Email to ALPA President

[USA320Pilot]

Distributed with permission of author

Captain John Prater
President
Air Line Pilots Association
1600 Massachusetts Ave
Washington, DC 20001

May 29, 2007

Dear Captain Prater:

I am Bob Gaudioso and I have been an ALPA member for 27 years. My seniority number with US Airways is 384. I have served in so many ALPA positions I couldn’t begin to list them all here. I few of the more notable have been, MEC Chairman, MEC Vice Chairman, Capt reps in Charlotte and Baltimore, and numerous committees. I am currently on the ALPA National Leadership Conference Committee. I have spent most of my career representing pilots.

I attended your first pilots’ meeting and I stood up and stated that each of the ALPA Presidents had their crisis to manage. I told you I felt your crisis would be the dismantling of ALPA and that unless you were willing to make some dramatic changes you would be the President that saw the big carriers leave the association. I believe that threat exists now more than ever.

As you can see my seniority is not directly affected by the award however, I must admit I was stunned, shocked and saddened by what arbitrator George Nicolau came up with.

For too long the employees of our nation’s airlines have been blamed for the financial troubles of their carriers. For years we’ve herd from our managements, if you would just work for less, if you would just work more hours, if we could just take away some of your medical benefits, if you would just give up on that pesky retirement plan, then we could make money. They blamed us and the public and the financial community bought it.

This award is an example of the public and George Nicolau buying on to the principal that it’s the employees fault for the financial troubles of their carrier. How could ALPA merger policy punish pilots for the bad decisions their management made. I’ll take it even farther I don’t believe the management mismanaged us into bankruptcy, I believe they did it on purpose as a tool. After all look at the results. US Airways, United, Northwest and Delta have all lost their pensions through use of the bankruptcy courts. In addition to the tremendous pay, work rules and benefits lost.

Capt. Prater as an Association we can not allow our pilots to be further abused by an arbitrator that just doesn’t get it and who has bought on to the premises that we were at fault and our jobs and the sacrifices we have made don’t count for anything.

I use to hear your predecessor Capt Woerth pound his fist on the table and preach that we were a union. UNION UNION UNION

We will never be a union until we have a national seniority list and until ALPA is willing to have the fortitude to step in and do what’s right. ALPA National has hidden behind the non interference policy for too long.

Imagine what would have happened if ALPA National had intervened in the US Airways discussions when our pension was at stake. Because of the ill advised stance of 4 roll call majority pilots not only did US Airways pilots loose their pension but so did UAL, NWA, and DAL.

Captain Prater if you allow a pilot’s years of service to be totally discounted as was the case in this award how can we possibly feel comfortable being a member of this association. Frankly, how could any of the legacy carriers feel comfortable if this arbitration stands?

I have been impressed with your leadership so far however, this will truly be a defining moment for ALPA and I’m sure we will look back on it as such.

Sincerely,

Capt. Robert P. Gaudioso
Former Chairman, US Airways MEC
Seniority # 384

 

[USA320Pilot]

Bob Gaudioso is one of the most respected ALPA leaders in the country and he teaches the new MEC Representative's class for all of ALPA.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[Bob Loblaw]

As a westie I can't say how impressed I am with Capt. Gaudioso's comments. I do disagree with him in some areas but he has the union part down right! He did conveniently forget current ALPA merger policy and blamed it on the mediator. Elementary mistake but I'll give him one because of his experience.

If only current US Airways MEC leadership could think as clearly they might not be in the predicament they built for themselves.

Bob

 

[ussnark]

As a westie I can't say how impressed I am with Capt. Gaudioso's comments. I do disagree with him in some areas but he has the union part down right! He did conveniently forget current ALPA merger policy and blamed it on the mediator. Elementary mistake but I'll give him one because of his experience.

If only current US Airways MEC leadership could think as clearly they might not be in the predicament they built for themselves.

Bob

You are nuts.

 

[Ardenian]

Bob Gaudioso is one of the most respected ALPA leaders in the country...

Not so fast, Mr. Sunshine..
Hey 320, it looks like you're not the only one interested in re-writing history!

----- Original Message -----
From: XXXXXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXXXXX
Cc: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 10:48 PM

Dear Bob,

I read the letter you wrote to Captain Prater with great interest. I was quite excited to think that you had finally "gotten it!" For as long as I have known you, I was always disappointed at your "Just give the Company [X] and they will start to grow" comments. You always had an excuse for why ALPA should capitulate on whatever the Company was asking for at any given time. You repeatedly quoted your esteemed "ALPA National advisors," as if they were the only ones with any wisdom.

You always had excuses for why those you were politically aligned with (Beebe, Gauthier, Tosi, Scola, et al.) appeared to not have the pilot's best interests in mind. You promoted the 23% pay cut TA from 1995 when the FA's saved the pilots from another ALPA National cram-down by voting NO since the Company was showing profits.

Simply put, you never appeared to have any will to stand up to either a bullying management or a risk-averse union. As a matter of fact, your long history of work in Herndon and 1625 showed you to be deeply ingrained in the ALPA-lifer lifestyle.

Back to your letter. I read it (why was it sent out by the AWA MEC?), and I start to think that you have finally seen the light and realized that ALPA National never has any interest other than that of ALPA National.

You actually wrote that you now understand that bankruptcy was not only a tool, but it was planned! Take that, Mr. Glanzer! After all these years, Bob finally understands the PIT and PHL reps were right!

But then I read on. I was flabbergasted when you attempted to shift the blame for the pension give away from your friends on the AAA MEC led by Bill Pollock to the RC4! (by the way, it's lose, not loose).

It then became quite obvious to me what was afoot.

Since you "have served in so many ALPA positions I couldn't begin to list them all," surely you know who gave away the pension. It was your faction of ALPA lifers! Pollock, Tosi, Scola, Belz, Baker, et al.!

There can only be two reasons you would write this:

1) Despite being deeply involved with the AAA MEC and ALPA National for so long, you just weren't bright enough to pay attention to who gave away your pension (Low probability).

2) You and your faction are re-writing history to attempt to deflect blame for the pension giveaway in order to position yourself for leadership positions in what is likely to be a new Collective Bargaining Agent at AAA (High probability). Why else would you, Gauthier, and other ALPA has-beens suddenly be popping up like Prairie Dogs?

Now, let's review…

Who gave away the DB Plan?

Your friends on the AAA MEC led by Bill Pollock. Not the RC4; they were another year in coming. The RC4 actually questioned the ALPA National advisors. The RC4 actually saw through the smoke and mirrors. The RC4 realized ALPA was not our friend. And to think, I believed for a moment you were really ready to join their side.

I will advise every pilot I see to be wary of washed-up ALPA political hacks positioning themselves for leadership positions in our new union by endeavoring to remake themselves in the model of the RC4. Remember, the RC4 saw through ALPA National's crap long before you even thought it would be a good ploy.

See you around the crew room,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
--------------------

President
Air Line Pilots Association
1600 Massachusetts Ave
Washington, DC 20001
May 29, 2007
Dear Captain Prater:
I am Bob Gaudioso and I have been an ALPA member for 27 years. My seniority number with US Airways is 384. I have served in so many ALPA positions I couldn't begin to list them all here. I few of the more notable have been, MEC Chairman, MEC Vice Chairman, Capt reps in Charlotte and Baltimore, and numerous committees. I am currently on the ALPA National Leadership Conference Committee. I have spent most of my career representing pilots.
I attended your first pilots' meeting and I stood up and stated that each of the ALPA Presidents had their crisis to manage. I told you I felt your crisis would be the dismantling of ALPA and that unless you were willing to make some dramatic changes you would be the President that saw the big carriers leave the association. I believe that threat exists now more than ever.
As you can see my seniority is not directly affected by the award however, I must admit I was stunned, shocked and saddened by what arbitrator George Nicolau came up with.
For too long the employees of our nation's airlines have been blamed for the financial troubles of their carriers. For years we've herd from our managements, if you would just work for less, if you would just work more hours, if we could just take away some of your medical benefits, if you would just give up on that pesky retirement plan, then we could make money. They blamed us and the public and the financial community bought it.
This award is an example of the public and George Nicolau buying on to the principal that it's the employees fault for the financial troubles of their carrier. How could ALPA merger policy punish pilots for the bad decisions their management made. I'll take it even farther I don't believe the management mismanaged us into bankruptcy, I believe they did it on purpose as a tool. After all look at the results. US Airways, United, Northwest and Delta have all lost their pensions through use of the bankruptcy courts. In addition to the tremendous pay, work rules and benefits lost. ;
Capt. Prater as an Association we can not allow our pilots to be further abused by an arbitrator that just doesn't get it and who has bought on to the premises that we were at fault and our jobs and the sacrifices we have made don't count for anything.
I use to hear your predecessor Capt Woerth pound his fist on the table and preach that we were a union. UNION UNION UNION
We will never be a union until we have a national seniority list and until ALPA is willing to have the fortitude to step in and do what's right. ALPA National has hidden behind the non interference policy for too long.
Imagine what would have happened if ALPA National had intervened in the US Airways discussions when our pension was at stake. Because of the ill advised stance of 4 roll call majority pilots not only did US Airways pilots loose their pension but so did UAL, NWA, and DAL.
Captain Prater if you allow a pilot's years of service to be totally discounted as was the case in this award how can we possibly feel comfortable being a member of this association. Frankly, how could any of the legacy carriers feel comfortable if this arbitration stands?
I have been impressed with your leadership so far however, this will truly be a defining moment for ALPA and I'm sure we will look back on it as such.
Sincerely,
Capt. Robert P. Gaudioso
Former Chairman, US Airways MEC
Seniority # 384

As the saying goes, birds of a feather...tell Bob we said hi!

 

[Phoenix]

Not so fast, Mr. Sunshine..
Hey 320, it looks like you're not the only one interested in re-writing history!

Well, well...

It looks like we now know the reason 320 has come over to the Dark Side. If you can't beat them, join them (so you can try to get in the driver's seat.)

Anyone who supports the slime that gave away the pension deserves to be exposed.

 

[awausairtech]

View attachment 6051LOL HERE WE GO!

 

[EastUS]

Well, well...

It looks like we now know the reason 320 has come over to the Dark Side. If you can't beat them, join them (so you can try to get in the driver's seat.)

Anyone who supports the slime that gave away the pension deserves to be exposed.

Roger All

Best line in that dog and pony show = "We will never be a union until we have a national seniority list and until ALPA is willing to have the fortitude to step in and do what's right. ALPA National has hidden behind the non interference policy for too long."

I'm still waiting