US Airways Folly

[njcapt]

This is the proposal that the US Airways ALPA unit is pitching to the membership and the company as the saving grace for their jobs. The MEC has intimated to the pilot group (through their union hotline - 800-367-2572) that this is a slam dunk for the wholly owned and contract carriers to approve.

Personally, I hope that they see this as resembling as big a jerk off as was sold to the American Eagle pilot group in the late 90's when they signed a strangling 16 year agreement in order for them to fly jets.

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The US Airways pilots have developed protocols for US Airways to deploy additional Small Jets at Express partners. If these protocols are acceptable to an Express pilot group and their management, the mainline pilots would agree to the placement by US Airways of additional Small Jets at the Express partner. We have developed a new LOA, which authorizes US Airways to use Small Jets in exchange for employment opportunities for furloughed Mainline pilots. We have described this concept as ?Jets for Jobs.?

When the US Airways Mainline pilots are recalled to active service at the Mainline, the Small Jets acquired in accordance with these Protocols would remain at the Express partner. Vacancies would then be filled by pilots on the Express Operator?s seniority list. We would hope that this arrangement would be beneficial for all parties. Since US Airways is anxious to begin acquiring additional Small Jets, and we are interested in employment opportunities for our furloughees, your immediate consideration of these Protocols is important.

Protocols for Deploying Additional US Airways Express Small Jets

1. Prior to permitting any Small Jets to be placed into operation over the current contractual limitation of 70 aircraft, US Airways, in conjunction with ALPA, shall negotiate agreement(s) to offer employment to furloughed Mainline pilots with the Express Operator(s) scheduled to operate such equipment. All vacancies created by acquisition of equipment by an Express Operator as a result of this Letter of Agreement shall be offered to Mainline pilots who are subject to furlough.

2. When such Express Operator(s) are selected, the number of available positions and the projected date of the vacancies shall be bulletined for bid. Such pilot positions shall be offered in seniority order, at no fewer than eight pilots per Small Jet, to any pilot on the US Airways Seniority List who is on furlough, is projected to be furloughed based on the then current system bid, or is in a seniority range that is announced to be furloughed by the Company. A Mainline pilot may bid to fill a vacancy at an Express Operator as a captain, first officer or ?any position.?

3. A Mainline pilot may fill a known vacancy at an Express Operator by leaving his Mainline position prior to the pilot?s date of furlough. However, the pilot must provide no less than 30 days? notice to US Airways. A pilot exercising this option shall be considered on a personal leave of absence until his date of furlough. Should a pilot who is scheduled to be furloughed decide not to bid an available vacancy, he shall forfeit any rights to the vacancy until such time as additional vacancies become available at an Express Operator. In addition, a pilot may elect to accept furlough in lieu of this opportunity for employment at an Express Operator.

4. A pilot who accepts employment under this provision shall be subject to rates of pay, rules and working conditions of pilots employed by the operating carrier, except that, for pay purposes only, a US Airways pilot?s date of hire at the Mainline shall determine the pilot?s longevity for compensation. A Mainline pilot will not be subject to a training or employment contract at the Express Operator. The pilot shall retain all recall rights at the Company and shall continue all accruals under the Agreement applicable to a furloughed pilot.

5. If an insufficient number of US Airways pilots apply to fill the Small Jet positions at the operating carrier, the operating carrier may fill the positions with pilots from its seniority list.

6. If pilots are recalled at the Mainline, the Mainline pilots remaining at the Express Operator shall rebid to fill the vacancies created by the pilots who have returned to the Mainline. When US Airways pilots are recalled to Mainline, remaining vacancies will be filled by the Express Operator?s pilots.

7. If captain vacancies become available at an Express Operator during the term of this Letter of Agreement, such vacancies shall be offered to the furloughed US Airways pilots serving as first officers at the Express Carrier in seniority order. All US Airways furloughees shall be qualified as captains when they are trained to assume their positions at the Express Carrier.

8. After the initial bid, if additional vacancies become available at an Express Operator because they receive additional US Airways Small Jets, such vacancies shall be made available for bid to the furloughed US Airways pilots in seniority order.

9. If through no fault of his own a furloughed Mainline pilot loses his job at a participating Express Operator, the pilot shall be eligible to bid for any vacancy at any other Express Operator in accordance with his seniority.

10. No US Airways Mainline pilot will be obligated to tender a resignation letter to US Airways to obtain employment with any Express Operator.

[njcapt]

In an apparent attempt to convince the wholly owned and contract regional carriers to drink the ALPA Kool - Aid regarding the 'small jet protocol', US Airways management came up with this response.

God help the pilot group that swallows this piece of filth. Why would any of the USX regional carriers accept this when they would most certainly end up with 'small jets' whether they sign on to this abortion or not? No offense to current or potentially furloughed AAA pilots, but do you honestly think that you are entitled to bootstrap onto the regionals' hard fought jet pay rates and work rules when your pilot group has consistently offered the carrot and followed up with the stick over the 'small jet' issue?

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THIS LETTER OF AGREEMENT is made and entered into in accordance with Title II of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, by and between US Airways, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the ?Company?) and the Airline Pilots in the service of US Airways, Inc. as represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (hereinafter referred to as the ?Association?).

WHEREAS the Company and Association previously entered into a collective bargaining agreement with a duration of five years, from January 1, 1998 to January 2, 2003 (?Agreement?) and

WHEREAS the Company and Association entered into a Letter of Agreement entitled ?INTERIM SMALL JET AGREEMENT? on April 7th, 2000 to modify Section 1(B)3.d.(4) of the Agreement to authorize operation under the Company?s designator code, name, logo, or marketing identity of up to 35 additional Small Jets for competitive reasons, and

WHEREAS the parties agreed to enter into further negotiations after the ratification of the INTERIM SMALL JET AGREEMENT to fashion an additional agreement which would enable the Company to increase the deployment of Small Jet aircraft in the future, and

WHEREAS, the Company and Association have discussed the Company?s need to compete with the other major carriers by obtaining authority for additional Small Jets to be operated under the Company?s designator code, name, logo or marketing identity, and

WHEREAS, the parties have agreed that it would be most expeditious to negotiate an agreement whereby the Company would be granted an additional exception to Section 1(B) 3.d. (4), and Letter of Agreement 79 to allow the Company to obtain additional Small Jets, provided that the Company agrees to job protections that are necessary to the US Airways Pilots:

NOW THEREFORE the parties agree as follows:

1. Further Exception for Small Jets

a. Notwithstanding Section 1(B)3.d. of the Agreement, and Section 1. of Letter of Agreement 79, INTERIM SMALL JET AGREEMENT, Domestic Air Carriers other than the Company may operate under the Company?s designator code, name, logo or marketing identity a maximum total of four hundred twenty (420) aircraft that utilize a turbine-driven engine without an external propeller (?Jet Aircraft?), provided that: (1) no more than one hundred thirty-five (135) of such Jet Aircraft have, under the laws of the United States, a maximum passenger seating capacity of no more than seventy (70) seats and a maximum certificated gross takeoff weight of no more than 85,000 pounds; (2) and the remainder have a maximum seating capacity of no more than fifty (50) seats and a maximum certificated gross takeoff weight of no more than sixty-five thousand (65,000) pounds (Collectively, ?Small Jets?) and provided further that the Company satisfies all of the remaining conditions of this Letter of Agreement. All such Small Jet operations by Domestic Air Carriers shall be known in this Letter of Agreement as ?US Airways Express Small Jet Operations.?

b. Unless specifically defined in Paragraph 2 below, nothing in this agreement shall preclude or restrict the Company's authority to operate Small Jets in the US Airways Express Small Jet Operations, either with respect to the number of such Small Jets or their manner of operations, as authorized under Section 1(B)3.d.(4) and Letter of Agreement 79, INTERIM SMALL JET AGREEMENT (the "Existing Small Jets").

c. Upon a tentative agreement to this letter, initialed by the ALPA and Company negotiating committees,

i. the Company will be immediately authorized (subject to paragraph 1.c.ii. below) to operate 20 additional Small Jets (the First 20 Additional SJs) in the US Airways Express Small Jet Operations; however

ii. the operation of the First 20 SJs is subject to the Company?s securing contractual commitments from the US Express Small Jet Operators that employ the pilots to initially staff the next 20 Small Jets (the Second 20 Additional SJs) that all such positions will first be offered to furloughed US Airways pilots. If the Company is unable to secure the contractual commitment to staff the Second 20 SJs with US Airways pilot furloughees, then it will not be permitted to operate additional RJs pursuant to paragraph 1.c.i.

{ The effect of this provision would be to agree to a change to the US Airways pilots Scope language and that change would not be subject to MEC or pilot ratification. The committee?s response to this provision was that the MEC is the only authority and the only body that can determine whether or not any agreement would be subject to pilot ratification

d. Upon the date of signing of this agreement, the Company shall be authorized to operate in the US Airways Express Small Jet Operations up to one hundred and seventy-five (175) Small Jets (the "Phase 1 Small Jets") in addition to the Existing Small Jets. No more than 100 of the Phase 1 Small Jets may exceed fifty (50) seats and a maximum certificated gross takeoff weight of more than sixty-five thousand (65,000) pounds.

e. Upon such date as the Company shall operate two hundred and forty-five (245) Small Jets (representing the Existing Small Jets and the Phase 1 Small Jets) in the US Airways Express Small Jet Operations, the Company shall be authorized to operate up to 175 additional Small Jets (the "Phase 2 Small Jets") in the US Airways Express Small Jet Operations subject to the additional furlough protections in Paragraph 3 below.

2. Operating Protections

The following protections apply to all US Airways Express Operations:

a. Hub to Hub Flying.

A maximum of six percent (6%) of Express flight segments may be flown nonstop each month by Small Jets between two airports, both of which are a US Airways "Hub City." "Hub City" shall be defined for purposes of this Letter of Agreement as (BOS), (CLT), (LGA), (PHL), (PIT) and (DCA). Express flight segments between LGA and DCA, BOS and LGA, and DCA and BOS shall not be counted towards the six percent (6%) to determine compliance with this provision.

b. Hub Bypass

A maximum of twenty-five (25%) of Express flight segments may be flown each month nonstop between two airports neither of which is a ?Hub City,? with the exception of Express flight segments that originate or terminate west of the Mississippi, in the Caribbean, in BWI, or that operate intra-Florida.

c. Stage Length Restrictions.

At least seventy percent (70%) of Small Jet segments shall operate each month in stage lengths of 950 statute miles or less.

d. Size of Express Operations.

The total number of scheduled available seat miles flown in US Airways Express Operations (utilizing jet or prop equipment) in any twelve-month period shall not exceed eighty percent (80%) of the total number of scheduled available seat miles flown on the mainline, as measured by the total available seat miles flown on Widebody and Group 1, 2, and 3 equipment for such twelve-month period. The Company shall be excused from compliance with the provisions of this paragraph as a result of any force majeure condition noted in Section 1(G)3 of the Working Agreement.

f. Size of Mainline Operations.

For the duration of this agreement, the Company shall not reduce the number of Mainline aircraft as a direct result of adding a Small Jet(s) to the US Airways Small Jet Express Operations.

3. Additional Furlough Protection

For each Small Jet operated in the US Airways Express Small Jet Operations above two hundred forty-five (245), the Company shall protect from furlough, subject to Section 1(G)3 of the Agreement, an additional eight pilots, in seniority order, starting with the most senior pilot placed on the Seniority List after January 1, 1998. This paragraph shall not require the recall of any furloughed pilot who is provided furlough protection pursuant to this paragraph.

In addition, US Airways shall exercise commercially reasonable, good faith efforts to secure preferential hiring status for furloughed US Airways pilots for Express vacancies created by the introduction of additional Small Jets into their respective fleets consistent with the guidelines described in Attachment A. (See Attachment A).

4. Recall Rights

Except as specifically enumerated in this Letter of Agreement, nothing in this document shall diminish the recall rights of any pilot who wishes to return to the Mainline upon recall.

5. Exceptions To Scope Restrictions

Any aircraft deployed by US Airways Express Operators for flight operations not conducted under the US Airways name, its designator code, its logo, marks or marketing identity currently or in the future used by the Company, shall not apply toward any contractual limits or related scope provisions specified in this agreement, the US Airways Pilots Working Agreement and related Side Letters.

6. Access to Information

The Company shall provide to the Association, subject to a mutually satisfactory confidentiality agreement, all historical information reasonably necessary to determine compliance with all limits and conditions specified in this agreement.

7. Enforcement

This Letter of Agreement shall be regarded as an amendment to Section 1 of the Agreement and shall be subject to the expedited System Board of Adjustment procedures under Section 1 of the Agreement.

8. Resolution of Grievances

The Association agrees to withdraw with prejudice the following grievances upon the date of signing of this agreement:

· MEC # 01-10-01 (Force Majeure, Violation of No-furlough, Minimum Captain)

· MEC # 01-08-08 (LOA # 52 Minimum Block Hours)

· MEC # 01-10-04 (Transfer of Route Segments, Violation of 1(B)4.a)

· MEC # 01-08-07 (Mesa Flying RJs certificated to 70+ seats)

· Any other grievances related to Small Jets that may be filed during the course of these discussions

9. Labor Dispute

During a US Airways Express Small Jet Operator labor dispute involving lawful, self-help activities pursuant to the Railway Labor Act, the Company will not perform training of pilots for service as employees of that US Airways Express Small Jet Operator in connection with such labor dispute.

10. Duration

This Letter of Agreement shall become effective on the date of signing and shall remain in effect without interruption through the effective date of the collective bargaining agreement between the Company and Association that succeeds the Agreement (the ?Successor Agreement?), and thereafter this Letter of Agreement shall remain in effect concurrent with the Successor Agreement. Neither the Company nor Association may, without the other?s consent, propose any modification to any provision of this Letter of Agreement intended to take effect on any date prior to the amendable date of the Successor Agreement.

[Note: Paragraph 8 is contingent on the final language of this LOA]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have signed this Agreement this _____ day of ________, 2002.

FOR THE AIR LINE PILOTS FOR US AIRWAYS, INC.

ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL

______ _______ _____________________________

Duane E. Woerth, President John M. Hedblom

Vice President -Labor Relations

WITNESS: WITNESS:



_____________________________ _____________________________

Chris Beebe Greg Gibson

MEC Chairman Vice President, Flight Operations



_____________________________ _____________________________

B. Kelly Ison Anthony J. Bralich Jr.

Chairman, Negotiating Committee Director, Labor Relations - Flight



_____________________________ _____________________________

Philip P. Carey Michael Minerva

Negotiating Committee Director, Labor Relations ? Flight

. ._____________________________

Jeffrey L. Tokash

Negotiating Committee

. ._____________________________

Gerry A. McGuckin

Negotiating Committee

Attachment A to Letter #81

. .Guidelines for Preferential Hiring by Small Jet Operators

Letter #81 requires the Company to exercise commercially reasonable, good faith efforts to secure preferential hiring status for furloughed US Airways pilots for Express vacancies created by the introduction of additional Small Jets.

Accordingly, the Company will seek agreements with Domestic Air Carriers engaged in US Airways Express Small Jet Operations ("Express Operators"), using the following guidelines:

1. Preferential hiring status will apply to vacancies created by the addition of new Small Jets to the fleets of Express Operators. Preferential hiring status shall not apply to (a) the 70 Small Jets permitted prior to the effective date of Letter #81; (b) Small Jets already operated by an Express Operator; or (c) Small Jets operated other than under the Company?s designator code, name, logo or marketing identity.

2. A bidding system will be established at each Express Operator so that furloughees in the pool can bid for vacancies covered by these guidelines.

3. No furloughed US Airways pilot will be obligated to tender a resignation letter to US Airways to obtain employment with any Express Operator under these guidelines.

4. A pilot to be furloughed from the Company may request to be released early and placed on a personal leave of absence in order to attend initial training at an Express Operator.

COMPANY RESPONSE TO ALPA?s 01/10/02 RJ Proposal

[Ignition Override]

No disrespect meant here, but can the gist of this be somehow condensed into one paragraph?

I realize that Mssrs. Wolf and the former Gangb**g, er, I meant Gangwal, only packaged USAirways in order to sell it to United. I had a beer next to a USAirways 757 FO (and some of his spicy nachos) in a Pittsburgh hotel a few nights ago. Either "Airways" or "Airliner" magazine claimed in a recent article that Wolf admitted, that he never had a "Plan B" (a back-up plan to strategically operate, other than very serious threats to labor) for the airline's future, in case the sale to United was turned down.

What a shame that the USAirways Board of Directors could not tempt Mr. Gordon Bethune (or another capable CEO) to leave Continental and takeover over the helm, which Mr. Wolf never planned to steer for very long.

With the huge financial guarantees contracted by Wolf for his own financial comforts, couldn't the board have found a serious airline manager, who could do something creative and sincere? . .Threatening one's workers with "outsourcing" is neither an original nor an intelligent tactic for a potential "teambuilder". Good luck out there. I hope the Werwolf never returns here, having once watched him speak in person-he thought he was a corporate General Patton, like George C. Scott with his pearl-handled revolvers. The Werwolf never did anything original, from what the old-timers said here.

[JMCPilit]

ALPA at AAA (USAirways) is nothing more than a toothless tiger. The most useless bunch of morons ever gathered under one roof. All they do is jaw, jaw and jaw and come up with one resolution after three days and that resolution is to make sure they meet again in a few weeks to resolve this meetings outstanding issues.. .They have no balls. If they did then this whole RJ thing would be a mute point and USAirways would not have furloughed more pilots than Delta, American and United combined without ever the promise to recall. AAA ALPA watch out for the top 10%. God help the rest. AAA ALPA is a glaring example as to why FedEx pilots choose NOT to join ALPA.. . <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

[Airways Ed]

Ignition Override

It was definitely in "Airways" (article by David C Forward called Dumb and Dumber, November 2001).