USAir Mechanics always followed UAL IAM Contracts prior to them being ousted by its Members. Can you say parity plus 1% being the last one. Obviously I have been through more mergers and Bk's than you people with long term memory loss. USAirways will be collectively with American the No1 Carrier when the Merger Approval is given at the end of August. That's what I said.
So what's your point. Its taken USAirways that long to make money. The business model was always broken. It had the highest cost structure in the industry. It need to change or die. Luckily it survived for the employees that stayed. UAL and CTL merged before US and AMR. The same goes for DL and NWA. That's why they are being paid more not because of the IBT representation.
Go read the US Airways Quarterly earnings back to the AWA ACQUISITION OF US AIR and you are right you are lucky to still have survived up to the point of the acquisition by AWA - LCC As that was the first PROFITS East Had Seen In Years.
Prior to 1995 we at AWA were non-union. We only had one contract with the IBT and was in contract negotiations for our second contract at the time of the Merger with US AIR.
In fact one older guy told me today that USAir at one time wanted to pay USAir Mechanics more than United during one negotiations and the IAM International told them they can't pay the smaller airline more than the big airline. Ain't that the shizzle.
Timing and Leverage. Two good ingredients for a positive negotiating process. As the merger takes place the company execs want to make it go smoothly and along with increased profits come Leverage. The Timing though has just been buggered because of competing Unions trying to pry their way into a pot of gold dues melee that will only increase with higher wages. Whomever represents the group will be getting a better CBA for its members in spite of themselves IMO. That said what I'm upset about is the timing will be put off longer than it should have taken otherwise. I would like to see the Mechanic and Related all get a new CBA tomorrow. Now I believe we are all looking at a prolonged process that could take up to two years.
USAir was always a tweener Airline. It wasn't big enough to keep up with the Bigger Airlines and it wasn't small enough to get away with paying lower wages (Until 9/11 and BK's). One of the biggest problems with this airline was that it was a short haul tweener airline with a high cost structure. IMO the Pilot group was way overpaid for what they were doing. USAirways at one time had 450 A/C on its own but very little International presence. The reduction after 9/11 and Merger with AWA still puts the Company in the tweener catagory. Even Steven Wolfe said we either get bigger or smaller there is no in between to be a viable carrier. Now with the American Airlines merger the USAirways employees will finally be a part of something big with a much more diversified airline with both domestic and international markets. The wages will follow.
What you call a substandard contract was far from what we had before the IBT. I did not go into all the IBT did for us at AWA but you want to know about the 10 year top out. Most of us were topped out by the end of our first contract with the IBT and to go a little deeper into it, Back in 1991 we went into BK and we were put on a 10% pay cut and a pay freeze this was BEFORE THE IBT WAS VOTED IN!
You do drugs right???? Because you are way out there! Don't go out drinking the IAM kool-aid with 700 no more it's doing things to you.
