AFA - US Airways E-Line
May 15, 2002
http://www.afausairways.org/eline.htm
Contents:
MEC President's
Remarks at Today's US Airways Shareholders Meeting
My name is Karen Lascoli
and I'm the President of the Association of Flight Attendants Master Executive
Council at US Airways. I speak on behalf of the US Airways flight attendants.
The future of this airline
is the future of 10,000 flight attendants and their families. If the airline
fails, our lives are dramatically affected. We will do what s necessary
to ensure that this airline survives and thrives in the future.
But that does not mean we
will agree one hundred percent with the plan the new management team lays
out for us. Nor does it mean that we will be willing to provide economic
relief to this management.
In fact, we remain skeptical
of the new plan that management has been talking about because we have
not been a part of the development of the plan, nor have we seen the plan.
I'm a flight attendant for
US Airways. I've flown for this airline for 25 years. Some of my colleagues
have been ensuring the safety and comfort of this airline's passengers
for over 35 years. In that time, CEOs and their new plans for the airline
have come and gone. But we are still here. And we will likely be here after
our current CEO, David Siegel, leaves.
Every single CEO before Mr.
Siegel has said that he needed something from his employees over and above
the dedication that we show this airline everyday. And every CEO has said,
after lengthy negotiations with each labor group, that he has gotten what
he needs to make this airline a success.
Now, here we are again, being
asked to sacrifice. Before we even consider sitting at a table to discuss
sacrifices, we need to see a real plan to restructure this airline. Because
even with past sacrifices, all of the other CEOs weren't able to make their
plan work. They couldn't make their plan work because the problem they
identified - labor costs - weren't really the problem at all.
And labor costs are not US
Airways problem now. Our airline's business plan is the problem. That needs
to be restructured first, before any case can be made that labor costs
need to be cut.
US Airways' labor costs as
a percentage of its revenues are not significantly different than those
of other carriers. And a strong case can be made that, if any discrepancy
exists at all, it s due to the carriers route structure consisting of short-haul
flights with more take-offs and landings than the airline's competitors.
Our concern is for the long-term
success of the airline and the flight attendants. We will listen to this
new management, but it will be with a critical ear. And we expect to see
a focus on changes that address this carrier's real problems, rather than
a recycling of the old, worn-out and flat-out wrong charge that cutting
the pay and benefits of those who make this carrier go is the change that's
needed.
US
Airways Business/Restructuring Plan Timeline
May 16 -
Company to meet with leadership
of all the unions, including the full AFA MEC, to unveil its business plan
May 20 -
Company to explain its business
plan to all employees - followed by Company Roadshows
May 21 - 2pm
Company to meet with AFA
MEC Special Advisory Committee to review the Company's view of AFA's participation
in the business plan
May 22 -
Special Meeting of the MEC
to review Company plan, discuss/determine AFA's response
May 23 -
Continuation of Special
Meeting
Note: Meetings of the MEC
are open to all members in good standing. Please realize, though,
that the MEC has the option to close their meetings if they deem it necessary. |
