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 #03.027
March 28, 2003 

Midwest Connect ALPA Pilots Dismayed by Failure to Achieve a New Pilot Agreement 

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. --- The pilots of Midwest Connect carrier Skyway Airlines, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International, today expressed dismay that the airline's management and pilots have failed to reach an agreement on a new pilot contract. To help their airline regain its financial strength, Skyway pilots' offered to accept temporary pay cuts requested by the carrier, as well as other cost-cutting measures, in exchange for addressing pilot concerns in the later years of a new contract. 

"During contract negotiations this week in Washington, D.C., we offered management significant and immediate cost-savings in return for completing our negotiations for a new contract," said Captain Brian Belmonti, chairman of the Skyway pilots' unit of ALPA.   

"We are doing our best to help our carrier considering that our pilots are among the lowest paid in the industry," Belmonti said.  Many of the pilots earn less than $20,000 base pay per year. 

"The Skyway pilots remain committed to working with our management to address our mutual concerns, but we have been working under our current contract since January 1998," Belmonti said.  "And although our pilot pay rates are among the lowest in the industry, we are still willing to accept reasonable pay cuts that will help save our airline and our jobs."

The Skyway pilots and management have been in negotiations for a new contract since June 2001.  The pilot contract became amendable in January 2002. Talks have been conducted under the auspices of the National Mediation Board since August 2002.

Skyway Airlines is owned by Midwest Holdings and operates as a Midwest Connect carrier. Skyway's 220 professional pilots fly a fleet of 328JET and Beech 1900D aircraft from Milwaukee to cities throughout the upper Midwest and to Toronto, Canada.

Founded in 1931, the Air Line Pilots Association, International, is the world's oldest and largest pilots union, representing 66,000 pilots at 42 airline carriers in the United States and Canada.  ALPA's website is http://www.alpa.org. 

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