Dépêches

US Airways Pilots Lend Support to Striking Amerijet Pilots

Dépèche transmise le 1 septembre 2009 par Business Wire

US Airways Pilots Lend Support to Striking Amerijet Pilots

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The pilots of US Airways, represented by the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), wish to lend their support to the pilots of Amerijet, who officially went on strike last week following a collapse in negotiations after five years of contract talks. Beginning today, US Airways pilots will be joining the Amerijet picket line.

“We absolutely give our support to the Amerijet pilots for taking a stand on the issues of aviation safety and common human decency,” said Mike Cleary, president of USAPA. “We understand that Amerijet is refusing to provide adequate sick time and even food, water or in-flight lavatories to its crews while on the job. Further, the Amerijet policy of punitively docking a pilot an extra five hours of pay when he or she is sick can only result in pilots choosing to fly when it may be unsafe in order to avoid losing pay. We have seen our own management, in step with the airline industry, race to the bottom to cut costs at the expense of its crew and passengers, putting the entire American flying public at risk.”

According to Teamsters Local 1224 and Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) bulletins issued earlier this week, Amerijet management reportedly walked out of negotiations last Wednesday after refusing to change its sick time policy or allow more than six sick days for pilots per year. The Local 1224 publication stated that current Amerijet policy provides that if crewmembers call in sick they not only lose flight credit for their trip but also are docked an additional five hours of pay.

Today, USAPA President Mike Cleary, Vice President Randy Mowrey, Strike Preparation Committee Chairman Rick Odato, Media Committee Chairman/Spokesman James Ray and a group of US Airways line pilots, along with Airline Division Director, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, David Bourne, will join the Amerijet pilots’ picket line in Miami.

The US Airways pilots sympathize with the Amerijet pilots’ situation, since they entered contract negotiations with US Airways management in November 2005 under the terms of a Transition Agreement at the time of the US Airways and America West merger. Because those 39 months of negotiations were largely unsuccessful, USAPA in February requested a National Mediation Board facilitator to assist the parties in reaching an agreement. US Airways management instead elected to exercise their right under the Transition Agreement to select a private mediator for the purpose of mediating contract talks. Those mediated talks continue, but no agreement has been reached.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) represents more than 5,000 US Airways pilots in seven domiciles across the United States.