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News Release
Release #03.083
December 2, 2003
ALPA America West Pilots Vote Down Tentative Agreement
PHOENIX—By a razor-thin margin, the pilots at America West Airlines (AWA) have
rejected a tentative agreement for a new labor contract. The vote was 725-720
against the offer, with 97.2 percent of the 1,487 eligible pilots voting.
The following statement was issued today by Captain Terry Stadler, chairman of
the America West Airlines pilots’ Master Executive Council, part of the Air
Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA).
"The America West pilots were faced with the difficult decision on whether
or not to accept a tentative agreement that was recommended for ratification by
the Master Executive Council. By the narrowest of margins, the pilots have
chosen not to accept the agreement. Since the case is still under the auspices
of the National Mediation Board (NMB), it will be up to the Board to decide the
prospects of continued negotiations in light of the nearly 50-50 split of the
pilot group. Our main priority continues to be serving the needs of our
pilots."
Captain Duane Woerth, president of ALPA, said “I would echo Captain
Stadler’s commitment to serving the best interests of the pilot group. We will
continue to work diligently to bring this to a successful conclusion.”
The AWA pilots’ negotiating committee and AWA management agreed to a tentative
agreement in October while in Washington, D.C. at the NMB. The two parties
resumed negotiations in September after the NMB suspended negotiations with the
pilot group and management in March. Pilots had overwhelmingly rejected a
tentative agreement the two sides had reached in December 2002. Contract talks
had begun in February 2000, and the NMB assigned a federal mediator to
facilitate negotiations in May 2001. The NMB temporarily suspended talks after
the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilot union,
representing 66,000 members at 42 airlines in the United States and Canada,
including nearly 1,700 pilots at America West Airlines. Visit the ALPA website
at http://www.alpa.org.
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ALPA CONTACT: Amy Scarlett, 602-306-4100 or 602-421-8869