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.

FMI: www.alpa.org, www.evergreenaviation.com/eia/index.html