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Dear Members,
This will be the last time that I will
address you in this forum and as your MEC President.
It is with a heavy heart that I write this to you and tender my resignation.
With much deep consideration over the weekend, I believe it is best for the
membership and the union that it takes effect immediately.
After I signed a compromise with the MEC regarding an election of a new MEC
President as well as my mentoring him/her until October 16, I have been
pressured to resign my position as MECP effective today. Last week, during our
MEC Meeting while electing a new President, the PHL Vice President notified
the MEC of a letter that she had received from someone in senior management
(undisclosed) that was signed by Jerry Glass to me regarding him offering me a
designation for 25/45 term pass when I leave on the VFLR in December. The
letter is dated April 27, 2005. Keep in mind, the day we had the MEC election
for a new President, there was an announcement by AWA on who from senior
management would go to AWA from US Airways. I am sure within the senior ranks
there are many disappointed VPs that did not get to go to AWA. Some of those
Senior Executives view me as a personal adversary and speculate that I am to
blame for their not receiving consideration for a position at AWA due to my
somewhat frequent negativism in the media regarding their lack of talent.
Hence this letter from Jerry shows up. And I trust that this was not some
orchestrated "bring-Teddy-down" campaign from Jerry, or a set-up,
but rather a courteous gesture on his part. Nonetheless, Someone in senior
management, must have gone into my personal file in HR and retrieved the
letter and furnished it to Council 70. Council 70 will not disclose that
information or their source.
There has always been a movement by our management to see me leave on this
VFLR. They made no bones about it. And I have also made some enemies within
our own leadership even as way back when I took office. In spite of growing
accustomed to adversarial surroundings, I have maintained my focus on being
your voice and representing the best interest of the membership; whether it
was from the Local, or as the MECP. I don't believe anyone can question my
motives for taking office, my work, or what I have been able to achieve in
this environment.
When it came toward the end days of the VFLR offering, I contemplated
seriously leaving either this year or next year. And I struggled with this
decision; with myself, my closest colleagues and family. I had applied for the
VFLR in April, a few days before it closed, and then rescinded, as I just
changed my mind. Just so you know the facts by me and not some spin from my
enemies, I had planned to take the VFLR at some point. I just couldn't make up
my mind when. I had one conversation with Jerry Glass after I had rescinded.
He had asked me why I rescinded? I expressed to him that I didn't know what I
was doing or what is best as I am indecisive, and my family wants me to leave.
And anyway if I do decide to leave next year, I would be eligible for 25/45
term pass by March. He had expressed to me on the phone conversation, that if
I left this year, he could offer that to me anyway.
I have never signed this letter, nor did I accept or reject it, and it had not
gone into effect. Jerry Glass did fax a letter to me designating this 25/45
approximately one week later. As I stated, it made no difference to me whether
I had this or not as I was giving Jerry excuses as to why I may or may not
leave. He sent this to me as a courtesy. Some members of the MEC were angered
that I never told anyone about it and that I should have filed a grievance. I
do not agree, and in retrospect, I can see how some members would be slighted
or offended by this. I have subsequently declined Jerry's offer in writing,
and since some members of the MEC are angered by my lack of action on
declining this offer many months ago, I have taken their recommendation and
resigned my position as MECP.
I feel it is important to clarify that folks who leave on the VFLR receive
lifetime passes over 20 years service and at S3 status regardless, and this is
what 25/45 basically is. The only other piece to the 25/45 travel is
"interline" travel on other carriers at a discounted rate only when
one reaches age 55 and takes retirement. As the MEC had conveyed to me, that
for some, this piece has great value; but to me, it did not. I have never used
interline travel as an active employee my entire career and my travel records
can be pulled. I did end up sending in my VFLR application a few hours before
it closed on the 20th, but interline passes was NOT a deciding factor for me
in any way or any capacity. I offer my apologies to anyone who may be offended
by these actions, it was never a covert intent or a decision made lightly to
leave a job that I worked almost 25 years.
After 4 years of working 7 days a week in this anti-labor environment, I
remain hopeful that this merger will not only preserve the job security of
both groups of flight attendants but will result in some stability in union
leadership. I will remain focused on the Local level protecting our group and
being the advocate for Pittsburgh base until I am no longer in office.
My resignation is below to the MEC...
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MEC,
Since it appears that I no longer have the support of some members of the MEC,
I feel forced to resign the MECP seat effective immediately. It is not and
never was my intent to shed a disparaging light on the union or the MEC. I
have always said that if you do not have support of the MEC, you are rendered
ineffective.
With all due respect to my colleagues, there was no covert transaction. I had
one conversation with Jerry of my uncertainty about leaving the airline, as he
had called me and asked me why I had initially rescinded. The interline travel
at age 55 (when I am 47) has no bearing on my decision to leave and this was
not a buy-out-to-leave compromise. The VFLR already offers life time passes at
S3 status. The rest of the piece of the 25/45 to me personally, is incidental.
I have never used interline travel my entire career. I have always paid for my
personal travel outside USAirways. My travel records can be pulled.
I have been surrounded by enemies since I took office, not only by certain
members of management, but by some of my own colleagues within the MEC.
Regardless of what certain MEC members may say, the recall started before any
letter showed up on someone's horizon. There were rumblings for a recall way
back in June. There definitely was a struggle for this seat, hence the Special
Meeting to get me to compromise and sign a letter and tender a resignation.
I resign on behalf of the MEC members that I respect, and will continue to
serve out my months as the Local 40 President.
Sincerely,
Teddy Xidas
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