by BARRY ALLEYNE

AFTER THREE ROUNDS of mediation talks, the on-going battle between regional airline LIAT and its pilots is almost done.

The two parties, LIAT and the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA), reconvened in Antigua and Barbuda last week, meeting for four consecutive days (February 1, 2, 3, and 4) before retired Barbadian High Court judge, Justice Leroy Inniss, to complete the hammering out of their differences.

"Everything from both sides has been put on the table. The arbitration process is complete, and everyone involved made their summations.

"We are now looking forward to a positive decision that suits both parties well in the long run," LIALPA's chairman Michael Blackburn told the DAILY NATION yesterday.

Now it's just left for Inniss to hand down his final decision, a process expected to take at least two weeks, before the pilots know exactly what kind of collective bargaining agreement, if any, they will have for the first time in 14 years.

The two groups had already met on December 15, 16, and 17 last year, as well as January 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 this year, before finally concluding the process in Antigua last week.

Both sides had agreed not to publicise any details of the mediation through the Press.

Blackburn, a senior captain flying with LIAT for more than two decades, noted that both the association and LIAT have also agreed to provide two joint reports regarding matters they both agree on to Justice Inniss this week, so the mediation decision can be handed down as soon as possible.

"There is nothing really controversial left to be discussed, so I don't expect the decision to be that long in coming," Blackburn said.

LIAT and the association had been at loggerheads for almost two years, and last November LIALPA threatened to withdraw the services of its more than 150 pilots, unless a collective bargaining was reached, which prompted the arbitration process.

The association's main planks at the arbitration were, along with a first collective agreement since 1996, recognition of LIALPA as the sole bargaining agent for the pilots, as well as duty and flight limitations.

* barryalleyne @nationnews.com