AMERICAN EAGLE MASTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL
150 WESTPARK WAY, SUITE 130 | EULESS, TEXAS 76040 | 817-685-7474 | FAX 817-685-9797
July 19, 2011
Fellow American Eagle pilots:
On January 26, 2011, the MEC filed a grievance over AMRs plan to transfer the ownership of Eagles aircraft to AMR in anticipation of the possible divestiture of American Eagle from AMR.
AMRs stated desire was to own these aircraft for a number of reasons, not the least of which was to facilitate the transfer of Eagles flight operations to other feed operators in order to, diversify their feed.
If we were to win this grievance, it would not stop the transfer of ownership of Eagles aircraft to AA, nor would it stop the transfer of Eagles flight operations to other feed operators. What it would require is that pursuant to Section 1 of our collective bargaining agreement, Eagle pilots and the Eagle contract would have to transfer with aircraft to the other feed operator. For example, if AA were to outsource some of Eagles current flying to Mesa Airlines, the number of Eagle pilots required to staff those aircraft and contract would go with the aircraft to Mesa Airlines and be employed at that carrier with a five year window during which they could elect to transfer back to Eagle. In the end, though, the flying would leave American Eagle. This grievance was about pilot jobs, not the transfer of assets.
Today, we settled this grievance for an option the MEC believes to be better than our original contract provisions. The settlement is as follows:
1. Every American Eagle pilot who is on the American Eagle pilot seniority list as of October 11, 2011 will be offered a job as an American Airlines pilot in the future.
2. American Eagle pilots hired under this settlement agreement will not be subjected to a pre-employment interview or pre-employment medical examination prior to transferring to American Airlines.
3. American Eagle pilots will be offered a minimum of 35% of every American Airlines new-hire class. In the event that 35% of American Airlines new hire class is greater than 25 pilots per month, American Eagle will be required to release at least 25 Eagle pilots per month.
4. If American Eagle loses flying and such loss results in a furlough, American Airlines will increase the percentage of Eagle pilots in their new-hire classes to a minimum of 50%. The meter above will continue to apply.
5. If American Eagle loses flying and such loss might result in a furlough, American Airlines will also attempt to negotiate preferential interviews for American Eagle pilots at the carrier who has successfully bid for the flying that Eagle is losing.
6. This settlement does not impact the existing rights of American Eagle flow-through pilots who currently possess American Airlines pilot seniority numbers, or the rights of the 824 pilot positions awarded as remedy by Arbitrator Nicolau. Those provisions are in place and will remain effective without regard to this settlement agreement.
7. American Eagle has agreed to clarifying contract language regarding the scope of work that American Eagle pilots perform in the event of a divestiture.