Local Pittsburgh TV station got the story on threat to shutdown USAIRWAYS

[Reservation Agent]

One of our local tv stations here in Pittsburgh got the story from CWA of USAIRWAYS threat to shutdown the airline before Christmas...Per the CWA memo....The station asked a USAIRWAYS representative about it..They are denying that they have given us that threat....
Here is a copy of the memo on what went on between the CWA union and USAIRWAYS MGT...
-------------------------------------------------

CWA Update 12/17/2002
Ultimatum from management: “Accept our demands by Friday, or we will close US Airways before Christmas.â€

CWA Representatives met with US Airways executives on Monday, 12/16, and received the following information and ultimatum:
CWA, and all other US Airways unions, must accept management’s demands as written, no changes, no discussion, by Friday. Management wants only a “Yes†or “No†answer;
If any Union does not accept the demands as written, by Friday, US Airways will close down before Christmas (next Wednesday);
Even if all unions accept the demands, executives refuse to allow the normal time for employee ratification votes (If we accepted on Friday, CWA member ratification vote would normally be counted on January 13). Executives said that the airline would close if the ratification votes can’t be crammed into a timetable before the end of the year;
Friday, December 20, is the day management submits a new reorganization plan to the bankruptcy judge, and if they don’t have the union agreements by then, they will close the airline;
Monday, December 23, is a back-up day in bankruptcy court for RSA: if there are no agreements by Friday, and management has not taken steps to shut down the airline, RSA will submit its own plan to the judge on Monday to shut down the airline.
The demands on CWA Passenger Service Employees go right to the heart of some of our job protections:
Eliminate all the Internet Support Work and Express Agent work we just negotiated in our recent concessions agreement (except the 8 closed or closing stations already announced as covered Express stations);
Do not extend the contract to STT and STX, two stations that should by law be covered by the contract;
Allow SAR’s to queue lines, assist passengers with kiosk check-in, and then have SAR’s go behind the ticket counter and pull bag-tags and process bags;
Allow Sky Caps and other contractors to check-in passengers at curbside, including boarding passes, passenger assist edits, and boarding pass reprints;
Allow 2 US Airways flights daily into Express cities, allowing Express agents of other companies to do the work on the mainline flights.
Allow 4 US Airways flights daily into newly opened cities without giving those jobs to mainline employees, and allowing contracted employees from other companies to have those jobs;
Pay and Benefits:
Significantly increase the employee cost of our medical plan premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and prescription costs;
Defer 5% of our salary for 18 months if US invades Iraq; salary to be paid back over the following 18 months.
Postpone the defined benefit search decision until six months after the Company emerges from bankruptcy (this alone, is a sensible proposal, because we don’t want to have our retirement money tied up if the airline liquidates);
Jets for Jobs:
This “jets for jobs†promise by executives has become a cynical joke. There are no passenger service jobs resulting from the RJ agreement, only jets. RJ’s will reduce mainline passenger service jobs and the shift of jobs to RJ flying will be handled by passenger service employees of other companies, not by US Airways passenger service employees;
The company has demanded an MDA agreement that allegedly has pay and benefits equal to AA Eagle. Catch 22: if a mainline employee is furloughed and accepts a position at MDA, they no longer go to the top MDA rate ($13.50), as our Express agreement called for, instead they go to the bottom rate ($9.00).
In return for all this pain:
In return, the company will allow parents of employees furloughed after 9/1/2001 to be considered “eligible family members†for purposes of online non-revenue travel;
Employees on voluntary furlough may retire from furlough consistent with existing Article 15 of the contract, the same as involuntary furlough, as long as there is an available system vacancy in the classification;
A profit sharing plan that requires the company pre-tax profits to reach 7% before it pays anything – we predict it will be a cold day before you see any money from that plan;
Vesting in the equity stake we negotiated last concession agreement is somewhat accelerated;
CWA Passenger Service has a seat on the US Airways board of directors equal with the pilots, mechanics and flight attendants.
CWA’ers attempted to propose some form of additional salary deferment or cuts equal in value to the job cuts management is demanding. Executives flatly refused to listen to that proposal. Their message was, “take these cuts or the airline closes.†The CWA’ers are discussing these issues today and we will keep you informed of developments.
Present for US Airways at the Monday meeting were: CEO David Siegel, VP Labor Relations Doug McKeen, and several labor relations, operations and benefit staff.
Present for CWA were Local 4404 President Susan Saylor, 13302 President Chris Fox, 13301 President Tina Perry, 2000 President Pam Terry; 3641 President James Root, 3640 President Becky Gerald, 3140 President John Tyler, CWA staff Tim Yost, Velvet Hawthorne and Rick Braswell, and Jeff Freund, attorney with Bredhoff and Kaiser.

Newsletter Coordinator: Rose Mary Nickerson
Technical Specialist: Krystal West
Send articles to [email protected]

 

[cltvff]

So did the Charlotte Observer[BR][BR][A href="http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/4763137.htm"]http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/4763137.htm[/A]

 

[TomBascom]

That memo is internal to the union -- it's someone's interpretation of what management said not a direct statement from management. (There may have been such a statement but it isn't that memo...)

 

[wings396]

Seems pretty clear cut to me also. Happy Holidays to all from the company...and we didn't like the cheese and cookies before.....

 

[delldude]

[STRONG]what pgh station?[/STRONG]

 

[Justaramper]

This was really a "dumb" thing to post on a website.
Passengers will see it and not book flights and employees will
see it and not want to come to work. It was really impressive
and shows me once again, that I can't trust either side during
this "process".

 

[delldude]

[STRONG]if the company throws something like that out there,well then its on them.IAM proposal had a very similar statement attached to the end of the 'utimatum'.[/STRONG]

 

[genejockey]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 12/18/2002 7:09:18 AM TomBascom wrote:
[P]That memo is internal to the union -- it's someone's interpretation of what management said not a direct statement from management. (There may have been such a statement but it isn't that memo...)[/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]Tom,[BR][BR]That statement by the union was apparently brutal and blunt. I don't see how an ultimatum by the company which was that specific and threatening could be misinterpreted. Say YES by friday or we will close the airline before Christmas. Seems to be pretty clear to me. I believe the union statment of the direct threat. Was it a bluff by the company? Well, we will have to wait and see. Either way, statements like this will kill future bookings....talk about declining revenue.

 

[A320 Driver]

Since when did we want this info given out to the media. There is no question that a threat has been given and received, however it is in everyones interest that we do our "dirty laundry" behind closed doors. The public will never sympathize with pilots making 6 figures OR agents, cleaners, and mechanics making 20+ an hour. IMHO we need to let this play out quietly or the attention in and of itself may cook our goose.

A320 Driver

 

[cavalier]

How about the customers? Don't they have a right to know? IF the company is saying these things, the public SHOULD have the right to book elsewhere. Again, IF management feels this strongly about shutting the doors, the public should know!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did the company give notice when they closed TPA? Why would they give notice to a going out of business chapter 7 deal. IMHO, when they do it, it will be without notification to their loyal and hard working employees and forget the paying pax. It will be a Pan Am thing with pax and employees stuck everywhere. Their actions have spoken volumes, this company has no integrity, no future, no hope. The people left to die with the company will be co-dependents in need of counseling.

 

[autofixer]

How about the customers? Don't they have a right to know? IF the company is saying these things, the public SHOULD have the right to book elsewhere. Again, IF management feels this strongly about shutting the doors, the public should know!

 

[cltvff]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 12/18/2002 831 AM Justaramper wrote:
[P][BR][BR]This was really a "dumb" thing to post on a website.[BR]----------------[BR][BR]Good point.... access to usaviation.com is available to the public and some, such as Ted Reed of the Charlotte Observer, know it's a good source of "non-public" information[/P][/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]

 

[Justaramper]

During the "negotiating" process, alot of unwise things are said by BOTH sides. That's why I felt these comments should have remained behing CLOSED doors. Newspapers thrive on these comments and it destroys confidence in the process.The employees understand what is at stake and we don't need to see print outs of webpages floating around in the breakroom. Makes for a GREAT work environment doesn't it...?

My confidence is gone with the current management. The "changes" that Dave "promised"..Well the same people who got us here, are STILL here aren't they...?

I know it's all about $$$$...

 

[JonC]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/18/2002 831 AM Justaramper wrote:



This was really a "dumb" thing to post on a website.
Passengers will see it and not book flights and employees will
see it and not want to come to work. It was really impressive
and shows me once again, that I can't trust either side during
this "process".

----------------
[/blockquote]

Our customers deserve to know that this is a possibility. our management has screwed with them for years and keeping them in the dark when management has schemes like this is entirely unacceptable. Yes, this threat might keep business away, but it is morally wrong to encourage people to buy tickets on us if we might leave them stranded.

 

[ClueByFour]

They still don't know, either.

WPXI (Channel 11) @ PIT just did a story to the effect of "something _might_ happen on Friday, it might not." They interviewd two AMTs who were complaining about the rumor mill.

US, of course, is saying "business as usual" for the holidays. We'll see.