Airline Industry News - ALPA Accused - Sued by Pilots ALPA Accused of Breaching Duty by Opposing Higher Pilot Retirement Age.
A group representing thousands of pilots and aviation professionals is suing ALPA over a so-called 'anti-senior pilot campaign.
A coalition representing senior pilots has sued the world’s largest pilot union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), accusing it of failing to fairly represent their interests under the Railway Labor Act (RLA). The Jan. 27 complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, centers on ALPA’s opposition to a bill that would raise the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67, according to Law360.
The lawsuit criticizes ALPA’s public-facing action against the bill, accusing the union of making “disingenuous, misleading or false” statements about safety concerns with older pilots while engaging in a so-called “anti-senior pilot campaign.” LEPF asserts there’s no scientific basis for these claims and views them as discriminatory and harmful to older pilots’ reputations.
Described in the complaint as a group of “thousands of pilots and other professionals in the aviation industry,” Let Experienced Pilots Fly Inc. (LEPF) argues that ALPA’s stance against the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act undermines the labor group’s duty of fair representation. They claim the union prioritizes younger pilots, despite the industry facing a severe pilot shortage. The group believes raising the retirement age would alleviate this issue. https://airlinegeeks.com/2024/02/10/alpa-accused-of-breaching-duty-by-opposing-higher-pilot-retirement-age/