US Airways unions tearing apart
03-21-2008, 06:01 PM
#1
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US Airways unions tearing apart
This is very interesting......
US Airways pilots fight over union
By CHRIS KAHN, AP Business Writer
Wed Mar 19, 2:00 AM ET
PHOENIX - As a US Airways pilot for two decades, Richard Obermeyer endured years of pay cuts, a terminated pension program and the possibility of losing seniority after the carrier combined with America West Airlines.
But he's never dealt with frustration like this.
His union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), is tearing itself apart. Many of his fellow pilots believe it has failed them, and emotions are boiling over as an election approaches Thursday to replace it with another group.
Pilots say ALPA supporters have clashed with their rivals at the upstart US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA). They've engaged in at least one shoving match, shouted profanities at each other in airport terminals and called each other to the parking lot to settle their arguments.
Meanwhile, ALPA has kicked out union reps accused of supporting USAPA, and pilots on the West Coast have asked management to negotiate a separate contract just for them.
"All of this is just pure frustration," Obermeyer said. "Frustration with how the pilot's career has gone. Frustration with things that were completely out of their control."
Obermeyer, who is an ALPA communications chairman on the East Coast, saw the frustration for himself last week when he attended an informal USAPA meeting at a hotel in Philadelphia. He said the group's supporters pushed him out of the room and tried to rip a notepad from his hands.
"I've been doing work for the Air Line Pilots Association for 16 years, and this is the first time anyone has ever touched me out of anger," Obermeyer said.
ALPA representatives in Charlotte later sent an e-mail to pilots warning of "thugs in the neighborhood." They said ALPA members have been accosted at airports for not wearing the yellow USAPA lanyards. They also mentioned that a USAPA supporter sent a picture of a Ku Klux Klan rally to another pilot.
On Tuesday, ALPA President John Prater sent a letter to US Airways Chief Executive Doug Parker demanding that the carrier take action to prevent any intimidation of pilots.
Company officials told The Associated Press they're investigating whether a US Airways pilot sent a picture of the KKK rally. "As we have demonstrated in the past, US Airways has zero tolerance for workplace harassment of any kind," company officials said in a statement.
USAPA spokesman and US Airways Capt. Scott Theuer said his group hasn't organized any hostility toward the incumbent union.
"We have no knowledge of the alleged actions that took place, and we certainly would not condone them," Theuer said.
He added that his group estimates that 93 percent of US Airways pilots on the East Coast want a new union.
Analysts say the US Airways pilot dispute has become a prime example of the pitfalls of industry consolidation. Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. are waiting for their pilots to agree on seniority before they move forward with any combination plans.
Pilots at Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group Inc. were thrown together in 2005 when the company combined America West with the former, Virginia-based US Airways. Their unions started working together on a joint salary and benefits contract, but both sides started to squabble over which pilots would get more seniority.
Seniority is extremely important for pilots, determining which planes they fly, what routes they take, and whether they work during the holidays.
An independent arbitrator was called to decide the seniority list last year, but the pilots from the former US Airways, who are known internally as "East" pilots, disagreed with the ruling and are asking a Washington, D.C., court to set it aside.
East pilots later walked away from formal negotiations on a joint pilots' contract and demanded immediate pay raises before they return. Management refused.
Meanwhile, some East pilots formed the USAPA to oust the existing union and replace it as the collective-bargaining group. The federal National Mediation Board called an election to decide the matter.
On April 17, the board will tally the votes and determine which group has collective bargaining rights for all 5,300 pilots in US Airways' system.
While the election proceeds, pilots from the former America West hope that management will agree to work with them separately on a contract.
"They're under a legal obligation to do so," said Tania Bziukiewicz, a US Airways pilot and ALPA representative. "If USAPA were to win the election, they're still required under the Railway Labor Act to negotiate the contract" with the pilots from America West.
But US Airways has refused to deal with only some of its pilots. The carrier already has reached joint labor contracts with its flight dispatchers, simulator engineers, flight crew training instructors, and its passenger service and reservations agents.
"We believe it to be in the best interest of US Airways and all of our employees to focus on joint negotiations for single labor agreements," US Airways officials said in a statement.
"We are now one company."
US Airways pilots fight over union
By CHRIS KAHN, AP Business Writer
Wed Mar 19, 2:00 AM ET
PHOENIX - As a US Airways pilot for two decades, Richard Obermeyer endured years of pay cuts, a terminated pension program and the possibility of losing seniority after the carrier combined with America West Airlines.
But he's never dealt with frustration like this.
His union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), is tearing itself apart. Many of his fellow pilots believe it has failed them, and emotions are boiling over as an election approaches Thursday to replace it with another group.
Pilots say ALPA supporters have clashed with their rivals at the upstart US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA). They've engaged in at least one shoving match, shouted profanities at each other in airport terminals and called each other to the parking lot to settle their arguments.
Meanwhile, ALPA has kicked out union reps accused of supporting USAPA, and pilots on the West Coast have asked management to negotiate a separate contract just for them.
"All of this is just pure frustration," Obermeyer said. "Frustration with how the pilot's career has gone. Frustration with things that were completely out of their control."
Obermeyer, who is an ALPA communications chairman on the East Coast, saw the frustration for himself last week when he attended an informal USAPA meeting at a hotel in Philadelphia. He said the group's supporters pushed him out of the room and tried to rip a notepad from his hands.
"I've been doing work for the Air Line Pilots Association for 16 years, and this is the first time anyone has ever touched me out of anger," Obermeyer said.
ALPA representatives in Charlotte later sent an e-mail to pilots warning of "thugs in the neighborhood." They said ALPA members have been accosted at airports for not wearing the yellow USAPA lanyards. They also mentioned that a USAPA supporter sent a picture of a Ku Klux Klan rally to another pilot.
On Tuesday, ALPA President John Prater sent a letter to US Airways Chief Executive Doug Parker demanding that the carrier take action to prevent any intimidation of pilots.
Company officials told The Associated Press they're investigating whether a US Airways pilot sent a picture of the KKK rally. "As we have demonstrated in the past, US Airways has zero tolerance for workplace harassment of any kind," company officials said in a statement.
USAPA spokesman and US Airways Capt. Scott Theuer said his group hasn't organized any hostility toward the incumbent union.
"We have no knowledge of the alleged actions that took place, and we certainly would not condone them," Theuer said.
He added that his group estimates that 93 percent of US Airways pilots on the East Coast want a new union.
Analysts say the US Airways pilot dispute has become a prime example of the pitfalls of industry consolidation. Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. are waiting for their pilots to agree on seniority before they move forward with any combination plans.
Pilots at Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group Inc. were thrown together in 2005 when the company combined America West with the former, Virginia-based US Airways. Their unions started working together on a joint salary and benefits contract, but both sides started to squabble over which pilots would get more seniority.
Seniority is extremely important for pilots, determining which planes they fly, what routes they take, and whether they work during the holidays.
An independent arbitrator was called to decide the seniority list last year, but the pilots from the former US Airways, who are known internally as "East" pilots, disagreed with the ruling and are asking a Washington, D.C., court to set it aside.
East pilots later walked away from formal negotiations on a joint pilots' contract and demanded immediate pay raises before they return. Management refused.
Meanwhile, some East pilots formed the USAPA to oust the existing union and replace it as the collective-bargaining group. The federal National Mediation Board called an election to decide the matter.
On April 17, the board will tally the votes and determine which group has collective bargaining rights for all 5,300 pilots in US Airways' system.
While the election proceeds, pilots from the former America West hope that management will agree to work with them separately on a contract.
"They're under a legal obligation to do so," said Tania Bziukiewicz, a US Airways pilot and ALPA representative. "If USAPA were to win the election, they're still required under the Railway Labor Act to negotiate the contract" with the pilots from America West.
But US Airways has refused to deal with only some of its pilots. The carrier already has reached joint labor contracts with its flight dispatchers, simulator engineers, flight crew training instructors, and its passenger service and reservations agents.
"We believe it to be in the best interest of US Airways and all of our employees to focus on joint negotiations for single labor agreements," US Airways officials said in a statement.
"We are now one company."
03-21-2008, 06:35 PM
#3
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Just to stir the pot....imagine the emotions had the combination of carriers resulted in furloughes, especially ones that led to Capt's being furloughed.
To tie this into Delta-NWA, I think both groups have looked at the recent seniority list mergers and have done their homework which may result in a long nego. period to combine the lists.
FF
To tie this into Delta-NWA, I think both groups have looked at the recent seniority list mergers and have done their homework which may result in a long nego. period to combine the lists.
FF
03-21-2008, 09:23 PM
#6
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About 100%. And it has about a 25% chance of coming to pass. Airways was a sinking ship, all thos guys would be out of work had America West not come to the rescue. The East pilots are lucky to get anything more than a staple.
03-21-2008, 09:33 PM
#7
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Originally Posted by Blackwing
About 100%. And it has about a 25% chance of coming to pass. Airways was a sinking ship, all thos guys would be out of work had America West not come to the rescue. The East pilots are lucky to get anything more than a staple.
03-21-2008, 09:34 PM
#8
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Posts: 533
It may not be the best analogy but I'll use it anyway. If I made "physical contact" with my wife, one, or both, of my boys would find me and do their best to kick my rotund butt. And rightfully so. The same goes for union/company politics. I'll be happy to call you names, ridicule you, question you and inquire as to your family heritage. But I'll never make physical contact with you. That's just WAY beyond reasonable. Reasonable discourse would be even better.
When it gets to the point of "physical contact" someone needs a time out.
When it gets to the point of "physical contact" someone needs a time out.
03-21-2008, 09:49 PM
#9
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Posts: 295
Originally Posted by ghilis101
still a two way street. what about the west guys who otherwise would never get widebody pay rates?
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Ameri...06B/0333218/L/
03-21-2008, 11:01 PM
#10
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Posts: 222
Both sides...
You are like 5 year olds on a sinking ferry arguing over which one gets the bigger bucket. While your fighting, the boat is still sinking even though everyone else on the boat has agreed to save the boat. Sunk boats don't carry much cargo.
One airline should have let the other boat capsize and rescued those willing to come on board. It would have been easier.
Individually, if you (any pilot) have built your life around income based on expected upgrades and company growth projections, you are not too smart.
Go ahead and fight like 5 year olds. The press will love it!!!!
[Same with DAL - NWA seems to be playing nice]
You are like 5 year olds on a sinking ferry arguing over which one gets the bigger bucket. While your fighting, the boat is still sinking even though everyone else on the boat has agreed to save the boat. Sunk boats don't carry much cargo.
One airline should have let the other boat capsize and rescued those willing to come on board. It would have been easier.
Individually, if you (any pilot) have built your life around income based on expected upgrades and company growth projections, you are not too smart.
Go ahead and fight like 5 year olds. The press will love it!!!!
[Same with DAL - NWA seems to be playing nice]
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