Lawyers Question The Airline's Motives

Attorneys for Comair's pilots union fired the first legal volley Tuesday seeking to block the airline's intention to impose pay cuts.

Comair has asked the bankruptcy court judge for permission to take $15.8 million in annual concessions from its 1,550 pilots. That adds up to an 11-percent cut for pilots paid on average 60,000 dollars per year.

The Air Line Pilots Association's lawyers are questioning whether the airline has negotiated in good faith with its unions. With the airline's Senior Vice President on the stand, lawyers asked point-blank if the $15.8 million asked of its pilots was negotiable. The same judge earlier ruled in favor of Comair's flight attendants when the airline said the concessions it needed from them were "non-negotiable."

Later, the airline's chief negotiator testified he didn't remember saying the numbers were non-negotiable, but someone else at the table may have.

The airline says it needs concessions to make successful a 3$ billion restructuring plan. That plan comes from parent Delta Air Lines.

Pilots had already negotiated a $17.3 million in annual cuts contingent on similar cuts for flight attendants and mechanics.

Flight attendants approved annual cuts of just under eight-million, but that was one million less than required under the deal made with pilots.

Lawyers were also quick to point out in court that Comair is making a profit this year.

So far, labor unions among airlines in bankruptcy have had mixed results taking their arguments to the courts. Comair's pilots think they have a good case.

FMI www.comair.com