Folks, I continue to watch with amusement how the CORE principles of unionism in general, and ALPA in particular have denegrated to unimaginable proportions. Here is how it will pan out at US Airways: (time will prove me right)
1. No international growth in PHX and LAS. (Kirbys latest AWA Pilot meeting)
2. Closure of the LAS base. (cost consolidation, much like PIT)
3. Shrinkage in PHX due to cyclical/leisure market base. (real estate bubble, subprime, high fuel costs)
4. Without a comparable cost contract on West with LOA 93 on East, the company will give flying to the East.
5. New hires will capture East vacancies by being hired on East, promised advancement, attrition, accelerated seniority and growth international while West new hires, if any, fill seats from attrition only, which isn't much.
6. New hires on East will have more value to the company due to business/international growth on Eastern seaboard (captured market PHL and Charlotte business growth).
7. Current East First Officers will be willing to capture pay loss by utilizing their Captain Qualified First Officer training (almost all have ATP, type rating in all equipment, First Class medicals) and can therefore transition from right seat to left seat in a short one week course.
8. East pilots will offer to fly as Captain on any of the equipment in PHX/LAS the AWA pilots will not fly because they are in Section 6 and will not work under LOA 93 as the East pilots will. In short, the East pilots will choose the long term over the short term.
ANY NEW HIRE PILOT WHO IS CONSIDERING WORKING FOR US AIRWAYS DO NOT GO TO WORK OUT WEST IF GIVEN THE CHOICE IN NEW HIRE CLASS. AS LONG AS THE TWO SIDES ARE SEPARATE, WHICH THEY CURRENTLY ARE UNDER ALPA, YOU WILL HAVE A CHOICE. YOU CAN ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER BY WORKING UNDER THE EAST SIDE AND CAPTURING GROWTH AND ATTRITION OVER THE WEST GUYS. THE EAST GUYS WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANY CONTRACT WITH THE SENIORITY AWARD IN IT. WHEN THE EAST COPILOTS ACCEPT CAPTAIN UPGRADES THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FLY WHAT THE WEST PILOTS DO NOT WANT TO FLY AND YOU'LL MOVE UP FASTER IN SENIORITY. EVENTUALLY THE WEST PILOTS WILL WORK FOR LESS TRYING TO KEEP THEIR SENIORITY BUT IT WILL BE TOO LATE....ALL THE GROWTH IS IN THE EAST. IT COMES DOWN TO GEOGRAPHY. BEST IN THE EAST, POOR IN THE WEST.
IF YOU DO CHOOSE TO WORK FOR US AIRWAYS, YOU BETTER NOT VOTE FOR ALPA BECAUSE THEIR MERGER POLICY STRIPS YOU OF YOUR SENIORITY AND YOU WILL GO BACK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST....GUARANTEED!!! BUT HEY, IT WILL BE YOUR CHOICE.
WHY? BECAUSE THE MAJORITY IS ON THE EAST SIDE AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WORK'S. IT'S SIMPLY A NUMBERS GAME. PLEASE DO THE MATH!
(please excuse the typos)