ALPA's Communications Department provides information and support for news
media inquiries. An ALPA communications representative can be reached in the Herndon, Va.
office at (703) 481-4440.
News Release
Release #02.061
July 8, 2002
MEDIA ADVISORY
MINNEAPOLIS --- The Champion Air pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International, will open their Minneapolis Strike Center on Tuesday, July 9, and will conduct informational picketing at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Hubert H. Humphrey Terminal on Wednesday, July 10.
4
p.m. – 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, 2002 (ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m.)
Champion Pilots Strike Center
7900 International Drive, Suite 145
Bloomington, MN 55425
5:30
am – 7:30 am, 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm., Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Hubert H. Humphrey Terminal, outside of the charter ticketing counter
The Champion pilots began negotiations with management for their first contract in February 1999. Negotiations have been conducted with the assistance of the National Mediation Board since September 2000. Although most sections of the contract have been agreed to, Champion pilots and management remain far apart on the critical economic issues of compensation, retirement, and scheduling.
Under the Railway Labor Act, the National Mediation Board may release the parties into a 30-day cooling-off period after it declares an impasse in the mediated talks. If an agreement is not reached by the end of those 30 days, the pilots would be able to strike. Although the Champion pilots do not want to strike, they must prepare for that contingency if management forces them to do so to achieve a fair contract.
With headquarters in Minneapolis, Champion Air is the largest dedicated provider of charter airlift in the United States. Champion’s pilots fly a fleet of 13 Boeing 727-200 aircraft in support of a wide variety of customers, including professional sports teams, corporations, and major tour package wholesalers.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilot union representing more than 66,000 cockpit crewmembers at 43 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.
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ALPA Contact: Teresa Mattick, 952-854-3252, 952-854-1937