The seats may be filled, but if you don't charge a price to cover the cost of moving that seat, then you will still lose money in the end.

 

The usual ALPA cheerleaders on this board the last few days. Planning the US Airways funeral, complete with picking out the flowers and obituary statements. The situation that US Airways pilots are involved in is due to ALPA’s attempt to help United Airlines pilots with the impending merger with US Airways a few years back.

The Arbitrator is now absent from the scene. (It would be helpful if CVG767, ALPA expert for communications for Delta, updates us on the Mr Nicolau’s, current activities) The Pilot “neutrals” one from United, who worked closely with Paul Rice, who happens to be a United Pilot, helped shaped the Nicolau award. The other “neutral” was from Continental Airlines who happens to be a good friend of John Prater, President of the Airline Pilots Association.

Arbitrator Bloch who handled the Delta, Northwest pilots merger, also was the arbitrator of the US Airways and America West dispatchers. His finding were 180 degree’s from the pilots arbitrator.

Interesting reading.

http://jamhoff.com/PDFs/ArbitratorDecisionAward.pdf

 

Yeah and that same arbitrator delivered a relative position list to Dal/Nwa, in fact it is almost a carbon copy of the Nic. Typical east, twist the facts to meet twisted logic.

 

Arbitrator Bloch's (arbitrator of the Northwest Delta pilots seniority) comments.

"However, West’s claim that U.S. Airways emerged from bankruptcy “only because it [was] acquired by a stronger enterprise”10 is reflected neither in the KPMG audit report (cited by West)11 nor in any other portion of the evidence. Instead, each carrier had something to contribute. Airways, for example, was much larger. It served almost twice as many destinations as AWA and carried twice the number of passengers.12 Airways has substantially more cash on hand, following the merger agreement."

 

Yeah, maybe if you'd read it you'd understand why integrating a small group of dispatchers is different then integrating a large group of airline pilots.

"9. This is not to say one could not construct some sort of mid-ground that would attempt to incorporate a methodology utilizing both a mechanical and a date of hire approach. Several factors militate against this. First, these are relatively small units. The West group is comprised of 37 individuals. The East local has 120 active employees with 32 currently on furlough (as of the date of the hearing.) It is logistically difficult to mold a hybrid list, given this small a unit. Moreover, unlike pilot mergers, which often involve companion considerations including aircraft types, differing status and categories and a variety of additional distinctions, the instant case is considerably more basic. These employees, on the other hand, perform the same functions, in essentially the same manner and will operate under a combined agreement that features no fence or any of the other arcane elements peculiar to pilot cases."

 

there are many dogs that have squatted before US Airways pilots.

http://web.mit.edu/airlinedata/www/2...0PERSONNEL.htm

 

All41--I don't think we'll ever see eye-to-eye on the USAir seniority issue. You've seen my prediction: you'll have a joint contract by this winter, either under the threat of an 1113 hearing, or as the product of that hearing.

As an aside, none of my comments are stated in the hope that USAir returns to ALPA. I think the USAir pilots, if they were to come back, would be an enormous drain on the resources of our union (especially the MCF). (My apologies to the America West guys; I know you're stuck in a situation not of your making.)

 

Don't you think that's a little harsh? I won't have a problem flying the new US when both lists are combined. They're both professional groups and should be able to put all this aside when the time comes.

 

IF there is a bankruptcy, this is not the same environment that the airlines have seen in the past. The possibility of liquidation is much greater. There are fewer places to find money and even fewer willing to invest in USAirways. If you do survive another bankruptcy, I assure you that the West pay will go down before the East pay comes up. If the company can convince a judge that it should go into chapter 11, the West pilot pay will be among the things that it will not be able to afford. So y’all all have fun on that salary. The Delta attempt, demonstrated that there is not enough money in the world for another pilot group to willingly combine with this mess. No matter what happens in court, there is too much bad blood for this to work out unless both pilot groups come to the table and hammer out something reasonable. If the company goes under because of the arrogance of the two pilot groups and management, no one will have any sympathy – not the government, not the taxpayer. The world will say that capacity needed to be cut and you were not worth saving. So, once again, I urge you to put emotions aside and hammer out a deal- not because you think that the other side is right, but because you know that you must to survive. Time is running out.

 

Why would the US Airways pilots consider coming back to ALPA. The greatest pleasure, kicking all the Mon 12pm to Fri 11am, holidays off, overpaid desk flyers out of office.

Ah yes the MCF (Major Contingency Fund) ALPA nationals threat that brings airline management to their knees.

Midwest pilots had ALPA's threat of the "MCF" and many others, lip service.

ALPA News Release