Oregon Public Broadcasting

Alaska Airlines management and its pilots' union are inviting a federal mediator to help them revive stalled contract talks.

David Campbell of the Air Line Pilots’ Association says the mediator’s goal would be to avert a threatened strike by Alaska’s pilots.

David Campbell: “Until management moves off of this status quo notion of a cost neutral contract, it doesn’t matter how good the mediator is.  So we’ll see.”

Campbell says there’s no timeline for the mediation period.  The pilots are demanding improved pay and job security.

Management says the pilots are making untenable demands in light of skyrocketing jet fuel prices.

An airline spokeswoman claims the union would burden Alaska with the highest-cost pilot contract in the nation.

Alaska pilots have never gone on strike in the airline’s history.