Tag Archives: US Airways Preliminary injunction

US Airways/USAPA Injunction Update: Union Issues Notice To Pilots

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As per U.S. District Court Judge Conrad’s order that was issued earlier this week, the US Airlines Pilots Association (USAPA), which represents the pilots at US Airways, posted the following letter to its members on its website today.

Funny thing is — it is not posted on the public part of the site. You have to use a member user name and password to access it behind the firewall, or be on the union’s email list. Or, as in my case, have a copy forwarded to me by an American Airlines’ pilot.

Interestingly, the last publicly posted piece on the union’s website is an article dated May 25, 2011, headlined, “US Airways Pilots Protest Slow Pace of Contract Talks.”

Methinks there has been one heck of a lot of news that has involved the union since then. Perhaps a news update might be in order.

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USAPA Update on Injunction Order

In compliance with Section IV of Judge Conrad’s ruling in the United States District Court, Western District of North Carolina, USAPA is distributing the following notice to all US Airways pilots by the most expeditious means possible. USAPA will provide more information as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your prompt and thorough review of the following:

NOTICE TO ALL US AIRWAYS PILOTS

In July 2011, US Airways filed a complaint against USAPA alleging USAPA had violated and was violating the Railway Labor Act (“RLA”) by, among other things, engaging in a concerted effort to interfere with US Airways’ airline operations, including but not limited to a slowdown, work stoppage, strike, sick-out, work to rule campaign, and other concerted refusals to perform normal pilot operations. At the time it filed the complaint, US Airways sought a preliminary injunction to prevent USAPA from engaging in the acts and conduct alleged in the complaint. After a full evidentiary hearing conducted on August 19 and 22, 2011, by decision and order dated September 28, 2011, the Court found there was evidence sufficient to meet the legal burden that USAPA had engaged in actions that violated the RLA.

The September 28, 2011 order specifically enjoins USAPA and its members, agents, and employees, and any persons and organizations acting in concert with, through, or under it, or by and through its order, from violating the status quo provisions of the Railway Labor Act and from permitting, instigating, authorizing, encouraging, participating in, approving, or continuing any interference with Plaintiff’s airline operations, including, but not limited to, any slowdown, strike, work stoppage, sick-out, work to rule campaign, or any concerted refusal to perform normal pilot operations in violation of the RLA. This order continues in effect unless and until modified by the Court.

All US Airways pilots are instructed to fully perform their normal working schedules and practices.

All US Airways pilots who are engaging in a concerted refusal to perform normal pilot operations are directed to cease and desist from any concerted refusal to perform normal pilot operations, by engaging in acts including but not limited to slow taxiing, writing up all maintenance items, calling in fatigued, delaying flights, refusing to answer a call from the scheduling, refusing to fly an aircraft that meets the requirements for flight, or refusing to accept voluntary or overtime flying, and to cease and desist all exhortations or communications encouraging same.

USAPA will take all steps and measures to comply with the letter and spirit of the Court’s order and instructs and directs all US Airways pilots to do the same. Any and all acts and conduct in violation of this Order may subject individuals and those acting in concert with them to punishment under the contempt powers of the Court.

A copy of the order issued by the Court is shown below.

US AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION

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ORDER ISSUED BY THE COURT

September 28, 2011

The Court . . . HEREBY ORDERS:

1. USAPA and its members, agents, and employees, and all persons and organizations acting by, in concert with, through, or under it, or by and through its order, are enjoined from permitting, instigating, authorizing, encouraging, participating in, approving, or continuing any interference with Plaintiff’s airline operations, including, but not limited to, any slowdown, strike, work stoppage, sick-out, work to rule campaign, or any concerted refusal to perform normal pilot operations in violation of the RLA, pending a hearing on the permanent injunction.

2. USAPA shall take all reasonable steps within its power to prevent the aforesaid actions and to refrain from continuing the aforesaid actions if commenced, including, but not limited to, the following:

a. Instructing all pilots represented by USAPA and employed by Plaintiff to resume their normal working schedule and practices and providing Plaintiff a copy of all such instructions;

b. Notifying all pilots represented by USAPA and employed by Plaintiff, by the most expeditious means possible, of the issuance, contents, and meaning of this Preliminary Injunction and providing Plaintiff a copy of all such notices;

c. Including in such notice a directive from USAPA to US Airways’s pilots who are engaging in a concerted refusal to perform normal pilot operations, including but not limited to, slow taxiing, writing up all maintenance items, calling in fatigued, delaying flights, refusing to answer a call from the scheduling, refusing to fly an aircraft that meets the requirements for flight, or refusing to accept voluntary or overtime flying, to cease and desist all such activity and to cease and desist all exhortations or communications encouraging same.

d. Posting the notice described above on Defendant USAPA’s internet websites and providing Plaintiff a copy of the notices;

e. Including the contents of such notice on any and all recorded telephone hotlines under control of USAPA, until such time as the Court has acted on Plaintiff’s Motion for a Permanent Injunction, and providing Plaintiff a copy of all such messages; and

f. Distributing the contents of such notice through all non-public communication systems maintained by USAPA, including any telephone trees, text message lists, pilot-to-pilot communication systems, or similar systems, and providing Plaintiff a copy of the notices.

3. USAPA is prohibited from including in such notices (or distributing contemporaneously with such notices) any statements that are intended or could reasonably be interpreted to mean that pilots should continue to engage in the previously-described conduct notwithstanding the Preliminary Injunction.

4. USAPA shall report to the Court by 5 p.m. on October 4, 2011, by sworn affidavit, the methods used to effect the notice described above to all USAPA-represented pilots, and furnish to the Court copies of all notices required to be furnished to the Plaintiff under the Court’s Order.