psyops
4th May 2002, 23:52
To follow is the text of an Allegheny MEC announcemet regarding the US Airways ALPA MEC and US Airways management's attemped extortion of Allegheny pilot jobs.
Here is their "One Finger Salute!"
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING TEXT WAS WRITTEN AND PUNCTUATED AS A SCRIPT.
HELLO, THIS IS THE THIRD ALLEGHENY MEC CODE A PHONE FOR MAY 3, 2002.
NO DOUBT YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY YOUR MEC UNANIMOUSLY DECLINED TO ACCEPT US AIRWAYS LOA 81 AND THE ATTACHED PROTOCOLS. OUR MANAGEMENT WILL LIKELY DELUGE YOU WITH PROPAGANDA, PAINTING A HORRENDOUS DOOM AND GLOOM SCENARIO. YOUR MEC REPS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU, AS THEY CAN BE, IN THE CREW ROOMS, AND OF COURSE YOU CAN CONTRACT THEM, BY ALL THE USUAL ELECTRONIC AND TELEPHONIC MEANS. THEY MADE A TOUGH DECISION, AND THEY WILL SHARE THEIR REASONING WITH YOU.
FOR NOW, HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT THE MEC TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION. FIRST, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE FURLOUGHS WERE GOING TO OCCUR REGARDLESS WHETHER THE MEC ACCEPTED LOA 81, AND THE PROTOCOL. OUR COMPANY HAS BEEN CARRYING SURPLUS PILOTS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND NOW THAT MANAGEMENT DECIDED NOT TO INCUR THE COST OF NEEDED MAINTENANCE ON CERTAIN AIRCRAFT, FURLOUGHS BECAME INEVITABLE. SO JETS FOR JOBS IS NOT A CURE FOR FURLOUGHS. AT BEST, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME REDUCTION IN FURLOUGHS, AND RELATED REPLACEMENTS.
SECOND, LOA 81 AND THE RELATED PROTOCOL HAVE NOT BEEN SIGNED. WE DON’T KNOW WHY, AND CERTAINLY WE CAN ALL SPECULATE, BUT THE MEC WAS NOT PREPARED TO SIGN ONTO A DOCUMENT, WHICH WAS NOT FINAL, AND COULD BE CHANGED OR EVEN EVAPORATE, AND THE RELATED PROTOCOL WAS ONLY GOING TO BE A PRELIMINARY STEP – WHAT MANAGEMENT CALLED PHASE ONE. WHAT THE MEC KNEW IS, THAT PHASE TWO WOULD BE A DEMAND BY OUR MANAGEMENT THAT WE ACCEPT A LONG LIST OF SEVERE CONCESSIONS. AND EVEN IF WE AGREED TO CUT UP OUR CONTRACT, THERE WOULD BE NO GUARANTEE OF ANY JETS BEING PLACED AT OUR AIRLINE.
THE MEC GOT A PREVIEW OF THE LIKELY CONCESSION LIST, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT PIEDMONT MANAGEMENT DELIVERED TO THE PILOTS NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE, AFTER THEY GAVE THEIR TENTATIVE APPROVAL TO LOA 81. THE LIST INCLUDED A 12-YEAR CONTRACT, THE END OF THE DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN, WAGE CONCESSIONS ON THE DHC-8, MESA RJ RATES, A REDUCTION OF MINIMUM PAY DAYS, AND THEIR NO FURLOUGH CLAUSE CEASES TO EXIST, JUST TO MENTION A FEW POINTS. ALL THAT, AND NO GUARANTEE OF EVEN ONE JET SHOWING UP ON THEIR PROPERTY. IN OUR MEC’S VIEW, LOA 81 AND THE WAY ALG AND THE OTHER US AIRWAYS AFFILIATES’ MANAGEMENT EVIDENTIALLY SEES IT, IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET UP A BIDDING WAR AMONG THE PILOTS. THE PROBLEM IS THERE’S NO ASSURANCE OF ANY PRIZE BEING AWARDED, AND IF THERE IS A PRIZE, IT MIGHT GO TO THE LOWEST BIDDER.
THE MEC DID NOT SLAM THE DOOR SHUT ON FURTHER DISCUSSIONS REGARDING PLACEMENT OF JET A/C AT ALG, IF THERE IS AN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING THAT GOAL. LOA 81, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, ARE JUST NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING THAT GOAL, LOA 81, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO ARE JUST NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. STAY TUNED.
Here is their "One Finger Salute!"
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING TEXT WAS WRITTEN AND PUNCTUATED AS A SCRIPT.
HELLO, THIS IS THE THIRD ALLEGHENY MEC CODE A PHONE FOR MAY 3, 2002.
NO DOUBT YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY YOUR MEC UNANIMOUSLY DECLINED TO ACCEPT US AIRWAYS LOA 81 AND THE ATTACHED PROTOCOLS. OUR MANAGEMENT WILL LIKELY DELUGE YOU WITH PROPAGANDA, PAINTING A HORRENDOUS DOOM AND GLOOM SCENARIO. YOUR MEC REPS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU, AS THEY CAN BE, IN THE CREW ROOMS, AND OF COURSE YOU CAN CONTRACT THEM, BY ALL THE USUAL ELECTRONIC AND TELEPHONIC MEANS. THEY MADE A TOUGH DECISION, AND THEY WILL SHARE THEIR REASONING WITH YOU.
FOR NOW, HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT THE MEC TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION. FIRST, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE FURLOUGHS WERE GOING TO OCCUR REGARDLESS WHETHER THE MEC ACCEPTED LOA 81, AND THE PROTOCOL. OUR COMPANY HAS BEEN CARRYING SURPLUS PILOTS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND NOW THAT MANAGEMENT DECIDED NOT TO INCUR THE COST OF NEEDED MAINTENANCE ON CERTAIN AIRCRAFT, FURLOUGHS BECAME INEVITABLE. SO JETS FOR JOBS IS NOT A CURE FOR FURLOUGHS. AT BEST, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME REDUCTION IN FURLOUGHS, AND RELATED REPLACEMENTS.
SECOND, LOA 81 AND THE RELATED PROTOCOL HAVE NOT BEEN SIGNED. WE DON’T KNOW WHY, AND CERTAINLY WE CAN ALL SPECULATE, BUT THE MEC WAS NOT PREPARED TO SIGN ONTO A DOCUMENT, WHICH WAS NOT FINAL, AND COULD BE CHANGED OR EVEN EVAPORATE, AND THE RELATED PROTOCOL WAS ONLY GOING TO BE A PRELIMINARY STEP – WHAT MANAGEMENT CALLED PHASE ONE. WHAT THE MEC KNEW IS, THAT PHASE TWO WOULD BE A DEMAND BY OUR MANAGEMENT THAT WE ACCEPT A LONG LIST OF SEVERE CONCESSIONS. AND EVEN IF WE AGREED TO CUT UP OUR CONTRACT, THERE WOULD BE NO GUARANTEE OF ANY JETS BEING PLACED AT OUR AIRLINE.
THE MEC GOT A PREVIEW OF THE LIKELY CONCESSION LIST, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT PIEDMONT MANAGEMENT DELIVERED TO THE PILOTS NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE, AFTER THEY GAVE THEIR TENTATIVE APPROVAL TO LOA 81. THE LIST INCLUDED A 12-YEAR CONTRACT, THE END OF THE DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN, WAGE CONCESSIONS ON THE DHC-8, MESA RJ RATES, A REDUCTION OF MINIMUM PAY DAYS, AND THEIR NO FURLOUGH CLAUSE CEASES TO EXIST, JUST TO MENTION A FEW POINTS. ALL THAT, AND NO GUARANTEE OF EVEN ONE JET SHOWING UP ON THEIR PROPERTY. IN OUR MEC’S VIEW, LOA 81 AND THE WAY ALG AND THE OTHER US AIRWAYS AFFILIATES’ MANAGEMENT EVIDENTIALLY SEES IT, IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET UP A BIDDING WAR AMONG THE PILOTS. THE PROBLEM IS THERE’S NO ASSURANCE OF ANY PRIZE BEING AWARDED, AND IF THERE IS A PRIZE, IT MIGHT GO TO THE LOWEST BIDDER.
THE MEC DID NOT SLAM THE DOOR SHUT ON FURTHER DISCUSSIONS REGARDING PLACEMENT OF JET A/C AT ALG, IF THERE IS AN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING THAT GOAL. LOA 81, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, ARE JUST NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING THAT GOAL, LOA 81, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO ARE JUST NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROCESS BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. STAY TUNED.