Former employees sue Big Sky Airlines

BILLINGS

Big Sky Airlines executives failed to honor a key labor contract as they liquidated the company, according to a lawsuit filed by former employees who allege wrongful termination and breech of contract. Officials for United Transportation Union Local 15 are suing the airline and its parent company, Minneapolisbased MAIR Holdings Inc., in U.S. District Court in Billings. Phoenix Acquisitions, a company that employees formed in hopes of buying Big Sky, has joined the union's lawsuit and is seeking back wages and punitive damages. MAIR Holdings and Big Sky President Fred deLeeuw did not immediately return calls for comment. Bruce Tall, a former Big Sky pilot who heads Local 15, said the company broke its contract to immediately notify and negotiate with the union about any corporate change that would affect jobs. The company also ignored the union's certified letter asking for an immediate meeting, according to the lawsuit. "Although I feel fortunate to have employment, I also know that we could have kept serving the good people of Montana and continued to fly profitably," said Tall, who now flies in Angola, Africa. "But MAIR Holdings had no intention of ever letting us save our jobs." The lawsuit also claims that Big Sky relinquished Montana's federal Essential Air Service contract without first talking to the union. The EAS program offers air carriers federal subsidies to fly to small cities and towns that may be unprofitable to serve. After three decades of flying in Montana, Big Sky announced in December that financial losses were forcing the company out of business. The airline stopped flying March 8. Cheyenne, Wyo.-based Great Lakes Aviation, which was awarded Big Sky's EAS routes across Eastern Montana, is negotiating for airplanes and will not begin flying by its July target date. (AP)