AN arbitrator has denied the request of Atlas' pilots, of organised by the Teamsters, to negotiate their next contract and instead imposed an arbitrated contract process, reports New York's FreightWaves
AN arbitrator has denied the request of Atlas' pilots, of organised by the Teamsters, to negotiate their next contract and instead imposed an arbitrated contract process, reports New York's FreightWaves. The award by George Nicolau, who has long experience in arbitrating airline disputes, was what the employer Atlas Air sought.
The carrier has said talks could resume once the carriers' pilots submitted a merged seniority list of pilots at Atlas and at Southern Air, a cargo carrier which Atlas acquired in early 2016.
The two carriers operate separately under their respective federal airworthiness certificates.
'The reality is that the union leaders have significant control over the timing of the new contract for our pilots,' the company said.
'In connection with Atlas Air's pending merger with Southern Air, the union need only tender the company an integrated seniority list, which would start the clock on a contractually defined period of bargaining after which any unresolved issues would be submitted' for arbitration.
Teamsters union Local 1224, which represents nearly 1,800 Atlas pilots, said it would be happy to furnish a merged list once pilots vote on and ratify a contract proposal and the two federal airworthiness certificates are combined.
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