Alleges Contract Violations

ALPA is not missing an opportunity to try and show airline giant UAL who's boss when it comes the concept of outsourcing... or allegations thereof. ALPA tells ANN that more than 150 pilots converged on United Air Lines’ World Headquarters this week to 'express their displeasure with United’s continued practice of outsourcing.'

Braving a chilly, snowy Chicago day, the pilots walked in four orbits during the two-hour picketing event. United and Continental pilots were joined by their brethren from Delta, American, Mesa, AirTran, and ExpressJet.

ALPA contends that United management intends to use the CO code on flights from Continental hubs, using outsourced 70-seat jets, a practice the union believes violates the Continental pilots’ current contract, and sees as an attempt by the new United management, led by CEO Jeff Smisek, to leverage a position in joint contract negotiations that supports further outsourcing of mainline pilot jobs.

Mind you this has NOT happened yet and ALPA is definitely more than prepared to play the heavy in the interim. ALPA and management have agreed to expedited arbitration on the issue and are scheduled to provide an arbitrator with information later this month.

A decision will be made by the arbitrator before the end of the month, well before the announced start date of the flights.

FMI: www.alpa.org