Two exhausted travelers wait at Miami airport

February 14, 1999
Web posted at: 10:24 p.m. EST (0324 GMT)

In this story: Union leader issues call to 'get airline back up' Angry passengers have little sympathy American hubs deserted Dispute centers on acquisition of Reno Air RELATED STORIES, SITES

FORT WORTH, Texas (CNN) -- American Airlines experienced another day of disrupted flights and angry customers Sunday as a pilots' sickout continued into its second week -- although there were signs pilots were heeding their union's call to return to work.

American scrubbed about 500 of its domestic and international flights Sunday, bringing the total number of flights canceled since the sickout began to more than 6,000.

The Allied Pilots Association issued a "personal plea" for pilots to return to work

But Sunday's cancellations were fewer than the 800 flights canceled Saturday and down considerably from the 1,100 flights canceled Friday. The drop-off coincided with a "personal plea" from Allied Pilots Association President Rich LaVoy for pilots to return to work, which was posted on the union's Web site.

The airline and the union returned to the negotiating table Sunday afternoon.

On Wednesday, the union and its leadership will face a court hearing to determine how much they should be fined for costing the carrier more than $67 million in a sickout that has left more than 500,000 fliers up in the air, at least figuratively.

On Saturday the union, LaVoy and Vice President Brian Mayhew were found in contempt of court for not getting the pilots back to work. The contempt order was issued by U.S. District Judge Joseph Kendall after American claimed the union was violating a restraining order.

Union leader issues call to 'get airline back up'

In a statement, LaVoy said the union was "absolutely serious" about complying with the judge's order.

American Airlines cancels some 500 flights Sunday

"I want to make a personal plea to all of our pilots -- the association's leadership needs your help in complying with the order," he said. "We need to get this airline back up and running at full capacity, and we need to do so quickly.

"Please clear the sick list immediately and resume your normal schedule," he said.

Angry passengers have little sympathy

At New York's LaGuardia Airport Sunday, a frustrated Owen Fitzpatrick vented his feelings after not seeing his departing flight posted.

"It's a shame. (American) used to be a good airline," he said. "I'm retired now, and I plan on doing a lot more flying, but it will be on other airlines."

At Miami International Airport, passenger Virginia Wilson said sympathy for the pilots was "like feeling sorry for baseball players when they go on strike."

"Yes, the pilots make a lot of money, more money than the average person, and it's the average person that's traveling the airline," she said.

Peter Angress, trying to leave Miami, the mass cancellations were "a pretty bad position to put the passengers in."

"It creates additional anxiety for about four or five days. We're anxious," he said.

American hubs deserted

On Sunday, airports heavily served by American remained eerily quiet, almost deserted. Fewer people milled around because many had called ahead and learned their flights were canceled.

"This is almost, almost like a ghost town right now," said Peter Insalaco, an American passenger service agent at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, a heavily used American hub.

Baggage handlers, some of whom depend on overtime at busy airports to make ends meet, were affected.

"There's really no overtime right now. There's no extra work because the flights just aren't coming in," said baggage handler Lowell Etkin.

A union spokesman in Dallas, Drew Engelke, said the union was "actively trying to get our pilots back to work," but he said the airline wasn't making it easy.

"They're having to call a crew scheduler and speak to a person, and the crew schedulers are referring them to a chief pilot," said Engelke. "When they get in touch with the chief pilot, the chief pilot is informing them that they must visit the doctor and get a physical, showing that they're well and fit for duty."

American spokesman Chris Chiames said that even if pilots return to work, it will take two to three days for the airline to return to normal operation.

Dispute centers on acquisition of Reno Air

The dispute stems from American's purchase of a small carrier, Reno Air, in December. The pilots, though legally forbidden to strike, are protesting pay discrepancies involving 300 Reno pilots, who are paid roughly half as much as American pilots.

The American pilots fear this could lead to an overall erosion of pay. The airline says it plans to integrate the Reno pilots into the American salary structure, though four months later than the union is demanding.

"When you realize this dispute is about the pilots wanting more money retroactively for flying the same airplanes to the same places merely because American bought a small airline many have never heard of, and you have been sleeping on the floor with your kids for a couple of days in some airport 1,500 miles from home, it's hard to see the pilots as mistreated," Kendall wrote in his contempt order.

"Unfortunately, the radical element that appears to be in control of the Allied Pilots Association ... seems determined to fly American Airlines ... into the side of the mountain, taking themselves, the company, their co-workers and their customers with them," he wrote.

He ordered the union to deposit $10 million into the court registry by Tuesday, from which the contempt fine will be deducted.

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