TAMC Continues Fight against Outsourced Aircraft Maintenance
Rank and file TAMC (Teamster Aviation Mechanics Coalition) members went on Capitol Hill on November 12th and 13th to continue the fight against Outsourced Aircraft Maintenance. Rank and file Mechanics, Fred Lewelling (LU 19), Larry Bailey (LU 210), Ervin Cornavaca LU (210), Tom Reid (LU 210), Gary Kagel (LU 769), and Pramod Thomas (LU 781) were joined by Business Agent Dave Saucedo (LU 986), Airline Division Representative Bob Fisher and TAMC Chairman Chris Moore for a series of meetings with lawmakers.
Twelve meetings were scheduled over two days with various staff members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee the Sub-Committee on Aviation and both the Majority and Minority Staff Directors of the Aviation Sub-Committee. Additionally, they met with staff members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee as well as Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) of the Committee.
The discussions centered around the May 1, 2013 DOT IG (Department of Transportation Inspector General) report, AV-2013-073, that once again supports the TAMC claim that the FAA is failing to adequately oversee the work being done by third party maintenance providers (MRO's). The Teamster mechanics provided expert analysis of the missed inspections, unauthorized repairs and coercion of unlicensed mechanics that are ongoing at the Outsourced Maintenance facilities.
In the interest of public safety, the TAMC has taken the position that the current Moratorium prohibiting Initial Certification of Foreign Repair Stations (Ref FAA Document N 8900.47) should be modified to include adequate FAA Oversight and that Initial Certification of any new domestic Repair Stations should be halted until such time as the FAA can show they can oversee the work being performed.
Piedmont Negotiations Continue
Negotiations resumed on Monday, November 11, 2013 with the parties continuing their discussions on economic issues. Although there are other open contract articles, talks we limited to Article 15 – (Compensation) and Article 19 – (Benefits).
Proposals were passed by both sides with considerable dialogue and examination of the methodology both sides are using to cost out and value the proposals. Although no tentative agreements were reached, the committee viewed it as a productive session.
The next scheduled negotiations are set for the week of December 9th.
Cape Air Pilots Attend CIRP Training
Cape Air Captain Aaron Tweten and ExCo Chairman Captain Marilyn Rhude of Cape Air attended CIRP (Critical Incident Response Program) training, hosted by ExpressJet in Houston, Texas.
The CIRP program began in 1994 as a means of assisting crew members, accident investigators and their families following a serious incident or accident. The goal is to aid normal recovery before the effects of harmful stress reactions can begin to affect job performance, careers, relationships, families and health. The course was taught by Louise Cullinan, a pilot for Mesa Airlines and Critical Incident Response Program Chair at ALPA, who is recognized as an expert in CIRP, both nationally and abroad. There were approximately 25 attendees in the class, three from Local 1224, one from UPS and the rest from Express Jet.
Captain Rhude and Captain Tweten will join the CIRP at Cape Air with four other members.
Sullenberger Adds His Voice in Support of “Safe Skies Act”
The pilot who landed a disabled jetliner safely on the Hudson River in New York City will visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday to press for change in work scheduling rules for cargo airplane pilots.
After the crash of a commercial airliner in 2009 that was attributed partly to pilot fatigue, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented new limits requiring that pilots get at least 10 hours of off-duty time between flight schedules.
Former US Airways pilot Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who landed the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson" flight, will appear at a press conference with the sponsors of a bill to apply the rules to cargo pilots on Wednesday.
The legislation, known as the "Safe Skies Act," is being sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in the Senate and Reps. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) and Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) in the House.
The backers of the measure say the legislation would create one level of safety for the U.S. aviation system.
Sullenberger has come out in favor of applying the fatigue rules to cargo pilots before.
"You know, fatigue is fatigue whether you’re carrying packages or people," he said last month during an interview on “CBS This Morning.”
"And while the [current] rule improves safety for passenger flights, it does nothing for cargo flights," Sullenberger continued. "And that’s really ironic because cargo pilots, as you can imagine flying overnight, are the most vulnerable to fatigue."
Airline Industry News
Governmental and Regulatory
Legislation introduced by Reps. Pat Meehan, R-Pa., and Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., requires the Department of Homeland Security to assess the effect future Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facilities will have on passengers, our economy, and security and customs staffing at U.S. gateway airports.
Airlines, Industry and Labor
JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines are most likely to bid on slots divested as part of the American Airlines-US Airways mergers settlement.
Consumer groups say the settlement between US Airways, American Airlines and the Department of Justice could boost competition.
Boeing predicts a market for 2,610 new aircraft over the next two decades in the Middle East. "International traffic growth in the Middle East continues to outpace the rest of the world," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, has named Brad Tilden as chairman. Tilden serves as president and CEO, and will replace outgoing chairman Bill Ayer, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Boeing will secure more than $100 billion in orders at the Dubai Airshow, sources say. The aircraft manufacturer could book orders from five airlines at the show scheduled for the United Arab Emirates next week.