The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is going to court to prevent what the union says is an attempt by Republic Airways Holdings Inc. to strip Frontier mechanics moving to Milwaukee of their union representation.
The union's airline division late Wednesday filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee requesting a preliminary injunction against Indianapolis-based Republic Airways – parent company for Frontier Airlines and Midwest Airlines – for allegedly abrogating its collective-bargaining contract with Frontier mechanics. Also included in the collective-bargaining unit are related occupations of tool room employees, ground service equipment mechanics, material specialists and maintenance cleaners.
The request indicates that Republic officials intend to make Frontier mechanics at its heavy maintenance operation in Milwaukee nonunion. It requests that Frontier and Republic Airways Holdings, their officers, agents and subsidiaries maintain the status quo as it existed prior to the transfer of work from Frontier to Republic Airlines and comply with the terms of the Frontier-IBT collective bargaining agreement.
According to the Denver Post, Frontier offered to move 135 mechanics to Milwaukee, but only 35 volunteered for the move. Teamsters’ officials told the Post that as of Monday; only 17 had begun work in Milwaukee.
Neither a Republic spokesman nor a representative of the union were immediately available for comment.
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