Here is the latest from our MEC Chairman:

This week I took a lot of questions from our pilots at both the pizza lunch and during our conference call about the new flying recently announced by management and our rights under the Transition Agreement. I want to make it perfectly clear right from the outset that this MEC’s position is that the Transition Agreement guarantees that new flying not contained in the fleet plan when the Transition Agreement went into effect last summer must be split between the two pilot groups.

Let me give you a little background. When the Transition Agreement was negotiated, few believed that we’d see much growth on the property while the two airlines were being put together. We didn’t want to run the risk, however, that flying might be added that would benefit one pilot group and not the other during the period of separate operations. As a result, language was added to the Transition Agreement that stipulates how that flying should be distributed between the pilot groups. When you have a chance, take a look at paragraph II.5.a, b, and c.

Since last week’s announcement, it’s clear to me that management is confused about what their commitments are under the Transition Agreement they signed last summer. While we do not dispute the fact that the newly announced aircraft can be placed on the US Airways operating certificate, we have had to remind management that they are obligated to establish a bridge training program to “…facilitate the fair and equitable distribution of flying between the two pilot groups.”

We don’t have a problem with growth aircraft being placed on the US Airways operating certificate, since we understand that the US Airways operating certificate will be the surviving certificate when this merger is complete. The Transition Agreement was written to reflect that reality. That’s why there’s a provision to establish a “bridge” training program if the company should acquire “growth” aircraft during the period of separate operations, just as they have now. Ultimately we will all be trained onto the US Airways certificate, but, during this period of separate operations, the bridge training program gives the America West pilots access to those growth aircraft.

The Transition Agreement also provides a mechanism for the two MECs to decide internally which pilot group will get the new flying. I want our pilots to know that these discussions are already going on. Like many of you, I was caught in last weekend’s blizzard while flying a trip. I spent 54 hours at the Bradley layover hotel and Monday morning John McIlvenna and I were on the phone with Bill Pollock and Kim Snider of the US Airways MEC. Joining us was ALPA attorney Mike Abram. We are all on the same page about what the Transition Agreement says and what the Transition Agreement means. Since getting back to Phoenix, I have had several conversations with management about this matter, and there is no doubt they are now aware of what our rights are under the Transition Agreement. Today, Bill and I sent a letter to Mr. Parker explaining our concerns. A copy of this letter is posted on the AWA MEC website.

I want to close on this topic by mentioning a corollary concern our pilots have about the recently announced recall of 55 pilots on the East to, in part, support this new flying. As I stated in the pizza lunch yesterday, it’s clear the company is going to need to start bringing some of the furloughed pilots back to the line. They need them for the 757 flying, but they also need them to support increasing block hours on both properties. We expect to be hiring from that furlough pool as early as this fall to support an increase in block hours in the West for the 2007 schedule. The good news is that we are increasing our flying at both properties. Our pilots have asked me how that will impact the seniority integration talks and a possible arbitration. I’m not going to make any predictions about how seniority talks are going to progress, and I’m certainly not going to venture an opinion on how the arbitrator will rule in our case, but I think it’s fair to say that at some point a snapshot of the seniority lists must be taken, and I believe that snapshot will fall somewhere between May 19, 2005, when the merger was first announced and October 24, 2005, when the PID was established.
I am heartened by what I see as an increase in participation by our pilot group. Week after week the numbers have been growing at both our pizza lunches and on our conference calls. The message this sends to management is loud and clear: our pilots are unified and informed of their rights as this merger proceeds.