USAirways recalling
 

MEC CODE-A-PHONE UPDATE
February 10, 2006
This is Jack Stephan with a US Airways MEC update for Friday, February
10th, with four new items.

Item 1. On October 15th, 2001 twenty six US Airways pilots were
furloughed. By June 4th, 2003, 1,879 US Airways pilots had been
furloughed. It is with great pleasure that after some four years, three
months
and twenty six days, our first code a phone item of this evening will
include
the announcement of the recall of up to fifty five of our furloughed
pilots.
Resource Planning has posted Permanent Bid 06-02. It is now open for

bidding and will close on Sunday, February 19th at 2330 EST. The effective
months for this bid are May and June 2006.

Some highlights of the bid include:
Addition of 3 B-757 ETOPS aircraft
New service to LIS, MXP, and ARN
Seasonal adjustment for PHL MAD PHL service moving from B-76I to
A330 aircraft May 6
Decrease in CLT 76I crew positions with planned closure of all CLT 76I
crew positions by next bid
Domestic 757 and 767 crew bases eligible for non-Transoceanic
International flying
Block reductions on B-737
Block increases on A320
Bid announcement will be published on the Hub under
"Divisions/Operations/Flight Operations/ Pilot Permanent Bids"
EVLA and furlough pilot recalls to equal fifty-five (55)
Bid 06-02 is posted on the pilots only web site under "What's New."

Item 2. A new JNC update is available under "What's New" on the pilots

only website and has been emailed to all pilots with an email address
on file
with ALPA. This update provides information regarding the counterproposal
given to the JNC from management on Section 10.
Also, the new JNC website is available for all US Airways and America

West pilots. The new website displays all of the JNC communications,
their
upcoming negotiating dates, correspondence with the Company, and more.
Our pilots can access the website through a link under "MEC Fast-Links"

And "What's New" on the pilots only homepage.

Item 3. This week the Grievance Committee received the final arbitration
award in Grievance PHL 03-07-05, Philadelphia Paid Parking. The
Committee announces with great pleasure that the Association
prevailed in all matters. Not only did Arbitrator Ruben dismiss all
arguments
made by the Company in the matter, he ordered a full ?make whole?
remedy. Additionally, he directed the Company to promptly
identify and notify all pilots who are or have been domiciled at the

Philadelphia airport on or after July 1, 2003, and who commuted to that
airport from a remote airport location. These pilots are entitled to
reimbursement in an amount not to exceed $15.00 per month. It is important

to note, that in the Company's own estimation, this is an award in excess
of
$400,000 for the pilot group, and an additional award to our fellow

employees who have ?me too? provisions of $1.25 million. A detailed

explanation of the award is available on the pilot?s only website under

"What's New" and on the Grievance Committee homepage. The complete
award will be available shortly as the Committee is still in the process
of
obtaining all required signatures.

Item 4. The US Airways pilots? ballot count for the vote on AI 05-136f,

MDA Insurance Subsidy for Health Insurance, was completed today. The

majority of pilots voted not to be assessed. The results are as follows:
With 54 percent of the eligible 2,715 pilots participating in the vote:
446 pilots or 30.42 percent voted in favor of the assessment.
1,020 pilots or 69.58 percent voted to oppose the assessment.
Please remember we still have 1,574 pilots on furlough with approximately

400 pilots currently working at MDA or Jets For Jobs carriers.
Thank you for listening.

Excellent news, thanks for posting that.


TP

And from the West:


MEC Hotline – February 10, 2006
From: JR Baker, MEC Chairman
To: All AWA Pilots

Topics:

1. EMB-190 Order Announced
2. Grievance Committee Selects Arbitrators
3. JNC Website
4. Get Involved

1. EMB-190 Order Announced
Late yesterday, management issued a press release announcing a firm order for 57
Embraer 190 jet aircraft with options for 50 additional aircraft in the
EMB-170/190 family of E-Jets. That supplements the original order of 25 with 32
additional aircraft. Clearly this is big news for our pilots. Prior to the
Transition Agreement, these aircraft would have gone to our regional affiliates.
However, last summer, the AWA and AAA MECs were able to bring that flying
in-house.

We knew then that flying those airplanes with our crews would not only enhance
the experience for our customers but also create career advancement
opportunities for our pilots. Management agreed.

Since the Transition Agreement was signed, I know many of you have expressed
frustration to me that we haven’t heard anything else about the Embraer 190s.
Some pilots, I think, had started to believe the E-Jets were never coming, that
management had dangled a carrot in front of our noses to get us to sign the
Transition Agreement.

The MEC has known for some time, however, that management has been negotiating
with Embraer over price for the new jets. Signing an order for new aircraft is
an expensive proposition, and if there’s anything we know for sure about our
management team it’s that they’re careful with how they spend their money.

Now that the order has been announced, we expect to see the first two aircraft
arrive in November of this year, with one additional aircraft arriving
approximately every month until the order is complete.

Where are they going to go? We don’t have a definitive answer yet, but it’s
clear to me from our conversations with management that there’s a ready market
for the jet out here in the West. The Transition Agreement provides for us to
sit down not just with management, but also with the Airways MEC to figure out
how best to distribute new aircraft acquisitions. I will keep you posted as the
plans continue to unfold.

2. Grievance Committee Selects Arbitrators
The Grievance Committee, along with our Contract Administrator, sat down with
management on Thursday to select arbitrators for the cases unresolved at last
week’s Grievance Review Board. Arbitrators Michael Beck and Richard Kasher have
been selected to hear those cases. Additionally, the Grievance Committee has
proposed resolving five more cases through the Mediation/Arbitration process. If
management declines to proceed with these cases in this manner, the Grievance
Committee will again strike for arbitrators in these cases. Mitch Vasin, our
Grievance Committee Chairman is preparing a detailed review of last week’s
Grievance Review Board for distribution to our pilots.

3. JNC Website
Today, the Joint Negotiating Committee unveiled a new webpage accessible to both
east and west pilots. This page has the latest news from the JNC, including
updates on discussions, agreements reached, and pilot agreements from both
America West and US Airways. The site will also have an online Q&A section,
which should be live within the next few weeks, where you will be able to send a
question to the JNC, and if relevant, they will answer it and post it to the
website. You can access the page from the AWA MEC website; log on to the
homepage, then click the link on the right-hand side under “JNC News”. This
joint section will be an invaluable tool as we continue to move forward with
joint negotiations, so be sure to check it often.

4. Get Involved
Quick: name 10 things that you did this week. Did any of them have to do with
helping our union move forward? Over the past several months, we have faced many
challenges, yet our union has continued to succeed because of pilots like you
who have volunteered their time. Many of our committees desperately need help,
and I’m asking you to get involved. Whether you can spare 10 minutes a day or a
few hours, call the office to see how you can help. Each day gets us closer to
crunch time, and we need all hands on deck to succeed.

Be careful out there.

JR

Getting the 190s on mainline is outstanding news as well. Hopefully this changes the direction for many other majors in regards to the continuing attacks on narrow body flying.

TP

Agreed. Northwest now needs to follow the US Airways example... 100 seat aircraft belong at mainline.

Sweet! I'm glad to see some major guys starting to hold that line on scope...

AA all alone...
 

GREAT news! Good for them. Things are looking up at USAir/AWA. Best wishes to them.

Now, the only US legacy carrier who has not recalled ONE SINGLE PILOT (and has NO RECALLS planned) since 9-11 is.......American. And they have over 2,890 on furlough.

Great news! As a former furloughee (another carrier) I always enjoy hearing about another recall. Good to see that the E-Jets will be at mainline also.

I wonder how many calls will be made to get those 55 pilots back? Assuming the MECs agree and each recalled pilot will be stapled to the bottom of whatever seniority list is finalized, it might take some time to find out!

Why would you make an assumption of a furloughee being stapled to the bottom of the seniority list? That issue will be determined by the arbitrator in due course.

TP

The old USAir union already cut loose their furloughed brothers as part of the merger agreement. Th new USAir only has to give them preferrential interviews, but they start all over as I understand it. Something like that.

You have no idea what you're talking about. The merger agreement does not address that... Nice try...;)

The furloughed pilots from AAA are "not being cut loose", they just cannot displace an active pilot. The recalls mean that whoever accepts a recall will come back on the active list at his normal place on the AAA seniority list.

If the West (AWA) has any new hire openings then the same furloughee would have the option to go to the AWA list, on the bottom of that list. However, when the two seniority lists are combined (doesn't look like that will happen for at least 1 more year) that recalled pilot would go to whatever position on the combined list based on his original AAA seniority number. Confused? You should be! Any AAA pilot recalled to AWA gets to keep his longevity for pay purposes, so even though he may be placed on the bottom of the AWA list for a year he gets whatever longevity he had accrued for pay and vacation. Longevity, of course, is based only on the active time that pilot spent on the AAA seniority list. We have former AAA pilots now that were hired a couple of years ago that still have AAA seniority numbers. It will be interesting when this is all through.

One more thing, there are 3 757s coming and all the E 190s. They will be placed on the AAA certificate (that will be the surviving certificate for FAA purposes) but whoever flys them is still to be negotiated per the transistion agreement. AWA was in a growth mode before this buyout so we feel we should have a share of the new flying before the lists are merged. The plan is for us to have a single certificate in April of 2007, but it can't be a done deal until the seniority lists are merged as well.

Cactus Mike

I am glad to hear furloughee's are starting to be recalled. As for your Merged list..........Mergers are always a very contentious issue.............and with good reason. I probably don't have to tell you, but, expect Managment to play both AAA and AWA pilot groups (all labor groups for that matter) against each other until you folks get a deal.

In any case, Good luck with negotiations and with the new USAirways banner. I truely wish all you folks the very best (both AWA and AAA). You've all earned it!.

I have no idea how many pilots will bypass a recall at US Air but my F/O this last trip is furloughed from UAL and he said it was running about 3 calls for every returnee. Really, unless you are out of aviation or have a bad job then there is not too much incentive to go back on the bottom of the list. Bypass until you can hold a decent line or see how the industry shakes out. I know there are a lot of Jet Blue pilots from AAA, would they come back to an airline in the midst of a merger? I sure wouldn't.

Red, I have no idea how this will all shake out. I talk to our negotiators fairly often since I know them all and they don't have a clue how the final list will go. The contract negotiators (a separate bunch) have made a lot of progress in combining our contracts so that is a positive sign. Of course the fact that the AWA contract is better in almost all areas is kind of depressing to me but both sides have been working well together. Ultimately this will probably go to arbitration. The AAA pilots seem to be stuck on the DOH concept while we are happy with relative seniority. The result is an impass right now and thus it most likely will go to the arbitrator. The soonest he can meet with them is in October (for 1 week only) so not much will happen until next fall. I don't see us being combined until next May (2007) so the division of flying until then and the placement of the recalled pilots and new airplanes is a big deal to both sides. I think we will have a great airline when this is done but it sure will be ugly until it's over. Shotgun marriages usually are.

Mike---it'll all be okay. I see good things for US/AWA in the future.

No matter what happens, remember this: Your merger and seniority integration will NEVER be as bad, as inequitable or as destructive and one-sided as the American/TWA debacle. Only 20% of TWA's pilots are still left at AA, and only 1500 of TWA's original 22,000 employees still have a job there.

Best of luck; I believe it will turn out okay.

Besides----you've got HNL layovers!:)

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.

That was what I was told by an AAA furloughee. Perhaps his view of the arrangement was subjective. Several other such individuals (with whom I have flown) feel that their union left them hanging out to dry.

ALPA has let the furloughees down many times. In this area (recall) they've basically held the line ensuring that the furloughees return somewhere, in this case at the bottom of the AWA list, until the arbitrator decides on integration...

320---


They've (ALPA) let ACTIVE pilots down many times, too.

Don't get me started!

CactusMike:
It is good news. I got furloughed from AAA in Jan '02. I've been through 3 activations, 1 LCC and now back to a major since then. Since AAA furloughed so many so fast, a lot of us have had over 4 years to find something else. AAA had the best Captains I ever encountered in civilian and military flying, and EVERY pilot on the active list was once one of those Captains. I have a high regard for the AW pilots with whom I'm acquainted and you guys made a hell of a rebound after 9/11. I wil probably not be returning to your new company, as I have over 1500 guys senior to me on the AAA APL, but I wish you the best. I have very high hopes for your new company. Your two pilot groups are probably the most humble and professional in the industry.

A few things to add:

1. The recalls are for the three new 757's, not the E-190 yet. The E-190's are sched. to arrive in November, so it is likely that training for that aircraft would start in the late summertime. The CP's office has indicated that recalls will continue from here on out to cover the growth and attrition. Rumor is that an additional of another dozen of the 757's is being considered as well.

2. Their is little doubt that the E-190's will be added to the US certificate, as it already has full approval for the type from the current E-170 operation. What is not clear is how a bridge transition could be set up to allow HP pilots to bid over into the E-190 prior to merger being completed. Although it did not happen, the discussions about the procedures allowing US pilots to recall to fly as a HP F/O might set the precedent until US Airways has one pilot list. One possibility is the idea of pay protection for a number of HP F/O's that could have bid into the left seat of the E-190, while still having to remain at HP for now.

3. What IS unlikely is the desire of a HP F/O to bid over, or many of the US furlouhgees to accept recall into the right seat of the E-190. The pay is really not that great.

4. With many of the U furloughees bypassing recall (the Trans. Agreement stipulates no hit if you pass up the right seat of the E-190 while awaiting the 737 or airbus), Recalls will go quite junior, and eventually it is possible that newhire positions will become avail. before the furlough list is completly recalled (much like with the E-170, when newhire F/O's were brought over from Allegheny and Piedmont while many of the U furloughees passed it up and stayed on furlough)

5. No flow though program form PDT and PSA exists at this time, and IMO the likelyhood is small that one will be established, thus IMO US Airways may well join Continental as one of the few legacy carriers hiring new pilots anytime soon.

Just my opinion...


oh, BTW

Not just wrong, but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay wrong pal.

Cactus,

Just curious, any idea what the AAA/AWA EMB 190 payrates will be??

Thanks,

Lee

They're posted now under the "airlines" section of this site (Thank you!)

Glad to hear it. I only talk to the furloughed guys, their view may be a little subjective.