Narrative:

I am a line captain and check airman employed by airline in reading, PA. We have 10 check airmen, 7 are line pilots, 3 management pilots. The pilots and company have been involved in an ongoing bitter contract negotiations over the last 2 yrs, and are currently involved in the mediation process. The tension between the parties has increased to the point where the current dispute is a constant topic of conversation in the cockpit and a distraction during flight operations. Management has accused the pilots of slow downs, sick outs, and west/O a hearing, withheld the pay of pilots who the company thought were involved. The company has also made threat to capts with aircraft maintenance problems requiring ferry flts. The capts were told if they did not have the guts to make the proper decision they would be replaced by people who did. While performing our duties the above examples are but a few which lead the 7 line pilot check airmen to conclude the present tension is having an impact on flight safety. We felt that until such time there was an easing of tension we did not want to perform our duties as check airmen. The company's attorney contacted our union, and informed them if we took such action they would view it as a job action, a court injunction would be issued, and we would be forced to carry on with our check airmen duties. The association attorneys agreed and told us to take no action. During the present strife the company views any decision contrary to theirs as a job action. The pilots are now forced to deal not only with the normal flight problems, but now have to take into consideration how management will respond and what disciplinary action may be taken against them. The current problems are having a negative impact on flight safety exactly to what degree is hard to pinpoint. The check airmen felt in the current situation exposing ourselves to the increased liability of being check airmen is not worth the risk to our licenses. We are thinking of expressing our concerns to the local GADO, but are not sure what the repercussions might be. I thought it might be helpful to bring to light a problem which pilots view as flight safety, but attorneys view as a job action. Feel free to call me at any time with any insight you may have into this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CLAIMS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ARE CAUSING UNSAFE FLT OPERATION ON COMMUTER ACR.

Narrative: I AM A LINE CAPT AND CHK AIRMAN EMPLOYED BY AIRLINE IN READING, PA. WE HAVE 10 CHK AIRMEN, 7 ARE LINE PLTS, 3 MGMNT PLTS. THE PLTS AND COMPANY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ONGOING BITTER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE LAST 2 YRS, AND ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE MEDIATION PROCESS. THE TENSION BTWN THE PARTIES HAS INCREASED TO THE POINT WHERE THE CURRENT DISPUTE IS A CONSTANT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IN THE COCKPIT AND A DISTR DURING FLT OPS. MGMNT HAS ACCUSED THE PLTS OF SLOW DOWNS, SICK OUTS, AND W/O A HEARING, WITHHELD THE PAY OF PLTS WHO THE COMPANY THOUGHT WERE INVOLVED. THE COMPANY HAS ALSO MADE THREAT TO CAPTS WITH ACFT MAINT PROBS REQUIRING FERRY FLTS. THE CAPTS WERE TOLD IF THEY DID NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO MAKE THE PROPER DECISION THEY WOULD BE REPLACED BY PEOPLE WHO DID. WHILE PERFORMING OUR DUTIES THE ABOVE EXAMPLES ARE BUT A FEW WHICH LEAD THE 7 LINE PLT CHK AIRMEN TO CONCLUDE THE PRESENT TENSION IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON FLT SAFETY. WE FELT THAT UNTIL SUCH TIME THERE WAS AN EASING OF TENSION WE DID NOT WANT TO PERFORM OUR DUTIES AS CHK AIRMEN. THE COMPANY'S ATTORNEY CONTACTED OUR UNION, AND INFORMED THEM IF WE TOOK SUCH ACTION THEY WOULD VIEW IT AS A JOB ACTION, A COURT INJUNCTION WOULD BE ISSUED, AND WE WOULD BE FORCED TO CARRY ON WITH OUR CHK AIRMEN DUTIES. THE ASSOCIATION ATTORNEYS AGREED AND TOLD US TO TAKE NO ACTION. DURING THE PRESENT STRIFE THE COMPANY VIEWS ANY DECISION CONTRARY TO THEIRS AS A JOB ACTION. THE PLTS ARE NOW FORCED TO DEAL NOT ONLY WITH THE NORMAL FLT PROBS, BUT NOW HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW MGMNT WILL RESPOND AND WHAT DISCIPLINARY ACTION MAY BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM. THE CURRENT PROBS ARE HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON FLT SAFETY EXACTLY TO WHAT DEGREE IS HARD TO PINPOINT. THE CHK AIRMEN FELT IN THE CURRENT SITUATION EXPOSING OURSELVES TO THE INCREASED LIABILITY OF BEING CHK AIRMEN IS NOT WORTH THE RISK TO OUR LICENSES. WE ARE THINKING OF EXPRESSING OUR CONCERNS TO THE LCL GADO, BUT ARE NOT SURE WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS MIGHT BE. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO BRING TO LIGHT A PROB WHICH PLTS VIEW AS FLT SAFETY, BUT ATTORNEYS VIEW AS A JOB ACTION. FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT ANY TIME WITH ANY INSIGHT YOU MAY HAVE INTO THIS PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.