SkyWest ASA Unit, pilots fail to resolve a 5-year dispute

SkyWest Inc.'s Atlantic Southeast Airlines unit failed to reach a labor agreement with its pilots after discussions this week involving a federal mediator, prolonging a five-year-old dispute.

Atlantic Southeast and union officials held talks with a National Mediation Board representative for two days this week, then met separately with the agency, said Rick Bernskoetter, spokesman for the 1,600-member pilots union. He said no progress was made in the negotiations, which focus on salaries, back pay, job protection and profit sharing.

The airline, which operates about 870 daily flights for Delta Air Lines Inc., is waiting to hear from the federal board on possible next steps.

The union says a pilot shortage and an 18 percent annual pilot attrition rate is contributing to customer-service problems at Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast. The airline completed 56 percent of flights on time in June, the worst record of 20 U.S. carriers, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. It also had the industry's worst on-time performance record in 2006.