Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition Comdemns Effort Afoot in U.S.
Apr 1, 2003 | 10:45 am
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Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition Comdemns Effort Afoot in U.S.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030401/15544_1.html
Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition Comdemns Effort Afoot in U.S. to Strip Airline Workers of Basic Rights
Tuesday April 1, 12:13 pm ET
U.S. Airline Management Seeks Rewrite of Railway Labor Act, Which Stipulates How Negotiations Are Carried Out
EDINBURGH, Scotland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2003-- The Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition (OCCC), representing the 28,000 cockpit crew that fly for the oneworld Alliance carriers, expressed its concern over a well-organised campaign by U.S. airline management to convince that nation's policy makers to modify the legislation that governs airline industry labour negotiations.
"The Railway Labor Act has served as an effective dispute resolution mechanism for U.S. airline workers and management since the 1930s," said Captain Rob Hall, OCCC Chairman. "Airline management wants to change this time-tested legislation to make it virtually impossible for workers to realise any gains at the bargaining table in future negotiations."
During a biannual meeting of the leaders of the various OCCC unions that took place here today, Hall noted that the anti-labour campaign aimed at rewriting the Railway Labor Act is being shepherded by a single-issue front group known as Communities For Economic Strength Through Aviation (CESTA). Ordinarily, the principal management-side lobbying organization in the airline industry -- the Washington, D.C.-based Air Transport Association -- would serve this function.
"Evidently, there is some disagreement amongst the ATA's members as to whether to pursue this anti-labour agenda," said Hall. "As a consequence, those advocating this agenda created CESTA to serve as the campaign's mouthpiece."
According to Hall, the vast majority of airline labour disputes in the U.S. are settled with no disruption in service, providing solid evidence that the Railway Labor Act works as intended.
"Management is simply intent on tilting the playing field in their favour permanently by taking away any leverage on the part of workers," he said. "We, the cockpit crew of the OCCC, urge them to rethink this ill-advised course of action. Given the current crisis in the U.S. airline industry, management would be much better served to focus on building a more cooperative relationship with labour, rather than taking such a confrontational stance."
OCCC represents the cockpit crew of Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN-Chile, Qantas, and Swiss.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Allied Pilots Association
Captain Steve Blankenship, 817/302-2350
Mobile 773/580-0604
or
Gregg Overman, 817/302-2250
Mobile 817/312-3901
Source: Allied Pilots Association
Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition Comdemns Effort Afoot in U.S. to Strip Airline Workers of Basic Rights
Tuesday April 1, 12:13 pm ET
U.S. Airline Management Seeks Rewrite of Railway Labor Act, Which Stipulates How Negotiations Are Carried Out
EDINBURGH, Scotland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2003-- The Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition (OCCC), representing the 28,000 cockpit crew that fly for the oneworld Alliance carriers, expressed its concern over a well-organised campaign by U.S. airline management to convince that nation's policy makers to modify the legislation that governs airline industry labour negotiations.
"The Railway Labor Act has served as an effective dispute resolution mechanism for U.S. airline workers and management since the 1930s," said Captain Rob Hall, OCCC Chairman. "Airline management wants to change this time-tested legislation to make it virtually impossible for workers to realise any gains at the bargaining table in future negotiations."
During a biannual meeting of the leaders of the various OCCC unions that took place here today, Hall noted that the anti-labour campaign aimed at rewriting the Railway Labor Act is being shepherded by a single-issue front group known as Communities For Economic Strength Through Aviation (CESTA). Ordinarily, the principal management-side lobbying organization in the airline industry -- the Washington, D.C.-based Air Transport Association -- would serve this function.
"Evidently, there is some disagreement amongst the ATA's members as to whether to pursue this anti-labour agenda," said Hall. "As a consequence, those advocating this agenda created CESTA to serve as the campaign's mouthpiece."
According to Hall, the vast majority of airline labour disputes in the U.S. are settled with no disruption in service, providing solid evidence that the Railway Labor Act works as intended.
"Management is simply intent on tilting the playing field in their favour permanently by taking away any leverage on the part of workers," he said. "We, the cockpit crew of the OCCC, urge them to rethink this ill-advised course of action. Given the current crisis in the U.S. airline industry, management would be much better served to focus on building a more cooperative relationship with labour, rather than taking such a confrontational stance."
OCCC represents the cockpit crew of Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN-Chile, Qantas, and Swiss.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Allied Pilots Association
Captain Steve Blankenship, 817/302-2350
Mobile 773/580-0604
or
Gregg Overman, 817/302-2250
Mobile 817/312-3901
Source: Allied Pilots Association
