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Airways MEC gets ONE FINGER SALUTE!

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psyops

Active member
Joined
Jan 28, 2002
Posts
31
I've got to hand it to the Allegheny pilot group. Years and years of those Airways stiffs holding back the regional jets, shooting themselves in their collective feet. Now it's either Scope relief on their own, or scope relief from a judge. The following is the "One Finger Salute!" they gave their Company, US Airways, and the arrogant US Airways MEC. Like Comair, they decided not to take it anymore.


(800-892-2572)
HELLO, THIS IS THE THIRD ALLEGHENY MEC CODE A PHONE FOR MAY 3, 2002. PLEASE LISTEN TO TODAY’S TWO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, WHICH MAY BE ACCESSED FOLLOWING THIS RECORDING, FROM THE MAIN MENU.

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.
 
I picked the wrong week to stop drinking

Wow,

Wage concessions on a DHC-8. I didn't think that was even possible.That is the saddest statement I have ever heard. Best of luck to you guys..

AAflyer :eek:
 
"...there is an ass for every seat!"

The Company's attorneys, Ford and Harrison, are famous for this stuff. I don't know where they think they are going with it, but the Piedmont pilot's hotline (800-PDT-ALPA) says that they are still trying to broker a deal. The Alleghney pilots told them to shove LOA 81 before the company had the chance to mention DHC-8 rate reductions.

Too bad for Piedmont that they didn't walk out. Too bad they bought into the BS that they had to make a quick deal, or the sky was going to fall. (As if they couldn't just drop their pants two or six months from now.... what's the hurry? They work for one of US Air Group's most profitable assets!)


Allegheny and Piedmont are both retiring DHC-8s that are coming up for heavy maintenance. Airways has a choice of either replacing them with new aircraft (jets perhaps?) or letting both companies go down the tubes, taking US Airways northeast feed with them; not to mention incrementally destroying two perfectly good assets.

Either those prima donnas on the Airways MEC give scope relief, or their kids start going to community college.
 
..."Too bad they bought into the BS that they had to make a quick deal, or the sky was going to fall"....

So far no deal has been reached, the negotiating process is ongoing. Negotiations start again on Monday.
 
Great Job ALG pilots!!!!

This is what union leadership is all about. If you guys really think that you're going to get the shaft thru Jets for Jobs then you must fight like wolverines to block it. Keep up the good work. Here's to PDT and PSA all giving mainline the collective finger. No Jets for Jobs period!!!
 
Becket:

From your earlier post's on this subject, I hear a hint of sarcasism in your post. Am I wrong?
 
Hopefully all regional pilots will wake up and recognize what ALPA and the mainline MEC's are trying to do to them before it's too late.

Maybe my hopes are futile though. Seems like a lot of regional pilots think they should give their jobs to mainline pilots. To those that do, I hope you really enjoy the unemployment line while your mainline "brothers" privately laugh at you and the union you pay to represent you, turns its back to you...... again.
 
becket said:
Great Job ALG pilots!!!!

This is what union leadership is all about. If you guys really think that you're going to get the shaft thru Jets for Jobs then you must fight like wolverines to block it. Keep up the good work. Here's to PDT and PSA all giving mainline the collective finger. No Jets for Jobs period!!!

Here's one pilot who hopes they give you more than the finger. And if you happen to be one of the AAA predators, I hope you get yours too. When your house of cards collapses around you many will remember the positions you took.
 
Last edited:
Forgive me, I thought I knew all the lingo. "AAA Predators",whom would that be?

AAflyer:eek:
 

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