=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2002/07/19/f= inancial1419EDT0180.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, July 19, 2002 (AP) Pilots object to AMR's plan to transfer jets (07-19) 11:19 PDT FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The union representing American Eagle pilots is objecting to the airline= 's plan to transfer 14 smaller jets to an affiliated carrier. The Air Line Pilots Association is worried that its members could lose jobs when the planes are transferred to Trans States Airlines. American Eagle is a unit of AMR Corp., which also owns American Airlines. On Wednesday, American Eagle announced plans to transfer 14 50-seat Embraer 145s to Trans States Airlines, an American Connection carrier that feeds passengers to American. Ironically, the transfer of the jets was designed to avoid a confrontati= on with another union, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American. The Allied Pilots Association's contract with American limits the number of smaller planes that can be operated by American Eagle -- flights that American's pilots view as competition. Eagle is bumping up against that limit but plans to acquire additional planes. To avoid exceeding the limit, Eagle plans to transfer the 14 jets to Trans States beginning in November. The Air Line Pilots Association, or ALPA, says its contract with Eagle requires that its member pilots should continue to fly the planes even if they are transferred. Herb Mark, chairman of the American Eagle unit of ALPA, said the contract was designed to give American Eagle pilots long-term job security and competitive pay. He accused Eagle's management of instead trying to outsource its operation to American Connection lines such as Trans States and paying inferior wages. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2002 AP