Sat, May 29, 2010
99 Percent Of Jazz Pilots Voting Said To Strike "If
Necessary"
The results of the strike ballot conducted by the pilots of
Jazz Air LP show 99 percent of pilots voted in flavor of a lawful
strike should it become necessary to conclude a fair collective
agreement with Jazz Air. ALPA released the results of the strike
vote Thursday.
“This vote serves as notice to Jazz Air LP that we are
united and are committed to achieving a fair and equitable contract
now,” said Captain Brian Shury, chairman of the Jazz Master
Executive Council (MEC), the unit of ALPA that represents the Jazz
pilots. “We do not want a strike, we want a contract. But
this company is conducting itself in collective bargaining as if it
were still in the bankruptcy process. Nothing could be further from
the truth.”
The Jazz pilots have been subject to a bankruptcy-era contract
since 2004. Over the same time period, the pilots contend that Jazz
has distributed more than $475 million in profits directly to the
Jazz Air Income Fund unit holders. The Jazz pilots work under a
contract that has seen no adjustments to allowances, pension or
benefits, and further pay adjustments to concessionary pay scales
that fall well below the rate of inflation. Their collective
agreement expired June 30, 2009.
“The Jazz pilots are seeking a contract that recognizes
their contribution to the success of the airline,” Captain
Shury added. “The senior management of this airline refuses
to meaningfully share any of the proceeds of success with the front
line employees who are responsible for delivering the
company’s record-setting operational performance. It is not
that Jazz is unable to meet the reasonable expectations of the
pilots—it is that they are simply unwilling to do
so.”
Under the Canada Labor Code, both the strike authorization vote
and written notification to the Company are required steps before
any withdrawal of services can begin. Of the pilots eligible to
vote, more than 90 percent participated in the balloting. At the
end of the mandatory cooling-off period, Jazz pilots will legally
be allowed to go on strike.
Jazz pilots received a $5 million grant from ALPA’s Major
Contingency Fund (MCF), which provides pilot groups with the
resources needed for responding when threats to their jobs and
their profession are imminent. “While the Jazz Air pilots
consider a strike a matter of last resort, this vote demonstrates
their steadfast unity in achieving their contract goals,”
said Capt. John Prater, ALPA president. “If Jazz Air pilots
declare a strike, it will be conducted with the extensive resources
and the full backing of the 53,000 pilots represented by
ALPA.”
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