This is Eric Edwards with the MEC hotline
on Thursday, December 26. Tonight’s topics:
1. The TA
2. Local Council Officer Elections
3. Toys Donated
4. MEC Office Closing
The TA
Our Negotiating Team took the collective
bargaining process as far as they could in order to reach the objectives
that the MEC set for them to achieve. In the late evening of Friday, December
20, negotiations reached a point where an agreement with America West
on the open issues could not be achieved. Consequently, several important
issues including scope and retirement remained on the table lacking an
agreement.
The mediator then directed the ALPA team
to return Saturday at noon for a conference. At that time, our Negotiating
Team of Doug Dotter, Jeff O’Connell, Russ Payne, and Kimble Neel along
with ALPA representatives Ken Cooper, Howard Attarian and our Contract
Administrator Andrew Shostack were presented a “mediator’s proposal”
to carry to the MEC. This proposal contained the mediator’s proposed settlement
to the issues that the two negotiating teams were unable to agree upon
at the bargaining table.
The mediator carefully explained the terms,
conditions and the proposal itself to the ALPA team. The same terms, conditions
and proposal had been presented to America West management earlier that
same day, and America West management had agreed to the terms and conditions
of the mediator’s proposal.
Our Negotiating Team carried the mediator’s
proposal to the MEC as directed. The mediator’s proposal as well as the
final table positions of both negotiating teams was carefully explained
to the MEC. The negotiators also made clear to the MEC that they had taken
the negotiating process as far as they could but would be available to
the MEC to answer any questions about the portions of the agreement negotiated
by the team. The negotiators said they would also be available for implementation
if the TA were ratified.
The issue for our elected representatives
was whether or not to accept the terms and conditions of the mediator’s
proposal that would then enable the America West pilots to decide. Upon
accepting the mediator’s proposal, the MEC then became bound to send the
TA out to the membership for ratification with an “approval”
recommendation.
The MEC resolution states that the pilots
will decide. Your MEC urges each of you to use the time allotted to make
an informed decision.
The TA’d sections of our contract with
complete language written are available on the Negotiating Committee page
of our MEC website. Not all sections are posted as some are still being
written. To view the posted sections, go to www.alpa.org and log on using
your ALPA member number and password. Navigate to the AWA MEC home page.
From there, locate the “Choose a Committee” selection box on
the left side and choose “Negotating.” The TA’d sections can
be found on the right side of the Negotiating Committee page.
The mediator’s proposal was mainly conceptual,
with exact language to be written by ALPA and America West within the
next two weeks. What follows is a broad, bullet-point outline of what
the mediator’s proposal contained regarding the PReSS issues.
No retroactivity – contract begins at date
of signing.
Section 1 – Scope
* Language to preclude Holding company from acquiring or establishing
domestic non-union carrier without integration (management prohibited
from forming alter-ego e.g. Freedom Air).
* ALPA recognizes current commercial contract that America West entered
under Contract 95 scope section for 45 CRJ 200s, 15 CRJ 700s and 25 CRJ
900s. No 90-seat jets after initial 25 are delivered, 2 for 1 CRJ 700s
after initial 15 are delivered in proportion to mainline fleet. CRJ 700s
may be increased to 70 seats at that time. 3 for 1 CRJ 200s after initial
45 are delivered in proportion to mainline fleet.
* Domestic code-share permissible.
* Establish scope monitoring committee.
* Expedited Board of Adjustment subject to language changes.
* No seat on Board of Directors but mandated quarterly briefing with CEO.
Section 3 – Pay
* Baseline rates to increase 11 percent at date of signing, 3 percent
adjustment on 1/1/05.
* Compensation tables to 15 years.
Sections 4,12 and 25 – Scheduling
* Incentive pay for “red-flagged” open time at 125 percent.
* Involuntary assignment at 150 percent.
* 75-90 average line build per bid period (12 bid periods per year).
* 99 hour per bid period credit cap.
* 5:15 credit minimum daily pay guarantee.
The scheduling sections of the contract
were subject to a complete revision so all areas of these three sections
were changed from Contract 95. It will be important to review these sections
in their entirety when contract language is complete.
Section 27 – Insurance
* No change from current contract.
Section 28 – Retirement
* No change from current contract.
A separate negotiation will commence to
investigate modifying our current health benefits and long-term disability
benefits after age 60 to achieve a direct contribution or B Plan (i.e.
we can determine the savings of eliminating some of these benefits and
place those savings in a retirement plan).
Section 30 – Duration
* 36 months from date of signing.
* No written provision for future retroactivity.
* Section 6 to begin six months early or when ATSB loan is paid off, whichever
is earlier; ATSB loan restrictions still apply if loan is converted to
new lender rather than paid off.
* Implementation must include all parties best effort to settle outstanding
grievances and language modifications.
It is important to remember that contractual
language on these sections has yet to be completed. Tonight’s bullet points
are presented to relate the concepts outlined in the mediator’s proposal.
As the language is completed section by section, it will be forwarded
as official MEC information.
* * * * *
Local Council Officer Elections
By now all members in good standing should
have received balloting instructions for the Local Council officer elections.
Voting is underway and can be done by phone at 1-888-647-1787 or via the
Internet at https://www.ballotpoint.com/alpa. You will need your ALPA
member number and password to vote. If you do not know your password,
contact ALPA Membership Services by calling 1-888-359-2572 and selecting
option “3.” Balloting will close at 8 a.m. Phoenix time on January
10.
* * * * *
Toys Donated
Thanks to those pilots who donated toys
that Frank Helton and Scott Andrews collected earlier this week. Frank
and Scott delivered one truckload of toys to help brighten the holidays
for children at the Sunshine Orphanage in Phoenix.
* * * * *
MEC Office Closing
The MEC office will close at 3 p.m. on
Tuesday, December 31 and will be closed all day Wednesday, January 1.
The office will re-open at 9 a.m. Thursday, January 2. On behalf of the
entire MEC and office staff, we wish you and your family a safe and happy
New Year.
That’s all for tonight; the next regular
hotline update will be on Thursday, January 2. Thanks for listening.
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