By K. Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The union representing American Airlines pilots is calling a proposal by the airline to layoff up to 1,000 additional pilots bad faith negotiations.
The Allied Pilots Association has already agreed to give American $660-million in wage concessions to help the airline avoid bankruptcy.
American Airlines says the additional jobs were over and above what we needed to operate the airline in January 2003 and were already accounted for" before American asked the APA for the concessions.
APA spokesman Gregg Overman says the request comes just days before the union is expected to vote on a package of proposed changes.
This latest development, we really don't know what to make of it; whether it's just eleventh hour hardball negotiations, whether they simply missed their projections. We don't know what the situation is, Overman said.
The APA board will vote on the plan by Monday. Afterwards, the union membership will have 14 days to vote on it.