A1FlyBoy
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- Jan 11, 2002
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MIAMI (Reuters) -
At a time when airline safety and security is under increased scrutiny, the union for American Airlines' 11,000 pilots said on Tuesday the company is harassing and intimidating pilots who criticize its commitment to safety.
Three pilots have been subjected to disciplinary hearings in recent months for wearing uniforms during media appearances in which they expressed concerns about safety practices, Allied Pilots Association officials told a news conference at which they wore their uniforms.
One of them, Miami-based Capt. Rich Rubin, is one of the airline's most vocal critics. He filed a whistle-blower complaint last year alleging American was manipulating pilots' schedules in a way that risked flight fatigue.
"We believe that American's focus on our uniforms is nothing more than a ruse ... to intimidate our representatives and silence our safety concerns," Rubin said.
Karen Watson, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, a unit of Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corp., denied the company was trying to silence critics.
"Absolutely not. The issue is violating the policy on wearing the uniforms," she said. "There were other pilots who said the same things (out of uniform) and were not disciplined."
Union officials said American pilots have worn their uniforms off duty for decades in media appearances, during lobbying campaigns, at labor negotiations, at weddings and funerals without protest from the company.
They conceded that a regulation exists on paper prohibiting pilots from wearing uniforms off duty, but the fact that American has never enforced the rule effectively gave them "past practice" rights to wear them until the union and airline agree to change the status quo during negotiations.
Union officials have raised two primary safety issues at American recently -- pilot fatigue and the unexplained crash of an American Airlines Airbus A300-600 last year in New York.
The union and the carrier have long been at odds over pilot fatigue, which was cited by investigators in the 1999 crash of an American jetliner in Little Rock, Arkansas. The industry is waging a court battle to block rules that would limit a pilot's work day to 16 hours and Rubin is the union's point-man on flight duty time issues at American.
Some APA members want federal regulators to consider grounding American's fleet of 34 Airbus A300-600s until questions about its safety are resolved. But union leaders say they are still taking the position that the A300 is safe.
Rubin said he was called in to a disciplinary hearing after appearing in uniform with two other pilots on Jan. 18 at a demonstration outside the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. During the demonstration Rubin said that American was wrong to oppose a 16-hour workday for pilots.
Rubin said his supervisor put a reprimand letter in his personnel file, one step in a lengthy process toward termination. Neither of the other pilots who appeared in uniform at the demonstration was disciplined, he said.
"It's obvious that our leaders are being targeted when they voice concerns about safety issues," Rubin said.
Watson said American has applied the uniform policy in the past but is not aware of every situation where an employee wears a uniform off duty.
"It's a policy that's been on the books for years. We've reminded pilots of the policy," she said. "When we see the problem we address it. We simply don't know about all the incidents."
At a time when airline safety and security is under increased scrutiny, the union for American Airlines' 11,000 pilots said on Tuesday the company is harassing and intimidating pilots who criticize its commitment to safety.
Three pilots have been subjected to disciplinary hearings in recent months for wearing uniforms during media appearances in which they expressed concerns about safety practices, Allied Pilots Association officials told a news conference at which they wore their uniforms.
One of them, Miami-based Capt. Rich Rubin, is one of the airline's most vocal critics. He filed a whistle-blower complaint last year alleging American was manipulating pilots' schedules in a way that risked flight fatigue.
"We believe that American's focus on our uniforms is nothing more than a ruse ... to intimidate our representatives and silence our safety concerns," Rubin said.
Karen Watson, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, a unit of Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corp., denied the company was trying to silence critics.
"Absolutely not. The issue is violating the policy on wearing the uniforms," she said. "There were other pilots who said the same things (out of uniform) and were not disciplined."
Union officials said American pilots have worn their uniforms off duty for decades in media appearances, during lobbying campaigns, at labor negotiations, at weddings and funerals without protest from the company.
They conceded that a regulation exists on paper prohibiting pilots from wearing uniforms off duty, but the fact that American has never enforced the rule effectively gave them "past practice" rights to wear them until the union and airline agree to change the status quo during negotiations.
Union officials have raised two primary safety issues at American recently -- pilot fatigue and the unexplained crash of an American Airlines Airbus A300-600 last year in New York.
The union and the carrier have long been at odds over pilot fatigue, which was cited by investigators in the 1999 crash of an American jetliner in Little Rock, Arkansas. The industry is waging a court battle to block rules that would limit a pilot's work day to 16 hours and Rubin is the union's point-man on flight duty time issues at American.
Some APA members want federal regulators to consider grounding American's fleet of 34 Airbus A300-600s until questions about its safety are resolved. But union leaders say they are still taking the position that the A300 is safe.
Rubin said he was called in to a disciplinary hearing after appearing in uniform with two other pilots on Jan. 18 at a demonstration outside the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. During the demonstration Rubin said that American was wrong to oppose a 16-hour workday for pilots.
Rubin said his supervisor put a reprimand letter in his personnel file, one step in a lengthy process toward termination. Neither of the other pilots who appeared in uniform at the demonstration was disciplined, he said.
"It's obvious that our leaders are being targeted when they voice concerns about safety issues," Rubin said.
Watson said American has applied the uniform policy in the past but is not aware of every situation where an employee wears a uniform off duty.
"It's a policy that's been on the books for years. We've reminded pilots of the policy," she said. "When we see the problem we address it. We simply don't know about all the incidents."
