Originally Posted by
Monkeyfly
October 25, 2012
Dear Fellow Pilots:
After approximately 900 days of negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement (JCBA) for our pilots, we had hoped to announce that we had a tentative agreement (TA) last week. While that was not the case, the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) reports that they are nearing completion of the language of the entire JCBA and continues to negotiate an Implementation Letter of Agreement for integrating the many parts of the new JCBA.
A further step was taken this week towards completion of the JCBA with a process agreement that, if accepted by our respective MECs, will determine the allocation amounts between MECs for the retroactive/lump sum payment negotiated as part of the TA. This is an expedited arbitration process that will commence on Oct. 31 with a decision mandated no later than Nov. 5. Once the TA language and the Implementation Letter of Agreement are completed and the process agreement is accepted, the TA will be ready for MEC consideration.
On Monday, Oct. 29, both MECs will be meeting to review the process agreement and to prepare for evaluating the TA. The plan is that when all the components of the TA come together the MECs will be available and have the resources necessary to be fully briefed and informed in order to take the appropriate action. They will hear from the ALPA negotiators, attorneys, and subject matter experts and analysts on every section of a completed TA. This process will take a minimum of eight days but will last as long as necessary. Let us make this point perfectly clear – there is not yet a TA. We will announce one the day we have one. After meeting with the NMB these last two days, the gag order will be lifted only for the MECs but will still apply to the line pilots until the MECs have acted upon the TA.
If the TA is accepted by both MECs independently, it will promptly be sent to the entire United and Continental pilot groups for the membership ratification process. This will kick off a series of Town Hall meetings in domiciles and large pilot population centers, videos, a website, Q&A, etc. all of which are intended to give our pilots all the information they need to make an informed decision. The two MEC Communications Committees have been working on this project for quite some time and will have it ready before membership ratification begins.
The specific schedules for Town Hall meetings and balloting are in flux until the entire TA has been completed, and the MECs’ processes have begun. It is expected that the membership ratification process will be approximately thirty days, which includes the balloting window.
As soon as we have more information to share with our pilots, we will communicate that to you promptly.
We are United,
These "we really almost have a TA" updates from the union are about as believable as a Brett Favre retirement announcement.