Rolloutflare

Latest update from the IBT lawyers about where the pilot group and company stand on negotiations. Same playbook every company uses.

Fellow Omni Pilots,

In our last update, we told you that the Company had walked away from the bargaining table. After making two ultimatums on what it was willing to pay you, the Company was done pretending to bargain. We discussed that the Company had ten days to file for mediation – and that if it did not file within those ten days, it would release both parties from their obligation to maintain the status quo. The company could implement a substandard contract and the pilots could strike.

Today – the last day of the NMB’s work week before the ten days expire – the company notified the union that it had applied for mediation. We don’t know why the company waited until the 11th hour to complete what is a simple application form – but it certainly has the appearance of further attempting to drag out the process and wear down the pilot group.

And that’s too bad. We've spoken with a number of Omni pilots who have delayed career moves based on a hope or expectation that our expedited negotiations would bear results. They just wanted to see if Omni would agree to fix their problems in a reasonable timeframe.

By applying for mediation today, the company has slammed the door shut on those efforts. We have no idea how long mediation will take. We can tell you that the Kalitta Air pilots just spent over three years in mediation – they filed for mediation in August 2013 and only started working under a new CBA in January 2017. If our mediation follows a similar trajectory, we’ll be done in 2020, with the company pocketing the savings gained by treating you worse than all of your peers during the delay.

Of course, the industry has changed since Kalitta entered mediation. As other carriers work with labor to improve their contracts to attract and retain pilots, Omni has chosen a different path.

We have significant resources in our union that we will be taking to mediation, and will continue our efforts to get you the contract that you deserve. We cannot and should not expect government involvement in our negotiations to solve our problems. Our success will continue to depend on the strength of this pilot group and our ability to speak with one voice.

We’ll share more news as it becomes available. In the meantime, stay strong, stay united – and if you have questions, ask a member of the Negotiating Committee or EXCO.

Fraternally,

Omni Air Negotiations Committee
APA Teamsters Local 1224