An article published on Forbes.com and elsewhere, says that Judge Adlai Hardin of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York granted a request by Comair to block a strike and any other job actions that would disrupt Comair's operations.In December of 2006, the pilots had authorized their union leaders to call a strike if the airline throws out their contract and imposes concessions, but the judge ruled that a strike would violate a federal law that says employees of common carriers such as an airline have a legal duty "to avoid any interruption to commerce or to the operation of any carrier."
Comair's pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots association (ALPA). The union had argued in court that the pilots had a legal right to strike if concessions are imposed, and the plan to appeal this most recent ruling.
For more on ALPA's point of view, visit DCIpilots.ALPA.org.
UPDATE Feb. 9, 2007: Comair says it's prepared to impose concessions on its pilots tonight, when a deadline between the two sides passes. The airline says the salary of the average pilot will be cut by eleven percent. No talks are scheduled, so it doesn't appear likely that Comair and its pilots will reach a negotiated agreement ahead of the deadline. [WDBJ7.com]
