Airline Division Director to Allegiant Air management; “It’s time for you to get serious”
While the NMB considers the request for a Proffer of Arbitration filed by the Airline Division against Allegiant Air; Teamsters Airline Division Director Captain David Bourne has a simple message for Allegiant management: it’s time for you to get serious. “You need to restore the status quo protections that you took from the pilots to gain unfair advantage over them in negotiations and mediation,” said Bourne. “Once you do that, you need to get serious about negotiating a contract.”
“For over two years, the Allegiant pilots have put up with delays, excuses and threats,” Bourne went on to say. “When the company was found guilty by a Federal judge of violating the ‘status quo’ provisions of the RLA, they thumbed their nose at the judges order and continue violating the law to this day. Their plan to break the resolve of the pilots with misleading and incorrect statements to pilots; during new hire and recurrent training have only made them more unified, and their attempts to break Local 1224 were done in the belief that they have no support from the Airline Division and the membership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. That was a mistake on their part,” Bourne continued. “The Airline Division fully supports Local 1224 and the Allegiant pilots and united, we will not stop until the status quo is restored and a new agreement is reached.
The pilots of Allegiant are fed up with the excuses and delays. They continue to have my full support. My message to management is clear and simple; it’s time for you do what is right by restoring the status quo and negotiating in good faith for a contract that is long overdue,” he concluded.
General President Voices Concerns over Open Skies Violations
In a letter to the board members of the U.S. Travel Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James Hoffa was joined by other U.S. labor leaders in voicing their concerns over massive government subsidies that violate the Open Skies agreement and abhorrent labor policies that violate basic human rights. Recently the President and CEO of USTA; Roger Dow, has come out in defense of Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates, despite their receiving massive governmental subsidies in defiance of the agreement.
The letter asks if the USTA board members if they truly support the labor practices at the carriers and challenges them to support government to government negotiations that will resolve the subsidy issue and restore fair competition.
A copy of the letter may be viewed by going to this link.
http://teamster.org/sites/teamster.org/files/us_travel_letter_032515.pdf
TAMC presents update at LU 19 General Membership meeting
The March 23rd, the TAMC was invited by Local 19 President Bob Clever to make a presentation at the General Membership Meeting. The update included discussion on the most recent TAMC newsletter, TAMC visits to the Hill to discuss the proposed moratorium on new repair station certification and drug testing at foreign repair stations, work place safety, the importance of following your paperwork and an update on MRO forecasting and how it can negatively impact the craft.
The presentation concluded with a discussion on the importance of organizing mechanics at the MRO's to help continue to improve aviation safety.
SWA Material Specialists Update
The SWA negotiating committee met March 25th and 26th in FLL. The meetings were held to identify the major issues going forward and to begin costing them in preparation for the next round of talks with the company. Bargaining up until this point has resulted in TA's on Articles 7,9,10,17,18,19,23,24,25 and 26 with the remaining open articles being tied directly to economics.
The committee members are working with their economist and have made information requests to the company for the data required for the next set of proposals.
Airline Industry News
Governmental and Regulatory
Germanwings Flight 9525 might prove to be a game changer as several recent and particularly high-profile accidents can combine with the availability of drone technology tested and perfected by the U.S. military.
The Transportation Security Administration is hoping to enroll 25 million people in trusted traveler programs that qualify them to use PreCheck airport security screening lanes.
In 2012, Congress voted against an airport proposal to raise the Passenger Facility Charge. This year, airports are seeking an even larger increase in the tax.
Airlines, Industry and Labor
American Airlines Group Chairman and CEO Doug Parker, testifying on the side of Airlines for America, told members of Congress that U.S. airlines support efforts to deliver the transformational reform of our nation's air traffic control system the industry needs and customers deserve. Noting that modernization efforts had been plagued by delays, Parker said "Transformation, not renovation, is required."
American Airlines and US Airways pilots will begin the process of integrating seniority lists this summer.