National Mediation Board Approves American Airlines and US Airways as Single Carrier

The August 8 decision by the NMB paves the way for a single collective bargaining representative for the pilots of both US Airways and American Airlines. That representative is likely to be the APA.

In a 23-page decision, the National Mediation Board (NMB) agreed with the Allied Pilots Association (APA) that American Airlines and US Airways are operating as a single transportation system. The APA represents American Airlines’ 10,000 pilots. Both the APA and American Airlines filed briefs with the NMB earlier this year in support of the single-carrier classification. The US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) was alone in filing a brief opposing the classification. The USAPA represents 5,200 US Airways pilots.

The NMB report cited the merged American Airlines’ common management, financial integration, centralized control of labor relations, common personnel policies, combined routes and schedules, and standardized employee uniforms as the basis for reaching the conclusion that the merged airlines are operating as a single carrier.

The NMB acknowledged the USAPA’s contention that the two carriers were not fully integrated. “USAPA argues that the New American has not removed any public indicia of US Airways, that separate livery still exists, that separate websites continues, and that separate crew management computer systems in use and that many important terms and conditions of pilot employment remain separate with no established date for integration,” a segment of the report read. The NMB concluded that the aforementioned obstacles were not enough to prevent approval of the APA petition.

In a statement issued Friday, the APA explained what the NMB’s decision means to its workforce. “In accordance with the NMB’s standard procedures, APA ‘and any Intervenor have 30 days from [August 8] to file an application supported by a showing of interest of at least 50% of the single transportation system.’ APA has previously submitted evidence to the NMB that we represent approximately two-thirds of the combined pilot group.”

Because the APA has a strong numbers advantage, the NMB’s decision all but assures that the APA, rather than the USAPA, will represent the pilots at a merged American Airlines.

Last Wednesday, unions representing mechanics for American Airlines also filed to declare the merged airline a single transportation system. Unlike the pilots’ unions, both the Transportation Workers Union, representing American Airlines employees, and the International Association of Machinists, representing US Airways mechanics, supported the petition. The two unions previously agreed to jointly represent employees from both airlines under one collective bargaining agreement.

[Photo: American Airlines]