Originally Posted by AnotherEagleGuy

Eagle NY LEC calls out ALPA National over PSA TA.

Dear Captain Lee Moak and the ALPA Leadership Team –

I ask you to not ratify PSA’s Tentative Agreement with USAirways. I am fully cognizant of the nature of this request and repeated claims that ALPA is a “ground up” organization with decisions flowing from the pilots to the leadership. I am fully aware that a legal and seemingly-fair vote was taken on the PSA property, however I am deeply troubled about new information that has come to light since voting began on this TA, namely:

1) Financial data and industry (“peer”) information utilized by the PSA Leadership to craft talking points to this TA was not from vetted sources. Indeed ALPA’s own E&FA has pointedly disavowed being involved in the gathering or dissemination of this data. Jessie Coeling admitted to the SPSC Meeting that his facts and figures were “gleaned from the internet.”

2) PSA was not in distress, and the parent company was posting record profits and the TA very likely results in a net loss of aircraft.

3) PSA and American Eagle – and possibly Piedmont – all face the likelihood of a merger in the not to distant future. If allowed to stand, PSA’s TA will have extremely negative consequences for both Eagle and Piedmont pilots as our contracts and law require harmonization between contracts. Neither Eagle nor Piedemont pilots got a say in an TA that will very clearly and DIRECTLY affect them in a very negative fashion.*

4) This TA lowers almost every aspect of PSA’s CBA, which was already comparable to industry peers. Lowering the bar further will certainly result in even greater downward pressure on negotiations at other regional carriers both ALPA and non-ALPA. Downward pressure means lower compensation for the pilots and thus lower dues income for the association. I am curious as to this self-destructive tendency.

5) Section 40, Part 6 (2007) “Crisis and Concessionary Negotations” of the ALPA Administrative Manual has not been followed. Like the rules of the sky, the precepts to which we conduct our business are written, often in the blood of previous failures, in the calm before the crisis. ALPA Leadership is taking a dangerous step ignoring our own in-house “rules”.

6) MOST IMPORTANTLY: This TA was championed ad-nauseam at all levels of ALPA Leadership, and was crafted to engender a regional-airline industry a paradigm that ALPA Leadership desires to implement, but was crafted without input from the pilots. Evidence is given in Bruce York’s comments to the SPSC Conference on September 17th that all regional carriers must conform to “the cost box” (even if the better CBAs need to be gutted) and that “regional pilots should start at $30k and increase pay $10k per year for five years capping at $80k” and that longevity “should be capped at 4 years for FO and 12 years for CA across the regional industry.” This stated policy of degrading or destructing regional-airline careers for the enhancement of mainline careers has never been – to my knowledge – voted upon by the membership and thus should not be allowed until so acknowledged.
For these reasons, I ask you to delay affixing your signature to this TA until the above concerns can be addressed.

Respectfully,
Sam Pool
American Eagle***