankruptcy as a negotiating tool ended on April 1, 2003, and he must be made to recognize that the Railway Labor Act applies to the enforcement of the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MEC has no confidence in US Airways’ management team to either honor the agreements they have made with the pilots or administer the working agreement in good faith, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MEC directs the MEC chairman to ensure that all legal and representational avenues, including but not limited to informational picketing, are being pursued to bring US Airways into compliance with the pilots’ working agreement, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the MEC Chairman, as ALPA’s US Airways Board of Directors member, will address management’s insincerity to employees at the Board of Directors level.
On the stock allocation issue, the MEC passed a resolution consistent with the accelerated vesting schedule in LOA 84 but addresses the Company’s inability to complete the issuance of stock prior to July 2003, and clarifies and modifies the allocation choices to be submitted to you for a membership ratification vote. LOA 84 states that the first of the four distributions vesting date is June 1, 2003. The MEC does not want to permit vesting of any pilot stock prior to the stock actually being issued.
The MEC previously authorized a membership vote between two methods of allocation of pilot stock on April 10. The MEC modified the choices with more specific distribution choices added in the per capita category. The MEC also charged the Negotiating Committee to enter into discussions with management to conclude a letter of agreement to address the vesting and timeline for pilot stock distribution as well as ensuring death or retirement does not interfere with a pilot’s unvested shares.
If these modifications cannot be resolved due to tax considerations, pilots who normal retirement date is before January 1, 2006, will be grossed up so that the total vest shares following retirement will equal the number of shares had the Company agreed to modify Attachment G of the Restructuring Agreement as previously described.
Ballots for membership ratification on the methods of stock distribution including these changes, education material, and detailed instructions will be mailed as early as Friday, once the ballot materials are completed. The balloting period is expected to commence next week and be competed by May 31.
The MEC also charged the Chairman to inform management that the five percent Iraq war contingency pay deferral that was implemented by the Company effective April 1, 2003, should be terminated and reimbursed to pilots immediately. President Bush has declared that hostilities in Iraq are concluded, and carriers have openly stated that passenger loads are returning, fuel prices have plummeted, TSA has refunded a portion of the security fee, and US Airways and other airlines have raised fares.
Please remember we have 1,827 pilots on furlough with 52 pilots scheduled for furlough on June 4.
Thank you for listening.
This is Roy Freundlich with a US Airways MEC update for Wednesday, May 21, with one new item.
The MEC reconvened its special meeting in Herndon, Va., today and accepted a late agenda item to address the inappropriate and unprofessional conduct of US Airways senior management. The MEC has heard you, the US Airways pilot, loud and clear regarding management’s behavior toward you, your working agreement and the commitments we made in good faith and thought we received in good faith to ensure US Airways would survive bankruptcy and emerge as a respectable airline moving forward. While we, the pilots, have delivered through sacrifices that financially stabilized our airline and professionalism that has kept operations reliable and safe, management continues to refuse to honor its contractual commitments to you and continues to mislead you through its public and private communications.
The MEC took action today to reflect the position that you, the pilots, have taken regarding the unacceptability of management failure to deliver on its commitments to you, its false and misleading statements made to you, and the aggressive misapplication of our working agreement.
The MEC unanimously passed the following resolution, by acclamation:
WHEREAS the US Airways pilots have saved the company from liquidation by sacrificing pay, work rules, benefits and retirement for over $3 billion in savings to the corporation, and
WHEREAS the US Airways pilots have lost over 1,827 pilot jobs with management announcing 52 more pilot furloughs on June 4, 2003, in direct violation of the pilots’ working agreement, and
WHEREAS the US Airways pilots entered into negotiations with US Airways management in good faith and agreed to amend the pilots’ contract with LOA 84 and LOA 85, and
WHEREAS US Airways management has chosen to not comply with the pilots’ working agreement and has issued inaccurate, provocative and belligerent statements, publicly and through emails, that are in direct violation of the signed agreements that have recently been executed, and
WHEREAS management has falsely claimed that the contract is ambiguous and has ordered SJs that clearly violate the scope limitations of the pilots’ working agreement, and
WHEREAS US Airways’ management lied to the Negotiating Committee about the value of concessions that was being required of other employee groups within the company during the second restructuring negotiations, and
WHEREAS management is refusing to honor the contractual provisions requiring US Airways to pursue and support restoration of the pilots’ defined benefit pension [plan] through legislation, and
WHEREAS management has unilaterally implemented an egregious and arbitrary interpretation of sick policy that was never agreed to by the Association, and has placed additional financial burdens and safety concerns on the US Airways pilots, and
WHEREAS RSA is attempting to renege on portions of the pilots’ working agreement regarding stock and tag-along rights, and
WHEREAS the MEC has determined that upper management, specifically David Siegel, Neil Cohen and Jerry Glass, have proven that they do not honor either their word or their signed agreements if the situation does not suit their perceived needs and designs,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the MEC publicly comments on the duplicitous character of upper management, specifically David Siegel and Neil Cohen, and the disrespect that the Labor Relations Department, under the direction of Jerry Glass, has taken toward the employees that saved this airline and the agreements that they have signed, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Mr. Siegel be reminded that the use of bankruptcy as a negotiating tool ended on April 1, 2003, and he must be made to recognize that the Railway Labor Act applies to the enforcement of the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MEC has no confidence in US Airways’ management team to either honor the agreements they have made with the pilots or administer the working agreement in good faith, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MEC directs the MEC chairman to ensure that all legal and representational avenues, including but not limited to informational picketing, are being pursued to bring US Airways into compliance with the pilots’ working agreement, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the MEC Chairman, as ALPA’s US Airways Board of Directors member, will address management’s insincerity to employees at the Board of Directors level.
On the stock allocation issue, the MEC passed a resolution consistent with the accelerated vesting schedule in LOA 84 but addresses the Company’s inability to complete the issuance of stock prior to July 2003, and clarifies and modifies the allocation choices to be submitted to you for a membership ratification vote. LOA 84 states that the first of the four distributions vesting date is June 1, 2003. The MEC does not want to permit vesting of any pilot stock prior to the stock actually being issued.
The MEC previously authorized a membership vote between two methods of allocation of pilot stock on April 10. The MEC modified the choices with more specific distribution choices added in the per capita category. The MEC also charged the Negotiating Committee to enter into discussions with management to conclude a letter of agreement to address the vesting and timeline for pilot stock distribution as well as ensuring death or retirement does not interfere with a pilot’s unvested shares.
If these modifications cannot be resolved due to tax considerations, pilots who normal retirement date is before January 1, 2006, will be grossed up so that the total vest shares following retirement will equal the number of shares had the Company agreed to modify Attachment G of the Restructuring Agreement as previously described.
Ballots for membership ratification on the methods of stock distribution including these changes, education material, and detailed instructions will be mailed as early as Friday, once the ballot materials are completed. The balloting period is expected to commence next week and be competed by May 31.
The MEC also charged the Chairman to inform management that the five percent Iraq war contingency pay deferral that was implemented by the Company effective April 1, 2003, should be terminated and reimbursed to pilots immediately. President Bush has declared that hostilities in Iraq are concluded, and carriers have openly stated that passenger loads are returning, fuel prices have plummeted, TSA has refunded a portion of the security fee, and US Airways and other airlines have raised fares.
Please remember we have 1,827 pilots on furlough with 52 pilots scheduled for furlough on June 4.
Thank you for listening.
