02/28/2003 - Updated 09:12 AM ET American Airlines' pilots union match pitch for federal help FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) =97 The union representing American Airlines pilots= =20 appealed Thursday for federal help with security and insurance costs to=20 help the carrier, which is losing millions of dollars a day. Leaders of the= =20 Allied Pilots Association, which represents American's 13,500 pilots, said= =20 Congress should give airlines immediate relief from security costs and=20 higher insurance premiums imposed after the 2001 terrorism attacks "The=20 grim projections for the airline industry are symptomatic of a larger=20 problem that the companies, workers and experts agree needs to be addressed= =20 to keep the industry from collapsing," said John Darrah, the union=20 president. "But employees and companies can't do it alone." Darrah called=20 airline employees "the first casualties in the war on terrorism."=20 American's chairman and chief executive, Donald J. Carty, has also been=20 arguing in speeches and testimony before Congress for federal help. Carty=20 has said the airline industry will need government help to survive if there= =20 is war against Iraq, which could lead to higher jet fuel prices and=20 increased fear of terrorism. After the terrorism attacks, Congress approved $5 billion in grants to the= =20 airlines. American began losing money in early 2001, as the economy slowed= =20 and fewer business travelers bought full-fare tickets. American's losses=20 grew after the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and it lost $3.5=20 billion last year. American this month raised the specter of bankruptcy in= =20 asking employees for $1.8 billion in annual wage and benefit concessions,=20 about one-third from pilots. This week, a pilots' union official caused a=20 stir when he estimated the carrier could be forced into bankruptcy by late= =20 May, given current cash reserves and levels of spending. The union=20 disavowed the estimate, and a spokesman for the company called it=20 inaccurate. An analyst for J.P. Morgan said Thursday there was a 25 percent= =20 chance that American's parent, Fort Worth-based AMR Corp., would have to=20 file for bankruptcy. The outcome will be largely driven by labor costs,=20 Jamie Baker said. Baker told clients that the $1.8 billion concession=20 package proposed by American would be a bitter pill for unions but that=20 upheaval at United Airlines and US Airways, which are both in bankruptcy=20 proceedings, would give American's unions incentive to accept pay cuts.=20 Northwest Airlines asked its pilots to take a 20 percent pay cut. United,=20 Delta and US Airways are also seeking to cut labor costs. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.dbombo.net/muddyangels/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************