Ousted American Airlines Pilot Leader Claims ALPA Advocates Pressured His Removal
In early December, Ed Sicher, a veteran Boeing 737 pilot, will take command of an international flight as a Boeing 777 captain for American Airlines. The flight marks a personal milestone for the 60-year-old, symbolizing a fresh start after his October 7 ouster as president of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing 16,000 American Airlines pilots.
Sicher’s removal was abrupt: following a 15-5 vote by the APA board, security escorted him from the Fort Worth meeting. This was Sicher’s first public statement since his dismissal, which stemmed from his vocal opposition to a proposed merger between the APA and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), a powerful union representing 78,000 pilots across North America.
Sicher’s opposition to ALPA was firm. “I was leading a strong anti-ALPA movement at APA,” he explained, though he didn’t expect the votes needed to oust him. Recent board elections had added more pro-ALPA representatives, but to secure a majority, ALPA supporters enlisted six members unhappy with recent contract negotiations.
Sicher attributes shifting union sentiment to younger pilots joining American Airlines, many from regional airlines previously represented by ALPA. With significant bonuses and amenities in recent years, these younger pilots hold different loyalties than those who weathered the airline’s past struggles, such as bankruptcy and slow career advancements.
Reflecting on his departure, Sicher highlighted a generational shift within American’s pilot ranks, as newer pilots appear increasingly open to ALPA’s influence.
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