Well, lookee-lookee.
He neither confirms nor denies...hurumph....
Notice he does not deny the remarks only that they were "inaccurately described".
----- Original Message -----
From: aaamec-rt@ames.alpa.org
To: aaamec-rt
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 3:40 PM
Subject: Letter from Delta MEC Chairman to US Airways pilots
ALPA: The Pilots Union
April 2, 2008
Capt. Jack Stephan, Chairman
US Airways MEC
One Thorn Run Center
1187 Thorn Road Extension
Suite 400
Coraopolis, PA 15108
Dear Jack,
Yesterday afternoon, I was forwarded a copy of an e-mail from “Council 41 Emergency Broadcast†with the subject line “A Kangaroo Court.†The e-mail was written by former Council 41 representative Dave Ciabattoni and presumably addressed to the Council 41 pilots.
Mr. Ciabattoni goes to great lengths in his effort to mischaracterize the ALPA Executive Board proceedings which placed Council 41 in trusteeship. Not only does he mischaracterize the proceedings, he also takes excessive and extreme liberties by inaccurately describing my remarks to the Board to the point where it is fiction.
During the Executive Board proceedings, you, I and our colleagues bore the responsibility for deciding the fate of Council 41. It was a responsibility that none of us took lightly. We carefully listened to and evaluated the evidence provided to us. After diligent consideration of that evidence, I did in fact make the motion to place Council 41 in trusteeship, a decision I stand behind. As you are aware, however, my follow-on remarks were not at all of the inflammatory nature as fantasized by Mr. Ciabattoni.
In the broad context, as a profession, we find ourselves where we are today largely as a result of the failure of leadership by those who have managed our companies. As we are keenly aware, this mismanagement has led to numerous Chapter 11 bankruptcies, and just this week, two carriers indicated they will liquidate under Chapter 7. Our profession’s pay and work rules have been eviscerated, benefits have been cut, and pensions have been severely underfunded and eventually terminated—all events traceable in large part to incompetent management. The financial stresses to our careers have never been greater than in the past few years, and the uncertainty of high oil prices and a looming recession place added financial pressures on our collective futures.
It is not surprising that the resulting anger and frustration have often been directed at our union rather than the managers who brought us here. As you and I have often discussed, our union is not perfect and cannot become complacent in its duty to our pilots. It must always strive to do better; we must always strive to do better. That said, turning our swords inward and replacing ALPA with an inexperienced pseudo-union that continues to make promises it will never be able to deliver upon is not the solution to the challenges we face as professional airline pilots. It is, instead, a recipe for certain disaster.
I believe the long-term best interests of our pilots will best be served by the solidarity, experience and infrastructure that ALPA provides. Even then, however, our union can only succeed when led by elected representatives who embody the integrity, character and leadership you have so clearly demonstrated. You continue to have my respect, gratitude and admiration for all you have done on behalf of the pilots of US Airways.
Fraternally,
Lee Moak, Chairman
Delta MEC
