Dear Council 70 Flying Partners,

Here is the latest: 

The Company has agreed to extend the conclusion of the 1113 c (abrogation) court proceedings until Friday, January 7, 2005. This will allow us the time needed to abide by the AFA Constitutional voting requirements as well as the time needed to conduct informational road shows without having to compete with the Holidays. 

Although the following information is subject to change, I understand that road shows will most likely commence in CLT starting January 3, 2005. I expect the full road show schedule to be announced on the MEC E-Line within the next day or two or sooner. Please look for it there.

TA & Highlights:

The entire T/A along with a "Highlights" page will be posted on the PHL web Page...please visit (www.afausairways.org/phlmain.html). It is my suggestion that you read the entire TA and not just the highlights so that you will have knowledge of the full document that you will be voting on and that will govern all of our lives for years to come. 

In addition please note that changes in the TA amend the May 2000 agreement which was already previously amended by both the Summer and Winter 2002 Restructuring Agreements and also by the Reserve 2003 Arbitration (The Conway Decision). To really understand the TA, you may need to cross-reference it with the May 2000 agreement as amended as well as the Reserve Arbitration (Conway Decision). I have asked our Web Master, Chuck Cannaday, to make sure that links to all 5 documents are easily accessible on the PHL web page site. (www.afausairways.org/phlmain.html)

A complete T/A, ballot and balloting instructions have been mailed to each member. Because of the holidays, it may take a day or two extra to reach you, taking that into account, please let us know if you have any problems. 

The MEC is putting together a Q & A on the TA which should also be coming your way shortly. Thanks for your patience.


Conway Decision:

There are two direct references to the "Conway decision" in the TA. 

I have been asked "What the hell is the Conway decision?" It is not some sinister hidden agenda, in truth it is something we have all read (or should have read). 

The "Conway Decision" refers to the Arbiter who ruled in the Company's favor in last years Reserve Arbitration case. Although, at least in my opinion, Conway did a poor job and the Company should never have won, there are some very good things for us in the award that we needed to preserve and protect (i.e., split trips, release upon trip award, etc.) We may have lost that arbitration but the language fought for by your NC back then is, again in my opinion, superior to similar language in the May 2000 agreement. Such is the case for the language that describes how a Reserves day(s) off are returned in the event the Reserve was assigned into one of their day(s) off. 

Please know that management tried several times in several different ways to take away valuable language and protections for our days off. They did not want to have to return any "assigned into" days off in the same month. This would also allow them to assign us into our last grouping of days off in a month even if there was not enough month leftover in which to return them. 

To make a long story short. The Company was unsuccessful in getting the days, there is NO CHANGE to present practice. We did however, want to make sure that there would be no question so we referenced the stronger clearer language in the Conway Decision. Hope that clears that up. 


A Word Of Thanks From Me:

I want to personally thank each and every one of you who took the time to cast your vote to authorize a strike in the event that our contract is abrogated. I know it was not an easy vote to make. There is NO doubt in my mind that, the overwhelming vote FOR (especially here in PHL) made the difference in negotiations. There is also no doubt in my mind that even though we have a TA that the overwhelming FOR vote made the difference in us receiving the extension we asked for from the Company and the court so that we could properly conduct road shows and the TA vote.

I cannot even begin to put into words how proud and how invigorated I felt upon hearing how strong the PHL vote was. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart and a big thanks to all who got the vote out while I was stuck in a little room fighting on a different front. 

I am not going to tell you that the TA is a good thing, it isn't. I do believe that for the times we are in and for it being a concessionary deal, we did fare far better than management had intended. I thank YOU for this. For the first time in my memory, PHL used the strength of their numbers to send a strong message. For the first time that I can remember we voted together rather than splitting our numbers. PHL had the most FOR votes cast and the second highest percentage of FOR votes of all the bases coming in right behind PIT. In addition, PHL had the most green ribbons out on the line and although you may not think that is a "Big Deal" I believe they bother management even more than the vote because they represent a silent, yet very visible warning to both management and our passengers. Please continue to wear the green ribbons as management has stated they will continue with the abrogation in the event there is no ratification. 

Another E-Line

The new CLT LEC President has a real way with words, could be because he is the son of a news paper reporter and it is in his genes. Regardless he has a way of saying in a page or two what it would take me 5 or 6 pages to say. So for your sake, please take a moment and read his latest E-Line and think of it as a "Ditto" from me. HERE

Thanks.

Take Care, Fly Safe and Happy Holidays

Mollie McCarthy
LEC President
Council 70 PHL/PHW