American Airlines Flow-Thru Pilots Coalition v. Allied Pilots Ass'n
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Seeborg, J.
ORDER RE MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND CLASS CERTIFICATION
I. INTRODUCTION
The named plaintiffs in this putative class action are five individual pilots and an unincorporated association of more than 150 similarly-situated pilots who originally were employed by “American Eagle”—a collective name for several regional affiliates of American Airlines. 1 In 1997, Eagle pilots became eligible to become pilots at American by virtue of a so-called “Flow-Thru Agreement” executed among the airline companies and the affected unions. Plaintiffs, who refer to themselves and the putative class members as “Flow-Thru-Pilots” (FTPs), acquired certain rights under that agreement with respect to when and how they would be offered positions flying for American, and what their seniority status would be among American pilots. The FTPs would also come under the representation of the union for American pilots, defendant Allied Pilots Association (“The Union”)—at least once they began flying at American. A disputed issue in the present motion for summary judgment is whether the Union owed any duty to FTPs who had not yet obtained positions at American.