October 21, 2015
Dear United Pilots,
The MEC conducted its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting October 5-9. I will continue to state that, as a body, the MEC continues to work very well together. While the official minutes will be posted at a later date, I would like to highlight one of the most important resolutions to come out of this meeting.
The resolution below was passed by your elected MEC representatives. In the first line of this resolution, the MEC directs the Master Chairman and the Negotiating Committee to seek a potential extension to the UPA. While the events surrounding United’s CEO are in flux, management has committed to keep these extension negotiations on track.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the MEC directs the Master Chairman and the Negotiating Committee to enter into discussions with the Company to explore a potential contract extension, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any agreement for the contract extension shall include the following items:
a) ALPA’s negotiation expenses shall be reimbursed by the Company to include any expenses related to a Special MEC meeting required to consider an extension LOA
b) The timeline for completing negotiations not to extend past Friday, November 20, 2015.
c) The topics for discussion to include only those limited number of items listed in P. Douglas McKeen’s October 2, 2015 letter:
i. Compensation
ii. Retroactive longevity for furloughess for pay and vacation
iii. MOU 22 replacement
iv. Reserve assignment process improvements
v. FRMS
d) A firm order for NSNBs on the United Mainline property flown by pilots on the United Airlines seniority list
e) The length of the proposed extension not to exceed two (2) years
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should any items outside the list above (“c”) be brought up by the Company, the Negotiating Committee shall report back to the MEC for further direction.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no relief of Section 1 of the UPA will be discussed.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in order to keep the MEC fully informed, the Negotiating Committee shall update the MEC on the progress of these talks each week (i.e. Friday) or more often as needed, via ASPEN, teleconference or meeting.
Unlike a normal Section 6 bargaining cycle, the range of topics to be discussed here is narrow and strictly limited to those five topics outlined in item “c” above.
In conjunction with an extension to the UPA, the company will commit to order NSNBs for the United Mainline property flown by United pilots. While achieving a NSNB order is a worthy tactical goal, the MEC will not lose sight of the overall strategic objective and will not be distracted by any so-called “shiny jets.” Further, in the resolution above, the MEC states that no relief in the area of scope will be discussed in the extension negotiations.
This one thing must be clear: The MEC, Negotiating Committee, and I are completely aware that any agreement has to meet your exacting standards. If such an agreement is reached and accepted by the MEC, it will undoubtedly significantly affect pay and/or working conditions which will require Membership Ratification. If no agreement is reached, we will immediately resume preparations for our full Section 6 opening letter which we will deliver to the Company no earlier than May 2016.
So what can you do to help? First and foremost, it is vital that you stay informed using factual information from vetted sources such as your LEC, MEC, and Negotiating Committee. To that end, we have pasted an FAQ below that will help explain the issues involved with this negotiation and what happens next. Second, it is vital that you give your Local Council representatives your input. To help in that area, we have initiated a new round of telephone polling and we absolutely rely on your feedback. If you are selected for polling, it is important that you participate. Lastly, we ask that you continue to stay united because it is only through our collective strength and unity that we can deliver the gains that our pilots deserve.
We will update you with news of all progress made in the coming weeks. Until then, thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
We are United,
Captain Jay Heppner
Chairman, United Master Executive Council
FAQs About the Expedited Negotiations
1) What are the “Expedited Negotiations” recently announced?
a. The MEC has accepted the Company’s offer to meet and discuss an extension of the UPA of up to two years. The UPA extension would involve an increase in compensation and address several other objectives. The MEC has directed that these negotiations are to conclude no later than November 20th.
2) What are the areas for discussions?
a. Per MEC direction, discussion is limited to the following five items,
i. Compensation
ii. Retroactive Longevity Credit for Furloughs (Pay and Vacation)
iii. MOU 22 (Automatic Look-Back Add Pay for duty extensions)
iv. Reserve Assignment Improvements
v. FRMS (long haul extended operations)
3) Will anything else be “in play” or discussed in these negotiations?
a. Only the 5 items above will be discussed. Per MEC direction, should any items outside the list above be brought up by the Company, the Negotiating Committee shall report back to the MEC for further direction.
4) What is the timeline for negotiations?
a. Per MEC direction, these negotiations are slated to be complete no later than November 20th, 2015.
5) Is this considered an early open to Section 6 negotiations?
a. No, this is not a full-blown opening of the UPA under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act. If ratified, this will be a Letter of Agreement that extends the UPA. If there is no deal reached on an extension, the MEC will immediately pivot to finalizing preparations for passing a Section 6 opening letter no earlier than May 2016 to begin the traditional Section 6 process.
6) How do the line pilots provide their input to these negotiations?
a. ALPA is a democratic representational body and line pilot input is critical. The MEC provides direction to the Negotiators based on Council resolutions, surveys and polling results which all come from line pilots. In addition to providing your LEC reps with your input, we ask that you please respond to any of the MEC’s telephone polling taking place.
7) Does this mean we can still open other sections of the UPA if needed?
a. Not without action by the MEC; Current MEC direction is to only address the items above.
8) What about the New Small Narrowbody (NSNB) order?
a. Despite incorrect information in numerous media outlets including a recent news article, purchasing aircraft operated by mainline United pilots is always permitted under the UPA. As of now, we do not have any information on the size of the potential order or of the aircraft type.
9) Does ordering the NSNB require us to open Section 1 - Recognition, Scope and Career Security for these discussions?
a. No. Nothing in any potential NSNB order requires us to open or provide relief to Section 1-Scope. Further, the MEC has given clear direction that “no relief of Section 1 of the UPA will be discussed.”
10) What is the pay rate for the NSNB?
a. The current pay rates can be found in Section 3 of the UPA, however pay for all aircraft types will be the main subject of negotiations in the extension talks. If the Company purchases a NSNB not listed in our pay tables, that pay rate will be subject to further negotiations per Section 3-J.
11) Is there a deal already agreed to?
a. No.
12) If a deal is reached, will the MEC send it out for membership ratification?
a. If the negotiators are able to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA), it will first be considered by the MEC. If the MEC votes to accept the TA, it will undoubtedly significantly affect pay and/or working conditions which requires Membership Ratification.
13) If a deal is not reached, will these discussions affect our position in Section 6 negotiations?
a. No. The negotiating protocol requires that neither party shall refer to the content of these discussions in any future negotiation or grievance process
14) What does FRMS mean?
a. FRMS stands for Fatigue Risk Management System. This item in the Company’s letter refers to the approval process for routes requiring FAR 117 exemptions approved by the FAA. See the current LOA 22 in the UPA for further details.
15) What does MOU 22 refer to?
a. MOU 22 provided automatic look-back Add Pay for FDP and duty day extensions. The MEC elected to terminate the MOU because of numerous issues. The Company would like to reengage on automatic look-back Add Pay provisions.
16) Have media outlets or posts on social media misrepresented these negotiations?
a. As is often the case, there have already been incorrect comments made in various outlets even though negotiations have not even started. Once these negotiations begin, we will provide all pilots with frequent updates. Please rely on these official communications from the MEC to help separate fact from fiction.
