Retired Pilots’ Suit Over ALPA’s Allocation Of Northwest Bankruptcy Claim Dismissed

A federal district court June 8 dismissed a complaint against the Air Line Pilots Association alleging the union’s decisions in distributing to Northwest Airline pilots an unsecured bankruptcy claim provided by the company were discriminatory and breached the union’s duty of fair representation (Bondurant v. Air Line Pilots Ass’n).

The plaintiffs in the case—a group of six former Northwest Airlines pilots who retired before the date set by ALPA for a pilot to be eligible for a full share of the claim—failed to present sufficient evidence that ALPA’s actions were motivated by unlawful discrimination, had a disparate impact ...