CAL Fleet Service Workers Ratify First Ever Contract with Pay Increases and Protections
By a resounding 84% margin, Continental Airlines Fleet service workers have ratified their first contract. The agreement, which covers about 7,600 workers, was ratified by an 84-16 percent margin and goes into effect retroactively to July 1, 2010.
In a statement regarding the outcome of the vote, Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa said, “This is a milestone for Continental fleet service Teamsters. I congratulate these workers on their first major agreement and vow to put the full force of the Teamsters Union behind them as they approach a second contract for the combined CAL-UAL workforce.”
Coming less than one year after the work group voted to become Teamsters, the contract provides protections to fleet service workers during Continental’s merger with United Airlines.
Along with the 10.5 percent pay increases over the life of the 30-month contract are protections against unjust discipline, terminations, outsourcing and furloughs.
“This is really a tremendous victory for our Continental brothers and sisters,” said Teamster Airline Division Director Captain David Bourne. “After decades of trying to organize; in just over a year they were able to organize and begin the process of negotiating for their first contract. The merger announcement of CAL and UAL added more importance to the task, and the negotiating committee accomplished the near impossible of negotiating a good contract in a remarkable time period,” he continued. “This is but a first step; for with this contract that provides job protections and other provisions, the CAL workers are now well positioned during the merger process and for the next round of negotiations for a joint, CAL and UAL contract which will take place in the near future,” Bourne went on to say. “In addition to congratulating the employees, I want to recognize and thank the members of the negotiating committee for their hard work and dedication to their fellow employees,” he concluded.
AAWW TEC, Negotiating Committee, Hold Conference Call to Discuss Arbitration, Joint Contract
Members of the Atlas Air Worldwide Transition Executive Council (TEC) and the AAWW Negotiating Committee held a conference call on Thursday, December 30th to update the membership on the status of the arbitration for the joint contract.
AAWW; comprised of the pilot groups of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo who are members of Local 1224, are in the final stages of the merger of their carriers into a single airline, Atlas Air Worldwide. With the majority of the contract tentatively already agreed to in direct negotiations, the parties submitted the final unresolved section, concerning scope, to Arbitrator Richard Kasher. The parties will submit final briefs in late February, with a final ruling anticipated after that. Once complete, the group will operate under the new joint contract. AAWW is operates the worlds’ largest fleet of all cargo Boeing 747 aircraft.
IBT Joins With TWU to Applaud Request for Oversight of MRO’s
In a letter to Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL), Chairman of the House Aviation Sub Committee, the Teamsters have joined with the TWU in recognizing the Congressman’s call for follow up review by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of repair stations.
“In the last ten years, there has been a tremendous surge in the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance work to contractors both within the United States and increasingly abroad. At the same time the number of maintenance employees per aircraft by the largest U.S. airlines has declined precipitously. These facilities provide safety – critical repairs on U.S. aircraft.
The regulatory environment has simply not kept pace with these rapid changes in a manner sufficient to ensure the continued preeminence of the safety record of the U.S. airline industry,” the letter said. “Especially, with respect to maintenance performed at non-certified repair facilities, by unlicensed mechanics, in facilities where FAA inspectors lack ready access or do not send inspectors at the same rate and in facilities that do not have the same security and drug and alcohol testing standards as in-house domestic facilities. These discrepancies could threaten the safety of passengers and crew on U.S. domestic flights, as well as non-flying members of the public.”
“It is our collective view, that in order to pre-empt serious incidents, accidents or terror attacks, the FAA should adopt a single standard of safety principle, applicable to all repair stations and mechanics performing work on U.S. aircraft, whether operated by airlines or contractors in the United States or abroad. Together, the IBT and TWU represent the majority of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMT’s) at the largest U.S. carriers. As such, we have a vested stake and keen interest in this audit and its findings. We would appreciate the opportunity to participate or assist in this process if requested,” it concluded.