FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 , 2002
America West, Mesa Pilots to Conduct Informational Picketing in Phoenix
PHOENIX – Uniformed pilots of America West
Airlines and Mesa Air will conduct informational picketing December 16 at
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to demonstrate their unified opposition to Mesa
Air Group’s formation of Freedom Airlines as an alter-ego carrier.
“The only reason Mesa Air Group has set
up Freedom Airlines is to divert work from the dedicated Mesa pilots and give
our jobs to Freedom pilots, who don’t have the benefits or protections of
a union contract,” said Captain Andrew Hughes, chairman of the Mesa Airlines
ALPA unit.
“We recognize that Freedom Airlines threatens
the careers of all professional pilots,” said Eric Edwards, chairman
of the America West ALPA unit. “We are disappointed that America West
chooses to do business with a company that shows such little respect for its
employees, which demonstrates how our company feels about its own pilots.”
In September, ALPA’s Executive Board reaffirmed
the Association’s commitment to opposing Freedom Airlines as a non-union,
alter ego carrier.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s oldest
and largest pilot union representing 66,000 pilots at 43 airlines in the U.S.
and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at http://www.alpa.org.
# # #
ALPA Contact: Scott Sherrin, (602) 306-4100
or (602) 418-2979