Management calls Labor Coalition meeting

[chipmunn]

US Airways senior vice president of Employee Relations Jerry Glass has called a Labor Coalition meeting for Tuesday, November 26. The company will present a revised business plan simultaneously to all labor groups who will have one week to agree upon labor agreement changes prior to the company's board of director meeting the first week of December.
In addition, it is expected this plan will be the final Plan of Reorganization, which must be submitted to the bankruptcy court no later than December 9, which will be on the December 12 Omnibus proceeding docket.
Chip

 

[Oliver Twist]

This should be intresting- I wonder how many more will be pushed towards the door and the unemployment line this time.

I hate to sound so dire, but it's hard to be positive when so many good ideas and concepts are continually put forth and whacked off at the knees with what appears to be total lack of intrest. Instead we hear layoff, layoff, layoff. When does it end? When do we dig our heels in as a company and say no more? When do we get some guts and move forward instead of cut and retreat?

When are the ones in charge going to move us forward with new ideas and new strategies? When is someone who can make a difference going to get off their butt and do something?

I don't really expect an answer to these questions, just blowing off some steam. It's gotta end soon. OK, I'll pipe down now.

 

[chipmunn]

DorkDriver:

The chart posted at usairwaysemployees.com was prepared by a US Airways Captain and sent to PlaneBusiness. I have been told PlaneBusiness published the information in a newsletter and the information also appeared on the mainline ALPA website.

I have reviewed the data and discussed this information with informed people within the company. The data is flawed and inaccurate. Expect to hear more on this subject shortly.

Chip

 

[chipmunn]

Oliver:

I do not like this entire situation any better than anybody else, but the company has made significant strides, albeit with significant employee pain, to restructure the company into a viable, strong airline.

However, if labor will not voluntarily agree to change their contracts to permit senior management to implement their business plan, the company still has the option to accomplish their desired changes through the bankruptcy court. We all know how the judge has acted in these proceedings and I believe we do not need to revisit this argument.

Labor contracts can be abrogated in bankruptcy if the judge approves the change(s). That's the only real change since the days of Lorenzo...the court must approve the changes per S.1113.

If history is a benchmark, I do not doubt for one moment the court would side by the company. If true, this means management will get what they want either way.

So the question could become do we want something we agree on, or do we want it crammed down our throats? It appears union officials will have to decide the answer to this question and I don't envy them in their position.

Chip

 

[DorkDriver]

Hey Chip. Did you see that chart on the www.usairwaysemployees.com website? It showed that if USAirways hadn't shrunk so much we would be profitable now. Just wanted to know what you thought about it, take a look.

 

[usfliboi]

I dont believe AT ALL that management is gonna ask for huge savings and changes during this so called meeting that would need to be decided in one week. I believe thats obvious.... Will they ask or say its needed at some point im sure! Chip, do u really believe that to be the case???????? Its sort of a no brainer that they havent been in to big of a rush for these additional savings... Why would they all of a sudden one week before say we have to have this in one week? Makes no sense to me.... YOur thoughts?

 

[chipmunn]

Usfliboi:

There is a lot going on behind-the-scenes and I am optimistic, but I believe it is in our best interests to not discuss what may occur at Tuesday's meeting. We will all know what will happen shortly...

Chip

 

[usfliboi]

Discuss what? Neither of us knows what will be said or done all we can do is speculate. lol im not sure i understood that one but anyway.....

 

[UAL777flyer]

usfliboi,

To answer your question about why US Senior Mgmt says we need this in a week, it could very well be because their final plan of reorganization is due to the bankrupcy court in the second week of December. Absent the additional cost cuts necessary to make the new business plan viable, US no longer meets the terms/conditions of their conditional ATSB loan guarantee approval, and thus inches closer to potential Ch. 7. That's my view on the time factor.

 

[chipmunn]

UAL777flyer:

Your analysis is correct.

Chip

 

[Down Range]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 11/22/2002 1038 AM chipmunn wrote:
[P]Oliver:[BR][BR]I do not like this entire situation any better than anybody else, but the company has made significant strides, albeit with significant employee pain, to restructure the company into a viable, strong airline.[BR][BR][STRONG][FONT face=Times New Roman]You neglect to mention that there is more [EM]significant [/EM]employee pain ahead in this restructuring.At what point do we say No? Are we allowed to ?[BR][BR][/FONT][/STRONG]However, if labor will not voluntarily agree to change their contracts to permit senior management to implement their business plan, the company still has the option to accomplish their desired changes through the bankruptcy court. We all know how the judge has acted in these proceedings and I believe we do not need to revisit this argument.[BR][BR][STRONG][FONT face=Times New Roman]We are well aware of your role as a volunteer management cheerleader on this and other boards [EM]Mister[/EM] Munn, please do us a favor and cease stating the obvious.Another question [EM]Mister [/EM]Munn, what are the odds of this business plan actually working? [BR][/FONT][/STRONG][BR][BR]So the question could become do we want something we agree on, or do we want it crammed down our throats? It appears union officials will have to decide the answer to this question and I don't envy them in their position.[BR][BR][STRONG][FONT face=Times New Roman][EM]Mister[/EM] Munn, do not presume to speak for the other employee groups and their representation, worry about ALPA and what the company wants from them and [EM]who[/EM] you are willing to sacrifice.[/FONT][/STRONG][BR][BR]Chip[/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]

 

[N628AU]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 11/22/2002 12:35:20 PM chipmunn wrote:

Usfliboi:


There is a lot going on behind-the-scenes and I am optimistic, but I believe it is in our best interests to not discuss what may occur at Tuesday's meeting. We will all know what will happen shortly...


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

This is code for Chip trying to cover his six. He has no earthly clue as to what is going to be discussed.

And for the one week time period, get real. Management and labor (much less a coalition of different labor groups), could not agree as what to eat for lunch during a negotiation over the course of a week, much less contract language. Anyone who has any contract law experience can tell you how long you can spend defining the difference between the terms will and shall. I bet the number one issue if the pilot's pension problems, to which I say ALPA needs to solve on their own, and not come begging to the little sisters of the poor.

 

[mrplanes]

Downrange:

You can say no anytime you want to. Will the business plan work? If you expect a guarantee on that, you are not realistic. No business plan is foolproof. What if we have another hijacking or terrorist attack? Do you think this management WANTS Airways in liquidation? Do you?

Here is the deal: IMHO it is irellavent if we give more. This management MUST get that loan. It will. If it has to go to the judge to get the things that it needs to get the loan, it will. Whether you believe Chip, me or the tooth fairy, Dave is going to make this airline look and run the way he wants it to. And that look will be more like the original Allegheny than any large airline flying today.

What can we do? Simple answer to a simple question: Accept it or move on. Of course, if you don't have 15 or 20 years here you will be moving on regardless. And that is not all that unusual in todays working enviornment either. And all the whining and yipping in the world isn't going to change anything.

I don't think many of our employees realize what is going on. They HOPE things will return to some sense of normalcy. They will. But the new normal is a far cry from what we all have been used to. If this crap is keeping you up at night, you better find a different job. Because our world is changing right in front of our eyes. And we are along for the ride. As I said before: Accept it or move on. It's only a job folks. And stuff like this happens to tens of thousands of people each and every year.

 

[usfliboi]

I thought according to you chip and reports that we no longer met the loan requirements weeks ago? This just didnt happen. So i ask again, whatnew here ! Whu would management wait till a few days or a week before the so called deadline to ask for anything that needed to be resolved within a week. If a few weeks ago usair felt it no longer met the requirement, why wasnt a meeting sceduled then?

 

[autofixer]

Because that has been the typical Wolfe/Davie negotiating tactic. Set up an artificial, or in this case a real, albiet artificially shorted time line(management could have come to labor last week or the week before, but they can see into the future; they have all of the information), and ram-rod an agreement through! Dave will soon come to labor with an offer they can't refuse. It will pass like it always does, because it will be emotionally driven, for fear of losing each of the negotiators individual job. There will be no way to make an informed decision, because frankly, the information will not be available...only that pesky deadline.