Release #06.TSA
June 7, 2006

Trans States Management Ignores Arbitration Decisions
ALPA Files Suit to Reinstate Pilots

WASHINGTON DC -- The Air Line Pilots, Association, Int’l (ALPA) filed suit in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Monday to force Trans States Airlines (TSA) management to comply with arbitrators’ rulings in two separate cases in which management wrongfully terminated TSA pilots.

“This lawsuit puts Trans States management on notice: We will challenge any efforts to undermine the grievance process,” says Capt. Duane Woerth, president of ALPA.

In March, an arbitrator ruled that Captain Sergio Cvetanovic, who was terminated in 2004, should be reinstated immediately and awarded a majority of his back pay. In May, an arbitrator ordered Trans States management to reinstate union official Captain Paul Hopkins and awarded him full back pay, citing three separate reasons to overturn Capt. Hopkins’ unjust termination in 2005. The company has refused to comply with the decisions of the arbitrators.

“We worked very hard to overturn management’s abuse of power, and these arbitration awards are final and binding,” says Captain Dario Miranda, head of the Trans States branch of ALPA, “and Trans States management is contractually and ethically bound to honor them. The company’s refusal to honor the awards is baseless, and we will pursue all legal avenues to ensure the company complies with these awards.”

In 2005, TSA management targeted five union officials, including Hopkins, for termination. Grievances were filed in all cases. One official was reinstated without arbitration, and three cases are pending.

TSA is a privately held carrier that employs more than 500 pilots and flies under code share agreements with American, US Airways and United.

ALPA represents 61,000 airline pilots at 39 airlines in the United States and Canada. Its website is www.alpa.org.

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For more information contact: Kimberly Seitz at 703/481-4463 or Kimberly.Seitz@alpa.org.