FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Capt. Dennis Tajer, 847-902-8481/Gregg Overman, 817-302-2250
Allied Pilots Association Supports SPL-Represented Pilots of LATAM Airlines Chile: “Their Fight Is Our Fight”
FORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 27, 2022) – The Allied Pilots Association (APA) voiced its strong support for the Sindicato de Pilotos (SPL)-represented pilots of LATAM Airlines Chile, who are seeking to restore their pay to pre-pandemic levels and negotiate further improvements in light of the current inflationary environment.
LATAM Airlines Chile management imposed pay cuts on the pilots during the pandemic-driven travel downturn.
“APA strongly supports these pilots in their efforts to secure a fair contract,” said APA President Capt. Ed Sicher. “They have unfortunately encountered what can only be characterized as bad-faith bargaining by airline management. As we have seen at our own airline at different points in our history, industrial action by the pilots may therefore be necessary to produce the desired result.”
With air travel demand now robust, LATAM Airlines Chile is projecting a full-year operating profit for 2023, and the airline recently acknowledged that “pent-up demand has been driving a faster recovery.” The airline’s December 2022 flying schedule closely aligns with its December 2019 schedule, reflecting the strong demand recovery.
While the SPL-represented pilots have made multiple proposals at the bargaining table, LATAM Airlines Chile management has refused to negotiate.
“Regrettably, what’s happening in Chile is far from unique,” Capt. Sicher said. “In fact, it’s an all-too-typical pattern: Workers sacrifice to help their companies in times of distress, only to be ignored once the crisis subsides.
“APA stands ready to support our SPL-represented colleagues at LATAM Airlines Chile in whatever way they deem necessary,” he said. “Their fight is our fight.”
Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association – the largest independent pilots union in the United States – is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org.