Angry pilots at US Airways near vote on union ouster
PHOENIX -- A group of disgruntled US Airways pilots says it's close to forcing a vote to choose a new union and stall contract negotiations with the carrier indefinitely.
Stephen H. Bradford, a US Airways pilot who leads the fledgling US Airline Pilots Association, said almost a majority of the airline's unionized pilots has called for a vote to pick new collective bargaining representatives. If about 150 more pilots join his cause, Bradford said he can ask the National Mediation Board to force a referendum on the Air Line Pilots Association, which currently represents the pilots.
Bradford said he expects to have a majority "in a month to six weeks. We are in the endgame of this, I would imagine."
The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline has struggled to merge its pilot groups following America West Airlines' acquisition of the former US Airways in 2005. Pilots from both carriers have been trying to hammer out a joint contract, but those who were with the original US Airways recently walked away from the negotiating table, demanding immediate pay raises before they return.
US Airways refused, and CEO Doug Parker said he won't deal with America West pilots independently. Company spokeswoman Andrea Rader said management still plans to meet Tuesday in Washington D.C., with America West pilots, as well as representatives from ALPA's national office.
But the company won't discuss pay issues specific to pilots from the former US Airways because their representatives aren't expected to come, Rader said. She added that a National Mediation Board-sponsored vote on union representation would throw the entire contract negotiation process into limbo.
"If one union is decertified and we have to start all over with another one, then that's pretty clear," Rader said.
America West pilots have watched Bradford's group with frustration. If he gets his way, two years of contract negotiations will be likely thrown out, said Tania Bziukiewicz, a spokeswoman for America West pilots.
"There's no expectation that the company's going to take all the work that's been done and go ahead," Bziukiewicz said.
Both pilot groups say internal squabbles started to hinder their contract negotiations in May when an arbitrator combined seniority lists between the two former airlines. Seniority determines whether pilots have to work on holidays, whether they can get weekends off, and the kind of planes they can fly.
Pilots from the former US Airways felt they got the short end of the deal. They said America West pilots were given equal footing with US Airways pilots who had more years of service.
"You have to understand how important that is to a pilot, Bradford said. "In many other job classifications, the seniority issue boils down to who gets vacations. In the case of an airline pilot, you're talking about opportunities (to be promoted) from co-pilot to captain.
"We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars per year" in salaries, he said. "It's a huge impact."
On Thursday, ALPA agreed to send the integrated seniority list to management.
Meanwhile, pilots from the former US Airways are suing the Air Line Pilots Association in hopes of overturning the arbitrator's seniority award. And Bradford's group is trying to replace ALPA altogether.
If he succeeds, Bradford said he would take another look at seniority.
"It would be revisited," he said. "We're not bound by that award."
According to National Mediation Board guidelines, a majority of a union's members must agree to authorize the federal agency to take action. The NMB typically conducts an investigation to ensure that the request for a vote on new representatives is valid. The agency will then supervise an election.
A majority of union members must participate for an election to be valid. The union that receives the most votes will be recognized as the collective bargaining agent for the pilots.