Pilots Union Cites Progress in Talks

The union representing American Airlines pilots said there was no immediate danger of renewed job actions like the 10-day “sickout” by pilots that grounded more than 6,400 flights in February. Captain Rich LaVoy, president of the Allied Pilots Assn., said some progress was made in three days of mediated talks with the airline on settling a dispute over the acquisition of Reno Air Inc. LaVoy declined to answer questions about the details or status of the negotiations. AMR Corp., American’s parent company, has remained silent about the talks, saying both sides had agreed to a news blackout. The sickout ended after 10 days, but only when AMR went back to court and gained a contempt order against the union for being too slow to get pilots back to work. The two sides agreed on Tuesday to a temporary recess after the latest round of nonbinding mediation. The next round is expected to take place in early April.