Pilots' talks signal merger
AmWest seniority guarded
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 16, 2004 12:00 AM
America West Airlines has said it's still weighing whether to make a bid for ATA Airlines, but the company's pilots are operating as if an offer is inevitable.
The union that represents America West's 1,800 pilots met with the airline's senior management Monday and has been feverishly working on seniority issues in the event of a merger.
Meanwhile, a group of pilots that has been trying to unseat the current union is raising alarms about the potential impact of a deal on lower-level America West pilots. advertisement
The developments are noteworthy because America West has been tightlipped, at least publicly, about the level of its interest in ATA and the state of any company negotiations to complete a deal.
CJ Szmal, chairman of the America West unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, devoted his weekly recorded message to pilots to the topic of a possible ATA merger.
On Friday's recording, he said America West Chief Operating Officer Jeff McClelland told him last week that the company is continuing to develop a proposal to the bankruptcy court that will better position America West to compete with other, rapidly growing low-cost carriers.
"Lets face it," Szmal said, "with the (large) airline orders at Southwest and, even more importantly, at both JetBlue and AirTran, America West needs to grow and grow now to be competitive."
Addressing the thorny issue of seniority head-on, he said, "There is a way for reasonable people to sit down and make this integration work in a way that justly recognizes that we are the acquiring airline and as such entitled to a greater benefit than the ATA pilots."
Szmal said Monday that the union doesn't have any inside track on the negotiations but rather is simply trying to be prepared if America West does make an offer for all or part of ATA.
The Indianapolis-based airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month and has proposed selling assets to AirTran Airways. The bankruptcy process allows for competing bids.
The union "can't start thinking about it (on) the day America West announces they're going forward," Szmal said.
Seniority integration - deciding how the seniority lists of America West and ATA would be merged - is the most volatile topic you can toss out to a pilot group, Szmal said.
Pilots cherish seniority because it gives them much more control over their schedules, among other factors.
Moving lower on the list is almost like being a new hire, he said.
"The only way I can sit home on Christmas is when I finally get enough seniority," said Szmal, an America West captain for 15 years who still doesn't have that privilege.
An independent group called the America West Airlines Pilots Association, which unsuccessfully tried to unseat the union, is concerned about rumors it has heard about seniority integration. It is reviving its efforts given the merger talk.
Szmal said America West CEO Doug Parker and McClelland reiterated their interest in ATA at Monday's meeting, which he requested.
"What they see in this is opportunity," he said.
He said the only timetable for a possible deal that came up was Dec. 10.
AmWest seniority guarded
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 16, 2004 12:00 AM
America West Airlines has said it's still weighing whether to make a bid for ATA Airlines, but the company's pilots are operating as if an offer is inevitable.
The union that represents America West's 1,800 pilots met with the airline's senior management Monday and has been feverishly working on seniority issues in the event of a merger.
Meanwhile, a group of pilots that has been trying to unseat the current union is raising alarms about the potential impact of a deal on lower-level America West pilots. advertisement
The developments are noteworthy because America West has been tightlipped, at least publicly, about the level of its interest in ATA and the state of any company negotiations to complete a deal.
CJ Szmal, chairman of the America West unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, devoted his weekly recorded message to pilots to the topic of a possible ATA merger.
On Friday's recording, he said America West Chief Operating Officer Jeff McClelland told him last week that the company is continuing to develop a proposal to the bankruptcy court that will better position America West to compete with other, rapidly growing low-cost carriers.
"Lets face it," Szmal said, "with the (large) airline orders at Southwest and, even more importantly, at both JetBlue and AirTran, America West needs to grow and grow now to be competitive."
Addressing the thorny issue of seniority head-on, he said, "There is a way for reasonable people to sit down and make this integration work in a way that justly recognizes that we are the acquiring airline and as such entitled to a greater benefit than the ATA pilots."
Szmal said Monday that the union doesn't have any inside track on the negotiations but rather is simply trying to be prepared if America West does make an offer for all or part of ATA.
The Indianapolis-based airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month and has proposed selling assets to AirTran Airways. The bankruptcy process allows for competing bids.
The union "can't start thinking about it (on) the day America West announces they're going forward," Szmal said.
Seniority integration - deciding how the seniority lists of America West and ATA would be merged - is the most volatile topic you can toss out to a pilot group, Szmal said.
Pilots cherish seniority because it gives them much more control over their schedules, among other factors.
Moving lower on the list is almost like being a new hire, he said.
"The only way I can sit home on Christmas is when I finally get enough seniority," said Szmal, an America West captain for 15 years who still doesn't have that privilege.
An independent group called the America West Airlines Pilots Association, which unsuccessfully tried to unseat the union, is concerned about rumors it has heard about seniority integration. It is reviving its efforts given the merger talk.
Szmal said America West CEO Doug Parker and McClelland reiterated their interest in ATA at Monday's meeting, which he requested.
"What they see in this is opportunity," he said.
He said the only timetable for a possible deal that came up was Dec. 10.
