Sub ASA Negotiations Update
Negotiations for a stand-alone Technician and Related, Subsidiary ASA contract resumed this week in Baltimore, Maryland with the Union and the Company meeting in Federal Mediation.
While the Company has yet to respond to the unions proposal that they are interested in accepting their offer of additional wages and work rules with the understanding that it would only apply to the S-ASA side; negotiations continued with the Union making passes on Article 3 (Classifications) and Article 22 (General and Miscellaneous). The Company passing Article 7 (Hours of Service). No TA’s were reached this week.
For the stand-alone, Sub-ASA contract agreements have been reached on Articles 4 (Seniority), 5 (Filling of Vacancies), 6 (Reduction in Force and Recall), 13 (Training), 14 (Health and Safety), 16 (Moving Expenses), 20 (Grievance Procedure), 21 (Board of Arbitration) and the Interim Agreement which gives the members a process to fight Discipline and Discharge up to and including Arbitration.
The next scheduled meeting with the Company is tentatively scheduled for the week of June 16th. In the interim, talks will continue in Mediation on the Sub-XJT side.
RAH Pilots Reject Tentative Agreement
On Friday, the pilots of Republic Airlines, represented by Teamsters Local Union 357 in Plainfield, Ind. and the Teamsters Airline Division, voted to reject the Tentative Agreement that had been reached by the pilot negotiators and management. Of the 2,200 pilots at Republic; 1,643 pilots, or 85 percent, voted against the contract and 289 voted in favor, representing 89.5 percent of the membership.
Commenting on the vote, Airline Division Director Capt. David Bourne said, “We have never been prouder of the RAH pilot negotiators. These committee members put their heart and total focus into bringing back to their members a T/A that had pushed the envelope further than had ever happened at RAH in the past. However, the membership has spoken, the agreement fell short of their expectations and we respect their decision. We look forward to working with the Local as they move the negotiations forward.”
ExpressJet Negotiations Update
Negotiations resumed on Monday, March 31st, in Baltimore, Maryland. Discussions continued on Section 11, (Sick Leave and Occupational Injury). Both sides passed proposals on the contract section and discussions were held on non economic aspects of the section.
On Wednesday, the Mediator told both parties that he was disappointed that the Company had not been able to bring individuals to discuss financial information related to the negotiation, as he had requested.
He further informed them that he had been assigned several new cases and as the Company needed to be prepared for economic discussions, there would not receive new meetings dates available until July, but noted the parties are always free to meet without the mediator.
Republic Flight Attendants, Management Disagree on LoA 6, Grievance Filed
Flight Attendants for Republic Airlines, represented by Local 135, have been advised that the Company and Union are in disagreement over the intent of Letter of Agreement #6. A grievance has been filed and is in process. In the meantime, members should understand that the Company will continue to put its interpretation into practice until a settlement agreement is reached or an Arbitration decision is given.
While the company should not schedule or reschedule a crewmember for less than 9 hours of rest, should that occur, the Flight Attendants are urged to notify the union as soon as possible, and send the specifics to Chief Steward Jessie Malinowski.
Additionally, the Flight Attendants are in the process of setting up a “Go Team” in the unlikely event of an accident. Currently there are two Flight Attendants with Go Team training; the union would like to increase the number to ten.
Members who are interested in this important job should contact Business Agent Nicole Zimmer.
Allegiant Air Dispatchers
The Negotiating Committee formally met with Company representation at Allegiant HQ on Tuesday, April 1st, and Wednesday April 2nd. After a short meeting on Tuesday, the parties met Wednesday to discussed negotiations process and protocol, as well as passing first contract proposals.
On Wednesday the Committee started the bargaining process by asking the Company to consider an Interim Operating Agreement that would stipulate a short set of guidelines for the Parties to follow while we bargain for our first ratified Agreement. The Interim Agreement would be in place during the period of time that it takes to bargain the Agreement and would stipulate certain representation issues as well as a process to help protect our group should the Company administer any discipline during the bargaining process before we have a ratified CBA in place. The Company countered our proposal and the union is in the process of assessing the counter.
On Wednesday proposals were passed on Section 15, (Union Representation) and Section 20, (Savings Clause), as well as a draft Table of Contents, meant to frame the contract and give the team an outline of the subjects to be covered.
The committee was encouraged by the positive attitude articulated by the Company negotiations team at this kickoff bargaining session and has encouraged the members to contact their Stewards, who are also the negotiators, with questions at anytime during the process. The committee will publish regular updates after each negotiations session.
The next negotiating session is tentatively scheduled in June for the week of the 7th.
Airline Industry News
Governmental and Regulatory
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines to control the terms and conditions of its frequent flier program, saying that the Airline Deregulation Act, which allows airlines broad leeway in conducting their affairs, trumps contractual obligations of the airline's frequent flier programs.
FAA is asking aviation medical examiners (AME's) to review new draft guidance that would require pilots at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to undergo testing and treatment if necessary.
U.S. airline industry employment figures are trending upward, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In January, U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 381,819 full-time equivalent workers, up 0.5% over January 2013. The employment figures have risen for two months in a row, following 15 months of declines.
Airlines, Industry and Labor
Doug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines, said American Eagle faces a challenge after pilots rejected a deal that would have provided new Embraer jets. "Other regional airlines have been able to bring in new aircraft at lower costs," Parker said. "Without those new planes, it's going to be hard for American Eagle to grow competitively."
Air Canada on Thursday said it expects higher first-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and impairment, and aircraft rent (EBITDAR) due to system-wide traffic growth and capacity increase.
Hunter Keay, an analyst for Wolfe Research, listed 100 reasons why investors should be bullish on American Airlines, which trades as AAL, in a recent note to clients.
Spirit Airlines said the carrier does not see evidence of a pilot shortage. "We're actively hiring pilots now, and we are currently not having a problem attracting qualified pilots," said Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza.
Airlines for America joined member executives from Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc., American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines, Federal Express Corp., JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines today to identify the major challenges facing the industry at the Chamber of Commerce Foundation's 13th Annual Aviation Summit, titled "Navigating the True Costs of Flying," in Washington, D.C.
Between 2007 and 2012, four states on the South made a top 10 list of states with the largest job growth in aviation. "The South has been turning itself upside down to create effective systems to attract these companies," said Mark Muro, a senior fellow and policy director at the Brookings Institution. Boeing opened a facility in South Carolina, while Airbus has opened a facility in Alabama.
Boeing will cut 300 jobs in Australia.
United has taken delivery of the first of 30 Embraer E175 jets. The will be operated in United livery by Mesa Airlines.
Air Canada finalized an order for Boeing 737 Max aircraft on Tuesday. The order, valued at $6.5 billion at list prices, was for 61 aircraft. As part of the agreement, Boeing will purchase up to 20 Embraer SA E190 aircraft from the Canadian carrier.