PSA Airlines’ pilots enter Into Federal mediated contract talks

PSA Airlines’ (2nd) (Dayton) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today, according to the union, took the next step toward reaching a new contract with senior management by meeting with a federal mediator from the National Mediation Board (NMB). PSA pilots, who fly regional aircraft under the US Airways Express brand, have been in direct contract negotiations with their management since June 2009.

According to the pilots, “ALPA and company executives initially made steady progress in the early stages of negotiations. The parties reached tentative agreements on many of the non-economic sections of the collective bargaining agreement. The pace of negotiations has slowed recently, as the two sides began discussing pay, work rules, retirement, and other money-related issues. No significant progress has been made since September 2010, and recent discussions have not been productive. The NMB was petitioned for mediator assistance in July 2011, and the request was granted shortly thereafter.”

Under the Railway Labor Act, airlines’ labor contracts do not expire; they become amendable. The PSA pilots’ contract became amendable on June 30, 2009. Mediation presents an opportunity for a neutral third party, appointed by the NMB, to facilitate the process. The mediator does not have the authority to impose conditions upon the parties or decide issues. Talks will continue until the parties reach a contract or until the NMB determines the parties are at an impasse and releases them into a 30-day cooling off period, which could be followed by a pilot strike.

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Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Please click on the photo for the full story of the airline.