NEWINGTON — Pan American Airlines, a subsidiary of Guilford Transportation, has gone out of business and fired its 30 union pilots.
The carrier has transferred its flight operations to Boston-Maine Airways, another Guilford owned airline and a non-union operation.
John Nadolny, Pan Am legal counsel and spokesman did not return calls seeking comment.
However, an attorney for the Washington, D.C.-based Airline Pilots Association said yesterday, the decision to disband Pan Am amounted to “union busting” on the part of the parent company.
“Absolutely,” responded Marcus Migliore, when asked if he and the 30 terminated pilots believe the carrier’s action was an attempt to break the union. “They continue to do exactly what the court said they couldn’t do under the Railway Labor Act.”
Migliore said the terminated pilots were not given the option of flying for Boston-Maine and were told in an Oct. 14 letter from Pan Am that they would be terminated Oct. 31.
Migliore accused the carrier of defying a ruling, handed down recently by Concord-based U.S. District Court Judge Joseph DiClerico. In his ruling, the judge said Guilford’s attempt to shift work from Pan Am to Boston-Maine is “a direct attempt to destroy a union.”
In his late September order, DiClerico ordered Guilford to keep Pan Am flying and to restore the pay and working conditions to Pan Am pilots and crews, to the same level they were in July.
The judge also prohibited Boston-Maine from flying Pan Am’s Boeing 727 aircraft and other larger jet aircraft on routes that had been flown by Pan Am.
Pan Am was also told it could not transfer its aircraft to Boston-Maine.
“This is contrary to what the court ordered. That’s why we’re going back to court,” Migliore said.
The court proceeding, to hear the unions’ argument, is schedule in U.S. District Court, Concord, on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
At the hearing, the Airline Pilots Association, which represents Pan Am unionized pilots, will argue against the carrier’s decision to shift work from Pan Am to the non-union Boston-Maine.
David Mullen, the Pease Development Authority’s deputy director, said to the best of his knowledge, Pan Am’s Pease-based maintenance, which also houses Guilford’s corporate headquarters and Boston-Maine, remains operational and that the parent company continues to honor its contract with the PDA. Guilford’s 20-year lease began Sept. 1, 1998, and will end Aug. 31, 2018.
Mullen acknowledges Pan Am, as an airline, is no longer flying from Pease.
“We really weren’t brought into the picture,” concerning Guilford’s decision to end Pan Am as a commercial entity.
Mullen said the only information the PDA was given came as the result of a recent e-mail from Nadolny, in which the attorney indicated Boston-Maine would continue to fly from Pease.
Mullen said at this time the Boston-Maine flight schedule from Pease Airport is “somewhat limited.”
Pease Airport Manager William Hooper could not be reached for comment concerning the number of scheduled Boston-Maine flights per day and their destinations.
Boston-Maine has operated largely as a propeller driven commuter carrier, while Pan Am handled longer distance jet aircraft service.
Migliore said Boston-Maine is now using aircraft bearing the Pan Am logo, without telling the public that Pan Am is no longer in business.
Pan Am/Boston-Maine is the sole commercial carrier flying scheduled service to and from Pease. Guilford employs an estimated 300 workers at the tradeport, down from more than 400 a few years ago.
