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Fellow
MAG pilots:
Last
week, the MEC reported that we were unable
to reach an acceptable furlough mitigation
agreement with management. [Read it “here.”]
We stand by our statement and the updates
that were sent throughout the negotiations
process. These updates were factual, to the
point, and did not cast aspersions on the
company or any member of management.
Unfortunately, management employed
drastically different tactics. MAG Senior
Vice President of Administration & Human
Resources David Butler responded to our
update with one that misrepresented the
facts, the process, and what transpired
during intense furlough mitigation
negotiations over a two-week period.
Furthermore, Mr. Butler attacked and
insulted the MEC, our Negotiating Committee,
our professional staff, and our pilot group.
We
believe that the best way to address
management’s union busting techniques is to
look at the facts.
The MAG
ALPA proposal called for a reduction in
minimum guarantee with a cap on the number
of hours that could be flown in a bid. In
return, it also contained provisions to
bolster pilots’ quality of life with more
days off for reserves, increased utilization
(daily pay/credit), junior assignment
restrictions, and an enhanced commuter
clause. This proposal was given to our
Pilot-to-Pilot Committee volunteers earlier
this week, and they have been talking about
it to pilots in the crew rooms. If you have
not yet seen it, click “here”
to download our last full text furlough
mitigation proposal. Our initial proposal
was presented on June 15, and a revised
proposal was presented on June 24. The
proposal linked above reflects a few
revisions and was presented to management on
June 29.
Where is
the company’s proposal? Instead of providing
a written counter proposal, the company gave
our Negotiating Committee a matrix under
which we could (in Mr. Butler’s words) “pick
our poison.” To protect the jobs of all 174
pilots slated for furlough, the company
matrix proposed a reduction in minimum
guarantee to 65 hours; to protect 114 of the
jobs, the company proposed a reduction in
minimum guarantee to 70 hours, and so forth.
In return, the company agreed to our
enhanced commuter policy and to increase
reserve days off to 13. Period. That’s it.
None of our other quality of life issues
were addressed by management, and the two
included (minimum days off and commuter
policy) were of little (if any) benefit
without the full package.
Perhaps
more importantly, under the company’s
“matrix” proposal, if we protected all 174
pilots designated for furlough in the coming
months, it would have put more than a third
of our pilots below the poverty level and in
line for food stamps.
Mr.
Butler opened the door on the costing of
these proposals but conveniently left out a
few crucial details. Our proposal would have
saved the company approximately $5.8 million
annually. While this is slightly less than
the company’s projected annual savings of
$6.7 million by furloughing, don’t be fooled
into thinking that the short-term savings
outweighed the long-term benefits. The
company’s analysis did not take attrition
into account, nor did it address the
$20,000+ training cost per pilot that will
be incurred when recalling. If the company
moves forward with its plan to furlough 174
additional pilots by December, and our
attrition rate remains constant (or, more
likely, increases as industry hiring ramps
up), the company will likely start recalling
those pilots in a matter of months. This
will tack on an estimated $3 million in
training costs, which would bring their
total savings to just under $4 million. Look
back at our estimated savings of $5.8
million, and you’ll see why furloughing
doesn’t make much “cents” in our book.
Be
assured that your MEC will continue to work
tirelessly to protect MAG pilots. Among
other things, we are actively helping pilots
who are/will be furloughed find employment
and we working with other ALPA carriers to
develop preferential interview/hiring
agreements. Through these efforts, a
significant number of furloughed MAG pilots
have obtained employment at other ALPA
carriers.
We know
this is a lot of information and perhaps
more than you wanted; however, it has always
been our goal to be transparent in
everything we do. Mr. Butler’s flagrant
misrepresentation of what transpired in
furlough mitigation talks leaves us
wondering about his true motivation.
Whatever it may be, the company’s attacks
could not go unanswered.
Your
union has always worked to protect and
defend this pilot group, and we will
continue to do so. You only have to look at
the company’s past and present antics to
know what it would be like at MAG without
the protection of ALPA. We will fight fire
with fire, and the truth will always be on
our side. Get On the Bus.
In
unity,
Capt.
Angelo Matziaris
MAG MEC Chairman
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