McCaskill-Bond
Pilots' union opposes arbitration in airline mergers
DALLAS — The union representing American Airlines pilots said Friday it opposes a new law that allows use of binding arbitration to settle disputes over seniority when two carriers merge.
The Allied Pilots Association said Congress shouldn't get involved in labor negotiations. The union represents 12,000 pilots at American, the nation's largest airline.
Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., proposed that in future airline mergers, employee seniority lists must be combined in a "fair and equitable manner." Disputes over seniority would be referred to binding arbitration after 20 days.
The Missouri lawmakers attached their proposal to a $555 billion catchall spending bill that President Bush signed last month.
It's a sensitive issue in Missouri, which was the home of TWA until it was acquired in 2001 by American's parent, AMR Corp. American's flight attendants' union put TWA workers near the bottom of combined seniority lists, making the TWA veterans the first to be laid off when American cut thousands of jobs after the 2001 terror attacks.
American has recalled hundreds of ex-TWA flight attendants in recent months, but more than 2,000 others are still on furlough.
The McCaskill-Bond provision wouldn't affect the TWA-American merger from 2001, but reports of possible future mergers have swirled around U.S. carriers in recent months.
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Pilots' union opposes arbitration in airline mergers
DALLAS — The union representing American Airlines pilots said Friday it opposes a new law that allows use of binding arbitration to settle disputes over seniority when two carriers merge.
The Allied Pilots Association said Congress shouldn't get involved in labor negotiations. The union represents 12,000 pilots at American, the nation's largest airline.
Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., proposed that in future airline mergers, employee seniority lists must be combined in a "fair and equitable manner." Disputes over seniority would be referred to binding arbitration after 20 days.
The Missouri lawmakers attached their proposal to a $555 billion catchall spending bill that President Bush signed last month.
It's a sensitive issue in Missouri, which was the home of TWA until it was acquired in 2001 by American's parent, AMR Corp. American's flight attendants' union put TWA workers near the bottom of combined seniority lists, making the TWA veterans the first to be laid off when American cut thousands of jobs after the 2001 terror attacks.
American has recalled hundreds of ex-TWA flight attendants in recent months, but more than 2,000 others are still on furlough.
The McCaskill-Bond provision wouldn't affect the TWA-American merger from 2001, but reports of possible future mergers have swirled around U.S. carriers in recent months.
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