Airline Division Announces Tentative Agreement between RAH Pilots, Management
On Friday, the Teamsters Airline Division announced that it reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract with Republic Airways. The more than 2,200 pilots of Republic are represented by Teamsters Local 357 in Plainfield, Ind. and fly for the Republic sister-companies Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines and Shuttle America.
The tentative agreement includes increases in pay that will place Republic pilots at or near the top of its regional airline peers. It also includes improvements in work rules, quality of life enhancements and more flexibility in scheduling as well as a significant signing bonus if ratified.
“This agreement reflects a hard-earned and well deserved achievement for the enhancement of pay and work conditions for the Republic pilot group,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “It also sets a benchmark for the end of concessionary labor agreements in the regional airline industry.”
The agreement will be presented to union members for review and a formal ratification vote, which is expected in March.
Southwest Flight Simulator Technicians Honored as “Heroes of the Heart” by Airline
They are the people that pilots count on when it’s time for their six month checkrides and without their twenty four hour a day dedication, an airline could run short of qualified crews to fly their planes.
At Southwest, the Flight Simulator Technicians; members of Teamsters Airline Division, Local 19, are the men and women who keep the simulators “flying” were just recognized by the company with the annual “Heroes of the Heart” award for their dedication and the work they do.
Started 22 years ago by former Southwest President Colleen Barrett, “Heroes of the Heart” is the airlines way of honoring a workgroup that has no contact with the general public in their jobs. Employees nominate Teams they feel deserve the award and a committee holds several secret meetings to determine the winner.
The twenty seven technicians who work at Southwest’s Flight Ops Training Center in Dallas are truly worthy of such recognition. Because training and checking pilots is a nonstop job, they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, keeping the multi-million dollar fleet of full motion and full visual simulators ready to fly and function the same as an aircraft that sits at the gate. Given the need for the simulators to replicate any scenario pilots might encounter; and some that are too hazardous to imagine, the importance of their job and the commitment they exhibit is critical to the pilots training and the airlines continued success.
So it was only appropriate that on Valentine’s Day, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, Senior VP of Culture and Communications Ginger Hardage, and VP of Flight Operations Captain Chuck Magill were joined by a multitude of Southwest employees as the Flight Simulator Technicians were awarded with the Heroes of the Heart presentation. In their honor, the Southwest Boeing 737 named “Heroes of the Heart” will display their team as this year’s winner as it flies the system.
Commenting on the Technicians, Local 19 President and Business Manager Bob Clever said, “In the one year I have been working with this group and being able to speak of their abilities and performance, they are most deserving of this award and I congratulate them. It’s an honor having them as members of Local 19.”
“Today, we join Local 19 President Bob Clever in saluting the Southwest Flight Simulator Technicians on job well done and for a well deserved award,” said Airline Division Director David Bourne. “As a pilot myself, I know firsthand the value of the hard work these members perform and am proud to have them as members of the Airline Division,” he concluded.
Airline Industry News
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