United, pilots to get day in court
Unions, creditors oppose proposal
By Mark Skertic
Tribune staff reporter
Published January 5, 2005
United Airlines and its pilots will be flying through unfriendly skies this week.
Other labor groups, United's creditors and the federal agency that could be forced to assume the airline's pension liabilities are expected to be in court Thursday to argue against the deal United has reached with the Air Line Pilots Association.
The flight attendants union has voted to strike if the court throws out its contract. That union and others have said it is unfair for United to walk away from commitments the carrier made to its workers.
One expert said United is attempting to push bankruptcy law in a new direction by asking a judge to throw out labor contracts, while at the same time arguing those workers should be prevented from striking.
It would be a new interpretation of the law and a violation of their constitutional rights to force them to work for a lower wage, said Douglas Baird, a professor at the University of Chicago's law school who has closely followed United's bankruptcy case.
"United is making a rather preposterous argument," Baird said. "You put the two together and you end up with a situation where the workers have to come to work under the contract as modified and they don't have the right to strike. Which is ridiculous."
"Obviously, United and the pilots have made an unholy alliance," Baird said. "The effect of the deal they've reached with each other is to make the pilots better off without making United worse off." :down: No kiddin <_<
Here's the entire article
Unions, creditors oppose proposal
By Mark Skertic
Tribune staff reporter
Published January 5, 2005
United Airlines and its pilots will be flying through unfriendly skies this week.
Other labor groups, United's creditors and the federal agency that could be forced to assume the airline's pension liabilities are expected to be in court Thursday to argue against the deal United has reached with the Air Line Pilots Association.
The flight attendants union has voted to strike if the court throws out its contract. That union and others have said it is unfair for United to walk away from commitments the carrier made to its workers.
One expert said United is attempting to push bankruptcy law in a new direction by asking a judge to throw out labor contracts, while at the same time arguing those workers should be prevented from striking.
It would be a new interpretation of the law and a violation of their constitutional rights to force them to work for a lower wage, said Douglas Baird, a professor at the University of Chicago's law school who has closely followed United's bankruptcy case.
"United is making a rather preposterous argument," Baird said. "You put the two together and you end up with a situation where the workers have to come to work under the contract as modified and they don't have the right to strike. Which is ridiculous."
"Obviously, United and the pilots have made an unholy alliance," Baird said. "The effect of the deal they've reached with each other is to make the pilots better off without making United worse off." :down: No kiddin <_<
Here's the entire article
