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H46Bubba · January 5th, 2007, 14:32

Comair, union enlist mediator
An effort to keep talks going
BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE

ERLANGER - Comair Inc. and its pilots union announced Thursday they have drafted a private mediator to keep dialogue going in new concession talks starting next week.
The company and union have tapped Richard Bloch, a private mediator who helped broker a deal between Comair's parent company, Delta Air Lines, and its pilots union last year.
In a joint statement, Dave Soaper, Comair's senior vice president of aircraft operations, and J.C. Lawson, chairman of the pilots union, welcomed Bloch's assistance and hoped to reach an agreement.
"We are grateful Mr. Bloch has agreed to work with us, and we welcome his participation in our discussions," they said. "We are hopeful that with Mr. Bloch's help, we can come together and make meaningful progress."
Both sides noted they were not leaving a final decision up to the mediator. They added that Bloch's participation did not mean the parties were operating under auspices of the National Mediation Board.
The negotiations, scheduled to begin Monday and resume in following weeks, will be the first since both sides cut a deal Dec. 28 that averted a strike during the New Year's holiday.
Both sides have agreed to hold discussions through Feb. 2 before possibly going back to a New York bankruptcy judge to resolve the level of pay cuts needed to lift the Erlanger-based regional airline out of bankruptcy.

January 5th, 2007, 14:32	#20
H46Bubba Old Skool Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: CVG Posts: 4,199	Comair Update Comair, union enlist mediator An effort to keep talks going BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE ERLANGER - Comair Inc. and its pilots union announced Thursday they have drafted a private mediator to keep dialogue going in new concession talks starting next week. The company and union have tapped Richard Bloch, a private mediator who helped broker a deal between Comair's parent company, Delta Air Lines, and its pilots union last year. In a joint statement, Dave Soaper, Comair's senior vice president of aircraft operations, and J.C. Lawson, chairman of the pilots union, welcomed Bloch's assistance and hoped to reach an agreement. "We are grateful Mr. Bloch has agreed to work with us, and we welcome his participation in our discussions," they said. "We are hopeful that with Mr. Bloch's help, we can come together and make meaningful progress." Both sides noted they were not leaving a final decision up to the mediator. They added that Bloch's participation did not mean the parties were operating under auspices of the National Mediation Board. The negotiations, scheduled to begin Monday and resume in following weeks, will be the first since both sides cut a deal Dec. 28 that averted a strike during the New Year's holiday. Both sides have agreed to hold discussions through Feb. 2 before possibly going back to a New York bankruptcy judge to resolve the level of pay cuts needed to lift the Erlanger-based regional airline out of bankruptcy.