Head of American Airlines' pilots' union agrees to step down after "no" vote
Skift Take
As far as contracts with bankrupt companies go, the one the pilots were offered wasn't too shabby -- with a nice ownership stake included. But after the flyers voted to reject it Bates was left with few options.
David Bates said that the union's board asked him to step down and he agreed.
Bates supported ratification of a company offer to give pilots pay raises and a 13.5 percent stake in the company after it emerges from bankruptcy protection. He portrayed it as the best deal possible under difficult circumstances. But 61 percent of pilots voted to reject the offer, which contained outsourcing provisions that they opposed.
After the vote, American indicated that it will ask a federal bankruptcy judge to impose terms of an April offer that included smaller pay raises and no stock in the new company for pilots.
"Although I believe that ratifying the tent
