UPA amendable date!
 

Oscar has failed in his job to deliver a new UPA!



Today marks the amendable date of the United Pilot Agreement (UPA). Despite efforts to reach a seamless agreement, critical items remain between us and a final deal. We will not be rushed into an agreement that does not meet the needs of the membership simply for the sake of expediency.

For many months, United's senior leadership has publicly expressed their desire to change our UPA Regional Jet Scope limitations. In response to this rhetoric, the United pilots have stated loud and clear we have no interest in allowing management to expand their reliance on an outdated and flawed strategy of outsourcing.

There are several easy and practical solutions that ensure robust feed to our network. These innovative concepts would redefine United Airlines and the industry in a positive, meaningful way. Until management is willing to constructively engage on these ideas which protect pilot job security, we do not anticipate a deal. As each month passes, United's fleet of 50-seaters gets closer to the end of their useful lifespan. The longer negotiations continue, the more pressure there will be on management to finalize an agreement.

Last year, we opened negotiations early and have remained focused. As a result, we are further along in the Section 6 timeline than in previous negotiations. We are encouraged by the large number of negotiated items completed in multiple sections of the UPA. This validates the confidence we have in our negotiating team and overall strategic plan. We are willing to continue on this path because securing career protections and contract improvements is more important than a rushed agreement.

The MEC stands 100% unified in achieving a contract that fully recognizes the value our pilots bring to United Airlines and we will continue fighting to deliver the contract you deserve.

We ask that you stay engaged, defend your contract, and contact us if you have any questions.

In Unity,

The United Airlines Master Executive Council

Weird that the stumbling block is scope. Who could have ever saw that coming?

As always, there will be a new contract when management wants a new contract. I guess they don't think they need one yet?

W.O.E.
It’s what they understand.

Finally....

Anyone whose heard the name Scott Kirby...

What part of “no scope relief” is not being understood

Maybe Kirby will just declare a state of emergency and do it anyway. Too soon? 😉

Beautiful segue of current events. If memory serves correct, it's called a bankruptcy term sheet. You don't want to be on that end of the gun.

Is it too early for a strike vote?

If Kirby unilaterally voided our contract -- the pilots would collectively display their disapproval.

A certain percentage would. I believe that most would not.

How? By sending in a PDR?

Are you drunk right now?

Nailed it.

How about some purple F.U.S.K bracelets:D?

I prefer to let Insler handle this. If his track record is any indicator, I'm comfortable with the position we are in. The last thing he needs is a group getting us slapped with an injunction. Deserved or not.

Who but APC can take a straight forward message and go off the rails...

You're welcome.:D

I've spoken to Todd on earlier subjects. I have full confidence in our MEC and I stand by our contract and the "no give on scope" position. Sorry I made a joke and got folks' panties in a wad.

Forgive my ignorance, as this is the first contract negotiations I’ve been through at an airline, but.....now what?

Anyone remember the summer of 2000 ?

Years of waiting!

IMHO scope is not the issue. Management knows it is a nonstarter. But it is the distraction that will give them the edge that we might take a little bit of JV, non union pilots teaching at TK, insufficient improvement to LTD, sick time, reserve, etc., and even pay rates, but think “yeah we beat them on scope”.

We beat them on scope. We need to keep our eyes on the other shiny objects.

And I can wait as long as it takes to get it right.

Brisket ready to cook Sunday for Super Bowl.

All good.

We’re on strike.

No, just sit back and relax. We let Insler, and the negotiation committee take care of everything. They’ll let us know when we need to do something.

Wonder how different things would be if we'd followed that path with our first CBA during the merger?

Would have been nice.

But that rope was being pulled in more than two directions.

I do see both sides of that coin Cadet but most of that pulling was due to perceived threats and not actual ones, IMHO.

Start calculating your retro pay.

Now we must be patient and fly our Contract! Be careful not to do anything that we haven’t been doing. Our contract will get done, when it gets done. My Union, MEC, and NC speak for me!!!

Hat switch?

Hah you’re funny.

For the newbies in this business:

1. Kirby can't unilaterally "void" the contract. Lorenzo's actions, back in the day, caused the laws to be changed, even in BK.

2. Almost all contracts take months if not years beyond the amendable date to be agreed upon.

3. The biggest issue here was Senior Management basically gave indications that an early agreement was possible. The last time a UAL management did such a thing led to the ugliest summer in travel history.

4. "Not rushing" into an agreement really a dumb thing to state from our MEC. We have never "rushed" into any agreement. However one exception might be during UAL's BK where the MC sold out the RJs in a back room deal attempting to "save" the defined benefit plan.

5. "Retro-pay" has been a very rare part of our past agreements. Many things can effect the final agreement and retro is a monetary part of that agreement.

6. Save at least 3 - 6 months of living expenses because it may take a strike(although again rare) to actually defend our agreement.

What we get paid and the work rules are not some gift given to us from management, they are earned through negotiations and corporate pilot resolve.

Aren't you forgetting our "rushed" merger contract because I sure don't?

A strike is really not even a possibility for any of the Big Four (UAL, DAL, AMR, and SWA), especially under the current Presidential Administration. It would cause too much of a financial impact globally. It is a tool that we technically have in our toolbox, but from a practical standpoint will not happen. None of the Big Four airlines will be released for self help. We’ll just get parked for perpetuity.

As for the post above, about a strike vote, a strike vote (if/when it comes to it) can be very risky. I say that because it could show our unity or show the opposite. The opposite would give management a decided advantage in future negotiations. Just fly our contract and enforce it.

Delta got full retro between TA1 which went down in flames and TA2 which was approved. Just saying.

Everyone remembers 1983 and 1985, what happened in the summer of 2000? LOL

Serious?

How long between the actual merger of the two companies and when we got the joint contract?

AGREED, this 18th day of December, 2012. Joint contract date.

October 1, 2010 Founding date of combined Corp.

Hmmmmm 2 years, yep that was rushed into and if I remember correctly it took a Labor Relations Board help to make it happen.

Short memories I guess.

Summer of “love”

LUAL pilots were promised a quick negotiations after ESOP. The summer went very slowly in response.

A strike vote in a year or two is just how the game is played. We’ll talk a big game about a 99% strike vote, but both sides know that an actual strike isn’t a remote possibility. We’ll get a few minutes of news coverage saying that the pilots are willing to strike, but that’s about it. I don’t think that this administration has anything to do with our process anymore than the last one. I’m not trying to start the inevitable red/blue argument, I’m saying that in this age that it just doesn’t matter.

Basically we fly our contract and force their hand. Scope is working beautifully. If they want more rj’s like Delta, they can do what Delta did and add another fleet type to mainline to unlock those additional aircraft. If they do decide on that, they will want to nail down the crew cost going forward and we end up with a TA to read and vote on. Until then we fly the current contract and enjoy a pretty good life while expecting that it gets even better when this process is over.

Two years start to finish isn't that long RG and on what date did we actually start earnest negotiations between all 3 parties anyways? I'll bet it wasn't the full two years as you're alluding. We should have and could have negotiated longer but some folks wanted an agreement at any cost hence the irony of our MEC's statement.