Cites Safety Concerns As Reason To Push Back Issuance Of SOC

The United Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association filed for injunctive relief in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn on Monday to postpone United Airlines' implementation of the latest phase of revised operating procedures associated with the merger between United and Continental Airlines.

Saying they are concerned that the current level and timeline of training associated with the Company's bid for a Single Operating Certificate (SOC) from the FAA is inadequate, the pilots asked the federal court to issue a stay on the September 30 deadline for pilots to complete the second phase of training and begin new procedures to allow ALPA and United management to either reach a mutually accepted resolution on the training requirements or to resolve the dispute through arbitration prior to implementation of the new procedures scheduled to occur on September 30.

"The safe transport of our passengers has always been the top priority for the pilots of United Airlines. The Air Line Pilots Association was founded on safety, we have set the standard for aviation safety throughout the years, and we are committed to maintaining that record at the new United Airlines," said Captain Wendy Morse, Chairman of the United MEC. "To maintain that level of safety, all our pilots must be properly trained prior to any implementation of new procedures."

"The Company is implementing unrealistic deadlines and requiring only distance computer based training that we believe is inadequate to maintain the level of safety our passengers expect from United and its pilots," Morse added. "For these reasons, we are asking the court to issue a stay on the September 30 deadline so we can work with the Company to come up with a realistic, practical schedule and workable procedures for training or enable the arbitration board to decide the issues while it still has jurisdiction to grant meaningful relief -- before management proceeds unilaterally. Ensuring the safe transport of our passengers should be of greater concern to United management than prematurely acquiring a Single Operating Certificate from the FAA that does little until an Integrated Seniority List is achieved."

A spokesperson for United calls the filing "shameful." Julie King said in a statement that the case is "an effort to influence negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement under the false guise of safety." All training procedures, she said, are approved by the FAA. Morse said the training guidelines and contract negotiations are completely separate issues.

FMI: www.alpa.org/ual, www.united.com