Response to USAPA ad in USA Today

[Res Judicata]

In fact ENTIRE contract, even section 22 seniority, is negotiable. Seham got it right. The Courts know this too, as well as the Company. Some of you still don't get it.

Of course!! The only little tinsey winsey problem that Seham forgot to mention was that any negotiations had to pass DFR muster. That's the part your having a little trouble with. The Jury convicted in 90 minutes, (after two WEEKS of testimony) the first time.

How do you like your odds next time?

Talk about some of us still not "getting it". You can't forcibly get your DOH without violating the DFR to the west. That's the entire case in a nutshell. You've wasted hundreds of thousands of your own dollars on a wild goose chase. That has really got to hurt.

 

[767one]

Badmouthing every single East pilot on everything at every turn and opportunity while slurping on the company makes it awfully hard to avoid the conclusion that you have a touch of hysteria yourself. Just saying.

I agree, but don't make the mistake of calling him a weak hysterical maniac. He is for sure a strong one.

Regards,


Bob

 

[nic4us]

Article on the event: http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/11196015/1/us-airways-captain-escorted-from-airport.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. TheStreet) -- The battle between US Airways(LLC) and its pilots over the airline's safety culture is continuing, this time focused on an incident in which a captain declined to fly a transatlantic flight.

On June 16, captain Valerie Wells, a 30-year-pilot, was scheduled to fly an Airbus A330, which can carry nearly 300 passengers, on a flight from Philadelphia to Rome. But she declined to fly because of failures of both the auxiliary power unit, a backup source of electrical power, and the "hot battery bus," a primary source of electrical power.

Thanks for the link.

Looks like the company took the high ground and "would not elaborate" on why captain Wells was removed from the airport.

Also, looks like usapa spokesman James (continental scab) Ray, took the typical usapa path, and could not resist and speculated on why the company had captain Wells removed. Making an assumption that is likely untrue, makes no sense and would only dupe the uneducated public. Does J scab Ray not know there is this thing called a FDML, the ML standing for maintainence log, that would alert any subsequent crew that there is a problem with the aircraft, and that any subsequent crew would immediately be aware of any deficiencies in the aircrafts status in the same manner captain Wells was aware of them.

IMO, this article backs up the company's position.

 

[Phoenix]

I have been called into the CP's office 0 times also. One time I was called at home to explain why I would not stay on duty over 15 hrs. That being said I have had non-pilot supervisors either mtc or pass service attempt to intimidate me. Intimidation doesn't work with me it just makes me slow down because I don't intend to be part of the nascar scenario. I do think that too much pressure is put on all the employee groups and although I have never been called into the CP's office I think in todays environment it is more likely than not to happen to any of us.

As for the 330 captain I don't know her but I'm sure something made her uncomfortable. Perhaps something that had happened in the past made her leary of taking the word of mtc. This is not a knock on our mtc but they also are subject to on time pressure and mistakes. And since she was not the only crew involved in this incident it makes me a bit suspicious of the company's story. Not that they would ever intentionally tell us something that was untrue.........well maybe they would.

Regards,

Bob

Agreed. It is also telling that the company appeared to attempt to infer the Captain's decision besmirched the safety record won by the other 30,000 + employees. The implication is that this captain should be excluded from the group of employees that build the safety of this airline, yet the company made no accusations that her decision (or the crews that agreed with her) was unsafe in any way. Neither did they deny they tried to tell the captain (and the other 5 pilots) that she was wrong about the necessity for maintenance to maintain the safety record the company is so proud of. The company would be a lot better off if they would just reaffirm the captain's role in safety and then get back to their Starbucks.

 

[USA320Pilot]

Weekend Update. Background Information Portraying USAPA's Newspaper Ad as Dishonest.

See Story

 

[767jetz]

Jetz already knows there are no East pilots that ever tell the truth. We are wasting bandwidth reminding him/her.

You sure are. Once a liar always a liar. A leopard doesn't change it's stripes.

 

[Phoenix]

You sure are. Once a liar always a liar. A leopard doesn't change it's stripes.

Leopards don't have stripes. But don't worry.. "Once ignorant always ignorant" doesn't have to be a true saying.

 

[No Land Green]

Of course!! The only little tinsey winsey problem that Seham forgot to mention was that any negotiations had to pass DFR muster. That's the part your having a little trouble with. The Jury convicted in 90 minutes, (after two WEEKS of testimony) the first time.

How do you like your odds next time?

Talk about some of us still not "getting it". You can't forcibly get your DOH without violating the DFR to the west. That's the entire case in a nutshell. You've wasted hundreds of thousands of your own dollars on a wild goose chase. That has really got to hurt.

I'm pretty confident about my "odds"...........Nic is DEAD.

No more of this banter on this thread.

 

[nic4us]

I have been called into the CP's office 0 times also. One time I was called at home to explain why I would not stay on duty over 15 hrs. That being said I have had non-pilot supervisors either mtc or pass service attempt to intimidate me. Intimidation doesn't work with me it just makes me slow down because I don't intend to be part of the nascar scenario. I do think that too much pressure is put on all the employee groups and although I have never been called into the CP's office I think in todays environment it is more likely than not to happen to any of us.

As for the 330 captain I don't know her but I'm sure something made her uncomfortable. Perhaps something that had happened in the past made her leary of taking the word of mtc. This is not a knock on our mtc but they also are subject to on time pressure and mistakes. And since she was not the only crew involved in this incident it makes me a bit suspicious of the company's story. Not that they would ever intentionally tell us something that was untrue.........well maybe they would.

Regards,

Bob

Well, it appears we agree again.

I also think, no actually I know, the gate, the ramp, mx, and particularly the F/As are under much higher scrutiny and hence pressure in their performance. I have found on numerous occasions that making a decision that releases the gate who is trying to intimidate from responsibility brings them a a sigh of relief. Kind of an okay, if I can blame this on you the pressure is off me, thanks captain!! I have frequently had gate agents ask about the nature of a mx issue, but have never had an agent try and tell me they know more about airplanes than I do, and offer a diagnosis of what is actually wrong with an airplane, as some in this thread have said happened to them. I think this is a symptom of usapa using safety as a negotiating tool, and everyone is aware of it including the under the gun gate agents.

Regarding the 330, I side with Wells, it needed to be fixed for her to fly it, end of story. What did not need to happen was whatever got her escorted out of the building. Then for usapa to place the half truth ad (probably more like 30% truth ad) is just over the top stupidity.

The company may very well tell us something that is untrue, but at least they do a good job of making it seem plausible.

Our problem is usapa continuously tells us untruths, and nobody is buying it outside the usapa faithful.

 

[No Land Green]

Leopards don't have stripes. But don't worry.. "Once ignorant always ignorant" isn't a true saying.

LMAO!!!!

 

[Beancounter]

You sure do have a pulse on the issues at an airline you don't even work for, don't you? Or is this your "opinion" again?

I had the NAC Chairman on my jumpseat last month. I won't even waste my time and tell you what he told about what is going on at the negotiating table. I'm absolutely sure you will tell me it is all lies.

You are a hoot Jetz. Keep the entertainment coming.

This wasn't one of the same guys that was telling you, "hey don't worry DOH is in the bag," was it? Please don't believe their lies when they tell you in the end, "we don't know what happened, it fell apart at the end, it's managements fault, it's the west's fault, it's the courts," yada, yada, yada.

 

[necigrad]

Let me see if I'm extrapolating the FACTS about this incident correctly:

• The APU would not start
• The Hot Battery Bus was dead
• Said battery was drained by repeated APU start attempts
• The MEL list permits ETOPS operations with an INOP APU
• The MEL list permits ETOPS operations with an INOP Hot Battery Bus
• The MEL list permits ETOPS operations with both the APU and Hot Battery Bus INOP

Is this summary correct? Which are wrong if not? I'm trying not to prejudge, but make an honest assessment of the facts, without USAPA or US Airways misrepresentations.

 

[Pi brat]

Am I mistaken in understanding that jets 50 years ago did not have an APU, and thus, all flights required an air-start?

Uh, back then those A/C without an APU had 4 engines when they headed out over the water!

 

[700UW]

Forgive Jester, he is just an IAM Hating PHX Ramper.

Doesnt understand what ETOPS is.

Engines turn or passengers swin, lol.

Extended Twin Operations

 

[767jetz]

Leopards don't have stripes. But don't worry.. "Once ignorant always ignorant" doesn't have to be a true saying.

Bravo. You got me. My bad. I retract that statement and submit this one...

A leopard doesn't change it's spots.

Or if you prefer... A Zebra doesn't change it's stripes.

Thanks for clearing that up. No one would have gotten my point otherwise.