US-ALPA erwartet Richtigstellung der Wirtschaftswoche

In der „Wirtschaftswoche“ wurde Ende April der Präsident der amerikanischen Pilotengewerkschaft US-ALPA, Cpt. Lee Moak, u.a. zu VC-Tarifverhandlungen bei Lufthansa zitiert. In Medien-Beiträgen hieß es, Cpt. Moak hätte sich sehr kritisch über die Tarifpolitik der VC und anderen europäische Partnerverbänden geäußert.

In der vergangenen Woche hat sich US-ALPA in einem Schreiben an die „WirtschaftsWoche“ gewandt und um Richtigstellung gebeten:

May 2, 2013

Mr. Rüdiger Kiani-Kreß:

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) is calling on you to retract your article, “US-Piloten helfen Lufthansa-Chef Franz,” as it egregiously misconstrued ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak’s views and statements at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Aviation Symposium on labor, specifically in Europe.

The Association takes serious issue with your assumption that Capt. Moak supports Lufthansa CEO Franz and not the Lufthansa pilots. That is completely false. Lufthansa pilots absolutely have the backing of the entire Association.

Capt. Moak spoke at length at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Aviation Symposium about the need for all governments, airlines, and unions to work together to promote fair and level government policies that support aviation and its workers. He also stated that the best product comes from labor and management working collaboratively, and highlighted that they must do so to protect our aviation industries and compete globally. This includes shifting focus to the rise of Middle Eastern states and their airlines, which are seeking to gain global dominance. Fighting this will require a unified stance to level the playing field in North America and Europe. This has always been Capt. Moak’s point of view and it has been broadly reported in the United States, Canada, and beyond.

Further, ALPA does not consider the bargaining positions of German pilots to be, “unrealistic and suicidal,” as you stated in your article. We understand the issues facing our union brothers and sisters in Europe and around the world and support their efforts to achieve fair contracts.

As the leader of the largest pilot union in the world, Capt. Moak is a staunch advocate for labor groups not only in North America but globally. He has worked tirelessly to support the collective interests of commercial aviation pilots for more than a decade. Your article grossly misrepresents Capt. Moak’s views and the Association’s stance on these issues. We ask that you retract them as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
 
Marie Schwartz
Director, ALPA Communications