Asked To Renegotiate Their Contract Ten Days After AA Emerged From Bankruptcy

The president of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 10,000 pilots of American Airlines, expressed strong support for the pilots at American Eagle Airlines during their contract discussions with American Airlines Group management in a statement released this week.

"APA supports our brothers and sisters at Eagle in their efforts to obtain an agreement that would ensure the current aircraft deliveries and regional flying stay at American Eagle," said APA President Capt. Keith Wilson. "The pilots of American Eagle have gone through the same bankruptcy restructuring process as we have here at the new American, and as such, they have already made significant sacrifices resulting in nearly $43 million in contract concessions. The current collective bargaining agreement has helped align Eagle's cost structure with that of its competitors, allowing Eagle to continue to provide regional lift to American."

William Sprague, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association's American Eagle Master Executive Council, explained, "While the pilots of American Eagle worked hard to meet all of management's demands during bankruptcy, only 10 days after the new American Airlines Group exited bankruptcy, the pilots of American Eagle were asked to again renegotiate their contract. The pilots were presented with a new term sheet asking for additional cuts to pay and benefits, adding new work rules that constitute vast changes to this new contract. This was in exchange for a vague promise of replacement aircraft."

Capt. Wilson added that "APA leadership’s position is that there is simply no need for management to take another 'bite at the apple' from the Eagle pilots immediately following a bankruptcy contract. Rather, management should ensure some level of career stability for those pilots and prevent yet another race to the bottom that has, of late, plagued the regional airline industry."

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org