President's Message



Fellow Pilots,

Although there have been rumors of talks, we are pleased to finally have confirmation that US Airways, American and the Department of Justice have agreed to mediate their dispute. The three parties said they've agreed on a mediator, who will attempt to facilitate a settlement resolving the government's lawsuit to block the proposed merger. The trial is scheduled to start on November 25. You can subscribe to Merger in the Media on the USAPA website to stay up to date on the latest news regarding the talks.

Last Thursday, USAPA petitioned the Washington, DC Federal Court handling the DOJ antitrust case, to allow USAPA to file an Amicus brief. As you know, we are not a party to the lawsuit, but we certainly have a vested interest in its outcome. Therefore, we felt it would be important to tell the court our viewpoint on the merger and what it means to us if it is approved. We will let you know if and when our request is granted and of course, will share the brief with you at the time of filing.

Many may be wondering what will happen if the DOJ should prevail in their suit against the merger? Last week I had a telephone conversation with Harry Hoglander, Chairman of the National Mediation Board (NMB). During the call, I made it clear to the Chairman that when I met with him last year, it was my desire to establish a two track negotiation with US Airways. One for the merger and the MOU, and another for our own section 6 negotiations. My desire for a dual track negotiation was rejected at that time by the NMB who insisted we should support the merger as our best path forward. Although the Chairman and I believe that the merger will come to fruition, we agreed that we do need to consider alternatives. Therefore, I have a meeting scheduled with the NMB on November 21st with the intent to establish an immediate schedule for our own negotiations should the DOJ prevail in their efforts against the merger.

Youve heard quite a bit lately about iPads and their implementation into our flight decks. After much negotiation with the Company, your NAC has been charged with a resolution from the BPR and is working towards finalizing an acceptable agreement. We hope E-190 crews will see them soon and the rest of the fleet sometime after the first of the year.

Last Friday, the BPR and Officers, along with the Grievance Committee reviewed the Kasher Award and dissenting opinion regarding the 3% grievance, and evaluated our options. After hearing all the options, the BPR passed a resolution that will pursue action to vacate the Award in Federal Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania, which has a reputation of compelling parties to reach a resolution. Look for more details soon from the Grievance Committee.

In closing, thank you to those who wished me well during my down time for surgery. Im feeling much better and it was good getting back to work last week.

Regards,

Gary Hummel, President