Furloughed UA Pilots

[Kristie]

So, does anyone know what's going to happen to the current furloughees over at UA when the merger goes through?? will they automatically lose their status or will they still be in the re-hire pool?

[roz]

Which pilots do you mean?

[Kristie]

US Airways pilots.. i don't think there are any AWA pilots on furlough are there?

[roz]

Sorry, I wasn't sure what you meant by UA.

US Airways pilots will retain their seniority number. Any hiring at the new company will come from the furloughed pilots. They will go to the bottom of the list for seniority, but there is an agreement to adjust pay based on their seniority at the original USAirways. Once all the furloughed pilots are "rehired", there will be no more hiring. Instead they will recall based on the original US Airways seniority number. Those pilots would integrate back into the system in their rightful order.

Here's a summary of the Aug 18 ALPA message to pilots:

Today Resource Planning released Pilot Permanent Bid 05-04 and, there were be no pilot furloughs and it is doubtful they will occur in the future.

The headcount reduction was 114 pilot positions with 90 eliminated from PHL, 41 from CLT, and 13 from PIT. There were 22 positions added to DCA and 8 to BOS, with LGA remaining at its current staffing level.

There were 25 age 60 retirements, 10 early retirements, 38 pilots going on medical/LTD, 13 resignations/terminations/deceased/ALPA, and 41 LOA's, with 13 pilots returning to the line. That will result with 48 fewer C/O positions and 66 fewer F/O positions, leaving December with 2587 bid positions.

Many pilots have asked me whether or not I believe there will be furloughs during the upcoming January and February fleet reduction and I believe there will not be any layoffs, however, I do believe there will be stagnation and mid-seniority pilot displacements. Here’s why:

-- According to Bruce Beighlie, ALPA’s Permanent Bib Closing Committee Chairman, after Permanent Bid 05-03 through September US Airways was understaffed by 100 pilots and had about 247 mainline aircraft. By the end of the year US Airways will have 231 aircraft. That will leave 10 additional aircraft to be processed between now and February.

-- Pilot staffing is 10.8 pilots per aircraft, thus there should be about another 108 pilot positions removed during January and February and then aircraft reductions will stop for the next three years, although that could be shortened to 15 months.

-- The company reduced the pay cap on all positions and fleet types for October to 85 hours, except B737s F/O’s, which will be 90 hours.

-- During the past year US Airways had a pilot attrition rate of 22 pilots per month and that should continue in the future, resulting in a staffing shortage next summer.

-- In November the company removed some seasonal transatlantic flying to permit A330 and B767 overhaul and this will be reinstated in the spring providing more pilot positions. In the spring it is expected that the company will reinstate A330 service to MAD and B767 service to DUB, SNN, GLA, BCN, and VCE.

-- The average Captain age is 55, the average First Officer age is 52, and the average Pilot age is 54. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume the LTD rate will increase from its 8 to 9 pilots per month as pilots get older and grayer, which will create more medical problems.

-- Pilots who have filed for the EVLOA have been told by vice president of flight operations Ed Bular’s office that their application may not be accepted because the company could be short pilots, thus every pilot who applies for the EVOLA may not had it granted.

-- Doug Parker and Bruce Lakefield have agreed in concept with both ALPA TCC’s that US Airways furloughees will be offered America West new hire positions and paid at their current step or longevity (this is being offered to all work groups, not only ALPA) in 2006. Therefore, if the company furloughed pilots they would receive 5.5 months of furlough pay, 24 days vacation pay, unemployment, and then be offered new hire positions at America West at 15 year pay and at a pay scale higher than US Airways. This does not make economic sense.

-- The aircraft reductions are scheduled to stop until 2009 per the company’s bankruptcy motion, although GECAS has the right to repossess 11 more B737s beginning in mid-2007, at least 15 months from February 2006.