• US Airways Pilot Union Leaders to Picket
• Mandatory Mail Service from Caremark
• Vacation Bids OPEN FRIDAY!
• NWA Flight Attendants to Give Notice of Walkouts
• Accessing The Hub
• AFA Local Numbers

Dear Members,

US Airways union leaders to picket 
Aim to challenge company over pay, benefits 
By Dawn Gilbertson The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX - US Airways pilots union leaders on the East Coast plan to picket and hand out leaflets at the Philadelphia airport today, the highest-profile sign yet of growing labor rancor at the merged America West-US Airways. 

The US Airways unit of the Air Line Pilots Association says it wants to send a message that pilots won't accept company executives' repeated assertion that there is no money to boost wages and benefits.

The pilots unions of both airlines are negotiating a joint contract that would cover the merged workforce, as are other work groups. Getting each group to a single contract is a key milestone of the nearly year-old merger. "We should fold up our briefcases and go home if they think for one minute this is going to be a cost-neutral contract," said Jack Stephan, chairman of the US Airways pilots union. 

Stephan said he expects only a dozen or so union officials at the informational rally in Philadelphia, US Airways' biggest hub in terms of revenue. But the union is already organizing pilots to volunteer for similar action in the future.

In a hotline message to pilots last week, officials said solidarity is needed "to achieve a fair contract and put an end to bankruptcy profiteering here at US Airways."

The pilots union at the former America West isn't participating in the picketing or organizing a similar action at America West hubs in Phoenix and Las Vegas. They seem to be taking more of a wait-and-see attitude in the negotiations.

"As we start to get to the more divisive issues, there's going to be a time when the message is going to be sent clearly to the company that we will not subsidize this merger," said Tania Bziukiewicz, spokeswoman for the America West unit of the pilots union.

US Airways and America West pilots unions have been in negotiations with management, but both sides say resolution is a long way off. 

Employees don't understand how CEO Doug Parker can say money is tight when US Airways reported two consecutive quarterly profits and had one of the highest profit margins in the business in the second quarter. They also are upset about heavy stock sales by Parker and other top executives and said they, too, should share in the early success of the merger. 

US Airways workers in the East are particularly adamant about seeing a payoff because their pay and benefits were slashed during two Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganizations. In some cases, they make less than America West pilots, who worked for a smaller airline and have less seniority. In other cases, the US Airways pilots make more.

The America West pilots are equally adamant about a bump in pay and benefits, as they were due to start negotiations on their next contract this summer before the merger came along. They have said they will start those negotiations if the current negotiations drag on.

Parker has said repeatedly that the new US Airways must keep its labor costs competitive and that current wages are the going rate in the industry given all the cost cutting that has gone on inside and outside of bankruptcy court.

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Mandatory Mail Service from Caremark

By now most of you have received a letter from Caremark, your prescription benefit administrator, dated August 21, 2006. Please read the content carefully so that you will understand the prescription benefit program as well as other resources offered by Caremark.

Mandatory Mail Service
For long-term or maintenance prescriptions you must use mail service after filing your prescription three times at a participating pharmacy. To get started using Caremark Mail Service for an existing prescription, simply call toll-free at 1-888-216-5022 to access FastStart SM mail program. Otherwise, you can have your doctor write a script for a 90-day supply with 3 refills (if applicable) and send it with an order form to Caremark. Mail order forms are available at Caremark.com.

It is important to note that the mail service co-pays will apply regardless of the day supply that is submitted; therefore it is important for you to verify that all prescriptions being sent to Caremark Mail Service are written for a full 90-day supply.

Generic vs Brand
Whenever clinically appropriate, Caremark, with prescribed approval, substitutes generic medications for the often costly branded medications. Ask your doctor if a generic equivalent or generic alternative medication is available to treat your condition. Be aware sometimes generic medications have different fillers or additives that may cause slightly different effects so be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist. Remember, not all medicines are available in a generic form and only available in brand name form. 

Web site: www.caremark.com
The Caremark Web site offers a wealth of information including the following:

• Ordering prescription refills 
• Three Tier Drug Design 
• Find out which medications are covered under your plan
• Examples of drug costs; generic, preferred brands and non-preferred brands 
• Express delivery program for oral and injectable medicines
• Find out where nearby participating pharmacies are located 
• Check prescriptions for dangerous drug interactions 
• Search drug and medical libraries

For additional information about your Caremark prescription benefit, log on to 
www.caremark.com or call toll-free at 1-800-898-5698. If you are having any
problems with this program, please inform your local union officers and we
will address your concerns.

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Vacation Bids OPEN FRIDAY!

2007 Vacation Opening & Closing Dates
Vacation will be awarded based on your Jan 1, 2007 domicile.

Round 1 Opens: Friday, August 25, 2006 at 1800 ET.

Round 1 Closes: Sunday, October 1, 2006 at 1800 ET.

Round 1 Results Posted in CATS: Thursday, October 5, 2006 at 1800 ET.

Round 2 Opens: Monday, October 9, 2006 at 1800 ET.

Round 2 Closes: Monday, October 23, 2006 at 1800 ET.

Round 2, Assignment Round & Final Results: Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 1800 ET.

Posted in CATS: Remember: Enter bids in Catcrew Option 14.

Protective Bid: Review bids & print from Catcrew Option 13.

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NWA Flight Attendants to Give Notice of Walkouts

August 22, 2006

The flight attendants union at Northwest Airlines Inc. plans to notify travelers by e-mail before it stages surprise walkouts, which are possible as early as Friday night.

But don't expect much notice.

The Association of Flight Attendants has asked travelers to sign up on its Web site, www.nwaafa.org, to receive e-mail alerts about walkouts.

The notice could be as much as a couple of hours if the union plans a full-scale walkout or short as 20 minutes -- after passengers are already at the airport -- if the union plans to strike one flight, AFA spokesman Ricky Thornton said.

Northwest declined to comment on the union's move.

The union's goal in a strike is to keep the airline guessing, so there could be cases in which it sends out no e-mail before a walkout or it could send an e-mail about a strike with no walkout taking place.

"We won't be completely tilting our hand," Thornton said.

The union said on its site: "We will endeavor to provide as much notice as possible but cannot guarantee that the notice will prevent all disruptions to your travel plans."

It then asks passengers for their names, e-mail addresses and departure airports.

"It's an attempt to win the public's support while you're doing something that the public would be very much inconvenienced by," said Gary Chaison, professor of management at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

Flight attendants at Northwest, Detroit Metro Airport's largest carrier, are fighting contract terms the airline imposed late last month, cutting wages 21% and compensation by as much as 40%, the union says.

Northwest, which is restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws and has negotiated concessions from its other unions, said it plans to continue to operate flights normally and has a "range of contingency options to respond to any AFA work disruption."

Both sides say they're available for negotiations. Talks haven't taken place since mid-July.

Contact JEWEL GOPWANI at 313-223-4550 or jgopwani@freepress.com.

Thank You,

Your MEC

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AFA US Airways website

http://www.afausairways.org/

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http://thehub.usairways.com 
Questions about the Hub? Please contact the EDS Help Desk at 336-744-6000 for assistance. More information can also be found HERE.

AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

New Hotline Number Toll Free: 866-USA-AFA2
US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780

Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com