APA Implores AA to Acknowledge Pilots Furloughed by 9/11

The union has asked American to “do the right thing” by acknowledging the time nearly 3,000 of the carrier’s pilots spent on furlough.

The labor body representing the nearly 3,000 American Airlines pilots furloughed by the events of 9/11 says that the carrier should “do the right thing” by acknowledging the time that these employees have spent off work. Commenting in a statement quoted by Dallas News, Captain Dan Carey of the Allied Pilots Association (APA) said, “We are asking management to bolster its call for culture change with a tangible commitment. It’s a way to validate the trust, take that leap of faith, and put the past pain and sacrifice behind us.”

The outlet reports that some of the pilots furloughed were offered the opportunity to return to work as late as 2013, over a decade after the terror attacks. The union says that about 2,100 pilots eventually chose to return to the carrier.

During their furlough, pilots could opt to work for other airline if they wished, but during this period, they were not able to accrue service time, the outlet reports. This is the mechanism used to award pay and other benefits.

It also says that as many as 1,200 jobbing pilots could be due to have a raise if American acknowledged their time spent on furlough. Both United and Delta have each already done this for their respective employees and the association hopes that American will follow suit.

“It’s just bringing American’s pilot contract in line with United and Delta in that regard. The time they spent on furlough waiting to come back to American was time in service. I don’t think [American] has quite heard how much this means to our guys. That goodwill permeates well beyond the pilots that are being taken care of,” said APA spokesperson Captain Dennis Tajer.

Commenting on the situation, Matt Miller, spokesman for American said, “Length of service is a contractual item that was negotiated as American and APA worked toward the current joint collective bargaining agreement. Regardless, we recognize it’s an important issue for many of our pilots, so it’s something we are happy to discuss with APA during future negotiations.”

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