DCA Domicile Update: April 27, 2012
Update: Domicile Meeting April 18, BPR Conference Call April 23, 2012
Fellow DCA Pilots,
Meeting 4-18:
We began the domicile meeting on April 18 with comments on USAPA's 4th anniversary coupled with day one of a new administration of National Officers. We are proud of our union which continues to use the democratic process and an orderly transition to new leadership. We then discussed numerous topics that DCA pilots want brought to the attention of the BPR and Officers.
Topics discussed included: contractual provisions (scope, change of control, compensation and negotiations in general), communications, FMLA, new hire welcome, Teamsters and mergers. The NAC also presented a PowerPoint briefing followed by questions.
Views were exchanged related to the importance of uncensored communication being allowed to take place between elected representatives and their pilots, and how that compares to spreading rumors and opinion in official union publications. We also discussed a resolution which we intend to bring to the BPR, which would allow any elected representative to publish an explanation of their voting or their position on issues without censorship, combined with the requirement to adhere to the USAPA code of ethics in any public communication.
Next, Clay Absher reviewed Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions. This is a federally mandated program that is governed by federal guidelines. First, he covered Paid Family Leave and stated that it is intended to be used solely based on the needs of the pilot, and it is paid for by the usage of time taken from your sick bank and utilizes the same rules which govern sick days. Second, Unpaid Family Leave differs in that it is effectively leave taken to care for a spouse, parent, child or sibling, but you receive no compensation for any days used. If on reserve, your reserve guarantee is docked based on the number of days used. It does not result in any reduction of your sick bank and cannot be held against you as a productivity issue. Clay reported that US Airways has contracted with Ceridian, a third-party absence management company, which has taken over the management of family leave. Their duty is to "validate" your need for FMLA. Remember that when you complete the required forms, everything needs to be done completely and correctly. Do not be intimidated by this process if you're considering applying for FMLA, but we strongly encourage you to contact the FMLA Committee for assistance and review prior to submitting your forms to avoid mistakes.
Training issues were briefly covered by Wayne Mann, Training Committee Chairman, and he suggested improving the new hire welcome to support the emphasis of training assistance. He believes that the Training Committee should also be involved in these first impression meetings as they occur in the training environment.
We also discussed the Teamsters and many questions came up. Can they help? Can they be our professional negotiator? Can we develop a stronger alliance? These questions will be brought to the BPR. We then covered the issue of considering a request to restore unused vacation from the last president. Opinions varied but the conclusion of the members present was to follow current UOM policy guidance. Next, we discussed questions on possible merger scenarios with those present, including the NAC.
Information Call 4-23:
On April 20, public statements by the unions representing 55,000 American Airlines employees were published. Our Management has negotiated conditional terms for labor contracts with three of their unions in the event of a merger. That's unusual to say the least and interesting in that most of their mutually agreed upon working conditions and benefits are better than anything Management has offered to US Airways employees over the last seven years. The "sweet deal" actually can be interpreted as concessionary in a number of areas to existing agreements at US Airways.
As a result of these rapidly unfolding events between the Allied Pilots Association (APA) and US Airways, President Hummel held an Informational Conference Call on April 23 with the BPR, Officers, and two APA officials. No confidential data was discussed and no news was disclosed not already in the press. A summary of the items agreed to by APA can be viewed by clicking here. More information is easily found in airline forums or reading Dallas area news Web sites where unofficial versions are detailed. We will keep you informed if any official events related to Management's dream merger actually occur. In the interim, we await the outcome of the Declaratory Judgment court action and focus on day-to-day operations and working to protect the interest of the US Airways pilots.
We will participate in a face-to-face meeting of the BPR next week where the merger scenarios will be a big discussion item. The APA President is scheduled to brief the Board and Doug Parker is on the agenda. We will evaluate for approval numerous appointments to committees and the recent changes of office staff. Many committees are working on merger protections, relevant transition agreement topics, and dealing with the possibility of an unreasonable timeline if a merger is attempted.
We realize that the published increases in pay rates as a result of this possible merger have caught the attention of many of us, and we fully anticipated that Management may try to "sell the sizzle of the steak" to expedite this process to their benefit. As we all know, there is a lot more to preparing a full course steak dinner than just the tantalizing sound that's made when the meat hits the hot grill. We understand the potential value that a merger of this consequence could bring to all parties; however, we fully intend to take our due diligence to examine all possibilities and ensure that we read all of the fine print before we just agree to "sign here, here and here." Ultimately, you the line pilot will decide if, and how, we proceed. Not the President, his Officers, or your BPR. After years of stagnation, things may start moving, but so far there is no "deal" so we could easily be looking back a year from now laughing at another failed merger attempt. Bottom line, fly safe and don't let these issues distract you at work.