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AFA US Airways MEC E-Line - "Staying Informed" |
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AFA US Airways MEC E-Line for November 27, 2004 |
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More Strike/CHAOS Information Dear Flight Attendants, Our negotiations are continuing with US
Airways over management's demands for further Our contract and our careers are under attack. Flight attendants at several other airlines United, ATA, Hawaiian are currently or may soon face similar attacks. Your local leaders on the AFA US Airways MEC have decided to seek your authorization to call a strike, but only if two things happen:
With this vote we are seeking to send a strong and clear message to management, the Court, the government and the traveling public: enough is enough. We worked hard to build this airline, and we've worked even harder trying to save it. We're working harder for less money because we are committed to our airline. But if management insists on overreaching, and insists on rejecting our agreement in order to impose its proposed cuts to our pay, benefits and working conditions, we will stand together. We do not want to strike, but management must know their actions will have serious consequences. We therefore encourage you to vote FOR the strike/CHAOStm authorization. If the majority of US Airways flight attendants casting a ballot vote for the strike authorization, a strike would only be called if management refuses to reach an agreement and the Court rules in favor of the company on the motion to reject our contract. Assuming a majority votes for the strike, the decision of when, where, and how to strike will be made by the MEC, in consultation with the AFA International President. With the help of the AFA International Office we have prepared the attached Questions & Answers to help you understand the issues involved in this strike vote. Please read this information, check out our website for the latest updates at www.afausairways.org and be sure to attend local union meetings. This is the most important negotiations in all of our careers. Please stay informed, and be certain to cast your ballot. US Airways MEC Strike/CHAOS Questions and Answers Q. Why should I vote FOR on the strike/CHAOS ? A. We need to send a message to management, the Court and the traveling public that there will be serious consequences even a strike if management insists on overreaching in our negotiations and our contract is rejected. A vote FOR authorizing a strike does not say you want to strike. It simply says you will strike if management persists in attacking our contract. If they think they can get away with it management will never moderate its demands. Q. What will happen if the flight attendants vote AGAINST authorizing a strike or CHAOS? A. Management may interpret a vote against a strike as a sign of weakness, or at least a willingness to accept the additional, drastic concessions management has proposed. As a result we will be more likely to face the rejection of our agreement by the Court. Q. Won't a strike or CHAOS run the risk of driving the company out of business given its precarious financial condition? A. That is entirely in management's hands. If a potential strike presents a risk to the Company then management should settle our contract negotiations. The real risk here is that management will overreach, demanding more than what's necessary to the reorganization, and more than would be fair and equitable. If management is really concerned about the risk to the airline, they should find a way to reach an acceptable settlement. It's up to them. Q. What's the timeline for the negotiations and the Section 1113 hearing? A. Negotiations are ongoing and may continue right up until the hearing on the Company's 1113 motion or even during the hearing. As long as we think there's progress being made at the table we are committed to trying to reach a negotiated resolution. If no agreement is reached the Bankruptcy Court has scheduled the hearing to begin on December 2 and end on December 17 after a series of days devoted to the hearings. Q. When will the Bankruptcy Court rule on the Company's Section 1113 motion? A. There will only be a ruling on the Company's 1113 motion if the parties cannot reach agreement on a new contract. The court has 30 days following the start of the hearing to issue its ruling. If the hearing starts as scheduled on December 2, then the last date by which the court may decide the case would be January 2. Q. What will happen if the Company's Section 1113 motion is granted? A. If we fail to agree on a new contract, and the 1113 motion is granted, then the Court would authorize management to reject our agreement and replace it with the cuts they have proposed. If they proceed to do that, we would have the right to respond in the same fashion by initiating a strike or CHAOS. Q. What will happen if the Company's Section 1113 motion is denied? A. If the Court denies the Company's 1113 motion our current contract would remain in effect. The 21% pay cut and other changes granted by the Court last month would remain in place for up to four months (total) subject to extension by the Court.
A. The Court's role in a Section 1113 is to decide whether or not to grant the motion; a simple up or down vote. The standard the court uses in making that decision is in two parts: are the changes the Company seeks to make to the collective bargaining agreement necessary to the reorganization; and, second, are those changes fair and equitable to all parties. Q. Will we get to vote on changes to our agreement? A. If we reach agreement with management on a new contract we will put it out for a membership ratification vote. Like with the pilots agreement when the Company sought emergency relief under Section 1113(e), if we have a tentative agreement by the time the 1113 hearing starts, the Company may ask the Court to grant the motion anyway, in case our tentative agreement does not ratify. If it ratifies they would implement the terms we vote on, not the terms the court approves under the 1113 motion, which presumably would be more onerous. However, if no agreement is reached and the Court grants the motion, then the Company is free to implement its proposed changes without a ratification vote. Q. What is CHAOS and why should we do CHAOS instead of a traditional strike? A. CHAOStm which stands for Create Havoc Around our System is AFA,s trademarked strategy of intermittent strike and other selective and targeted work actions. CHAOS is designed to maximize our strength and minimize our risk. We may strike for a single day, or we may target certain flights or cities. By keeping our exact plans secret the Company cannot plan effective counter tactics, and the traveling public cannot know whether or when we will strike. The element of surprise is what gives CHAOS much of its power; we control the timing and the targeting of the strikes. No strategy is without risk, but CHAOS allows us to target the strikes and limit the Company's ability to use permanent replacements or other traditional anti-union tactics. CHAOS is also far more sustainable than a traditional strike. Q. Will other Flight Attendants support our strike? A. On November 16 the AFA Board of Directors local Flight Attendant leaders from all 26 AFA-represented airlines voted unanimously to call for a nationwide strike in the event any AFA contract is rejected by management through the bankruptcy process. If that happens here, AFA will call on all AFA members, and Flight Attendants in other unions, to strike in support of our strike, subject to local approval by those Flight Attendants. The media and the industry have already taken notice of this unprecedented show of strength and solidarity. Q. How will we know if a strike has been called? A. The MEC will decide when and where to strike, in consultation with the AFA International President. If we decide to target a small number of individual flights the crews will be contacted directly by representatives of the Union, either before check-in or immediately prior to boarding. We will also inform the Company when a strike begins, and when it ends. If there is a mass walkout, for example, a one-day all out strike, it will be announced by AFA to the Company and through the news media. In either case it will be impossible for you to board a flight without knowing that the Union has called for a strike. Q. Do we have to wait for the Union to call a strike or CHAOS before we take action? A. First, do not take any strike action or engage in a CHAOS-style work stoppage without the express direction of the Union. We are not on strike at this time and all Flight Attendants are strongly urged to report to work as normal until further notice. In the meantime there will be numerous other CHAOS informational activities that will help to inform the public about our dispute and your participation in those events is very important to our overall success. If we fail to reach agreement on a new contract, and the Court grants the Company's motion to reject our contract, only the Union may then call a strike (assuming a majority of the flight attendants have by then voted to authorize a strike). Q. What else should we be doing? A. Report to work and keep doing a great, professional job for our passengers. Support each other and stay informed. Participate in Union meetings and events. And, be sure to cast your ballot. |
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cost cutting. However, the
Company has filed a motion under Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code
seeking to reject our collective bargaining agreement, in the event no
agreement is reached. They are also seeking to terminate our pension
plan, and cut or eliminate retiree health benefits for current and
future retirees.