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Allied Pilots Association Voices Support for HUNALPA Pilots in Dispute with Malev Management

Dépèche transmise le 17 juin 2009 par Business Wire

Allied Pilots Association Voices Support for HUNALPA Pilots in Dispute with Malev Management

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 11,500 pilots of American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), issued the following statement regarding the dispute between the Hungarian Airline Pilots’ Association (HUNALPA) and the management of Malev Hungarian Airlines:

“We support our fellow pilots at HUNALPA in their efforts to preserve job protections and the seniority system while advancing flight safety,” said APA President Captain Lloyd Hill. “Malev management’s outsourcing, layoff and pilot-replacement plans represent an affront to union-represented workers around the world.

“Accordingly, we urge Malev management to cease and desist from their attempts to undermine HUNALPA by hiring pilots who do not belong to the union. There’s no assurance that these replacement pilots would even be Hungarian citizens,” Hill said. “These union-busting tactics have no place in a free society, particularly in light of trade unions’ historic leadership role in fostering democracy in Eastern Europe.”

That is the full text of APA’s statement.

HUNALPA pilots engaged in a scheduled two-hour strike on June 10. Depending upon the outcome of negotiations between HUNALPA and Malev management, the union will be legally permitted to conduct an open-ended strike later this month if no agreement is reached between the two parties.

Founded in 1963, APA—the largest independent pilot union in the U.S.—is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 11,500 pilots of American Airlines, including 1,969 pilots on furlough. The furloughs began shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Also, several hundred American Airlines pilots are on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s Web site address is www.alliedpilots.org. American Airlines is the nation’s second-largest passenger carrier and fifth-largest cargo carrier.

APA and HUNALPA are members of the Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition, which consists of the pilot unions of every oneworld Alliance carrier.