American Eagle pilots vote down contract, with 70 percent voting 'no'
American Eagle Airlines pilots handily defeated a contract that American Airlines Group management had insisted was needed to guarantee the carrier’s future flying, the Air Line Pilots Association said.
“The Eagle pilots made a clear choice today, and it was not an easy one,” union leader Bill Sprague said after the votes were counting. Sprague is chairman of ALPA’s master executive council at American Eagle.
“Despite threats from AAG management that they would seek other express carriers to conduct our flying, today’s vote demonstrates that the demands for contract concessions were not acceptable,” Sprague said. “Today’s vote clearly shows that pilots can, and will, vote against any agreement that is not in their best interests.”
The master executive council voted 5-4 in February not to send the contract out for a vote. However, under pressure from management and some pilots, the MEC voted earlier this month to let pilots vote. The council’s vote to do so was 3-0, with six abstentions.
More at http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-industry/20140328-american-eagle-pilots-vote-down-contract-with-70-percent-voting-no.ece .