Allied Pilots Association President on Republic Pilots: “Should Have Refrained from Speaking out Publicly”

The president of the Allied Pilots Association, certified collective bargaining agent for the 10,000 pilots of American Airlines, issued a clarification regarding an April 9 APA press release addressing the rejection of a tentative agreement by the pilots of Republic Airways Holdings.

“As an outside party, I should have refrained from expressing an opinion in a public forum about another pilot group’s contract negotiations,” said APA President Capt. Keith Wilson. “The wages and working conditions in the tentative agreement represented significant improvements that would have put the Republic pilots in a leading position within the regional airline industry. However, the tentative agreement apparently fell short of their expectations.”

The pilots of Republic Airways Holdings are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 357.

“APA and Teamsters Local 357 are both members of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, and we value the close working relationship we have fostered with our Teamsters brothers and sisters,” Capt. Wilson said. “I wish only the best for the Republic pilots in their ongoing efforts to achieve a satisfactory contract, an always-challenging task made even more difficult by a regional industry model predicated on substandard wages and benefits.”

Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 10,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is www.alliedpilots.org. American Airlines is the world’s largest passenger airline.