Negotiations Update
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Negotiations Update |
| Pay Parity Achieved at the Shuttle The US Airways Shuttle Negotiating Committee was able to reach an agreement on a side letter to the Shuttle contract that will close out their Section 6 negotiations. While continuing to be covered by their own contract, Shuttle flight attendants will gain immediate pay parity with Mainline flight attendants. In addition, there are provisions for the Shuttle flight attendants to merge into the mainline retirement plans. Currently Shuttle flight attendants pay more for their medical and have higher deductibles and pay for their'- long term disability. Effective April, they will be covered under the same terms and conditions as Mainline flight attendants. |
| Fence Established The Shuttle contract, as amended by this agreement, will stay in effect until the fence between the US Airways Mainline and Shuttle is removed, which for flight attendants will be the later of the end of 1999 or the first Bid Month commencing ninety days following ratification of new Mainline Section 6 Flight Attendant Agreement. As long as the fence is in place, there will be no transfers permitted back and forth across the fence between Mainline/Metrojet and the Shuttle as we know it today. However, if Mainline pilots end up flying "Shuttle" branded flights (this would need future ALPA agreement to happen) before the fence is removed, whether that means extra sections or additional city pairs, such flying would be done by Mainline flight attendants. |
| Transition Issues Resolved for Mainline and Shuttle The combined Mainline and Shuttle Negotiating committees were also able to reach a tentative transition agreement for merging the Shuttle and Mainline operations. The duration of the fence for flight attendants was incorporated as part of this agreement, in addition to other issues relating to the transition to Mainline by Shuttle flight attendants. All of these tentative transition agreements have been approved by the MEC and will be incorporated in the eventual overall Section 6 Mainline agreement and subject to the combined vote of the Mainline and Shuttle flight attendants. At that point the Shuttle Agreement will be extinguished, and the Shuttle flight attendants will be covered by the Mainline agreement. They will not, however, achieve parity on vacation accrual for five years from date of ratification of the Shuttle side letter. |
| Separate Metrojet Operation Proposal Withdrawn In January 1997, the Company proposed a separate operation for Metrojet, then known as US2. You may remember that the Company wanted essentially a B -scale operation at Metrojet, which included lower rates of pay, less sick leave, lower vacation accrual and lower vacation daily rate as well as a permanent fence between Mainline and Metrojet. As part of this transition negotiations, the Company has withdrawn all of their proposals to separate Mainline and Metrojet. Your Negotiating Committee had adamantly opposed these proposals since they were first set forth. We are now guardedly optimistic that this withdrawal may signal a desire on the Company's part to move forward in a constructive manner and conclude the Mainline negotiations as they have just concluded the Shuttle Section 6. We are now working on dates for January. |