Cyclic Hotline
3rd Oct 2001, 23:44
Wednesday October 3, 11:45 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Hong Kong Air Officers Association
California-Based Airline Pilots Sue Cathay Pacific for $100 Million
Legal Action Filed in California Against Cathay Pacific and Members of Management for Retaliatory Termination and Libel
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2001-- Nine former Cathay Pacific pilots have filed suit against the airline for damages in excess of USD $100 million.
In July 2001, 49 Cathay pilots, including the nine here, were summarily terminated without cause or grievance hearings. The nine pilots fly routes in and out of Los Angeles International and San Francisco International Airports to long-haul destinations throughout the world.
In the lawsuit, the pilots claim their terminations were in retaliation for expressing concerns about airline safety issues. Under California law, workers who express concerns to their employers about working conditions they believe endanger the public or employees are legally protected from punishment including retaliatory termination.
The lawsuit claims that several years ago, for financial reasons, Cathay Pacific embarked on a scheme to reduce minimum qualification levels and training for pilots and to reduce the amount of time off pilots are given to recover from fatigue and jet lag. Cathay's pilots attempted without success to reverse or at least ameliorate what they viewed as a serious erosion in these and other areas.
In furtherance of their concerns, on July 3, 2001 the pilots promulgated a written Maximum Safety Strategy to emphasize and enhance safety standards in the areas of jet lag and crew fatigue as well as several other areas of concern. As a result, according to the lawsuit, the pilots were terminated six days later on July 9, 2001, in retaliation for the Maximum Safety Strategy.
Areas of concern addressed in the Maximum Safety Strategy include among other things rostering and crew staffing as well as cockpit fatigue. Fatigue caused by jet lag, excessive flight time and other causes can result in poor memory, reduced attention span, decreased mental ability and physical coordination difficulties. Problems associated with crew fatigue are critical and must be dealt with to ensure airline safety.
After the terminations, the lawsuit further claims that Cathay Pacific management commenced a smear campaign to defame and malign the reputations of the pilots, by saying in both print media and on the Internet that the pilots had been terminated for performance-related reasons when Cathay knew that not to be the case. The lawsuit quotes Cathay spokespersons as making false and libelous statements in wide reaching news outlets including CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, various Hong Kong newspapers and on Cathay's own Web site.
The nine pilots are represented by Skip Miller, a partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm of Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil and Shapiro, LLP.
Press Release
SOURCE: Hong Kong Air Officers Association
California-Based Airline Pilots Sue Cathay Pacific for $100 Million
Legal Action Filed in California Against Cathay Pacific and Members of Management for Retaliatory Termination and Libel
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2001-- Nine former Cathay Pacific pilots have filed suit against the airline for damages in excess of USD $100 million.
In July 2001, 49 Cathay pilots, including the nine here, were summarily terminated without cause or grievance hearings. The nine pilots fly routes in and out of Los Angeles International and San Francisco International Airports to long-haul destinations throughout the world.
In the lawsuit, the pilots claim their terminations were in retaliation for expressing concerns about airline safety issues. Under California law, workers who express concerns to their employers about working conditions they believe endanger the public or employees are legally protected from punishment including retaliatory termination.
The lawsuit claims that several years ago, for financial reasons, Cathay Pacific embarked on a scheme to reduce minimum qualification levels and training for pilots and to reduce the amount of time off pilots are given to recover from fatigue and jet lag. Cathay's pilots attempted without success to reverse or at least ameliorate what they viewed as a serious erosion in these and other areas.
In furtherance of their concerns, on July 3, 2001 the pilots promulgated a written Maximum Safety Strategy to emphasize and enhance safety standards in the areas of jet lag and crew fatigue as well as several other areas of concern. As a result, according to the lawsuit, the pilots were terminated six days later on July 9, 2001, in retaliation for the Maximum Safety Strategy.
Areas of concern addressed in the Maximum Safety Strategy include among other things rostering and crew staffing as well as cockpit fatigue. Fatigue caused by jet lag, excessive flight time and other causes can result in poor memory, reduced attention span, decreased mental ability and physical coordination difficulties. Problems associated with crew fatigue are critical and must be dealt with to ensure airline safety.
After the terminations, the lawsuit further claims that Cathay Pacific management commenced a smear campaign to defame and malign the reputations of the pilots, by saying in both print media and on the Internet that the pilots had been terminated for performance-related reasons when Cathay knew that not to be the case. The lawsuit quotes Cathay spokespersons as making false and libelous statements in wide reaching news outlets including CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, various Hong Kong newspapers and on Cathay's own Web site.
The nine pilots are represented by Skip Miller, a partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm of Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil and Shapiro, LLP.