In September of this year, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union representing the 10,500 pilots at American Airlines, expressed concerns regarding American Airlines' joint business agreement with British Airways and Iberia, and the airlines' plans to seek worldwide anti-trust immunity for their joint venture. Among their concerns, the pilots cited national security, competitiveness, and outsourcing issues.
Apparently the APA believes that President-elect Obama's administration, widely viewed as pro-labor, may pay more attention to their concerns than the present administration has been inclined to do. Today the union issued the following statement:
“The Allied Pilots Association congratulates President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden upon their successful election,” said APA President Captain Lloyd Hill. “We also want to express our appreciation to Senator McCain and Governor Palin for their willingness to serve.
“APA is excited at the prospect of working with the new administration to advance the interests of the professional pilots we represent. During their campaign, the President- and Vice President-elect spoke out in support of union workers and the need to help our nation’s middle class. The American people heard that message loud and clear and a new day for working men and women has now dawned.
“In a letter earlier this year to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, President-elect Obama wrote, ‘The practice of outsourcing aircraft maintenance overseas raises security concerns and pits our skilled mechanics making a middle-class living against less skilled, less well-protected workers abroad.’ APA believes he makes a crucial point not only about our nation’s aircraft mechanics, but also about the outsourcing of other hard-working Americans’ jobs. Right now one of APA’s foremost concerns is American Airlines management’s joint business agreement with British Airways and Iberia and related application for worldwide antitrust immunity and the threat these deals pose to thousands of middle-class Americans’ livelihoods.
“We look forward to discussing our outsourcing concerns with the new administration,” Hill said.
1 comments:
Captain Hill is doing nothing but playing politics. He knows the agreement would be good for the company (and therefore for labor) but he is grasping at straws trying to get any leverage he can for his contract negotiations.
Focus on getting your pilots a new contract, Captain!
Post a Comment