CheapFlyer
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From the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Comair’s pilots have overwhelmingly voted in favor of giving their leadership the go-ahead to call a strike if ongoing talks with the bankrupt carrier don’t result in a new contract.
A potential strike was authorized by 93.2 percent of the vote, the union said tonight.
While the results don’t portend an immediate strike, the union is prepared for a potential confrontation with the airline, which is seeking to cut pilot pay to lower costs and get it out of bankruptcy.
Officials did not disclose how many of Comair’s 1,600 pilots participated in the ballot.
“This means Comair pilots will not live under company imposed wages and working conditions when (the union) is on the ready to negotiate changes to our working agreement,” said J.C. Lawson, chairman of the union.
Lawson said the union still hopes to cut a deal with Comair and noted today’s talks are still taking place.
Comair officials have said they are hopeful they can negotiate a deal.
So what does today's vote counting mean for people holding Delta tickets for flights operated by Comair, as well as those employees?
While a vote to strike is intended to show solidarity to management, the airline and the pilots union say a work stoppage or disruption won't occur just yet.
At least two things must happen before a strike becomes imminent:
A judge must give the airline the right to throw out its labor contract.
Comair must impose the court-authorized cuts.
Both sides are under increasing pressure to make a deal. Beside the pending decision on the contract, the holiday travel period is drawing closer. And without concessions, the regional carrier faces an automatic pay raise for pilots Jan. 1.
The pilots and the company resumed talks today. Both sides say they want to reach a deal. Comair is seeking to lower the pilots' pay to complete its restructuring and get out of bankruptcy.
"It's not our desire to strike the airline - it is absolutely a last resort," pilot union head J.C. Lawson said. "We are eager to get back to the bargaining table to reach a consensual agreement."
Officials at Comair, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, declined to discuss the pilots' vote other than to stress its outcome would have no immediate impact on daily operations or flight schedules.
Negotiations are scheduled throughout the month, spokeswoman Kate Marx said, and "we're going to continue to work toward a consensual deal."
More negotiations are scheduled for Tuesday and Dec. 27, 28 and 29.
Comair has another critical deadline to consider. It wants to lower pilot costs before Jan. 1 when a "snapback" clause in the pilots' current agreement kicks in - increasing total pilot payroll by $8 million.
Robert Bruno, a labor professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said the union wouldn't have called a vote to authorize a strike unless it was confident members would pass it. He said a vote of 80 percent or 90 percent in favor would be used to convince Comair that the pilots were ready for a fight.
"You take a vote as a shot across the bow - they want to send a message," he said.
Bankruptcy Court Judge Adlai Hardin's pending legal decision on whether the pilot contract can be rejected will likely jump-start talks if an agreement isn't reached before his ruling. A decision is due by Dec. 27. Whichever side wins in court would have considerable new leverage.
If Comair loses the ruling, it would be under intense pressure to cut a deal before pilots' pay increases in January. If the union loses, it would face negotiating with an airline that would likely impose cuts before the end of the year.
STRIKE FACES COURT FIGHT
If Comair wins the right to impose cuts, it will likely contest the legality of a strike before it occurs.
Federal law normally curbs transportation strikes by making contracts continuous and subject to perpetual negotiation. But there is scarce legal precedent for what happens after an airline contract is voided in bankruptcy.
Experts predict Comair would seek a court order to block a strike or disruption, if the company wins the right to scrap its pilot contract. Comair sought an injunction and threatened to impose court-authorized concessions on flight attendants just before reaching a deal.
The pilots, who shut down Comair for three months in 2001, could stage a full-fledged walkout and potentially ground much of the airline.
They also could seek to disrupt select operations by staging sickouts at a specific hub or simply slow normal operations by zealously following rules.
Comair’s pilots have overwhelmingly voted in favor of giving their leadership the go-ahead to call a strike if ongoing talks with the bankrupt carrier don’t result in a new contract.
A potential strike was authorized by 93.2 percent of the vote, the union said tonight.
While the results don’t portend an immediate strike, the union is prepared for a potential confrontation with the airline, which is seeking to cut pilot pay to lower costs and get it out of bankruptcy.
Officials did not disclose how many of Comair’s 1,600 pilots participated in the ballot.
“This means Comair pilots will not live under company imposed wages and working conditions when (the union) is on the ready to negotiate changes to our working agreement,” said J.C. Lawson, chairman of the union.
Lawson said the union still hopes to cut a deal with Comair and noted today’s talks are still taking place.
Comair officials have said they are hopeful they can negotiate a deal.
So what does today's vote counting mean for people holding Delta tickets for flights operated by Comair, as well as those employees?
While a vote to strike is intended to show solidarity to management, the airline and the pilots union say a work stoppage or disruption won't occur just yet.
At least two things must happen before a strike becomes imminent:
A judge must give the airline the right to throw out its labor contract.
Comair must impose the court-authorized cuts.
Both sides are under increasing pressure to make a deal. Beside the pending decision on the contract, the holiday travel period is drawing closer. And without concessions, the regional carrier faces an automatic pay raise for pilots Jan. 1.
The pilots and the company resumed talks today. Both sides say they want to reach a deal. Comair is seeking to lower the pilots' pay to complete its restructuring and get out of bankruptcy.
"It's not our desire to strike the airline - it is absolutely a last resort," pilot union head J.C. Lawson said. "We are eager to get back to the bargaining table to reach a consensual agreement."
Officials at Comair, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, declined to discuss the pilots' vote other than to stress its outcome would have no immediate impact on daily operations or flight schedules.
Negotiations are scheduled throughout the month, spokeswoman Kate Marx said, and "we're going to continue to work toward a consensual deal."
More negotiations are scheduled for Tuesday and Dec. 27, 28 and 29.
Comair has another critical deadline to consider. It wants to lower pilot costs before Jan. 1 when a "snapback" clause in the pilots' current agreement kicks in - increasing total pilot payroll by $8 million.
Robert Bruno, a labor professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said the union wouldn't have called a vote to authorize a strike unless it was confident members would pass it. He said a vote of 80 percent or 90 percent in favor would be used to convince Comair that the pilots were ready for a fight.
"You take a vote as a shot across the bow - they want to send a message," he said.
Bankruptcy Court Judge Adlai Hardin's pending legal decision on whether the pilot contract can be rejected will likely jump-start talks if an agreement isn't reached before his ruling. A decision is due by Dec. 27. Whichever side wins in court would have considerable new leverage.
If Comair loses the ruling, it would be under intense pressure to cut a deal before pilots' pay increases in January. If the union loses, it would face negotiating with an airline that would likely impose cuts before the end of the year.
STRIKE FACES COURT FIGHT
If Comair wins the right to impose cuts, it will likely contest the legality of a strike before it occurs.
Federal law normally curbs transportation strikes by making contracts continuous and subject to perpetual negotiation. But there is scarce legal precedent for what happens after an airline contract is voided in bankruptcy.
Experts predict Comair would seek a court order to block a strike or disruption, if the company wins the right to scrap its pilot contract. Comair sought an injunction and threatened to impose court-authorized concessions on flight attendants just before reaching a deal.
The pilots, who shut down Comair for three months in 2001, could stage a full-fledged walkout and potentially ground much of the airline.
They also could seek to disrupt select operations by staging sickouts at a specific hub or simply slow normal operations by zealously following rules.
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