Sat, Oct 01, 2011
Will Not Delay Merger Over Pilot Integration Issue
A federal judge has denied a request by ALPA on
behalf of United Airlines pilots to delay the merger of
finalization of United and Continental Airlines over an issue
regarding the integration of pilot training procedures.
U.S. District Judge Sterlind Johnson said Thursday that the
argument that differences in training would endanger the public was
"too speculative" to delay the issuance of an SOC, according to a
report from
Reuters. The new training guidelines, in which
United pilots will primarily be adopting Continental procedures,
were scheduled to go into effect on Friday.
“We are disappointed that Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr.,
opted against issuing the Temporary Restraining Order we sought to
prevent the implementation of the Company’s inadequate and
unrealistic SOC Phase II procedures slated for September 30, 2011,"
Captain Wendy Morse, Chairman, United Master Executive Council, Air
Line Pilots Association, said in a statement. "Safety has always
and will continue to be first and foremost for each United pilot
every time we enter the cockpit, and we continue to contend that
this training does not meet our safety standards and is
unrealistic. We’re sorry Judge Johnson did not find in our
favor.
“The court concluded that the requirement to show
‘actual and imminent harm’ to warrant the
‘extraordinary and drastic remedy’ of injunctive relief
was not met.
“We point out that the judge ‘does not, in theory,
disagree with (ALPA) counsel’s statement that when it comes
to airline safety, that we (United) shouldn’t “operate
on hope.’”
“We call on the company to once again delay the September
30 deadline in good faith, and work with the Air Line Pilots
Association in establishing realistic, workable training for the
United pilots to complete this training that is associated with the
company’s quest for a Single Operating Certificate."
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