Less than 24 hours after members of the Allied Pilots Association voted against ratifying a new labor contract with American Airlines, APA President Capt. David Bates is stepping down.

In a letter to members, Bates said he was stepping down at the request of the APA Board of Directors and that he based his decision on the result of Wednesday's vote.

Bates said he felt ratifying a tentative agreement that would have given pilots a 13 percent stake in the company and pay raises when the company emerges from bankruptcy was the best course of action for the pilots group.

The pilots felt otherwise and overwhelmingly rejected the agreement.

"Although I believe that ratifying the tentative agreement would have been the best course for our pilot group, the majority of our pilots signaled their preference for taking a different path. Given these circumstances, I concluded that continuing to serve as your president was not in the interests of the pilots I have been charged with representing," said Bates in his letter.

Bates' resignation is effective immediately.  First Officer Keith Wilson has been selected as the interim APA President.

The APA, based in Fort Worth, serves as the collective bargaining agent for approximately 10,000 American Airlines pilots

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