MIASW Local President Letter
Dear Council 22 Flying Partners:
Early this morning I joined the MEC Officers and the MEC Central Schedule Committee Chairperson Jeff Heisey to attend a meeting with the Company in an effort to keeping Members of our Council flying out of Miami. Onboard Service Senior Vice President Jane Allen, Director of People Services Frank Colosi, Managing Director of Onboard Service Charlie Ahmes, and Director of Onboard Crew Scheduling Todd Arkenberg represented the Company’s position at the meeting. What was scheduled to be a two hour meeting, turned into an all-day excruciating event as we reviewed, scrutinized, and attacked every rationale for the Company’s decision and argued for every option to keep Miami open in any format.
Broken-hearted, I must deliver a message to you, that some of us are hearing for a third time. The Company will not consider any option for MIASW, other than closing it entirely.
To be clear, we reviewed the possibility of Miami/Fort Lauderdale becoming viable in short order due to the expansion of TED. Unfortunately, the Company responds that this would not be the case due to the fact the TED flying is done more economically from hub locations such as DEN, ORD, or IAD. Following a definitive “no” on the viability of Miami as a traditional domicile, we reviewed their analysis and rationale as it is contemplated in a modified co-terminal like LAS or PHL or a satellite concept, as was done in the 80’s. The economics in that situation are not favorable either and their answer to making Miami a modified co-terminal or satellite was also a “no.”
We reviewed the Company’s rationale and economics related to the cancellation of the flying from Miami to Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires which precipitated the Company’s decision to close the Miami domicile. The Company contends that the entire purpose of the Miami station was to support international flying. Since the first hint of a surplus in February of last year, we have been hearing that closing Miami would be a possibility should we lose our international routes. We learned that the Company’s plans for the station do not only include cancellation of our international trips. Today, Miami supports 12 flights a day, of which two are international flights and two are wide-body flights. As of May 1, 2004, Miami will only have 10 domestic narrow-body flights. We were also told that the station flying as a whole is unstable and will be under continual scrutiny, particularly in reference to the trans-con flights currently sustaining losses and their unlikely effectiveness in supporting transfers from our alliance partner, Varig.
After we exhausted our many arguments, several times over, late in the day the Company repeated their refusal to discuss anything other than closure. After the realization set in that they would not change their mind, our discussion turned to making a transition as accommodating as possible for each of us. With persistence, I was able to secure all domestic domiciles as options for our forced transfer. Although the Company emphatically refused to offer international locations, I will continue to advocate for options to international locations even though I have little hope that this will be achieved. We do not yet know the allocations for transfer locations, but we do know that the bidding will open on February 9th at Noon EST and close on March 1st at 8:00 AM EST, with a transfer bid posting by March 2nd at 5:00 PM EST. Meetings with the Company will continue as we advocate for the best circumstances as it relates to the Contractual provisions for closing a domicile, including transferring, passes, and other relocation issues.
I am committed to getting you all of the information as soon as I have it, and when I return to Miami, I will be scheduling Local AFA meetings specifically for discussing all of the issues surrounding Miami’s closure and this devastating turn of events for our Miami family. All information will be posted on our local website, www.council22.org and sent in our local E-lines.
I appreciate the support that you have given me in advocating for all of us. I cannot express how much it hurts to have to write this letter. I want you to know my determination to obtain the best circumstances for each of us will not waiver and our collective strength will carry us through this trial as it has supported us so many times before.
Very truly yours,
Moe
