Last Updated: 6:40 pm | Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Comair, pilots still apart
BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Comair remains at odds with its pilots union over concessions in their contracts despite a tentative deal with its flight attendants and ongoing talks with its mechanics.
J.C. Lawson, the chairman of the pilots union, said today the company offered over the weekend to renew its last proposal to the union.
The union said that wasn’t good enough to warrant a new round of negotiations.
“Considering management’s position, there was no purpose in meeting,” said Lawson, though he declined to characterize the latest exchange as a breakdown in talks.
The Erlanger-based regional airline and the union last sat down at the negotiating table on Oct. 1, just a day before the company had to submit a bid to continue handling regional flying for its parent company, Delta Air Lines.
Comair said it was forced to make a lackluster bid for the existing and future jets and routes because it was unable to come to terms with its three unions and cut costs.
Comair executives are concerned they could lose about 42 jets as bankrupt Delta looks to reassign regional flying to cheaper contractors. Comair could lose about 850 pilot and flight attendant jobs if it loses most of the bid. Delta is expected to announce results of the bidding by mid-November.
The pilots, represented by the Comair chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, ratified $17.3 million worth of givebacks in January, but the union demanded new terms after Comair was unable to deliver $8.9 million worth of concessions from the flight attendants. The pilots had made their deal contingent on those concessions from the flight attendants.
Comair officials said they’ve lowered their target for pilot concessions to $15.8 million. They said they want to reach a deal with the pilots, but they also need to lower costs to make their airline more competitive in the troubled regional industry.
“Unfortunately, the company and union remain worlds apart on the economics,” said Dave Soaper, senior vice president of aircraft operations, in a Tuesday message to pilots.
“The company cannot make the drastic economic moves (the union) leadership expects, as this would take Comair out of the competitive arena and defeat what we are trying to accomplish: providing a future for Comair that includes a stable and even growing air operation.”
Meanwhile, the company is scheduled to hold another round of discussions with its mechanics union today.
On Friday, Comair and its flight attendants union announced they reached a tentative agreement to cut pay by 7.5 percent. The union must ratify the pact in a vote ending Nov. 14. Ballots go out early next week. Neither side has released further details of the agreement.
Comair, pilots still apart
BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Comair remains at odds with its pilots union over concessions in their contracts despite a tentative deal with its flight attendants and ongoing talks with its mechanics.
J.C. Lawson, the chairman of the pilots union, said today the company offered over the weekend to renew its last proposal to the union.
The union said that wasn’t good enough to warrant a new round of negotiations.
“Considering management’s position, there was no purpose in meeting,” said Lawson, though he declined to characterize the latest exchange as a breakdown in talks.
The Erlanger-based regional airline and the union last sat down at the negotiating table on Oct. 1, just a day before the company had to submit a bid to continue handling regional flying for its parent company, Delta Air Lines.
Comair said it was forced to make a lackluster bid for the existing and future jets and routes because it was unable to come to terms with its three unions and cut costs.
Comair executives are concerned they could lose about 42 jets as bankrupt Delta looks to reassign regional flying to cheaper contractors. Comair could lose about 850 pilot and flight attendant jobs if it loses most of the bid. Delta is expected to announce results of the bidding by mid-November.
The pilots, represented by the Comair chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, ratified $17.3 million worth of givebacks in January, but the union demanded new terms after Comair was unable to deliver $8.9 million worth of concessions from the flight attendants. The pilots had made their deal contingent on those concessions from the flight attendants.
Comair officials said they’ve lowered their target for pilot concessions to $15.8 million. They said they want to reach a deal with the pilots, but they also need to lower costs to make their airline more competitive in the troubled regional industry.
“Unfortunately, the company and union remain worlds apart on the economics,” said Dave Soaper, senior vice president of aircraft operations, in a Tuesday message to pilots.
“The company cannot make the drastic economic moves (the union) leadership expects, as this would take Comair out of the competitive arena and defeat what we are trying to accomplish: providing a future for Comair that includes a stable and even growing air operation.”
Meanwhile, the company is scheduled to hold another round of discussions with its mechanics union today.
On Friday, Comair and its flight attendants union announced they reached a tentative agreement to cut pay by 7.5 percent. The union must ratify the pact in a vote ending Nov. 14. Ballots go out early next week. Neither side has released further details of the agreement.
