World Airways Locks Out Pilots
01-31-2006, 09:37 AM
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World Airways Locks Out Pilots
Tuesday January 31, 11:31 am ET
Company Strands Pilots in Angola, Refuses to Bargain in Good Faith
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- World Airways Inc. locked out pilots operating its commercial flights on Monday. The action in violation of the current collective bargaining agreement idles a large percentage of its pilots and stranded several crews around the globe.
In addition to idling or reducing the workload of a large percentage of its pilots -- members of Teamsters Local 986 in El Monte, California -- the company's lockout stranded four pilots in Luanda, Angola. The pilots were told by a World Airways flight operations manager that they were suspended and were "on their own" in reference to where they were to stay and how they were to get home, said Captain Luis Carmona, Executive Council Chairman of the World Airways pilots' union.
"Locking out pilots is bad enough," said Captain Mark Ohlau, World Airways Pilots Executive Council Member and Negotiating Committee Chairman. "But stranding four of us in a potentially hostile environment is indefensible." When in Luanda, World Airways crews are protected around the clock by armed security personnel. This protection was terminated when the pilots were forced to vacate their hotel rooms and seek their own way back to the United States. The pilots' strike committee made arrangements for their fellow workers' safe return home.
"We've bargained in good faith for more than two years," said Carmona. "But by coming to the table unwilling and unprepared to achieve a successful outcome to these negotiations, the company has again ignored issues that matter to its pilots -- job security, insurance benefits, retirement and adequate compensation, not negated by increased benefit costs.
The parties had been negotiating a new contract since June 2003, when the pilots' current collective bargaining agreement became amendable. The company caused a system wide lockout after an extremely limited number of their flights were affected by a minor strike initiated by the pilots early Sunday morning exercising their rights under the Railway Labor Act.
A subsidiary of World Air Holdings, Inc., World Airways is the largest commercial carrier of US military personnel and provide cargo transport services for a variety of freight companies.
The pilots, who became Teamsters in 1967, are among approximately 40,000 members of the Teamsters Airline Division.
Company Strands Pilots in Angola, Refuses to Bargain in Good Faith
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- World Airways Inc. locked out pilots operating its commercial flights on Monday. The action in violation of the current collective bargaining agreement idles a large percentage of its pilots and stranded several crews around the globe.
In addition to idling or reducing the workload of a large percentage of its pilots -- members of Teamsters Local 986 in El Monte, California -- the company's lockout stranded four pilots in Luanda, Angola. The pilots were told by a World Airways flight operations manager that they were suspended and were "on their own" in reference to where they were to stay and how they were to get home, said Captain Luis Carmona, Executive Council Chairman of the World Airways pilots' union.
"Locking out pilots is bad enough," said Captain Mark Ohlau, World Airways Pilots Executive Council Member and Negotiating Committee Chairman. "But stranding four of us in a potentially hostile environment is indefensible." When in Luanda, World Airways crews are protected around the clock by armed security personnel. This protection was terminated when the pilots were forced to vacate their hotel rooms and seek their own way back to the United States. The pilots' strike committee made arrangements for their fellow workers' safe return home.
"We've bargained in good faith for more than two years," said Carmona. "But by coming to the table unwilling and unprepared to achieve a successful outcome to these negotiations, the company has again ignored issues that matter to its pilots -- job security, insurance benefits, retirement and adequate compensation, not negated by increased benefit costs.
The parties had been negotiating a new contract since June 2003, when the pilots' current collective bargaining agreement became amendable. The company caused a system wide lockout after an extremely limited number of their flights were affected by a minor strike initiated by the pilots early Sunday morning exercising their rights under the Railway Labor Act.
A subsidiary of World Air Holdings, Inc., World Airways is the largest commercial carrier of US military personnel and provide cargo transport services for a variety of freight companies.
The pilots, who became Teamsters in 1967, are among approximately 40,000 members of the Teamsters Airline Division.
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