ALPA/USAPA topic of the week

[N924PS]

This is more worthy of 8th grade study hall than the leader of a Communications Committee.

No more so than this latest missive from deposed Council 41



Update for March 12, 2008





Wilson Center Polling

(ALPA asks: What are they thinking now?)



ALPA continues to look for some sort of indication that their propaganda is being effective in swaying Pilots back to ALPA with a new set of polling questions. This time, the questions are short and sweet and right to the point. Testing the waters has replaced decisive leadership within our National Association. Union principles have placed a distant third to dues preservation and risk analysis. Not to worry, your dues will continue to pay for the furtherance of image over substance.





The Partridge Family Bus Tour (Be sure to sing along!)







ALPA theme song “Come on get happy!â€



It appears the company has cancelled the MEC Bus Tour crewroom gigs slated for a domicile near you. The indignation of Captain Jack (Keith Partridge -David Cassidy – pulp fiction) Stephan, Captain Kim (Shirley Partridge) Snider and Captain Mike (Danny Bonaduce) D’Angelo, along with the rest of the happy traveling MEC members, over the company’s action is somewhat hypocritical seeing how they had very little to say when over 1/3 of the AAA Pilots went unrepresented at their own AAA first quarter MEC meeting last week. Not to worry, your dues will cover the continuation of the singing Bus tour with meetings and events planned at nearby Marriott “point†hotels. All campaigning and “sing along with ALPA†activities will continue as a priority over that of the daily representational needs of the line pilots, such as ASAP, profit sharing, Tolling Agreement, and Sick note grievances.





Screen Actors Guild



It should come as no wonder why the Association had to assure (through the vote manipulation attained by the trusteeship of Council 41) that Captain Stephan must remain at the helm during this epic struggle for ALPA’s future. Chairman Stephan has been picked to appear in the starring role of a new mini-series “ready for video†release titled “ALPA; It’s a Wonderful Lifeâ€. Smiling Captain “Pulp Fiction†Jack, with his charm and movie star good looks holds the hope of the association in delivering the US Airways Pilots and their dues dollars to the Association.





Bus Tour Trivia Questions:



How many Marriott points will be earned in total on the latest “Come on Get Happy Bus Tour�



A. 80,000 points

B. 100,000 points

C. 120,000 points

D. 200,00 points



What will be the largest “grouped meal expense†for one meal during the 10 day singing tour?



A. $400

B. $900

C. $1500

D. $2250



How many cigars will be smoked on the smoke screen escapade?



A. 18

B. 24

C. 43

D. 64



How many different “single malt†micro brewed and distilled scotch whiskies will be sampled during the evening secret meetings and strategy sessions?



A. 3

B. 5

C. 9

D. More than 12







Personal Leaves



It has come to our attention that the company has offered personal leaves to certain privileged Pilots on an “individual needs†basis. If you believe you have been unfairly refused a leave, be sure to let your ALPA representative know.





Trusteeship Hearings for T1, T2, and T3.



Your PHL elected reps have been notified that pursuant to the ALPA Constitution and By Laws, a hearing has been scheduled by the Executive Board at a special meeting at 08:30 on Friday March 28, 2008 at the Washington Court Hotel, NW, Washington, DC. The Executive Board consists of all the MEC chairmen from each ALPA carrier. The hearing will consider the corrective action of a trusteeship on Local Council 41. ALPA’s executive Board will be holding court at the Court Hotel to legitimize the earlier actions of ALPA’s Executive Counsels action.



Your PHL Reps are currently in discussions with our legal counsel over the stated ALPA protocols offered for this meeting. We will continue to prepare our defense over the next two weeks.





Period of Separate Operation



Simply Put…Its only viable for a period of time. ALPA is responsible for the Policy, The Process, The Review, The Delivery, and the implementation of the Nicolau Award. They now have a duty to complete the process for the America West Pilots. They Have a DUTY to deliver it for their boys out West. Anything short of the Association fulfilling their DUTY to the America West Pilots will result in a DFR law suit which WILL bring all these Shenanigans and lies to an end.



You will get just what you bargained for with the Association…..The Nicolau Award!



Remember, ALPA national did not overturn the Nicolau award, but passed it to MGT as is, and they are required to defend it.





Follow the three prong approach, Fly safe, Family First, and SAP down for quality of life.





Voting Instructions are being mailed out from the NMB Today

Thursday, March 13th





Fraternally,

 

[oldiebutgoody]

What a waste of bandwidth. Why not just post a link or something?

 

[JetMonkey]

As for that mighty little missive?: I think of 8th grade as being overly generous. Let's briefly examine the main talking points contained, without including the colorfull hysteria.

The company name apparently should be AWA...no reason..just emotion.

I don't think the name should've been AWA, no recognition. I also think the name shouldn't been US Airways neither, "bad" recognition.

The Call Sign: This is a "big deal" in some way? Again; no reason..just emotion.

More or less creativity, sorta like "Speedbird" or "Shamrock". Considering what we had to do to obtain it, yeah I'd say it was a big deal.

Pass travel. How unthinkably horrible that it's now done by seniority. I can't imagine any worse injustice.

I have worked at airlines with both so I think I can voice an opinion. First come, first serve works alot easier. Kinda like waiting in line anywhere you go, everyone complains but not at each other.

The Stagnation: Rapid upward mobility is evidently perceived as an "inalienable right" out there. Nothing new in that thinking.

Your word "rapid" is what I have issues with. I wasn't looking at a fast upgrade, just around what was expected. Now, I'm not even getting close to that. In fact, 4 years and still on reserve is far more that ANYONE out here ever expected.

The Contract: There won't ever be one with Nic...and this is apparently the company's fault for not forcing it on the east....somehow or other. I wonder what ever happened to: "You can live on LOA93 FOREVER!"

Yeah, hindsight is 20/20. I knew we should've hammered out a contract before the list came out. To your credit we also should've worked out parity in the TA. But weather you like it or not (probably not) Nic isn't going away. Sooner or later, more likely later, the list will be implemented.

The “Supplement the FOMâ€￾ mentality: If you’ve flown at all in the past few months, you’re well aware of the inadequacy of the new method for communicating with our dispatchers and maintenance personnel. Management’s answer to the problem that THEY created: use your cell phone."

Using a phone to call dispatch is a "Big Deal"..umm..how?

I don't really have a problem using my own cell phone, the thing here is that we shouldn't have to.

The Decertification Drive: Where to start? This is the hottest topic, .." OK. That's clearly a pity-party only for the "I want my Nic!" crowd.

Well yeah, where to start is right. How bout just with the mere fact that it's totally based on vindictive aggression by a bunch of people who are trying to take something by force.

The Crew Room Incident: As you may know, our MEC chairman was kicked out of the Charlotte crew room by representatives of management..." Sounds like a "personal problem" to me, in that company policy has been stated to be that neither side will have such access.

I know your USAPA guys went though the same thing with the "welcome to our world" statement. However they seemed to have left out one outstanding difference. USAPA is NOT the authorized representation of all the pilots, ALPA is. And what management did was a clear blatant violation of basic union communication rights to their people.

"So, the issue now is: When will America West pilots finally act as a unified group, stand up to management, and show their utter disgust at the state of our operation? "

It's clear that MS Tania's never even remotely considered the notion of ever getting the east and west together to "act as a unified group". "Unionism" at it's finest through ALPA...again.

You think USAPA is going to get the west and east unified?? That's rich.

 

[EastUS]

No more so than this latest missive from deposed Council 41

Perspective matters for sure. I'll admit to finding some good chuckles in that myself.

A question for you sir. Do you debate the following in ANY way?:

"Simply Put…Its only viable for a period of time. ALPA is responsible for the Policy, The Process, The Review, The Delivery, and the implementation of the Nicolau Award. They now have a duty to complete the process for the America West Pilots. They Have a DUTY to deliver it for their boys out West. Anything short of the Association fulfilling their DUTY to the America West Pilots will result in a DFR law suit which WILL bring all these Shenanigans and lies to an end."

 

[EastUS]

"Well yeah, where to start is right. How bout just with the mere fact that it's totally based on vindictive aggression by a bunch of people who are trying to take something by force."
OK: Keep what you guys actually did bring to the merger = West based flying and equipment. We'll keep what we had. Let's split the future additions. Deal? If you're intent on performing "vindictive aggression by a bunch of people who are trying to take something "..well ..that's different.

"So, the issue now is: When will America West pilots finally act as a unified group, stand up to management, and show their utter disgust at the state of our operation? "

It's clear that MS Tania's never even remotely considered the notion of ever getting the east and west together to "act as a unified group". "Unionism" at it's finest through ALPA...again.

"You think USAPA is going to get the west and east unified?? That's rich."

Well..There's clearly NO way in which ALPA's going to ever manage anything even approaching eventual group unity, so; It's certainly worth a try imho. It may well be the case that sufficient emotional wounding has occured on both sides for this to never be any semblance of "happy family", but, it behooves us to at least seek solutions that might actually WORK at any level. ALPA doesn't have them.

You offered the following idea in response to pass travel: "I have worked at airlines with both so I think I can voice an opinion. First come, first serve works alot easier. Kinda like waiting in line anywhere you go, everyone complains but not at each other." If that's your honest feeling: WHY shouldn't that same thinking be acceptable for issues of equipment bidding/seniority/etc?

PS: "I don't think the name should've been AWA, no recognition. I also think the name shouldn't been US Airways neither, "bad" recognition." For what it's worth; I'm also of the opinion that an entirely new name would have better suited us all, and I could not personally care less about callsigns.

 

[BoeingBoy]

You offered the following idea in response to pass travel: "I have worked at airlines with both so I think I can voice an opinion. First come, first serve works alot easier. Kinda like waiting in line anywhere you go, everyone complains but not at each other." If that's your honest feeling: WHY shouldn't that same thinking be acceptable for issues of equipment bidding/seniority/etc?

Let's see - you've been waiting in line at the PHL Chikfilet for 10 minutes then notice that the line at Sabarro's is moving faster. Would you expect to go over there and get in line ahead of the person that's been waiting in that lne for only 5 minutes? Sounds like you would - and possibly accuse that person of "wanting to steal your place in line" if he/she protested......

Jim

 

[EastUS]

Let's see - you've been waiting in line at the PHL Chikfilet for 10 minutes then notice that the line at Sabarro's is moving faster. Would you expect to go over there and get in line ahead of the person that's been waiting in that lne for only 5 minutes? Sounds like you would - and possibly accuse that person of "wanting to steal your place in line" if he/she protested......

Jim

Great example. So..it's NOT ever truly appropriate for anyone to "cut in line" then? Wow!..So much for "relative" seniority. No, I didn't "miss" your intent. It's merely that I find that it conveniently neglects the fact that, in any merger situation, there's no longer any seperation between Chikfilet and Sabarros..and, it's nice of you to finally admit that "waiting in line" actually has ANY value anywhere What's your suggested methodology for integration of the two groups "waiting in line"?..A food fight? Thanks to that sort of thinking, and ALPA "processes"..we already have that...

 

[BoeingBoy]

So..it's NOT ever truly appropriate for anyone to "cut in line" then? Wow!..So much for "realative" seniority.

Bad conclusion - you want to be able to cut in another line, but say "No way Jose" if someone wants to cut in your line - have your cake and eat it too?

Jim

 

[P51Pilot]

Bad conclusion - you want to be able to cut in another line, but say "No way Jose" if someone wants to cut in your line - have your cake and eat it too?

Jim

Fences and conditions.

 

[EastUS]

Bad conclusion - you want to be able to cut in another line, but say "No way Jose" if someone wants to cut in your line - have your cake and eat it too?

Jim

"you want to be able to cut in another line" Now THERE'S a truly "bad conclusion". I've ZERO interest in taking anyone's seat out west...period. you've combined Chikfilet and Sabarros. There then exists ONE "line"...period.

While we're working "bad conclusion" issues: Exactly how, in your proffered scenario, would you explain to those waiting the 10 minutes in Chikfilet lines, that it's "OK" for someone to jump ahead of them from 5 minutes worth of Sabarros line time? I'm of course, utterly convinced that they'd naturally just instantly step aside if you explained that it was "ALPA Merger Policy" for them to do that. Ummm...Bring a couple of large friends should you ever wish to try that experiment in the real world. "Real World" being a largely alien linguistic concept in ALpa-Speak...I understand that...and here we are folks..examining the distinctions between Alpa's insanity, and actual human nature.

 

[b737fo]

Well..There's clearly NO way in which ALPA's going to ever manage anything even approaching eventual group unity, so; It's certainly worth a try imho. It may well be the case that sufficient emotional wounding has occured on both sides for this to never be any semblance of "happy family", but, it behooves us to at least seek solutions that might actually WORK at any level. ALPA doesn't have them.

Nor does USAPA if they continue ignoring the West and cram new seniority down their throat.

7 days til the election and still no USAPA out West!!!!!!

 

[fr8tmastr]

Nor does USAPA if they continue ignoring the West and cram new seniority down their throat.

7 days til the election and still no USAPA out West!!!!!!

The USAPA leadership is not given anytime off from mgmt. However I believe they will make it out there prior to the election start.

 

[b737fo]

The USAPA leadership is not given anytime off from mgmt. However I believe they will make it out there prior to the election start.

So they can't do a one day roadshow in PHX but are capable of putting together a two day roadshow repeat in CLT? All without any time off from management. Hmm.......

 

[fr8tmastr]

So they can't do a one day roadshow in PHX but are capable of putting together a two day roadshow repeat in CLT? All without any time off from management. Hmm.......

Yes, They work out of CLT so a guy could spend a couple of hours prior to his flight in the meeting, not to mention all the others that help that are in the same situation.

As a pilot you know how difficult it is to get across the country, let do if with several others in tow.

I still agree that they should get out west prior to the election.

 

[prechilill]

As a pilot you know how difficult it is to get across the country, let do if with several others in tow.

Those nonstops to Phoenix are so inconvenient. Maybe even a better excuse can be made during the election...