WHO ARE WE?
America West Pilots Protective Alliance (AWAPPA) is an Arizona Limited Liability Corporation created for, and operated and funded by the 1800 airline pilots of the former America West Airlines.
Jeffrey Freund Esq. of Bredhoff & Kaiser P.L.L.C. serves as the AWAPPA legal counsel.
WHY DO WE EXIST? 
In May of 2005, America West announced it’s intent to acquire US Airways, which was in it's 2nd bankruptcy in only two years. The pilots from both airlines were represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Both pilot groups mutually agreed to have their seniority integrated via binding arbitration in accordance with ALPA’s Merger Policy.
Seniority for airline pilots governs most employment benefits including pay, schedule, routes, and aircraft flown. Following nearly 3 weeks of hearings, thousands of pages of transcripts, and hundreds of exhibits, Arbitrator George Nicolau issued a final and binding integrated seniority list in May of 2007 (a.k.a. the “Nicolau Award”).
The pre-merger US Airways pilots were infuriated by the outcome, primarily because they expected a “date-of-hire” integration method that would have placed over 80% of the America West pilots at the bottom of the seniority list.
As a result of the reaction, some of the pre-merger US Airways pilots formed the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) which replaced ALPA as the bargaining agent for both groups. USAPA's primary mission is to attempt to disregard the arbitrator’s decision and impose a “date-of-hire” seniority integration upon the America West pilots. In addition, USAPA has announced other plans that clearly disadvantage America West pilots. AWAPPA was formed to defend America West pilots against this hostile attack by the raiding union.
Read the full history of the America West / US Airways seniority integration dispute…....
