Sat, Nov 27, 2010
Pilots 'Disgruntled by Six Years of Negotiations'
The Evergreen International Airlines (EIA) Master Executive
Council (MEC) has started a PR campaign threatening a strike
ballot of its membership, "be prepared for all possible
contingencies should negotiations fail." According to a recent ALPA
missive, EIA crewmembers (repped by ALPA), have been negotiating
with their management for a new contract for over six years. Pilots
are nearing their limit of frustration and dissatisfaction with
management even 'as they continue to provide exemplary professional
service that sustains the viability of the airline and ensures
customer satisfaction.'
ALPA claims that Evergreen crewmembers overwhelmingly turned
down a tentative agreement in August because it fell substantially
short of their goals. The failed agreement was largely a renewal of
the current collective bargaining agreement, which has been in
place since 1999. The crewmembers concluded that the tentative
agreement was not acceptable after more than 10 years without
improvements in some areas of working conditions, six years without
a pay raise, and no per diem increase since the late ’90s.
After months of waiting to come back to the negotiating table since
the crewmembers voted down a tentative agreement in August, the MEC
is taking the necessary measures to secure a fair contract,
including sending the ballot to authorize a strike. The strike
ballot will open on December 1 and close January 7. If it passes,
it would authorize the EIA MEC to declare a strike once the pilot
group is given permission to do so by the National Mediation Board
(NMB).
“We certainly want a contract, not a strike,” said
Professional Flight Engineer William Fink, chairman of the
Evergreen ALPA unit. “That has been our goal since day one
more than six years ago—but the new agreement must provide
our members with industry-standard wages, work rules, and benefits.
We deserve no less. This strike authorization vote will give us the
means to take all legal actions to attain the goal of a fair
contract.”
ALPA can request a proffer of arbitration from the NMB at any
time. If the NMB issues a proffer, either party can reject
arbitration. In that event, a 30-day cooling-off period would
commence, after which crewmembers could legally engage in the
first-ever pilot strike at Evergreen.
Fink said, “By taking this step, we are prompting
management to stop stalling and finalize a contract that satisfies
the basic needs of its crewmembers. If management needs to see more
visible proof of our resolve—in addition to the overwhelming
rejection of the subpar tentative agreement—this vote will no
doubt prove that.” ALPA is the bargaining representative for
the 228 pilots and flight engineers in service for EIA.
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