Release #04.053
December 13, 2004

ATLANTA — The Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), will conduct informational picketing in the vicinity of the airline’s corporate offices on December 13, 15, and 17. The pilots are picketing to express their frustration from the lack of progress and veritable snail’s pace of the current contract negotiations.

“ASA management has been dragging its feet with these contract talks for more than two years,” said Capt. Bob Arnold, chairman of the pilots’ Master Executive Council.

“Management’s negotiators don’t appear to have the authority to make decisions nor do they seem to have any tangible interest in reaching a deal. We have very little to show for the sizable amount of time and money both parties have expended for this effort. At this point, we are conducting information picketing, quite simply, because we are fed up,” said Capt. Arnold.

To date, the pilots and ASA management have tentatively agreed to only 10 of the 30 sections of the contract and have yet to discuss the potentially contentious financial portions of the labor agreement.

“While it seems elementary to us, this management team does not recognize the correlation between a content and motivated work force and the bottom line,” added Capt. Arnold.

The ASA pilots began negotiations in September 2002, when their most current contract became amendable per the terms of the Railway Labor Act. Negotiations have been conducted with the assistance of the National Mediation Board since May 2004.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing 64,000 pilots at 43 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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ALPA Contacts: 
John Perkinson (703) 481-4440,
Capt. Rick Bernskoetter (678) 371-1372