Now that the MOU has been released, the complete story of what happened in that meeting can be told.
First, let me remind you of how we got this MOU. The company objected to Paul DiOrio being on the NAC because Paul was demanding a contract that was industry standard. Parker and Kirby knew that if they were going to get the NAC to accept anything less, DiOrio had to go. Also, if Hummel was going to negotiate in secret with the company, both he and the company did not want DiOrio around to make demands that we be treated the same as other airlines pilots.
Hummel removed DiOrio and appointed a new NAC Chairman. Then he took over negotiations along with the new handpicked NAC Chairman in secret and brought the MOU to the Board for approval. This was never how the founders of USAPA intended this. The elected members of the BPR were supposed to give guidance to the NAC, not the other way around and the President was not supposed to be involved. Unfortunately, our founders were either part of the secret or kept out of the loop not knowing what was happening.
So now the original MOU that Gary Hummel and the NAC negotiated in secret was brought to the BPR for a vote to send it out with a recommendation by the BPR to approve it. But the BPR looked at this MOU and realized that it was a disaster with the US Airways pilots getting nothing but vague promises, low wages and a "second class status" and we all know how those promises turn out here.
So, they voted 10 to 1, with 1 west Rep abstaining to send it out to the pilots for a vote. Then they voted unanimously to recommend to the pilots that they vote to reject the MOU.
The company immediately understood that after the F/A's rejected their contract, they were about to see the same thing happen with the pilots. They were certainly aware of the charges in the press and elsewhere that they have been unable to complete the merger with the airline they already operate and so why would an investor put his faith in them for a even bigger merger?
So, rather than be humiliated with a unanimous "no" vote, they pulled the MOU and then signed a NDA so that no one could talk about it or negotiate it.
So now we get to the part that no one could make up. A recall petition was circulated demanding that the 3 CLT Reps vote to send the MOU out with a recommendation to vote for the MOU or be recalled. Who were these people?
1. The very people that have fought against USAPA and for keeping ALPA.
2. That have attempted time and time again to undermine USAPA.
3. That have worked in association with the West Pilots to force Nicolau on us and to continue to ferment problems between the two sides to eliminate the obstacle to a new contract.
4. That refused to join USAPA until fairly recently.
5. That were running our Pensions at ALPA when we lost them.
6. That were the most senior Check Airmen that would throw the rest of us under a bus just to get a contract.
These are the men that circulated a petition to recall 3 of the 11 reps that voted to send this MOU out but with a recommendation to vote "no" for this obviously substandard MOU.
The Unsecured Creditors Meeting was about to begin to debate what will happen to American Airlines. Will the Unsecured Creditors support the AMR Management that by all accounts have done a credible job in reorganizing American while under bankruptcy protection? Or will they support US Airways Management that is still mismanaging their employees from the last merger?
So, the same MOU is once again trotted out and once again the USAPA leadership, the USAPA advisors and the USAPA attorneys along with representatives from the company tell the BPR, this is the best you will get and if you vote "no," we will just continue the merger without your input.
'However, we really need you to vote for this MOU and we need you to vote unanimously for it so we can show the Unsecured Creditors that we have your full support.'
So Gary Hummel, the NAC, the advisors and the attorneys all started to explain why the BPR needed to vote for the MOU as is. They worked the room explaining the company position, giving the company line and 'channeling' Parker and Kirby. 'Vote for this or else, but by the way, the company needs our help!'
As one by one some of the reps began to speak in favor of voting to send this MOU out with a "yes" vote, Steve Crimi, Bill McKee, Dwight Ingram, Spike, and Mike Gillies realized that they had some leverage here and told Hummel, the NAC and the Advisors, the BPR and the company that unless they gave us a better deal, they would vote to recommend that the pilots vote "No" for this MOU. The debate was extremely heated. But these 5 reps fought against formidable odds. However, in the words of one of them, "They wanted something from us and we asked for something in return." That's how negotiations work.
That something was the retroactive pay and benefits beginning on February 8, 2013. In other words, if this merger goes through as planned and it goes through later this year, our pay increases will be retroactive to February 8, 2013. Every expert expects this merger to be approved and almost everyone expects it will be some time late this year or early next year, but we pilots will get a lump sum of our new salaries that are retroactive to February 8th 2013.
Do the math. That potentially could mean nearly $50,000 or more for a Group 2 Captain. That is what these 5 reps demanded for their "yes" vote and this is what the company agreed to. This is also what the recall is trying to stop.
The story I have just given you is a rough idea of what happened. I was not there to witness it. I was able to compile what happened by talking to numerous people involved in those meetings. However, everyone I talked to agreed that these 5 Reps, starting with Steve Crimi forced the company to negotiate a much better deal than they tried to force on us with the help of our leadership and our advisors.
The BPR Reps that were afraid to fight for us and had changed their minds to send out the substandard MOU with a "yes" recommendation were PHL Rep Jamie Weidner. DCA Reps Joe Stein and Pete Dugstad and the 3 PHX Reps. In other words, the usual suspects. Gary Hummel did his very best to bring us the original MOU without the retro pay along with others in USAPA leadership.
The leaders of this recall movement are lifetime members of the Chip Munn fan club and in fact Chip Munn is one of the leaders of this movement. Richard Alter is another along with Manny Lopez and Tim McGirk among others that I hope to expose in the near future. They are working hand in glove with Rob Streble to have those Reps removed as quickly as possible. Once that takes place, they hope to elect their own people that will work closely with the DCA Reps, Jamie Weidner and the PHX Reps. That has been their dream since the end of ALPA. Control the union again - work to bring the Nicolau Award to the property because "it's binding" and give the company what it needs. The "give-a-way-crowd" as they were once and forever known
After this is over, a recall of Rob Streble needs to take place. We need to have integrity once again in the Secretary-Treasurer position.
I have a demand from these recall voters. If this merger goes through and we get our retroactive pay, that you not take it since you are so willing to remove the people that brought it to you. Allow us to divide it among the pilots that vote to keep those 3 Reps in office because we will deserve it. Otherwise, you are nothing but Hypocrites!
There is a great deal more real work to come. If this merger takes place, we will need a strong leader at the table along with the APA and whatever management takes over for a final, fair and binding contract. We need the right people that will argue our seniority if arbitration is necessary to ensure a fair outcome of the seniority issue.
To make sure we have the right people there to oversee this, we need to make sure the 3 CLT Reps remain in office and make sure that Jamie Weidner never gets re-elected. I gave up on the DCA Reps years ago. They might as well be living in PHX.
If you have a friend in CLT and most of us do, please get in touch with them. Talk to him or her. Send this email and others like it. Let them know who is behind this recall movement and why. Make sure they understand what happened in those meetings, who got us the better MOU and how important it is to have people in there that are willing to fight for what they believe in and for us.
Also, if you can, please attend the NAC road shows. If you still have doubts as to what happened as I related them, by all means ask the NAC yourself. Nothing like watching them squirm...
And if you have a few extra dollars (and who does) please send it to the CLT Reps so they can get their story out there to defend themselves against this unbelievably stupid recall. Rob Streble is blocking their attempts to defend themselves.
NEXT ON DECK THE PENSION INVESTGATION, A HUGE PROBLEM FOR "GIVE IT AWAY GARY" Especially after the last court showdown! THANK A CLT REP! AND PHL minus jamie!
