ChickenFlight

It looks like Egl MEC has reached a TA with management with this year's amendment round. Details have yet to be released, but the blast mail is available below. Thanks to the negotiating committee!


Fellow Eagle pilots:
Today, the Eagle MEC Negotiating Committee reached a tentative agreement (TA) with Eagle management in the contractual amendment process.
After months of preparation, research and meetings with management, the committee is satisfied that they’ve negotiated the best possible solution for the Eagle pilot group. The initial details of the agreement can be found on the Eagle ALPA website at http://eagle.alpa.org.
This TA will soon be presented to the MEC for ratification. When ratified, it will be the last amendment round agreement in our contractual process. When our contract expires at the end of 2012, we will return to the traditional method of contractual negotiations – Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act.
In 2007 the Negotiating Committee began polling the Eagle pilot group and researching the best ways to obtain the goals and priorities of our pilots. Polling data and input from pilots showed that our group wanted the negotiating committee to do two things: identify and improve quality of life provisions and avoid any contractual concessions.
As we are all aware, our industry finds itself in difficult times. Oil prices have been all over the headlines, along with news of pilot furloughs, capacity reductions, bankruptcies, and even liquidations. Many airlines are asking if they still have a viable business model. The news at our airline involved a possible sale or spinoff. In fact, our theme for these negotiations became “Not For Sale!” While management schemes might come and go, the value of a professional pilot serving in the cockpit remains constant. In 2008 our contract was “Not For Sale!”
With this in mind, the MEC tasked the Negotiating Committee with this mission: Bring us an agreement that increases quality of life wherever possible and includes no concessions. This tentative agreement accomplishes that mission.
While certain items we would all love to see were simply not supported by the rest of the industry, this TA addresses many improvements in ways that add real dollars to pilots’ pockets, including value of the day compensation, improved vacation payout, and better access to sick leave. The TA makes a long overdue improvement to IOE instructor pay. It also improves the basis from which disability and life insurance benefits are calculated.
The TA introduces several significant quality of life improvements. It improves the trip trading process – giving pilots more tools to improve their schedules. It creates volunteer lists for open time, reserve pilots and check airmen, allowing pilots more flexibility in communicating their schedule preferences. The TA allows pilots to accomplish a portion of their long term and recurrent training cycles from home, allowing more time with their families. There are improvements for simulator instructors, who have not seen any contractual improvements since 1997. We have also codified the Fatigue Review Board guaranteeing a pilot’s right to have the circumstances which led to his fatigue reviewed and addressed.
The tentative agreement also keeps two major contractual elements in place: Per Diem rates and 401k contributions. These two items alone provide a benefit to Eagle pilots. Protecting these two items was a high priority for the committee and represents a major success in this amendment round.
A summary of the TA will soon be available for viewing on our website. In approximately one week, we will have video explanations of changes made to each section. We will then set up daily all-pilot teleconferences in order to receive feedback and answer pilot questions.
Thank you for your support for your MEC and for your Negotiating Committee during this contractual amendment round.
Fraternally,
Herb Mark
MEC Chairman

Flyby1206

Big news, thanks to those who worked on this TA.

Ron Mexico

Congrats guys!