US Airways Group Inc. won an early battle yesterday against its pilots union, but a New York judge left the door for further litigation slightly ajar. The airline won dismissal of a lawsuit by the US Airline Pilots Association, which claimed the carrier violated federal labor law.
The union alleged US Airways didn’t comply with the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline union relations, when it changed contract provisions and failed to make reasonable efforts to negotiate a new pact.
U.S. District Judge Allyne Ross, however, found holes in the union’s argument.
“The court concludes that plaintiff has not adequately alleged a claim for failure to bargain in good faith and has not made a sufficient showing of the court’s jurisdiction with respect to any of its other claims,” Judge Ross wrote in her decision.
Despite her dismissal of the case, Judge Ross did not rule on the merits of the union’s claims.
The lawsuit, US Airline Pilots Association v. US Airways Inc., is the most recent battle in a long history of bad blood between the two parties, dating back to 2005 when US Airways merged with America West Holdings Corp.
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