AE offered another Walmart deal for planes

LoadMasterC141

Well-Known Member
December 20, 2013

Message from the Chairman


Fellow Eagle Pilots:

Yesterday we received a formal proposal from Eagle Management regarding the placement of large RJs on our property in exchange for additional concessions to achieve the company’s structure objectives. The proposal is extensive and touches a number of sections in our collective bargaining agreement. We briefed the MEC immediately following the meeting and engaged in a very spirited debate on the merits of the proposed changes. The MEC debate on a response will continue up through our meeting on January 2nd when the MEC will determine how to respond to Eagle management. To allow you the opportunity to advise your LEC representatives, the following is a general summary of their offer:

Potential Upside

The company would agree to increase the "metering" commitment under the existing 824 agreement from 20 to 30 beginning in September 2014. They would still send 20 per month or 50% of the AA new hire classes until then (subject to metering and ALPA’s grievance)

They would increase the percentage of new hire obligations under the "protected pilot" agreement to 50% from the current 35% and send a minimum of 30 per month if AA hires 60 or more that month.

The amended terms of the protected pilot agreement would be extended to all pilots hired after October 11, 2011 and to any Eagle new hires.


Downside

The agreement would extend until 2024 with little opportunity to amend it.

We would have to transition to a compensation model that incorporates wage caps for Captains at 12 years and 4 years for First Officers very similar to what the pilots at PSA recently agreed to. The transition would occur over roughly a four-year period.

Per diem would be reduced by $.20 on the date of signing with some incremental increases.

The employee contribution for medical coverage would increase by 5% in about a year.

We would accrue vacation at a slightly different rate and would lose the fifth week altogether.

Allow the company to train crews on the EMB 175 months before we receive it and then return them to their previous equipment until the deliveries begin.

We would adopt a 401k plan and sick accrual system that mirrors the current PSA contract.

Our current profit sharing plan would be suspended.

The proposal only guarantees a fleet of 60 aircraft



We plan to post the details of PSA's provisions on the Eagle ALPA website as well as a contract comparison of other regional airlines that are more similar to our operation.

The company indicated to us that, without what they consider to be a cost competitive agreement, they will place the aircraft with a competing carrier and we would become "Comair II".

It's important to be patient while the MEC digests the offer and determines how best to respond to management. It is equally important that you engage your LEC representatives to provide the perspective they will need to make that determination. There are many moving pieces in a process like this, so the details are likely to change. While the MEC has committed to working in an expedient manner, if there is an agreement with the company, it will be subject to pilot ratification.

I'll keep you updated as we proceed toward a response.

Fly safe.
MEC Chairman
 
This just in from Terry Maxon

"We have this message from the top executive at American Eagle Airlines, which we print here as a follow-up to the message that the pilot union chairman sent to his members Friday.

A Message from President and CEO Pedro Fábregas

Dear American Eagle Team:

As I am out and about meeting with our incredible employees, I am constantly being asked about the future of the airline and whether the recently ordered Embraer aircraft will be placed at our carrier. If you were able to read last week’s regional jet order announcement, American said placement of the aircraft will be dependent on both cost and performance.

All of our people have done an amazing job to help us deliver on the performance American expects of us. I also wanted to let you know that yesterday, company representatives met with representatives of ALPA, which represents our pilots. We presented the union with a proposal that would commit 60 Embraer E175 aircraft to American Eagle Airlines. A key component of our proposal is improving the ability of our pilots to further their careers at American Airlines. The proposal does this by improving the monthly rate of flow through of our pilots to American to those who currently hold flow rights. It also extends our industry-leading regional-to-mainline flow rights to all American Eagle Airlines pilots, including those pilots currently employed with us and all of our future new hire pilots. Of course, we have also told ALPA we must have competitive costs to have the aircraft placed at Eagle, but we have listened carefully to our pilots and tried to design a solution that will work for everyone. As a result of this process, I am proud we have been able to offer these career opportunities for American Eagle Airlines pilots.

I have the utmost confidence our pilot leadership will make the best decision possible for their future and the future of our company. We all want exactly the same thing – job security with more opportunities to grow and contribute to the success of our company.

We will continue to talk to the pilot leadership in the days ahead and we have committed to each other to do everything possible to achieve a positive outcome.

Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday.

Pedro"
 
The company wants our response by January 14th. Ironically, that is the same day XJT/ASA will be voting on whether to let their new crap contract in. All it would take is just a little solidarity amongst the regional unions, which already have the SAME union, and we could defeat this nonsense. Captain Lee Douchebag, president of the national union for Delta Airlines interests, would rather just take our 2% and continue to send emails about disunity though. (READ: ALPA is an atrocity and Lee Moak can burn in hell)
 
NY base response:
Hello New York --

Today the MEC sent an email detailing management's demands for concessions. I urge you to review the email. In case you missed it, I've appended it to this email. Similarly, I've attached a communication from our incoming President Pedro Fabergas.

Apparently, we didn't give sufficient concessions during bankruptcy. Management has long held the belief that you and I are overpaid, and our brothers and sisters at PSA validated those thoughts when they lowered the Regional bar even further without even being under direct duress. Management is now emboldened to try and replicate their beatdown of PSA elsewhere. If not here at Eagle, then somewhere else. I have no doubt that many small regional carriers will raise their hands and ask for the opportunity to provide concessions to AAG partly because ALPA has constantly preached we have no leverage and ALPA is hesitant to arrest the "every man for himself" mentality that pervades this profession.

Management beat up a small carrier into mimicking deals struck at bankrupt airlines like Pinnacle and now think that should be the model for everyone going forward. The 3000 pilots of Eagle, plus the 8000 pilots of Skywest, plus the 3000 RAH pilots must now all follow what the 500 did at PSA. Or else.

While in bankruptcy, we here at AMR pulled together in a "it's us versus Wall Street" mentality that saw you give amazing dependability and operational excellence to our fledgeling operation. In bankruptcy, AMR owned their mistakes of the past and provided a path forward for Eagle pilots that required management to perform as promised. USAir management has no such loyalty, and has indicated in quite a frank fashion that they are the ruthless WalMart of the air and will shop our flying to the lowest bidder, even if such bidder has no realistic chance of actually providing a good product.

Throughout bankruptcy -- for the past two years -- you provided your all to this company. You fought severe emotional drain and uncertainty, and you brought the planes in safely and on time. You worked miracles and went the extra mile when necessary to keep Eagle a bright shining star in the industry. In fact, you did such a good job that management took your name and plastered it on aircraft belonging to other workgroups in the hopes that passengers wouldn't notice it wasn't you flying.

And now you are being told you cost too much again.

Throughout the upcoming weeks and months, I urge you remember that management thinks you and I are worth less. We, and our efforts, are worth less. We can be replaced by somebody else willing to fly those planes for less. Please remember that as you go about your incredibly complex and difficult tasks. When things go wrong, when you must fix someone else's mistake, or anytime you have to go the extra mile or work a miracle, remember that you are worth less to this new management.

Over the Christmas and New Years week, Ray, Me and the MEC will work to craft a response that enhances the career prospects of Eagle pilots while minimizing the damage. But I'm not confident of our prospects. USAir is primarily interested in validating PSA's deal, and the only way to do that is to force another (preferable larger) player to accept the same terms. Are you willing? Please send your thoughts on the path forward to us, and the entire MEC.
 
I leave for my "over Xmas" 4-Day tomorrow and I just cannot get over how worthless the company thinks I am. Not really worth trying any more.
 
This absolutely is not code for anything, but just stay safe guys.

Our minds are all distracted with the recent turd sandwich that our companies, and even Union "managers" are trying to shove down our throats that we may miss the small things.

Try to keep your head on right, don't screw up, have fun with your crews, and keep you and your passengers safe.
 
This is not code for anything either fellow pilots - We need to be safe!
Taxi at the brisk walk of a 70 yr old -2 kts or less
-write up those broken yoke clip lights
-fire those engines up at the gate
-No matter what, fly the speed the company prescribed in the flight plan
-don't do other peoples jobs
-don't call for rampers
-don't fudge numbers to get all the pax on.
-don't accept a GPU that is slightly underpowered
Most importantly Captains - don't be weenies and pull the parking brake early to create a fake on time departure so your CP doesn't give you poop.
 
This is not code for anything either fellow pilots - We need to be safe!
Taxi at the brisk walk of a 70 yr old -2 kts or less
-write up those broken yoke clip lights
-fire those engines up at the gate
-No matter what, fly the speed the company prescribed in the flight plan
-don't do other peoples jobs
-don't call for rampers
-don't fudge numbers to get all the pax on.
-don't accept a GPU that is slightly underpowered
Most importantly Captains - don't be weenies and pull the parking brake early to create a fake on time departure so your CP doesn't give you poop.

No dog in this fight but not sure how burning gas or screwing paxs helps ones cause. Doug and all the higher ups are millionaires and will continue to be so regardless of what a pilot does..... AE management, especially executive level, will find another job and pay on par with what they currently have.....

Don't go above and beyond. Do what you get paid to and no more. Fine I agree. I just don't see how the other stuff sends a message. It doesn't.

Think those US Airways pilots burning an APU across the pond did an ounce of good? No it got pilots fired and then wasted your union dollars fighting to get their jobs back..... The whole time management slept well in their beds......
 
No dog in this fight but not sure how burning gas or screwing paxs helps ones cause. Doug and all the higher ups are millionaires and will continue to be so regardless of what a pilot does..... AE management, especially executive level, will find another job and pay on par with what they currently have.....

Don't go above and beyond. Do what you get paid to and no more. Fine I agree. I just don't see how the other stuff sends a message. It doesn't.

Think those US Airways pilots burning an APU across the pond did an ounce of good? No it got pilots fired and then wasted your union dollars fighting to get their jobs back..... The whole time management slept well in their beds......
Everything I just stated is exactly that - Doing what we are supposed to do an no more.
I never said anything about burning extra gas. Quite the opposite: Flying the company speeds saves gas. However, when the plane is going to be late, flying faster saves on time. But that is not our problem, or what we are paid to worry about.
All of this was extremely effective when American did it during the 1113 process.
 
Honestly Robert Isom and company rather you run late then fly fast out of profile. Anyways best of luck. It's a fun world in the regional world.

Just make certain nothing you do or encourage is a work action statement. RLA as we know is something we don't want to test.
 
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