Pilots picket in St. George

ST. GEORGE — Nearly 100 pilots from 11 airlines quietly walked two picket lines outside the headquarters of SkyWest Inc. on Friday to draw attention to stalled contract-labor negotiations with Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), a wholly owned subsidiary of the St. George-based regional carrier.

Pilots participating in the voluntary "informational" picket line traveled in two large buses from Las Vegas, where the Air Line Pilots Association is holding its annual convention, to St. George for the four-hour protest. Uniformed pilots walked in formation carrying signs printed with slogans such as "ASA pilots are furious," and "We aren't going away."

Duane Woerth, a Northwest Airlines pilot and president of the international association that represents 60,000 pilots at 40 airlines in the United States and Canada, said contract negotiations have dragged on for more than four years with little progress.

SkyWest Inc., which purchased Atlantic Southeast Airlines from Delta Air Lines, Inc., in Sept. 2005, reported an increase in operating revenues at the end of its second quarter on June 30 of nearly 106 percent to just over $790 million, compared to $384 million for the same period last year.

Woerth said the two airlines are clearly making money, with both posting quarterly profits and offering shareholder dividends, and should be willing to offer a more competitive labor contract to ASA pilots.

Jerry Atkin, chairman and chief executive officer of SkyWest Inc., who met outside the company's headquarters to speak with Woerth and reporters, said pilots are paid competitive wages based on the industry standard, and he continues to support the negotiation process.

"We have complete respect for the negotiating process and regret that this has gone on for more than four years at ASA," Atkin said. "SkyWest Inc. has only been a part of this process for the last year, and fully expected this to be resolved months ago."

Atkin reiterated his support of ASA president Bryan LaBrecque who, he said, has offered "a comprehensive package that includes not only scale increases and a generous profit-sharing portion, but quality-of-life improvements, as well."

Rick Bernskoetter, chairman of the association's communications committee, said Atkin is "well aware" that the industry-average pay scale for pilots is on the rise.

"Compensation is a major sticking point right now," said Bernskoetter. "Right now, they're offering a microscopic increase of 26 cents an hour through the term of the contract. We're not buying off on that."