A special MEC meeting has been called for on Tuesday, April 11 by the following local council representatives:
The negotiating committee takes the spotlight on this meeting's agenda. The objective of those calling this meeting is to recall the negotiating committee chairman and plan for a future stand-down of the entire committee.
If the five members calling this meeting (plus the PIT council representatives) support a recall and restaffing of the negotiating committee, their (7) votes will not constitute a majority. However, if the roll call vote is used, these seven members can carry the majority.
Here are some questions which will probably be asked to those individuals who support restaffing the negotiating committee:
What is the reason for a recall of the negotiating committee chairman and what is the reason for restaffing the negotiating committee?
The Interim Small Jet Agreement (LOA #79) requires that negotiations begin within 10 days to discuss a more comprehensive small jet arrangement. Is the issue of small jets to be negotiated by committee members who have no experience?
65% of the pilots in CLT and 71% of the pilots in PHL voted to support the Interim Small Jet Agreement (LOA #79). Why would the CLT representatives and the PHL vice-chairman support a non-constructive agenda which undermines the negotiating committee immediately after ratification of the Interim Small Jet Agreement (LOA #79) - which was determined to be acceptable by the pilots in CLT and PHL as well as a majority of the entire pilot group?
Only three members of the current five member Negotiating Committee were involved during negotiations on the current contract. Those members are Donn Butkovic, Gerry McGuckin and Kelly Ison.
The Contract is often defended from Management's misinterpretation in grievance arbitration by making a case based solely on the "intent" of negotiated language. Members who were a first party to the negotiation of the Contract can speak to the "intent" of contract language. The experienced members of the negotiating committee are a valuable source of information for the MEC. They are frequently called upon by MEC members to answer Contract questions and intervene when Management misinterprets Contract language.
Last Wednesday, President Clinton signed in an aviation bill which, in part, is designed to increase airline competition. The bill will phase out takeoff and landing limits at three of the nation's four slot-controlled airports. At Chicago's O'Hare Airport, slot restrictions will end July 1, 2002. At New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, slot rules will end Jan. 1, 2007. The slot restrictions at those three airports will end immediately for regional jets, in an effort to boost service to smaller communities. Restrictions will still apply at Washington's Reagan National Airport, but daily flight limits will be expanded to allow 12 additional flights of up to 1,250 miles and 12 additional flights of greater distance.
| US Airways | mainline (metrojet) - 72 (75) hours regular reserve, 76 (78) hours short call reserve |
| American | 70 hours |
| Delta | 5 hours less than the pay cap which is 75 to 80 hours at company option |
| Northwest | 75 hours; in flex month, guarantee increases one-for-one with pay cap |
| United | 78 hours |