April 13, 2018
Chairman’s Update on Flow Settlement/Negotiations
Fellow Envoy Pilots –
The Negotiating Committee has been meeting with Envoy management consistently since early January attempting to find resolution to our disagreements on the protected pilot flow through, and I’d like to provide this update as we approach our MEC meeting next Monday. Communicating progress, or lack thereof, to the pilot group is imperative, as we represent your voice. As always, I urge you to share your concerns to the entire MEC team but especially to your elected representatives, who vote on potential changes to the contract and give the officers and negotiating committee direction. We rely on your input; your involvement is essential to the process.
The possibility of resolving the outstanding flow through grievances was originally introduced before the holidays, however earnest negotiations only began in January. Our interest in resolving the flow through grievances lies in securing additional career opportunities for pilots now rather than waiting for the arbitration process to unfold to a delayed and uncertain outcome. Both AA and Envoy also have an interest in eliminating the unknown outcome of arbitration.
The company agreed to negotiate a settlement for the flow through grievances, but only if other pieces of business that the company wanted were also included in a package deal. ALPA agreed to consider these items if pilot interests could be protected and/or advanced.
Over the months, the number of items being discussed morphed. The enhancements to flow through language also morphed. The package grew, then shrank. The process repeated. In February the appointed negotiators for ALPA and the Company came to an agreement that would have accelerated flow through for almost all Envoy pilots, increased pay for upgrading captains, resolved several unrelated disagreements, and provided Envoy a pathway to sustainable staffing.
However, we were told that when AA was presented with the package they indicated that they couldn’t accept it. This was (and is) troubling since AA’s team has repeatedly indicated that Envoy determines if less than the maximum prescribed amount will flow, while Envoy’s team say it is AA who controls the flow through numbers. Nevertheless, negotiators for both Envoy and ALPA quickly set about massaging a smaller package that AA would find acceptable. This smaller package was essentially agreed to by Envoy and ALPA in early March however, as of this writing many weeks later, no answer from AA has reached ALPA.
It’s the opinion of the MEC leadership that a negotiated settlement is the best course forward for all parties, however time continues to be of the essence. The basic precepts of the deal have been in place for months, yet we still find ourselves without resolution. Each month that there isn’t an agreement our pilots are harmed, and each month increases the size of the remedy necessary to settle the disagreement.
It was my sincere hope that we would enter the MEC meeting with a flow through settlement agreement done, and that we would be discussing progress on other items of interest and necessity to Envoy pilots. Instead we will commence the MEC meeting with nothing of substance from the Company with regards to flow through.
AA leadership says they want a good relationship with labor and that they must “validate the trust.” Envoy pilots are future AA mainline pilots and AA management will have a harder, more expensive time earning that trust if they continue to deploy the bait and switch, obfuscation, and dilatory tactics to which we are presently being subjected here at Envoy.
Your ALPA team will continue to advocate for you and press for a great work environment. If you’d like to comment on this process please reach out to us at
[email protected],
[email protected], and
[email protected]. This weekend the MEC team will be travelling to Chicago and preparing for the meeting so please forgive any lack of immediate, personal response to your communications but rest assured that every email is reviewed.
As always, members in good standing are welcome to attend and you will find an invitation with time and location in yesterday’s email newsblast as well as reminders in the coming days.
I look forward to seeing you there.
In Unity,
Sam Pool
-Keep the dirty side down