TODR Memo 03-02-09

As previously reported the Teamster’s sponsored the first ever national summit on aircraft maintenance outsourcing. Nearly 200 people attended, including safety advocates, members of Congress, former members of the National Transportation Safety Board, the news media and aviation industry representatives.

Since then Congress has taken the first small steps to requiring a single aviation maintenance standard, which is the key to a solution for this problem. But there is a long line of powerful and well-funded special interests that are intent on maintaining our current system. This will be a long and difficult battle.

There is still much more work to be done. The Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition is collecting data about shoddy outsourced maintenance. Your help is crucial to this effort. Please fill out the attached Teamster Outsourcing Defect Report (TODR) about problems you witnessed with work done by outside vendors. The information you provide in this will be used in a subsequent report.

Please be assured the Teamsters will keep your identity confidential. If you feel uncomfortable disclosing your name and employer, then leave them off the survey. The Teamsters will protect your privacy. Only the Teamsters will have access to your personally identifiable information; we will not share it with anyone.

Reports can be returned or Faxed to the Union office if they are filled out in a hard copy format. Reports may also be submitted online using the link below.

More information can be found at the Teamster website at www.teamster.org. Click on Airline Division under the Industries drop down menu and select mechanics.