Says Airline Violated Labor Laws With Pilot Incentive
Programs
The Air Line Pilots Association,
Int'l filed suit in US District Court Friday on behalf of pilots at
Champion Air, asserting management at the carrier violated the
federal statute that governs contract negotiations in the airline
industry.
"Champion Air management is circumventing the law and this union
in its attempt to address a pilot shortage caused by the company's
low pay and inferior working conditions," said Capt. John Prater,
president of ALPA. "The company should be focused on working
cooperatively with ALPA at the bargaining table to improve pay and
working conditions for all Champion pilots. The bottom line is that
ALPA will not allow any management team to undermine our union's
legal right to negotiate fair wages and work rules for pilots."
ALPA says Champion Air recently announced it would unilaterally
implement two new financial incentive programs designed to reduce
pilot attrition and maintain Champion's current level of charter
flying -- issues the parties have addressed in negotiations. By
offering these incentives, Champion Air changed the "status quo"
pay and working conditions of the pilots without first bargaining
and reaching agreement with ALPA.
"We are asking the Court to bar the company from implementing
the retention and premium pay programs because they unilaterally
change our contract without exhausting the federally mandated
negotiations process," said Capt. Matt Marsh, chairman of the
Champion Air unit of ALPA. "These rules are meant to prevent the
company from ignoring the union and implementing whatever terms and
conditions of employment they choose when they choose."
"Union leaders offered to negotiate
acceptable terms for both programs," Marsh continued, "but in both
instances the company refused to negotiate provisions that would
make them more than just company table scraps. Because the company
is unwilling to negotiate the permanent improvements in our
contract that will keep pilots on the property, they are now
stooping to offering bribes."
The union's lawsuit may be the least of Champion's problems,
however. As ANN reported earlier this
month, airline CEO Lee Steele has warned Champion
faces the loss of "all contract revenue" on its current obligations
by the end of August 2008, and will need new funds to survive past
that. The airline -- which operates a fleet of Boeing 727s --
currently operates charter flights for Northwest Airlines
subsidiary MLT Vacations, and 13 National Basketball Association
teams.
Champion pilots and management have been in negotiations for a
new contract since January 2005. A federal mediator, appointed by
the National Mediation Board, joined the negotiation process in
September 2005. In October 2007, Champion Air management requested
the NMB recess the negotiations. In response, the NMB indicated
that a recess was not appropriate at this time and instructed ALPA
to be ready to return the bargaining table in early 2008.
Many employees at Champion have responded to ongoing strife by
simply leaving. A full 40 percent of the 142 pilots at the airline
as of January 2007 have left; some have been replaced, bringing the
company's current roster to 107. A number of executives have also
jumped ship.