Unions Differ On Rules For Defining Seniority

The issue of measuring and applying seniority rules may be enough for beleaguered US Airways pilots to pull out from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l in favor of an in-house union, the US Airline Pilots Association.

As ANN has reported, problems started when US Airways and America West merged in 2005. Bickering between both sides over a single contract and merging seniority lists began almost immediately.

A federal arbitrator presented a seniority formula in June that bases pilot ratings on aircraft type, with pilots ranked by seniority within each group based on their time at their respective airline, and how many aircraft of that type are within the combined US Airways fleet.

Under the proposal, the top 517 pilots come from US Airways... but the trouble lies at the next level, when talking about first officer rankings. Some 1,000 US Airways first officers stand little chance of ever making captain under the proposal, as the current Age 60 rule would force them to retire before any left seats open up.

This resulted in a lawsuit being filed by US Airways pilots seeking to have the arbitrator's plan discarded. Both the US Airways and America West pilot groups are represented by the ALPA.

Now, apparently, there has been another blow to the US Airways pilots. USAPA announced Tuesday that Paul Rice, ALPA executive vice president and attorney Bruce York, ALPA's director of representation, told US Airways pilot negotiators previous promises of protections for the original US Airways pilots were "off the table."

According to the budding union, a written report stated the national association insists on, "a transition to implementation..." The report went on to state that, "It appears also that their desire is to have this transition occur in a fairly short time frame (1-2 years...)"

"It goes without saying the east US Airways pilots will not participate in the "implementation" of this deeply flawed "award" in any way shape or form. The seeds of this "tortured logic" arbitration decision were sewn in 1991 by a decision to strip date-of-hire from ALPA merger policy," said the USAPA.

USAPA held information sessions last week at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, US Airways' largest hub, reported The Street. A consistent flow of pilots interested in further information stopped at the union's booth to talk, read literature and even sign union authorization cards.

According to Mark Thorpe, USAPA interim vice president, roughly 2,300 signatures have been collected to request a representation election from the National Mediation Board. Several hundred more need to be gathered before submission, he said.

The NMB could call a representation election if it determines the collected signatures represent more than half of the bargaining unit, reported The Street.

The ALPA has "too many constituencies to faithfully represent (US Airways) pilots," says Stephen Bradford, interim president of USAPA. "We will not put our futures in the hands of others whose interests may not be aligned with ours."

There are critics, who don't think separating from one union to go to another will solve anything. John McIlvenna, chairman of the America West ALPA chapter, said he couldn't say of a new union would represent both US Airways and America West pilots, but, even if it did, he says, "They would still have the same mess they have now."

ALPA spokesperson Pete Janhunen says the ALPA's executive council has yet to approve the ruling and if it is approved, it couldn't become effective until a single contract is in place.

McIlvenna says he believes the best way to go is to let contract negotiations run their course. Talks are set to resume September 24 and there could very well be a deal by the end of this year, he said.

FMI: www.alpa.org, www.usairlinepilots.org