Originally Posted by
John Carr
But pilots in typical fashion just want to take the easier route that involves less critical thinking skills and cry "I didn't do anything wrong, t's all your fault!!!"
It sure is difficult to get pilots to manage their union. The PNCL agreement involved crystal clear violations of ALPA's Admin Manual, should not have been authorized, or ratified. Not a single MEC Chairman called for an Executive Board. Not a single Status Rep called for a MEC meeting to compel their Chairman to action.
Half of the profession in the United States is now under concessionary demands from their management and no one, not even at the Express carriers effected, would stand up. The now former Eagle MEC Chairman stated their concerns to the press, but no one undertook their responsibility to manage the union that they send in their money to.
Originally Posted by Dallas News Business writer Terry Maxon
Just last October, American Eagle pilots were forced to accept contract cuts as part of the bankruptcy case of American Eagle, American Airlines and parent AMR.
Now, they’ve been told that the new American will require even lower costs at American Eagle to compete against other regional carriers.
Head of the American Eagle pilot union, Tony Gutierrez, has laid out the choices facing the Air Line Pilot Association members as they consider what it should do. (Gutierrez is chairman of ALPA’s Master Executive Council at American Eagle.)
In short, Delta Air Lines has deals with its regional carriers that will drive its costs for regional feed lower over the next few years. ...
What was not public knowledge at the time was that Delta Air Lines has clauses in its regional capacity purchase agreements that essentially allow it to reset the block hour rates that it pays its other regionals to match the second lowest of any of its regional carriers. As a result, Delta’s announcement made public its ability to drive all of its regional feed costs near Pinnacle by the end of 2017. Because nearly fifty percent of all mainline departures are flown by regional partners, the competitive advantage that Delta is threatening to realize is massive.
When Delta’s CEO elected to make this public over a month ago, US Airways management advised us that in light of that development, it is not willing to place the next “large” RJ order at Eagle or any other regional airline that does not have a plan in place to trend toward Pinnacle’s cost structure. And that is where we find ourselves today.
Actually, the provisions which require tier matching in the Delta Connection agreement(s) are public knowledge, if you were to ask almost anyone with any experience over at DCI. That's why ALPA has the provisions in our Admin Manual so that bargaining groups can work together to avoid this kind of massive strategic error.
I'm not calling for a recall or anything of the sort. But, the Pinnacle contract should have never have been authorized, then it should not have made it past ALPA's Representation Dept & gotten the President's signature. Failing that, someone should have called for an Executive Board.