Reporting Jason Allen
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – The Allied Pilots Association board has decided not to send American Airlines’ final contract offer to union members for a vote.
Lawyers representing the Allied Pilots Association will instead request American to ask a federal bankruptcy judge to postpone his decision, which is set for Friday. This would give the pilots union more time to negotiate the final offer with the AMR corporation, American’s parent company. The lawyers say the two parties are close to a compromise.
The union board voted 11 to five to not send the offer to the members.
If American doesn’t ask the judge and the decision comes Friday, it may end with the the APA’s contract tossed out entirely so American can cut costs and reorganize.
Lawyers say the main problem with the offer was it lacked too many details about scheduling flights for pilots.
“In explaining their opposition to approving the offer as a tentative agreement, a number of Board members cited the lack of specificity in various areas and the need for additional time to properly analyze various contractual provisions and related language,” Association spokesman Tom Hoban wrote in an email.
By formally rejecting the offer, the Allied Pilots Association joins the Association of Professional Flight Attendants and two of the Transport Workers Union’s seven units.
American Airlines issued this statement:
“We are very disappointed that the Allied Pilots Association has decided not to give American Airlines pilots the opportunity to vote on our last, best and final offer. Both parties worked hard to reach a compromise on what are very intricate and complex issues, resulting in a proposal that provides significant benefits for pilots. The proposal includes pay increases, a mid-term adjustment to industry average pay rates, furlough protection, profit sharing, seeking a freeze of the pension instead of termination, and an equity stake in the new American. We hope the APA will ultimately allow our pilots an opportunity to vote.”
American Airlines filed for bankruptcy in November of last year and began talks in earnest with the unions in February.
