Congratulations PSA!

[PullUp]

Isn't it ironic that the Eagle pilots rebuffed a concessionary pitch from US mgmt and just weeks later that same mgmt signs a 'shiny-jet' concessionary agreement with PSA, Eagle's whipsaw competitor?
PSA guys, you've been played. Big time.
Enjoy the imaginary shiny jets - unless they manage to get a 'better' contract with republic or air wiz.

 

[crazystnic]

Not a big fan of starting a B scale for any reason.

it's not about what you fly it's about how much you make.

 

[usabusdriver]

Not a big fan of starting a B scale for any reason.

it's not about what you fly it's about how much you make.

Yep, and hope it bites management right in the a$$. If the forecasted pilot shortage even remotely approaches what is anticipated, good luck getting a competitive candidate pool of applicants.

 

[will fix for food]

Dear Captain Lee Moak and the ALPA Leadership Team –

I ask you to not ratify PSA’s Tentative Agreement with USAirways. I am fully cognizant of the nature of this request and repeated claims that ALPA is a “ground up” organization with decisions flowing from the pilots to the leadership. I am fully aware that a legal and seemingly-fair vote was taken on the PSA property, however I am deeply troubled about new information that has come to light since voting began on this TA, namely:

1) Financial data and industry (“peer&rdquo information utilized by the PSA Leadership to craft talking points to this TA was not from vetted sources. Indeed ALPA’s own E&FA has pointedly disavowed being involved in the gathering or dissemination of this data. Jessie Coeling admitted to the SPSC Meeting that his facts and figures were “gleaned from the internet.”

2) PSA was not in distress, and the parent company was posting record profits and the TA very likely results in a net loss of aircraft.

3) PSA and American Eagle – and possibly Piedmont – all face the likelihood of a merger in the not to distant future. If allowed to stand, PSA’s TA will have extremely negative consequences for both Eagle and Piedmont pilots as our contracts and law require harmonization between contracts. Neither Eagle nor Piedemont pilots got a say in an TA that will very clearly and DIRECTLY affect them in a very negative fashion.

4) This TA lowers almost every aspect of PSA’s CBA, which was already comparable to industry peers. Lowering the bar further will certainly result in even greater downward pressure on negotiations at other regional carriers both ALPA and non-ALPA. Downward pressure means lower compensation for the pilots and thus lower dues income for the association. I am curious as to this self-destructive tendency.

5) Section 40, Part 6 (2007) “Crisis and Concessionary Negotations” of the ALPA Administrative Manual has not been followed. Like the rules of the sky, the precepts to which we conduct our business are written, often in the blood of previous failures, in the calm before the crisis. ALPA Leadership is taking a dangerous step ignoring our own in-house “rules”.

6) MOST IMPORTANTLY: This TA was championed ad-nauseam at all levels of ALPA Leadership, and was crafted to engender a regional-airline industry a paradigm that ALPA Leadership desires to implement, but was crafted without input from the pilots. Evidence is given in Bruce York’s comments to the SPSC Conference on September 17th that all regional carriers must conform to “the cost box” (even if the better CBAs need to be gutted) and that “regional pilots should start at $30k and increase pay $10k per year for five years capping at $80k” and that longevity “should be capped at 4 years for FO and 12 years for CA across the regional industry.” This stated policy of degrading or destructing regional-airline careers for the enhancement of mainline careers has never been – to my knowledge – voted upon by the membership and thus should not be allowed until so acknowledged.

For these reasons, I ask you to delay affixing your signature to this TA until the above concerns can be addressed.

 

[cynic]

Alpa signed off on it because they want the dues money. They're afraid of the flying going to another carrier with a different union. as for PSA pilots, F you.

 

[end_of_alpa]

PilotAction Merger News for US Airways & American Airlines: September 27, 2013

US Airways Express PSA Pilots Ratify Agreements Guaranteeing the Placement of Large Regional Jets at PSA

See Story: http://www.alpa.org/...-13_13.PSA2.htm


USAPA, APA, & New American Airlines MOU Paragraph 9

Nothing herein shall prevent placement of the "US" code on flights operated by American or New American Airlines (or by any other airline when displaying the "AA" code), or placement of the "AA" code on flights operated by US Airways (or by any other airline when displaying the "US" code), immediately upon the Effective Date, and it is expressly agreed that US Airways and American or New American Airlines may do so. Subject to the provisions of this Memorandum, immediately upon the Effective Date, US Airways and New American Airlines or their successors (if any) may move forward with obtaining and utilizing a single operating certificate, and otherwise combining the operations of the two carriers, except for those measures that are dependent upon implementation of an integrated seniority list.


American Eagle ALPA MEC Chairman Letter: September 6, 2013

Fellow American Eagle pilots,

This is another disappointing week. We have now read the tentative agreement that PSA has reached with their management and with US Airways management and it is ugly. Here are a few lowlights. First and most significantly, it limits their Captain pay scales to year twelve and limits their First Officer pay scales to year four. In addition, this TA will extend their existing contract for an additional five years, until 2023 with no interim contract amendments. It limits their per diem to $1.75 for the duration of the agreement and the only pay raises PSA pilots will see for a decade will be the annual cost of living calculation that is already in their contract. By year three, the deal also raises their pilot medical benefit contribution from 27% to 35% of the annual cost with no language on deductibles and co-pays.

In exchange for these concessions, the PSA pilots might receive 30 of American Airlines’ future CRJ-900 aircraft (assuming the AA/US Airways merger occurs). Amazingly, it appears that the company is only contractually required to place one of these aircraft into service at PSA by 2016 in order to fulfill its obligation and to make this new agreement binding on the pilot group. On the other hand, if ratified, pilot concessions begin this January. These 30 aircraft are for American feed and are part of the same aircraft order over which we were negotiating with US Airways.

The PSA pilots will also receive an “enhancement” to their current guaranteed interview at US Airways.

Interviews will be offered to PSA pilots in PSA seniority order but US Airways is under no obligation to offer employment to any particular PSA pilot. A pilot who does not receive an offer of employment from US Airways can interview again but if he is declined again, his longevity at PSA is immediately frozen for the remainder of his career. The “enhancement” to the guaranteed interview provision is that US Airways must hire four per month, rather than three PSA pilots. It also appears however, there are multiple scenarios where US Airways can determine they have met that obligation without actually hiring anyone.

This tentative agreement represents the direction the American Eagle MEC was unwilling to go. As you know, your MEC has been committed to finding an agreement that does not gut the regional industry only to further the careers of senior Eagle pilots at the expense of everyone that will follow us. The MEC could not have been clearer on this position when it elected to end negotiations with US Airways and pushed for all of the ALPA-represented regional carriers to sign the “No B-Scale” letter. Although, this PSA deal does not contain a “B Scale” it is a massive step backwards for existing and future regional pilots.

If ratified, this new paradigm will be used against our brothers and sisters at ASA/ExpressJet, Republic, and SkyWest, all of whom are currently in challenging negotiations, not to mention it being used against us when management returns for additional discussions on future aircraft. Along with the Pinnacle (Endeavor Air) bankruptcy contract, the new PSA agreement will become management’s new “target”.

There are additional distasteful elements to this TA, not the least of which is the fact that this negotiation is over future AA feed at the exact time that the Department of Justice is opposing the merger of AA and US Airways. AA made it overwhelmingly clear that “large” RJs were an essential component of their restructuring plan, whether merged or stand alone. Now, AA’s future feed has been promised to a pilot group who will have to wait an indeterminate period of time to see if the merger will ever be approved, which is a precursor to AA’s regional aircraft being placed at PSA. During that delay, these essential aircraft will be withheld from AA’s feed operation, where it is already significantly behind its competition in “large” RJ deployment. This further confirms our position that AA needs to order large regional aircraft now and place them at American Eagle, the only constant irrespective of the mainline merger.

Additionally, by removing all Captain pay scales above step twelve, PSA’s tentative agreement eviscerates all the gains made over the last twelve years focused on making regional airlines a viable career choice for experienced pilots.

Both American and US Airways’ managements clearly know that withholding replacement aircraft from American Eagle works in opposition to cost savings elements that management committed to, making it more challenging for Eagle to compete.

Lastly, we are stunned by the lack of resistance exhibited from ALPA’s national officers, with the sole exception of Vice President of Administration and Eagle Captain Bill Couette. Our National Leadership has not led the way in this effort to “Stop the Whipsaw”.

With months to go until new flight time and duty time regulations that will result in a five-to-ten percent increase in pilot staffing to cover existing schedules, and despite months of regional airlines missing hiring targets industry-wide, it is absurd that our national leadership has not supported the outcry from regional MECs to collectively set a higher bar and simply say, “no” to this last ditch effort by US Airways’ management to drive this industry into compensation models from twenty years ago when we were piloting Metroliners, rather than aircraft significantly larger and more complex that what used to be entry-level aircraft at mainlines.

We all know that airlines need to compete based on costs. Eagle, as well as other MECs, have proven time and time again a willingness to work with management in a mutually agreeable way to rein in costs and find better and cheaper ways to do business. But it is one thing to decide to place aircraft at an airline because they are cheaper, it is another for an already inexpensive pilot group to voluntarily accept decade-long concessions to facilitate it. We hope the PSA pilots will realize that the race to the bottom simply is not worth the carrot and that ALPA’s national officers will ultimately agree that regional pilot jobs are worth protecting with the same vigor as mainline jobs. There will be another meeting next week with all the MEC Chairmen and I am confident your new MEC Chairman will carry this message.

I cannot describe how disconcerting it is that this is the last hotline I will likely send to you. Nonetheless, I would be remiss if I closed without stating that I am proud of the Eagle MEC. Along with tremendous pilot support, we have weathered the proposed divestiture of American Eagle, the AMR bankruptcy, and a vicious negotiation with another company’s management, which as of now, has resulted in a bleak future for American Eagle employees. Despite record profits and a healthy parent company, ready to exit bankruptcy except for the current DOJ dispute, the $43 million that the American Eagle pilots conceded under a mutually agreeable negotiation is apparently not enough to satisfy management’s need to achieve “cheaper” labor before it can feel that it has wrestled enough from the expert workers who actually perform the job being purchased by our customers.

It has been a great honor to serve you in this capacity and I look forward to continuing this battle alongside you on the flight deck.

Fraternally,

Captain Tony Gutierrez


ALPA President Letter: September 16, 2013

Fellow Pilot,

On September 6, you received a letter from your former MEC Chairman on his final day in office as the EGL MEC Chairman. His letter expressed many concerns, but focused most on recent negotiations at PSA and on ALPA’s response to your company requests for concessions.

I will not respond to his letter point-by-point; however, I feel that it is important for you to understand the Association’s perspective with regards to the future of the regional industry.

It is my belief that our approach should be to always deliberately discuss and understand the world we live in, carefully weigh all the facts and alternatives, and respond thoughtfully and without emotion to ensure that we protect existing work and build career paths for the future of our members.

Today, the Fee-For-Departure (FFD) pilots and their companies are facing intense industry pressure similar to that faced by legacy pilots in the last decade following 9/11. The external factors present during that period resulted in downward modification to collective bargaining agreements. Mainline contracts are returning more closely to an appropriate standard for pay, benefits, work rules and job security provisions.

Prolonged economic downturn, consolidation, high fuel prices, and an increased focus on capacity discipline has led mainlines to constrain affiliate capacity, focus on larger more fuel efficient jets, and reduce the overall costs they pay to FFD carriers. This includes an increased focus on FFD pilot block hour costs. With stagnation in the industry increasing longevity costs at some carriers, there is a wide disparity in pilot block hour costs.

The economic factors listed above, along with an increase to the regulated retirement age, have limited career growth opportunities as well as slowed hiring. This resulted in increased longevity among FFD pilots during the past 10 years. At some airlines — Eagle and Endeavor (formerly Pinnacle), for example — higher average longevity has been one of the biggest cost drivers in those contracts. Pilot longevity also played a huge role in making Comair financially uncompetitive.

While actual Year 15 rates between two carriers may only be as little as 2% apart, one carrier will have much higher average longevity than the other and this longevity component can raise pilot block hour costs from approximately $275 to $350 per hour.

Consider these current realities:

· Mainline carriers are now re-equipping their FFD affiliates where large capital expenditures are needed.

· We are in a bargaining cycle where overcapacity exists and mainline airlines have choices over where to allocate this flying.

· Mainline carriers don’t need our help to achieve lower block hour costs; they can achieve this simply by using existing lower cost partners to do the flying.

I’m confident that consolidation at FFD carriers, an improving economic picture, and more fuel efficient and larger jets will improve our negotiating leverage in the next few years. We will again be in a stronger bargaining position in the near future, just like at mainline carriers and like the robust and favorable bargaining during FFD negotiations between 1999 and 2004.

Normal turnover, increased hiring at mainline carriers as a result of increased number of retirements, and new hiring at the regional level, will eventually lower longevity costs. But what do we do in the meantime?

We have tough choices to make about how to protect our members’ work at existing carriers, and where necessary, to provide soft landings for pilots at FFD carriers that may not survive rather than force fellow pilots to start over at the bottom of someone else’s seniority list. We also need to continue to pressure the brands to take more responsibility for their affiliates as well.

ALPA pilots have never been afraid of tough choices or hard work to protect our profession. We discuss the issues, weigh the pros and cons, and make decisions that are deliberate and thoughtful rather than emotional.

FFD carrier representatives gathered a few weeks ago and again last week to discuss these issues, and they’ll meet again in November to make collective decisions. As always, they will have the support of my office and the Association’s resources to carry out their mission.

Fraternally,

Capt. Lee Moak, President

The highlighted area above ought to give the Chip Munn crowd and the West Pilots all the ammunition they need to continue to blame East pilots for voting in LOA 93 and not going into Chapter 7....your "longevity" is irrelevant. Chip's "opinions" and his minions like Moak and pilot unions continue to erode into irrelevancy. Let the Laws of "supply and demand" take their course.

 

[snapthis]

The highlighted area above ought to give the Chip Munn crowd and the West Pilots all the ammunition they need to continue to blame East pilots for voting in LOA 93 and not going into Chapter 7.

How did West pilots have anything to do with voting in LOA 93? It's the West pilots' fault now? Oh, I get it.

You really need to get more sleep. You are getting dark circles under your eyes and you don't make a bit of sense.

 

[Phoenix]

....
ALPA President Letter: September 16, 2013

Fellow Pilot,

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]It is my belief that our approach should be to always deliberately discuss and understand the world we live in[/background]

I’m confident that consolidation at FFD carriers, an improving economic picture, and more fuel efficient and larger jets will improve our negotiating leverage in the next few years. We will again be in a stronger bargaining position in the near future...


We have tough choices to make ..

ALPA pilots have never been afraid of tough choices ..


Fraternally,

Capt. Lee Moak, President

ALPA has admitted defeat, knows it is a paper tiger, and doesn't care that it is a paper tiger.... but is still writing meaningless platitudes of a better tomorrow.

Does anyone really believe the sunshine ALPA pumps? Its worse than TSA security theater and the ALPA theater has lasted many more decades, but the price of admission is much higher.

 

[end_of_alpa]

How did West pilots have anything to do with voting in LOA 93? It's the West pilots' fault now? Oh, I get it.

You really need to get more sleep. You are getting dark circles under your eyes and you don't make a bit of sense.

Because "we" had to vote in LOA 93 to stay in business and "we" became the lowest paid pilots in the Major airline pilot category and "we" had a lot more "longevity (which legally MEANS seniority) than West pilots and "we" did what the PSA pilots have had to do to stay "competitive" and we ARE considered children of a "lesser god" according to ALPA and West pilots, therefore our competitive pressures give management just what "we" (collective, not ROYAL WEST PILOT WE") deserve. MARKET RATES.

 

[traderjake]

"we" had a lot more "longevity (which legally MEANS seniority) than West pilots

The odds are 65 - 35 that you're wrong.

 

[end_of_alpa]

The odds are 65 - 35 that you're wrong.

As long as I don't jerk the gear for you that's 100%.

 

[traderjake]

As long as I don't jerk the gear for you that's 100%.

I'm looking forward to jerking the gear for you even though I'm senior to you and always will be.

 

[Reed Richards]

I'm looking forward to jerking the gear for you even though I'm senior to you and always will be.

Been a while since I diagramed a sentence, but that one is a doozy; especially the part with you crowing the significance of your date of hire. As to any "jerking" I will leave that to you and your own. Actually not sure if you are using that word as a noun or a verb. RR

 

[traderjake]

Been a while since I diagramed a sentence, but that one is a doozy

CLEPing out of English was a mistake.

 

[cynic]

At least we managed to get to page two before this devolved into an East-West thing. That's better than mos topics on this site. And please limit the jerking, if it turns into twerking, I'm out of here.