XJT ASA Stock Clerk Negotiations Kick Off
The XJT ASA Stock Clerk Steering Committee will meet at IAD next week signaling the first step toward the goal of achieving a first contract for both groups. The first round of talks will begin in ATL on January 16th and will be led by Bob Luciano, Business Agent from Local 210 with assistance from IBT Airline Division Representative Chris Moore. A negotiations update will follow each round of bargaining.
AirTran SWA Stock Clerk / Material Specialist Seniority Integration to Begin Soon
With the May 2011 purchase of AirTran by Southwest, the merging of the two airlines also means integrating the seniority lists of both. When groups are represented by different unions this can turn into a difficult process as different policies must be resolved. Fortunately, the Stock Clerks at AirTran and the Material Specialists at SWA are both represented by the Teamsters.
The Principal Officers and Business Agents met on January 6th, via conference call to lay the ground work to start the integration process. As a precursor to the planned February meeting for the groups to begin discussions, the parties have agreed that steering committees would be set up at the individual airlines to facilitate the discussions.
Further information will be provided to the membership after the meeting.
Airline Industry News
Governmental and Industry
An association representing airports has sent a letter urging Congress to take action on a two-year reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration. "Airports have been forced to deal with 22 extensions in the last five years, including six covering 2011 alone," said Greg Principato, president of Airports Council International…Airline companies brought in more than $2.8 billion in the third quarter of last year, according to new data released Friday by the Department of Transportation.
Boeing announced that it will close a defense facility that employs more than 2,160 workers in Wichita, Kan., by the end of 2013…Operators of the A380 have found minor wing cracks on the superjumbo…Analyst Peter Arment predicts Boeing will fall short of its 2011 delivery target of 480 aircraft. However, he predicts that the aircraft manufacturer will have a strong year in 2012.
Columnist Bill McGee says the bankruptcy filing of AMR Corp. could result in outsourcing maintenance work for American Airlines…Boeing has announced an unnamed buyer has purchased 25 new Dreamliners…