CAL Talks Continue in Newark, Progress Reported
After meeting in Houston, Texas during the weeks of July 26th and August 2nd in order to prepare for the upcoming mediation sessions, formal mediation sessions began on Monday, August 23rd and continued through Friday, August 27th in Newark, New Jersey under the oversight of Mediator Gerry McGuckin.
Mediator McGuckin introduced Mediator Michael Kelliher, who was there to assist Mr. McGuckin in facilitating discussions and further advancing the negotiation process.
With the week’s session were exclusively geared towards economic issues, IBT Airline Division Director, Captain David Bourne, IBT attorney Ed Gleason and economist Norm Weintraub also attended for the union. Mike Bonds and Continental economists Mauricio Angel and Adeem Usman participated in assisting the negotiation process for the week.
Significant progress was reported and the parties will meet once again in the next few weeks in an effort to resolve all open items.
NTEU Meets With New TSA Administrator
In a meeting described as a “very useful and positive step forward for both employees and the agency,” NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley met last Friday with John Pistole, the new administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
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According to an NTEU survey of TSA employees, more than 85 percent of them understand and believe that collective bargaining would help improve the effectiveness of their agency. The polling was conducted by a well respected independent agency and the information obtained; highlighting significant workplace issues, was included in documents presented to the recently confirmed agency head.
The question of collective bargaining rights for TSA employees is under review. The employees’ rights to participate in the collective bargaining process has been denied since the agency was
AAWW Negotiators, Management to meet, Last Planned Session before Arbitration
Pilot negotiators for Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, represented by Local 1224 of the Airline Division, and Atlas Air Worldwide (AAWW) management will meet next week in Washington, DC, for the final round of negotiations on a joint contract before submitting unresolved issues to a Federal Arbitrator. If a comprehensive agreement is not concluded, the first meeting with the Arbitrator is scheduled for October.
In Memoriam
Captain Larry A. Hamblen, 56, formerly of Houston, Texas, passed away in Charleston, SC on Saturday, June 26, 2010 after a brief illness.
Mr. Hamblen was born in Miami, Florida, the son of Mr. and Mrs. L.O. Hamblen, in Wasilla, Alaska. He received his pilot's training in Melbourne, Florida at the Florida Institute of Technology. He flew for 19 years with ATA Airlines as a B757 Captain and check Airman. Presently, he worked with Omni Air International as a Military Contract Pilot and Instructor for the 767. He flew troops all over the world and in harm’s way, recently staging troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a brave man, excellent pilot, admired by his peers, and a loving and thoughtful husband.
Surviving are his loving wife of 34 years, Wanda Hill Hamblen of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.; brothers, Jim (Marilyn) Hamblen of Gainesville, Ga., and Tom Hamblen and Bob (Susan) Hamblen, both of Wasilla, Alaska; and sisters-in-law, Joan Hill, Barbara (Bob) Wilkinson, Cecelia Taylor, Grace Rogers and Beth (Phil) Farmer.
Week In Review News Items
Labor Developments
U.S. airlines workers, who have gone through pay and benefit cuts, layoffs, bankruptcies and rising workloads in recent years, are looking to capitalize on the return to profits this year of most big U.S. carriers. The push for better deals by workers, who've seen ranks thinned 25% since 2000, is creating an increasingly tense relations climate in the industry…American Airlines’ mechanics Tuesday turned down a three-year contract with the carrier, increasing the potential for a TWU strike against the carrier. In addition, TWU-represented stores employees, who handle the aircraft parts inventories, also turned down their proposed contract. One group, maintenance technical specialists, approved their deal…and the union for Northwest Airlines flight attendants has sued Delta Air Lines Inc., saying their new managers are breaking the contract with the union.
Legislative, Safety & Regulatory
A passenger plane overshot a runway while landing at a new airport in northeast China late on Tuesday, bursting into flames and killing 42 people of 96 on board, the nation's worst air disaster since 2004. The company whose aircraft was involved has decided to cancel all its flights for safety reviews, officials said. The operations of Henan Airlines, based in Henan province, would be suspended for an unspecific time, said Wu Zhenkun, an official with the provincial aviation regulatory committee.
The U.S. government on Thursday proposed to fine American Airlines $24.2 million for alleged maintenance violations that led to thousands of flight cancellations two years ago. It is the biggest-ever fine against an airline proposed by the FAA…aviation officials often cite the industry’s low accident rate after a plane crash, and statistics back up their assertions. Yet passengers and companies responsible for employee travel have little information to evaluate a carrier’s safety standards, or judge a particular country’s commitment to safety, given the patchwork of organizations monitoring safety and the limits on what details are made public.
Airline Industry Finances & Structure
IATA said international scheduled freight traffic rose 22.7 percent year on year in July, while international passenger demand rose 9.2 percent. Cross-border air shipments, which IATA measures in freight tonne kilometres, are considered a prime indicator of the health of world trade. "The recovery in demand has been faster than anticipated. But, as we look towards the end of the year, the pace of the recovery will likely slow," Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO, said in a statement. Consumer confidence was fragile, particularly in North America and Europe.
Miscellaneous
The first of Boeing’s long-awaited 787 “Dreamliner” aircraft will not be delivered until early next year, the U.S. manufacturer confirmed Friday, adding to a string of delays that has dogged the project and set back the introduction of the 300-seat jet by more than two years…for years, Americans have had their phone calls about credit card bills and broken cell phones handled by people in the Philippines or India. But American firms are starting to bring call centers back to the U.S. — and this time around, they are hiring more people to work in their own homes…and United and Continental airlines aren't yet officially hitched, but some are already grumbling about the monogram they've selected for their china.