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Pilots union will protest Trans States actions
The union for more than 600 pilots at Bridgeton-based Trans States Airlines plans to stage a protest today at Lambert Field, saying the regional carrier's parent company is trying to dodge organized labor by creating a startup airline.
The Air Line Pilots Association, or ALPA, also accuses Trans States of intimidating pilots by targeting their union representatives.
"The track record is egregious," ALPA President Duane Woerth said Monday in a telephone interview.
Trans States, which operates nearly 200 daily flights for three major airlines from Lambert, disagrees.
Its holding company announced plans last year to start a separate carrier, GoJet Airlines, which would create more maintenance and pilot jobs, said Bill Mishk, a Trans States executive and spokesman. He said the company can't comment on union issues concerning individual personnel, citing company policy.
Currently, Trans States' codeshare agreement with American Airlines prevents the regional feeder airline from flying planes with more than 50 seats for American or its other major carrier partners. The restriction works as a measure of job protection for major-airline pilots worried about seeing their workload shift to regional airline pilots, who generally receive lower overall pay and benefit packages.
Pending certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, GoJet would operate up to 10, 70-seat planes by year's end for United Airlines. Mishk said GoJet was formed in part so Trans States could stay in compliance with its codeshare agreement.
Other regional carriers have strayed from their codeshares, triggering financial penalties.
Trans States Holdings, parent of Trans States Airlines, sees the launch of GoJet as vital because competitors are working hard to fly bigger planes. On Monday, for example, Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc., parent of Chautauqua Airlines, said it bought Shuttle America in anticipation of increased demand for the Embraer 170, which seats 70 or more. The deal gives Republic the opportunity to operate aircraft larger than 70 seats while complying with its codeshare agreements.
Republic has said in regulatory filings that it will pay about $36,000 a day penalty to American for each day Chautauqua is operating any Embraer 170s after April 21. The payment will continue until Chautauqua no longer operates such aircraft.
Woerth said the relationship between Trans States and its pilots deteriorated rapidly after the airline announced plans for GoJet Airlines.
"They're trying to get away from the union by starting another company," Woerth said. "This is one of the oldest struggles in the labor movement."
But for Trans States, it is important to remain in compliance with its American codeshare agreement; it operates 170 daily flights from Lambert for American under the AmericanConnection logo. The codeshare allows Trans States to use American's two-letter flight designator code, AA, to identify its flights and fares in American's reservation system.
ALPA worries that GoJet will find pilots outside of the union, Woerth said. He said the union wants one seniority list and one contract.
Mishk acknowledged that some of its early pilot hires for GoJet have come from outside the union. He also said, though, that GoJet has taken applications from Trans States pilots.
ALPA is not mollified.
"Trans States has created a hostile work environment for all organized labor employees by ignoring contract language, targeting and intimidating union representatives, and utilizing classic whipsaw tactics that diminish pilot quality of life and destroy company morale," ALPA said in a media advisory.
By Tim McLaughlin
Of the Post-Dispatch
05/09/2005Of the Post-Dispatch
The union for more than 600 pilots at Bridgeton-based Trans States Airlines plans to stage a protest today at Lambert Field, saying the regional carrier's parent company is trying to dodge organized labor by creating a startup airline.
The Air Line Pilots Association, or ALPA, also accuses Trans States of intimidating pilots by targeting their union representatives.
"The track record is egregious," ALPA President Duane Woerth said Monday in a telephone interview.
Trans States, which operates nearly 200 daily flights for three major airlines from Lambert, disagrees.
Its holding company announced plans last year to start a separate carrier, GoJet Airlines, which would create more maintenance and pilot jobs, said Bill Mishk, a Trans States executive and spokesman. He said the company can't comment on union issues concerning individual personnel, citing company policy.
Currently, Trans States' codeshare agreement with American Airlines prevents the regional feeder airline from flying planes with more than 50 seats for American or its other major carrier partners. The restriction works as a measure of job protection for major-airline pilots worried about seeing their workload shift to regional airline pilots, who generally receive lower overall pay and benefit packages.
Pending certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, GoJet would operate up to 10, 70-seat planes by year's end for United Airlines. Mishk said GoJet was formed in part so Trans States could stay in compliance with its codeshare agreement.
Other regional carriers have strayed from their codeshares, triggering financial penalties.
Trans States Holdings, parent of Trans States Airlines, sees the launch of GoJet as vital because competitors are working hard to fly bigger planes. On Monday, for example, Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc., parent of Chautauqua Airlines, said it bought Shuttle America in anticipation of increased demand for the Embraer 170, which seats 70 or more. The deal gives Republic the opportunity to operate aircraft larger than 70 seats while complying with its codeshare agreements.
Republic has said in regulatory filings that it will pay about $36,000 a day penalty to American for each day Chautauqua is operating any Embraer 170s after April 21. The payment will continue until Chautauqua no longer operates such aircraft.
Woerth said the relationship between Trans States and its pilots deteriorated rapidly after the airline announced plans for GoJet Airlines.
"They're trying to get away from the union by starting another company," Woerth said. "This is one of the oldest struggles in the labor movement."
But for Trans States, it is important to remain in compliance with its American codeshare agreement; it operates 170 daily flights from Lambert for American under the AmericanConnection logo. The codeshare allows Trans States to use American's two-letter flight designator code, AA, to identify its flights and fares in American's reservation system.
ALPA worries that GoJet will find pilots outside of the union, Woerth said. He said the union wants one seniority list and one contract.
Mishk acknowledged that some of its early pilot hires for GoJet have come from outside the union. He also said, though, that GoJet has taken applications from Trans States pilots.
ALPA is not mollified.
"Trans States has created a hostile work environment for all organized labor employees by ignoring contract language, targeting and intimidating union representatives, and utilizing classic whipsaw tactics that diminish pilot quality of life and destroy company morale," ALPA said in a media advisory.
