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Union settles suit against airport authority
Tuesday, November 02, 1999 By Mark Belko, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
One of two unions that sued to block a quasi-independent authority from taking over operations at two Allegheny County airports has agreed to settle after the authority promised to honor two state laws that protect its members.
County commissioners are expected to vote Thursday on the proposed settlement with Local 1038 of the International Association of Firefighters, which represents about 50 workers at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The union and its president, Greg A. Sample, filed a lawsuit Oct. 5 asking a judge to stop the county from transferring Pittsbugh International and Allegheny County airports to an authority until employment and pension issues were resolved and requirements of the state Municipal Authorities Act were met.
Even with a settlement, the lawsuit would remain. That's because a second union, Local 585 of the Service Employees International Union, and its president, Rosemary Trump, also are plaintiffs. They have not settled.
Two other lawsuits also are pending against the authority. One was filed by Lou Coccoli, an airport concessionaire and a candidate for county council. Another was filed by county council candidates Jeanne Brimmeier and Robert Scholle and state Rep. Don Walko, D-North Side.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced last week that it was indefinitely delaying a decision on whether to approve transfer of operating certificates for the two airports from the county to the authority because of the pending litigation.
Commissioner Bob Cranmer, who, along with Commissioner Mike Dawida, created the authority, criticized the decision, saying the FAA was reacting to political pressure applied by Democratic congressmen from the area, a charge that was denied by a spokesman for one of the legislators, U.S. Rep. William Coyne.
In a letter sent Friday, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., called on the FAA to stop blocking the authority. If it won't, he threatened to use his power to stall approval of nominees to vacant FAA posts.
Joseph J. Pass Jr., attorney for the firefighters association, said the union decided to settle after the authority agreed to honor Act 111 and another state law known as the Heart and Lung Act.
Act 111 provides for arbitration as a means of solving labor disputes and contracts. The decision of the arbitrator is binding, Pass said. The Heart and Lung Act guarantees that firefighters injured in the line of duty will receive full pay rather than a partial benefit.
The authority was not required to honor the provisions of either act but has agreed to do so voluntarily. Aviation Director Kent George said the authority would honor "exactly what [the union] had before" under its contract with the county.
"We think it's a good deal," Pass said. "It certainly provides for protection, which is what we sought from the beginning. These employees will be treated as firemen and not second-class citizens."
Pass said the settlement should dispel criticism -- as it relates to the unions' lawsuit at least -- that the litigation was politically inspired to derail the authority.
"There must be protections for employees. That's what this was all about. They're not going to be used as political pawns in some political chess game," he said.
Under the settlement, the authority also agreed to honor the firefighters' existing contract, pension benefits, and seniority.
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