Thu, Nov 30, 2006
Lawyers Question The Airline's Motives
Attorneys for Comair's
pilots union fired the first legal volley Tuesday seeking to block
the airline's intention to impose pay cuts.
Comair has asked the bankruptcy court judge for permission to
take $15.8 million in annual concessions from its 1,550 pilots.
That adds up to an 11-percent cut for pilots paid on average 60,000
dollars per year.
The Air Line Pilots Association's lawyers are questioning
whether the airline has negotiated in good faith with its unions.
With the airline's Senior Vice President on the stand, lawyers
asked point-blank if the $15.8 million asked of its pilots was
negotiable. The same judge earlier ruled in favor of Comair's
flight attendants when the airline said the concessions it needed
from them were "non-negotiable."
Later, the airline's chief negotiator testified he didn't
remember saying the numbers were non-negotiable, but someone else
at the table may have.
The airline says it needs concessions to make successful a 3$
billion restructuring plan. That plan comes from parent Delta Air
Lines.
Pilots had already negotiated a $17.3 million in annual cuts
contingent on similar cuts for flight attendants and mechanics.
Flight attendants approved annual cuts of just under
eight-million, but that was one million less than required under
the deal made with pilots.
Lawyers were also quick to point out in court that Comair is
making a profit this year.
So far, labor unions among airlines in bankruptcy have had mixed
results taking their arguments to the courts. Comair's pilots think
they have a good case.
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