Historic Turnout in Support of US Airways “Coast-to-Coast” Picketing
On Thursday, Nov. 16, the US Airways “Coast-to-Coast” pilot group held what appears to be the largest organized pilot informational picketing event ever conducted in ALPA history. Nearly 700 US Airways and America West pilots participated in picketing events, held simultaneously at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, to express their increasing frustration with US Airways management’s unwillingness to fully participate in negotiations for a fair, single contract.
In Charlotte, ALPA’s president, Capt. Duane Woerth, as well as pilots from Continental, Delta, FedEx, Piedmont, PSA, Mesa, and United, picketed together with more than 350 US Airways pilots in a show of support. The pilots, in rows of four deep, filled three pedestrian bridges as ALPA media spokesmen conducted numerous interviews. During the picketing, a mobile billboard with the message: “US Airways Pilots to Management: Enough Is Enough. A Fair, Single Contract Now!” circled the airport.
“The US Airways pilots demonstrated during this event that enough is enough. This Coast-to-Coast pilot group will not sit idly by and let someone else steer our course,” said Capt. Jack Stephan, US Airways Master Executive Council chairman. “With the help and support of many of our brother and sister ALPA pilots who joined us today on the picket line, we clearly expressed to US Airways management, and to all airline management, that when one pilot group is threatened, we are all threatened. We demonstrated that no airline will go anywhere without ALPA pilots on board. I have never been more proud to be a US Airways pilot and never more proud to be a union member of the Air Line Pilots Association,” he said.
In Phoenix, approximately 300 America West pilots were joined on the picket line by ALPA’s president-elect, Capt. John Prater; ALPA’s vice-president—administration/secretary and first vice-president-elect, Capt. Paul Rice; ALPA’s vice president—administration/secretary-elect, Capt. Bill Couette; executive vice-president-elect, Capt. Russ Webber; and pilots from Alaska, Atlantic Southeast, Continental, ExpressJet, FedEx, Mesa, Mesaba, Piedmont, and United. The pilots orbited the north and south sides of the main terminal while spokespeople conducted numerous interviews with print, radio, and television news outlets. A mobile billboard looped both the airport and US Airways headquarters with the message: “One Year of Contract Negotiations With US Airways … Pilots Get Nothing! Management Makes Millions.”
“US Airways management—along with airline managements across the country—took notice yesterday as we took public, on the eve of the busy travel season, our plight—no fair, single contract. The silent protest spoke volumes and with the full support of our national union, our message was clear: Pilots will no longer be exploited while management reaps the benefits of our hard work,” said Capt. Kevin Kent, chairman of the America West Master Executive Council. “We deserve better pay, better benefits, and better work rules, and the only way we can achieve these is for management to recognize, at the bargaining table, the value that we bring to the company. It was an honor to walk the line with so many of my ALPA brothers and sisters to raise awareness of our struggle for a fair contract, and I thank everyone for using their valuable free time to help make a difference.”
On Thursday, Nov. 16, the US Airways “Coast-to-Coast” pilot group held what appears to be the largest organized pilot informational picketing event ever conducted in ALPA history. Nearly 700 US Airways and America West pilots participated in picketing events, held simultaneously at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, to express their increasing frustration with US Airways management’s unwillingness to fully participate in negotiations for a fair, single contract.
In Charlotte, ALPA’s president, Capt. Duane Woerth, as well as pilots from Continental, Delta, FedEx, Piedmont, PSA, Mesa, and United, picketed together with more than 350 US Airways pilots in a show of support. The pilots, in rows of four deep, filled three pedestrian bridges as ALPA media spokesmen conducted numerous interviews. During the picketing, a mobile billboard with the message: “US Airways Pilots to Management: Enough Is Enough. A Fair, Single Contract Now!” circled the airport.
“The US Airways pilots demonstrated during this event that enough is enough. This Coast-to-Coast pilot group will not sit idly by and let someone else steer our course,” said Capt. Jack Stephan, US Airways Master Executive Council chairman. “With the help and support of many of our brother and sister ALPA pilots who joined us today on the picket line, we clearly expressed to US Airways management, and to all airline management, that when one pilot group is threatened, we are all threatened. We demonstrated that no airline will go anywhere without ALPA pilots on board. I have never been more proud to be a US Airways pilot and never more proud to be a union member of the Air Line Pilots Association,” he said.
In Phoenix, approximately 300 America West pilots were joined on the picket line by ALPA’s president-elect, Capt. John Prater; ALPA’s vice-president—administration/secretary and first vice-president-elect, Capt. Paul Rice; ALPA’s vice president—administration/secretary-elect, Capt. Bill Couette; executive vice-president-elect, Capt. Russ Webber; and pilots from Alaska, Atlantic Southeast, Continental, ExpressJet, FedEx, Mesa, Mesaba, Piedmont, and United. The pilots orbited the north and south sides of the main terminal while spokespeople conducted numerous interviews with print, radio, and television news outlets. A mobile billboard looped both the airport and US Airways headquarters with the message: “One Year of Contract Negotiations With US Airways … Pilots Get Nothing! Management Makes Millions.”
“US Airways management—along with airline managements across the country—took notice yesterday as we took public, on the eve of the busy travel season, our plight—no fair, single contract. The silent protest spoke volumes and with the full support of our national union, our message was clear: Pilots will no longer be exploited while management reaps the benefits of our hard work,” said Capt. Kevin Kent, chairman of the America West Master Executive Council. “We deserve better pay, better benefits, and better work rules, and the only way we can achieve these is for management to recognize, at the bargaining table, the value that we bring to the company. It was an honor to walk the line with so many of my ALPA brothers and sisters to raise awareness of our struggle for a fair contract, and I thank everyone for using their valuable free time to help make a difference.”
