Now Holiday Travelers Just Have To Deal With The Weather

Comair and its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) agreed to extend negotiations for a new labor contract an additional 32 days. The new deadline is February 2, 2007.

In a late-night meeting, union leadership voted unanimously to approve the standstill agreement. Previously, the union had threatened to strike if Comair ditched its pilot labor contract as authorized by the bankruptcy court judge last week. The airline had said it would do so today.

Comair is asking its pilots to give up some $15 million in annual concessions, but pilots are upset over the airline's agreement with its flight attendants. ALPA had agreed in January to over $17 million in concessions as long as Comair's flight attendants also gave up a certain amount. Comair's contract with its flight attendants fell short of that agreed amount by over $1 million.

When that happened, ALPA demanded to renegotiate its deal with Comair.

Comair says it needs concessions from its pilots to support a plan to get out of bankruptcy on schedule. The bitter disagreement found its way before the bankruptcy court judge who gave the airline permission to impose wage and benefit cuts unilaterally if an agreement wasn't possible.

In his decision, the judge noted that ALPA didn't dispute Comair's claim that its pilots are the highest paid in the industry.

So for now, at least, holiday travelers using Comair can rest easy knowing the airline's pilots will be on the flight deck doing their jobs.

Now if the weather would only cooperate...

FMI: www.alpa.org, www.comair.com