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US Airways MEC message to members:
What is going on with this company? The answer:
Over the past several weeks, management has used the media to
deliver the message that the airline continues to have financial
problems and that management wants its workers to make more
sacrifices.
That is a message that should have been delivered directly to us
and to you. It was cowardly for management to go to the media
with the message rather than facing its workers directly. But
the cowardly path seems to be the favored one by US Airways
management.
For many weeks, management has been claiming that the unions
representing US Airways workers have refused to hear
management's plan for future success. Apparently, it's a new
plan, different from the one they told us would make our carrier
successful coming out of bankruptcy after we sacrificed over
$100 million per year to save this company.
The new plan is needed, management says, because the airline is
losing the competition with low-fare carriers. But management's
claim that we refused to hear their new plan is wrong. We openly
criticized management for the failure of its original plan, but
we never said we wouldn't listen to their new plan.
Our criticism was justified. Competition from low-fare carriers
has been growing exponentially over the past two decades. It's
not new, like management claims. It should have been planned for
in the original business plan coming out of bankruptcy. That it
wasn't seems to be a mistake bordering on utter incompetence.
Regardless, management's initial plan is failing, and the
airline has some short-term problems as a result. Those problems
range from being close to a downgrade from the credit rating
companies (like Standard & Poors), which would trigger other
financial problems, to possibly losing financing for its RJ's.
It is this possibility that pushed the company to find out the
value of some of its assets, as recently reported in the media.
It needs to know what it can sell to raise the money it may need
to fix its short-term problems.
Problem is, selling those assets to fix a short-term problem
would create even more long-term problems. So, we wait. There is
absolutely nothing we can do to get management out of its
short-term problems (save working for free and we will NOT do
that, Dave, in case you're listening). The problems were created
by management's short-sighted business plan coming out of
bankruptcy. We did with a bankruptcy gun to our heads everything
management wanted. We gave twice. And management said it was
what it needed to succeed.
So here we are, still failing.
Well, finally, after a lot of fanfare in the media, management
has asked to show us their plan. And we will hear it in a
meeting between Dave Siegel, some other management-types, and
the AFA Master Executive Council on Feb. 11.
All we will be doing is listening to their business plan. There
will be NO NEGOTIATIONS during this meeting. We will listen to
how management plans to turn the airline around for the
long-term. We will ask questions for clarity.
We will tell management that anything it brings to the workers
will be a tough sell. We will tell them that their inability to
succeed after our massive sacrifices has ruined their
credibility. We'll remind them that they unilaterally changed
the sick leave policy, the reserve system, the way we get paid
and that flight attendants are routinely harassed about health
benefits. We will tell them that these unilateral actions over a
number of months have demolished their credibility even more.
We will say that he needs to restore his credibility with his
workers. Then we will say, thanks, Dave. And he will be on his
way.
Again, there will be no negotiations in this meeting. We are not
going to start any discussions over more sacrifices. The well is
dry.
Following the meeting, we will report out to you.
In Solidarity,
Perry Hayes
MEC President
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Accessing The Hub:
http://thehub.usairways.com
Logging in the first time your user name is u0(zero) and your five digit employee number. Your initial password is the first five digits of your social security number. Questions about the Hub? Call 800-327-0117 and listen for the catcrew help desk prompts.
AFA Local Numbers
Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
Council 41 DCA 703-690-6859
Council 69 BOS 978-352-7401
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 201-803-6141
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
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