Route66

Pilots union makes counterproposal to American Airlines

The Allied Pilots Association sent a contract counterproposal Friday to American Airlines Inc. as the union and airline face a Saturday deadline to come up with a tentative agreement.

But American indicated that the deadline will come and go without a formal response.

“We haven’t reached a deal. We’ll resume discussions next week,” American spokesman Casey Norton said Friday afternoon.

APA spokesman Dennis Tajer said the company did not formally respond Friday to the union’s proposal. “We’re going to continue negotiations next week,” he agreed.

American sent a contract proposal to the APA on Tuesday. The next day, union president Keith Wilson said the airline’s offer was “seriously lacking on various fronts,” and the union’s board of directors put together the counteroffer on Wednesday and Thursday.

Among other elements in Friday’s counter, the union called for larger pay raises. In general, it wants pay rates 10 percent higher than those at Delta Air Lines Inc., since Delta pilots can get profit-sharing and American management opposes profit-sharing. The APA also wants 3.5 percent pay increases in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The pay rates proposed by the company had generally been 3 percent above Delta’s.

The Saturday deadline is part of a “memorandum of understanding” signed before the February 2013 deal to merge US Airways and American Airlines. As written, if APA and American don't wrap up negotiations by Saturday, management “will offer final and binding interest arbitration,” and the union “will accept such proffer, to resolve once and for all the terms” of a new joint collective-bargaining agreement.

But the two sides can agree to extend the deadline, as they did when the original deadline came up Oct. 16.

American made its contract offer to the pilots two days after its flight attendants on Sunday narrowly rejected a tentative contract agreement. The two sides are now preparing to go to binding arbitration beginning Dec. 3, barring any new talks between now and then.

On another labor matter, the head of Envoy Air Inc.’s pilots union warned its members that parent American Airlines Group Inc. plans more cutbacks at the regional carrier.

“Unfortunately, we will soon hear additional announcements that were planned by AAG well in advance of our recent dialogue that may have a negative impact on both our operation and our morale,” Air Line Pilots Association leader Sam Pool said Friday.

The cuts are tied to Envoy’s inability to attract and keep enough pilots, not to management’s inability to get contract concessions from the union, said Pool, ALPA master executive council chairman at Envoy.

“Without sufficient pilots, our aircraft are at risk of being parked or, more likely, reassigned to other carriers. Without sufficient pilots, remaining Envoy domiciles may not be properly staffed and consequently face uncertainty,” he wrote.

“And lastly, without a viable growth plan here, AAG will likely attempt to place any new aircraft at other regional carriers,” Pool stated.

Envoy flies as American Eagle. It changed its name from American Eagle Airlines last April.

While there have been rumors of cutbacks at Envoy, the company didn’t disclose any such reductions when asked Friday.

“We don’t have anything to announce with Envoy at this time,” spokeswoman Martha Thom said Friday.

She repeated management’s desire to enlarge Envoy if it could achieve a “competitive” contract with the pilots union.

Pilots union makes counterproposal to American Airlines | Dallas Morning News

drinksonme

^^^^Hey douchbag read the paragraph after your second BOLDED point. READING IS FUN. I am so glad that when I wake up each morning I am not you. BTW how is your EX-wife and kids. I bet better off without you in there lives. Goodnight Mr. "I am a Captain".......assclown

eaglefly

Terror and panic have taken him over. Reminds me of a rabid dog biting everyone in sight. It's not rabies here, but has gone to the brain.

Spoiler

a little personal perhaps? you lose when you shout and call names

bigscrillywilli

So is this an extension that they don't want to call an extension? Until when? I can't wait to see their next "kick in the nuts" offer -to quote a union email with member reactions to the comprehensive proposal from Team Tempe.

PurpleTurtle

A careful reading of the MOU regarding the trigger for interest arbitration is quite necessary.

encore

DOES NOT COMPUTE

Hey idiots, guess what? You can't attract pilots because you don't pay them enough. And if you get concessions and pay them less, you'll attract even fewer pilots.

spaaks

Please don't give an inch on scope! They will absolutely be able to staff 600 large rj's. They want so many so they can replace 50 seaters on a 1:1 basis instead of a 2 or 3:1 basis. Then they will start parking 50 seaters IF they're unable to staff them. Then they get to keep using their broken race to the bottom mgmt style at the regionals

spaaks

And IF they get to a point in the next few yrs where they have staffing problems at the regionals, they'll say "we're keeping all the 70 seaters flying and only parking the 50's, sorry you already agreed to let us fly them so were parking the 50's instead of the 70's- grieve it." And all of a sudden there are no 50 seaters flying around anymore and the smallest plane flying at a regional is a 70 seater.....scary thought, no?

N43898

Maybe the unions should drop thier public opposition of NAI as it seems that US managements aren't willing to negotiate even the bare minimum. Maybe more pilot demand would help. I'm half joking, but it makes you think about our value in a global market vs. US.