half? What about all? To the end of the line pal. Be glad you have a job doing what you love. Walter DCA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bahadir Acuner" <bahadiracuner@yahoo.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > DALLAS (AP) -- Pilots for American Airlines on Wednesday sued some of their > counterparts at TWA over the sensitive issue of seniority, which affects pay > and rank in the cockpit. > > > The Allied Pilots Association wants to place about half of TWA's pilots at > the bottom of the seniority list when the two sets of workers are > combined -- American's parent bought Trans World Airlines last year. > > The union said it filed the lawsuit so that a federal judge in Fort Worth > can rule on the plan's legality. > > Seniority is a crucial issue for pilots. It determines their assignments, > including whether they fly as captain or flight officer. Also, airlines cut > from the bottom of seniority lists when laying off employees. > > ``Given the importance of the seniority integration agreement, APA is > entitled to know, as we begin to enforce the agreement, whether it is valid > and enforceable,'' said John Darrah, president of the 11,000-member union. > > American Airlines agreed to the seniority plan. But TWA pilots, who are > represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, objected that they were > treated unfairly by the deal. > > American's union ``unilaterally concocted this integration scheme, and now > they are trying to get a Texas federal judge to rule on this,'' said Jeff > Darnall, a spokesman for the TWA pilots. ``Even in their own mind they have > reason to feel they need some sort of declaratory statement by a responsible > party'' to uphold the plan. > > Darnall said his union's lawyers were studying the lawsuit but had not yet > decided on a response. > > Darnall said the American pilots' plan would put 1,250 of TWA's 2,250 pilots > at the bottom of American's seniority list and leave even veteran TWA > captains behind American pilots with less experience. > > The Allied Pilots Association did not actually sue its rival union. Instead, > it sued Bud Bensel, leader of a vocal group of TWA pilots protesting the > seniority plan. The union said Bensel's group, calling itself the Aviation > Workers Rights Foundation, was set up as a ``litigation vehicle'' to derail > the seniority plan. Bensel could not be contacted. > > American's pilots also named the airline as a defendant, but in such a way > that it ruled out damages against the carrier, the union said. A spokeswoman > for American said the airline would not comment. > > American and TWA pilots still operate on separate seniority lists. But > American's pilots have asked the National Mediation Board to declare > American and TWA a single carrier, which American's pilots believe would > make their preferred seniority plan official. > > American's pilots are confident that the mediation board will rule soon in > their favor. The Aviation Workers Rights Foundation, fearing that result, > has asked for an independent arbitrator to decide seniority issues.