USA320Pilot
Veteran
- May 18, 2003
- 8,175
- 1,539
MEC CODE-A-PHONE UPDATE - September 15, 2004
This is Jack Stephan with a US Airways MEC update for Wednesday, September 15th, with four new items:
Item 1. MEC Chairman Bill Pollock has recorded a new Chairman’s message and a new Chairman’s webcast. In each of these recordings, he discusses US Airways’ Chapter 11 filing and reviews the significant events that transpired in bankruptcy court on Monday, September 13. He then explains what could happen next during this bankruptcy proceeding, and talks about what changes to our contract could be implemented during this time. This information is very important, and all US Airways pilots should view both the Chairman’s message and webcast.
You can listen to the Chairman’s message to the pilots by calling the code-a-phone number at 800-FOR-ALPA, or 800-367-2572, and then pressing 2. It is also posted on the US Airways public and pilots only home page at www.usairwayspilots.org. The Chairman’s webcast and a webcast script will soon be available on the pilots only home page.
Item 2. Bombardier announced yesterday that 20 of their 45 regional jets that US Airways has on order will be sold to other parties, and the rest will be deferred until US Airways emerges from bankruptcy. Embraer announced today that it has temporarily suspended aircraft deliveries to US Airways while Embraer's negotiations with US Airways and the main financiers continue.
Item 3. The Comm Center will be open again tomorrow, Thursday, September 16. The telephone number is 800 USAIR MEC. Access to the Comm Center is restricted to US Airways pilots only and will be verified by Comm Center staff. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern time.
Item 4. The Grievance Committee reports that last week Arbitrator Fishgold’s final decision in regard to MEC 03-01-01; Computation of Hours for Pay Purposes, (ACARS) was given. Arbitrator Fishgold awarded the decision on behalf of the Company, in so much as, the Company has the right to use advances in technology for the purpose of developing a more accurate means of capturing motion. However, Arbitrator Fishgold stated in his decision, “The Company acknowledges that greater accuracy in capturing ‘block-to-block’ time may affect pilot pay in some circumstances, but argues that the greater accuracy is not a contractual violation.†ALPA contended that there will remain, as before, situations where a plane that was sitting in an alley or on a taxiway would also be reported as having left. Arbitrator Fishgold then when on to say:
The Board notes that the record reflects similar problems such as that described above occurred when ACARS was the automated system in use. The record further indicates that the pilots so affected were able to notify the Company, and where appropriate, ‘out’ time was corrected to reflect what actually occurred. There is no reason why pilots so affected under the DECS system cannot similarly request a correction to the ‘out’ time.
Even though Arbitrator Fishgold denied the grievance, our two System Board members concurred with his decision. Our System Board members concurred with the arbitrator’s decision not because he stated that the Company had the right to change the recording system on the aircraft, but because he also stated that if a pilot’s pay is affected negatively by this change he has the right to request a correction to the “out†time.
Therefore, any pilot whose “out†time is not recorded in the same manner as under the “old†system of “door close/brake release†should first ask operations in the appropriate city to correct the “out†time. If that is not possible, then the affected pilot should submit a claim form for the difference.
Please remember we have 1,879 pilots on furlough.
Thank you for listening.
This is Jack Stephan with a US Airways MEC update for Wednesday, September 15th, with four new items:
Item 1. MEC Chairman Bill Pollock has recorded a new Chairman’s message and a new Chairman’s webcast. In each of these recordings, he discusses US Airways’ Chapter 11 filing and reviews the significant events that transpired in bankruptcy court on Monday, September 13. He then explains what could happen next during this bankruptcy proceeding, and talks about what changes to our contract could be implemented during this time. This information is very important, and all US Airways pilots should view both the Chairman’s message and webcast.
You can listen to the Chairman’s message to the pilots by calling the code-a-phone number at 800-FOR-ALPA, or 800-367-2572, and then pressing 2. It is also posted on the US Airways public and pilots only home page at www.usairwayspilots.org. The Chairman’s webcast and a webcast script will soon be available on the pilots only home page.
Item 2. Bombardier announced yesterday that 20 of their 45 regional jets that US Airways has on order will be sold to other parties, and the rest will be deferred until US Airways emerges from bankruptcy. Embraer announced today that it has temporarily suspended aircraft deliveries to US Airways while Embraer's negotiations with US Airways and the main financiers continue.
Item 3. The Comm Center will be open again tomorrow, Thursday, September 16. The telephone number is 800 USAIR MEC. Access to the Comm Center is restricted to US Airways pilots only and will be verified by Comm Center staff. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern time.
Item 4. The Grievance Committee reports that last week Arbitrator Fishgold’s final decision in regard to MEC 03-01-01; Computation of Hours for Pay Purposes, (ACARS) was given. Arbitrator Fishgold awarded the decision on behalf of the Company, in so much as, the Company has the right to use advances in technology for the purpose of developing a more accurate means of capturing motion. However, Arbitrator Fishgold stated in his decision, “The Company acknowledges that greater accuracy in capturing ‘block-to-block’ time may affect pilot pay in some circumstances, but argues that the greater accuracy is not a contractual violation.†ALPA contended that there will remain, as before, situations where a plane that was sitting in an alley or on a taxiway would also be reported as having left. Arbitrator Fishgold then when on to say:
The Board notes that the record reflects similar problems such as that described above occurred when ACARS was the automated system in use. The record further indicates that the pilots so affected were able to notify the Company, and where appropriate, ‘out’ time was corrected to reflect what actually occurred. There is no reason why pilots so affected under the DECS system cannot similarly request a correction to the ‘out’ time.
Even though Arbitrator Fishgold denied the grievance, our two System Board members concurred with his decision. Our System Board members concurred with the arbitrator’s decision not because he stated that the Company had the right to change the recording system on the aircraft, but because he also stated that if a pilot’s pay is affected negatively by this change he has the right to request a correction to the “out†time.
Therefore, any pilot whose “out†time is not recorded in the same manner as under the “old†system of “door close/brake release†should first ask operations in the appropriate city to correct the “out†time. If that is not possible, then the affected pilot should submit a claim form for the difference.
Please remember we have 1,879 pilots on furlough.
Thank you for listening.
