May 14, 2010 Newsletter

Airline Division Reports on Successes to UNITY Conference

Highlighting the changes within the Airline Division, Teamster Airline Division Director David Bourne addressed the 2010 Teamster UNITY conference in Las Vegas this past weekend. Director Bourne reported that the Airline Division was the only union in the airline industry that has experienced growth in the past two years, growing by over 30%. He also noted that on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, the Airline Division has become the voice not just for members, but the traveling public as well.

“We are leading the fight to make sure that the maintenance and service work done on U.S. airliners is done in America by Teamster mechanics and fleet workers; and that the pilots who fly commercial airliners have the real world experience that you and your family have the right to expect as a passengers,” he said, concluding his remarks by noting, “Our work continues. Every day, employee groups and pilots from airlines around this country, large and small are calling us and asking how to become Teamsters. They are learning what you already know…that UNITY is not just a fancy word if you’re a Teamster. It’s who we are…it’s how we live. For our families, our jobs, and for each other…for our union.”

Airline Division Achieves Success at Continental; Over 150 Jobs Are Saved

Fresh on the heels of the union election that brought representation to over 7300 Continental ramp and related workers, the company announced the closing of seven stations and the termination of over 150 union jobs. Continental then offered their soon to be unemployed, long term loyal employees their same jobs at the same airports, working for a non union staffing company, at a substantial pay reduction, with fewer benefits and no representation.

Airline Division Director David Bourne, noting the newly announced proposed acquisition of Continental by United, spoke with Continental management and urged reconsideration of the closings and job terminations. In an announcement at the UNITY conference, he told those in attendance that, “today I stand here proud to announce that the order to terminate our Teamster brothers and sisters has been rescinded and not one of those 150 jobs will be lost to a non union company.” Speaking later, he noted, “this is an example of what we can accomplish when we work to solve problems. There will always be disagreements, but when we stand firm for our membership while seeking ways to resolve problems, good things result.”

Reducing Risk, Improving Safety Highlighted at FRMS Conference

A two day conference on Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) held recently in Houston was attended by representatives from a variety of industries involved in shift work, including IBT Airline Division Safety Coordinator Captain Russ Leighton. Airline employees, especially flight crews, are subject to constantly changing schedules that can disrupt rest schedules, creating an increased risk of accident or incident, whether by a flight crew or ground staff. Finding ways to improve scheduling that maintains productivity, in the least fatiguing way possible, is critical to having a safe operation.

The first step is to identify problematic schedules using software that takes into account all the scientific information we have gathered over decades of studies on circadian rhythms. Wrist-worn monitors called “actigraphs” are used while operating these suspect schedules, to monitor the individual’s alertness while performing duties. After sufficient data has been collected, fatiguing schedules are identified. These unsafe schedules can then be modified in order to mitigate fatigue. Once adjustments are made, the schedules are flown, and once again alertness data is gathered. The new data is compared to the original data to confirm whether or not the mitigations were successful.

“We hope to identify an airline within the IBT that would be willing to conduct a trial version of FRMS,” said Captain Leighton. “It is likely that new Flight/Duty regulations will require air carriers to eventually have these types of systems in place.”

Week in Review News Items

Labor Developments

Pilots for Spirit Airlines say they will strike on June 12 if they don't get a new contract with the discount carrier. The declaration Wednesday came after the pilots' union turned down binding arbitration to settle the dispute, setting in motion a 30-day countdown to the moment when pilots could legally strike under federal law…cabin crew at British Airways PLC announced plans on Monday to strike for a total of 20 days in May and June, threatening yet more chaos for tens of thousands of travelers just weeks after an Icelandic volcanic ash cloud shut down European air space…and Delta and U.S. air carriers face a steeper challenge in blocking union campaigns after the National Mediation Board eased rules for organizing.

Legislative, Regulatory & Safety

The Dutch tourism board says 61 of the victims of a plane crash in Libya were from the Netherlands — more than half of those on board…after a briefing on the Times Square bombing attempt, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee called Tuesday for improvements in the no-fly list and the addition of the Pakistani Taliban to the government’s official list of terrorist organizations.

Airline Industry Finances & Structure

For decades, experts predicted that at some unknown future point, the engine leading the U.S. airline industry would consist of just three huge network carriers, each with a global route system. The caboose would be a handful of domestic niche players with low fares and no-frills service, the thinking went…a successful merger between United and Continental makes more airline consolidation likely — and in some cases, necessary, most industry analysts agree. Which is exactly why the industry is casting nervous glances in the direction of the nation’s capital…the Justice Department “will take the time” needed to review the merger of Continental Airlines and United Airlines, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday…and maybe American is not quite so impaired as it seemed to be three weeks ago. A series of tentative contract agreements with its biggest union last week showed American in a different light: As a methodical problem solver.

Miscellaneous

It's been a month now, and Iceland's volcano shows no sign it will stop belching ash across Europe anytime soon. The rolling eruptions threaten more havoc for summer vacation plans and higher costs for struggling airlines…the Texas Roadhouse meat cutters and managers descended on New York City in April, courtesy of a company-paid trip for a job well done. While many companies have pushed their perks under the radar, the restaurant chain planted a Texas Roadhouse flag on the Waldorf Astoria, set off fireworks on Ellis Island, and posted the company mascot — an armadillo named Andy — on top of Radio City Music Hall…whether or not the U.S. DOT 3-hour tarmac-delay rule represents useful or harmful government intervention in the marketplace is a mostly irrelevant discussion-point now…and how does a large company like Sabre get the innovation vibe going? All-nighters with lots of caffeine flowing.