February 16, 2012
Dear United Pilots:
Yesterday, we achieved an Agreement in Principle with management for the extension of the Transition and Process Agreement. Recall that after December 31, the company had the ability per our current contract to close domiciles, furlough pilots and reduce our block hours in relation to Continental. The Continental pilots already have furlough protection and block hour protections in their current contract. The Agreement in Principle is being converted into final language for consideration as a Tentative Agreement (TA) by the two MECs. The United MEC will consider the Agreement at an upcoming Special Meeting to be announced. The details of the TA are being withheld until the MEC has had a chance to consider it for acceptance.
If both the Continental and United MECs ratify the Agreement, then we can return our complete focus on the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). While the TPA is a necessary bridge from the separate operations of two airlines to a Complete Operational Merger of one airline under one contract, the JCBA remains the final solution. A JCBA will return our pilots to their rightful position as the leaders of the airline profession and resolve many of the issues and inefficiencies that impact our company.
It took over 46 days to reach an AIP on the TPA extension. Next month, we will have been negotiating work rules for one year. This listless pace of negotiations cannot remain the norm. We are waiting to see if the lessons of this recently concluded agreement can build momentum in JCBA negotiations.
We are United,
Chairman, United Master Executive Council
Dear United Pilots:
Yesterday, we achieved an Agreement in Principle with management for the extension of the Transition and Process Agreement. Recall that after December 31, the company had the ability per our current contract to close domiciles, furlough pilots and reduce our block hours in relation to Continental. The Continental pilots already have furlough protection and block hour protections in their current contract. The Agreement in Principle is being converted into final language for consideration as a Tentative Agreement (TA) by the two MECs. The United MEC will consider the Agreement at an upcoming Special Meeting to be announced. The details of the TA are being withheld until the MEC has had a chance to consider it for acceptance.
If both the Continental and United MECs ratify the Agreement, then we can return our complete focus on the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA). While the TPA is a necessary bridge from the separate operations of two airlines to a Complete Operational Merger of one airline under one contract, the JCBA remains the final solution. A JCBA will return our pilots to their rightful position as the leaders of the airline profession and resolve many of the issues and inefficiencies that impact our company.
It took over 46 days to reach an AIP on the TPA extension. Next month, we will have been negotiating work rules for one year. This listless pace of negotiations cannot remain the norm. We are waiting to see if the lessons of this recently concluded agreement can build momentum in JCBA negotiations.
We are United,
Chairman, United Master Executive Council