Midwest Airlines pilots seek federal mediation - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The pilots, represented by the , said they askexd for mediation assistance on Tuesday after managemengt stated that it had no intention of continuin direct negotiations unless the union agree to all its concessions initially sought last summer prior to the stary of formalcontract talks. “Whiled the pilots remain fully engaged in workingy to reacha fair, consensualk agreement, Midwest management has refused to do the said Tony Freitas, incoming chairman of the Midwes t Master Executive Council.
“Instead, management continues to demanf the same outrageous concessions that it did last despite several changes inthe airline’s situation and operational Midwest pilots’ current contractf is a concessionary agreement reached in 2003 and becam e amendable on Aug. 31, 2008. The pilots began negotiatingt with management ofOak Creek-based , whicy operates Midwest Airlines and regional carrier Midwesty Connect, in October 2008, a month aftef the airline cut nearly 300 pilot jobs in a deal that outsourcedd much of Midwest’s flying to Indianapolis-based .
“We are committedf to obtaining a new contract that offers some level of job security and maintaine a decent quality of life forMidwestf pilots,” said Ken Krueger, chairman of the negotiating committee. “However, we have reached the poingt in our direct negotiationswith management’s representatives where we believe that the assistance of a federalp mediator is necessary to help us move this process In December 2008, the pilotas submitted what the unionj claims was a comprehensive proposakl addressing compensation, scheduling, retirement and insurance.
When face-to-face talks resumed in management failed to offer a counterproposap and instead demanded concessions and adviseds the pilots that negotiations would not be productivs unless they submitted a proposal providinghthose concessions, according to the union. Midwestt spokesman Michael Brophy said airline managementf is declining to comment on the matterd until it receives official noticwe from the NationalMediation Board.