Pilots warn American on China
Union wants improved contract before OK'ing coveted new route
11:15 PM CST on Friday, November 10, 2006
By TERRY MAXON / The Dallas Morning News
The union representing American Airlines Inc. pilots has warned management that the airline may not get the union's OK to fly a coveted China route if the company doesn't reward pilots in return.
The Allied Pilots Association "has informed management that when the pilots see some immediate improvements to our contract, we will enthusiastically support new long-haul flying," APA's national leadership said in a message sent to members.
An American spokesman declined to comment Friday on the union's position. A union spokesman said the union expects to present a proposal to management soon.
The flights would exceed the maximum time on duty permitted in the pilots' contract and would require the union to make an exception, as it did last year when American began flying between Chicago and New Delhi.
American, which wants to fly between Dallas/Fort Worth and Beijing is competing against applications from United Airlines Inc., Continental Airlines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Inc. for new routes between the United States and China.
Earlier this week, Northwest and United issued news releases saying that their labor groups backed their applications and that they had no contractual issues barring the operation of their new service.
The union leaders said American's management has "expended vast resources to lobby and gain the favor" of the U.S. Department of Transportation to win the Beijing route, but "they have completely ignored the pilots' legitimate expectations."
In the short term, the new route would only reallocate resources from one route to another with little real benefit to American's pilots, although flying to China offers "strategic opportunities" longer term, the Allied Pilots said.
"Management must now decide whether they value our participation, or if they would rather sacrifice a coveted route award in the pursuit of a misguided labor strategy," the memo said.
The comments on the China route were contained in a longer message detailing the pilots' objectives in current contract talks, with president Ralph Hunter and the other two union leaders repeatedly saying that the union will demand that its members "get our money back."
The union agreed to an estimated $660 million in pay cuts and other concessions in 2003 to help American avoid bankruptcy. Union leaders have pointed to management pay raises and nearly $100 million in executive payouts this year as evidence that American can afford to raise pilot salaries.
E-mail tmaxon@dallasnews.com
For it was our give-backs $$$ that's turning this company around
