Following the recently imposed recess on contract talks, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has requested the National Mediation Board (NMB) extend a proffer of arbitration for pilots with Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Meanwhile, Comair's pilots and flight attendants are meeting to develop a joint position now that Delta's deadline has passed for its wholly owned subsidiary to reach accords with its unions.

The ASA action would result in the arbitration of 11 open issues which include compensation, retirement, insurance, scope, and hours of service, among other items. ASA Spokesperson Sam Watts indicated his group received a letter from NMB concerning arbitration, but needs to know more about the board's position to comment on whether or not it supports the move.

Arbitration is binding and both parties must agree in advance of the results. If ASA rejects the proffer, the NMB releases the parties from mediation for a 30-day cooling-off period, which essentially serves as a countdown for any strike action. "Our goal is to negotiate a fair contract that reflects our contribution to the success of our airline," said Captain David Nieuwenhuis, chair of ALPA's ASA unit. "Four years should have been more than enough time to accomplish this task."

ALPA suggested that flying is being taken away from ASA in favor of SkyWest, but Watts explained that it was part of an overall strategy resulting from the closure of Delta's DFW hub last year. "We moved some operations to Salt Lake City to support Delta there, but strategically, SkyWest, because of its size there, is far more equipped to support that operation." He indicated that ASA, which has been growing its fleet by 20 percent annually, is adding an operation out of Los Angeles that flies to eight points in Mexico. It has also added international flights in the Caribbean and Mexico as well as additional domestic flights, as Delta emphasizes international expansion in its recovery plans. The new Mexican routes begin in November and will continue to be added through March 2007.

Delta set October 2 for Comair and its unions to reach agreement. Pilots and flight attendants at the carrier said they will not have a contract imposed on them. They indicated that the bankrupt regional carrier has not changed its initial demand of $17.3 million in annual pilot concessions. Unions linked the labor deadline to Delta's request for proposal (RFP) for fee-for-departure proposals, noting its deadline is also October 2, although Comair has an additional two weeks because of the accident it suffered in late August. Delta is to make a decision on the RFP by the end of the year.