Release #01.77
August 3, 2001 

Media Advisory
ALPA United Express Pilots at Air Wisconsin to Conduct Informational Picketing at Airport Facilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Uniformed pilots of Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation will conduct informational picketing at the company’s airport facilities in Denver, CO; Aspen, CO; Appleton, WI and Chicago’s O’Hare on August 6, 2001. The picketing is intended to alert the traveling public that if a new collective bargaining agreement is not reached with management, the pilots are prepared to strike to voice their concern with the slow pace of contract negotiations as a strike deadline approaches on August 12 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

"The Air Wisconsin pilots are united in their resolve to achieve jobs that are secure, wages that recognize our contribution to the airline, and a retirement plan that will enable us to plan for a financially secure future," said Captain Carl Fleming, chairman of the Air Wisconsin unit of ALPA. "When we last negotiated with management in 1994, our airline was in trouble. We took significant concessions in wages and work rules to help restore our airline to profitability. The time has come for management to recognize our contributions and loyalty.

The Air Wisconsin cockpit crews have been attempting to complete negotiations with airline management since July of 1999. The National Mediation Board (NMB) assigned a federal mediator to facilitate the contract negotiations in September 2000. The NMB released the parties from negotiations on July 13, triggering the possibility of a strike on Sunday. The company is a United Express carrier that provides exclusive service to many areas in Colorado and the Midwest, particularly Chicago’s O’Hare airport.

Celebrating its 70^th anniversary, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilots union, representing 66,000 members at 47 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at http://cf.alpa.org.

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ALPA Contact: Captain Mitch Madison, Strike Preparedness Committee chairman, 877-610-6333