USAPA Officers Update
Inside This Issue
Fellow pilots,
While your Officers and Reps realized it would not be long
until the Company tested our resolve, we were a little
surprised how early and trivial the first test was. Late on
Friday, President Bradford received a communiqué from
VP Labor Relations Hemenway requesting a meeting in
Tempe for Monday with the USAPA Officers, along with a
request for an open-ended Confidentiality Agreement.
President Bradford was advised that CEO Parker would not
be in attendance at this proposed meeting. Following a
discussion with the BPR, USAPA Vice President Cleary
made two requests of the Company, first, an agenda for the
meeting, and second, that CEO Parker contact President
Bradford directly to discuss this and future meeting
requests.
More specifically on these two issues, Vice President
Cleary informed the Company that, as a general matter,
whenever senior management wanted to meet with the
USAPA Officers that we would be happy to do so. He
further clarified that these communications needed to take
place between appropriate counterparts in the union and
the Company – specifically between President Bradford
and CEO Parker. The request for an agenda is a simple
matter of good business practice that we believe our pilots
demand. Although both of USAPA’s prerequisites were
initially refused, CEO Parker finally called President
Bradford, and between the two of them it was determined
that the meeting was not required after all. The BPR and
Officers took these steps to set important boundaries and
protocol which will allow the pilots’ business to be
conducted efficiently, and for the parties to move forward
with the important issues that will face us in the days that
will come.
USAPA welcomes those pilots willing to serve their fellow pilots. While volunteers are
always needed in any numbers of areas, we have these specific openings: PHX Domicile
Rep, LAS Domicile Rep, West Grievance Liaison, West Contract Support Liaison, and
West Safety Liaison. Contact information for each position is available in the USAPA
Members Only section. To volunteer for other positions, please send an email to
Volunteer@USAirlinePilots.org.
Get Involved! Volunteer with USAPA
We've received some inquiries as to why USAPA is not communicating via US Mail. This is
an electronic union and it will require a bit of participation on your part. You will see
increasing amounts of electronic information come your way, please be ready to accept it. It
is far less expensive and actually more secure to do business this way. With free email
accounts and computers in most hotel lobbies, even those without a computer can easily
stay informed. In addition to the email and web site updates, we have started posting a
Weekly Wrap-up on the crew room bulletin boards that summarizes the week's updates.
Finally, recent news is also available on the USAPA phone message, updated every few
days. The news is out there; reach out and grab it!
USAPA Communications is All Electronic
We encourage all pilots to complete USAPA membership forms so as to get all the benefits
of membership in the Association. It is very important to understand that individual
members do not have individual liability with regard to any legal actions taken against the
Association. Membership forms may be downloaded from the Members Only section of the
USAPA web site.
Join the US Airline Pilots Association
The Board of Pilot Reps and Officers have finished important committee staffing and have
had several informational conference calls as they prepare for negotiations with the
Company. Although the staffing of these important committees is now complete, it is
important to realize that if and when representatives and committee candidates step
forward for the West, there will be opportunity for inclusion. The BPR conference calls
covered a variety of topics including consolidation rumors and communications strategies.
The Board is anticipating another BPR meeting beginning on June 10th and we will send
an update as soon as the date is firm.
For those pilots who were already working with ALPA Aeromedical, and whose paperwork
has already been submitted to the FAA, ALPA Aeromedical will continue to work with
affected pilots through resolution of their medical concerns. For those pilots whose
paperwork has not yet been submitted to the FAA, Harvey Watt and Company will provide
an Information Transfer Authorization form to authorize transfer of their ALPA Aeromedical
information to Harvey Watt. In this way each case will move forward with the minimum
possible delay. Please contact Harvey Watt and Company at (800) 241-6103 for more
information. The Information Transfer Authorization form will also be available shortly on the
Insurance Transfer portal available on the USAirlinePilots.org web site.
Harvey Watt and Company (HW&C) continues to press the insurance underwriters to
improve products available to the US Airways pilots. For those pilots who had or desire
supplemental Long Term Disability insurance, HW&C advises pilots to complete the
application forms as soon as possible, even if it appears (due to waiting periods and age 60
constraints) that the coverage may not be worthwhile. As HW&C is attempting to address
these issues, we hope that they will be resolved soon. HW&C has assured USAPA that any
payments for insurance which eventually does not become available will be refunded.
Please contact the USAPA R&I Committee Chairman Bud Nevers
(budnevers@comcast.net or 509-879-2691) for more information.
Fellow pilot,
Any West pilot who wishes to file a grievance should contact Grievance Chairperson Tracy
Parrella via email at tlparrella@hotmail.com until we can get a copy of the new grievance
form loaded on the website. Tracy will then forward the Word document with the grievance
form to the pilot – they can fill it out and email it back to Tracy for filing with the Company.
All pilots should contact the Contract Hotline if they have questions regarding the contract.
East pilots who wish to file a grievance should first contact their Reps and then the
Grievance Committee.
ALPA is in the process of sending letters to each pilot (East and West) who have
grievances filed and telling them that USAPA is now responsible for the continued
prosecution of the grievance. There is no need for them to contact USAPA – as soon as
ALPA makes the documents available to us we will proceed with a seamless transition.
Thank you,
Captain Tracy L. Parrella
US Airline Pilots Association
US Airways BPR Grievance Chairman
As a reminder, utilizing a 120 day extension our ASAP program is still in effect while we seek to
make the necessary improvements to the program. The Safety Committee recommends all pilots
to file both an online ASAP www.usair-safety.com and a NASA report when appropriate.
On April 22nd, the Company sent USAPA a letter confirming the handling of Dues Check-off
forms and the enforcement of the Agency Shop provisions of both the East and West Working
Agreements. These letters are available on the USAirlinePilots.org web site.
As a reminder, dues invoicing will soon be in place. Since dues check-off did not take effect
immediately after certification and the Company will not be back-billing, all pilots (even those
on dues check-off) should anticipate a balance due on the first invoice.
We ask that all US Airways pilots, regardless of their carrier of origin or domicile, refrain from
using the jumpseat as a personal punitive tool. If you have witnessed any such actions,
please immediately contact the Professional Standards Committee and the Jumpseat
committee with the details. Those Committee Chairmen and their contact information are
available on the USAirlinePilots.org website.
It is critical that all pilots who held ALPA insurance start the transfer process to USAPA
sponsored insurance immediately. Go to the Members Only section of the USAirlinePilots.org
web site to start the process. Recall that the transfer paperwork must be submitted no later
than June 13th, 2008.
