Citing Growth and Successes, General President Hoffa Recognizes Airline Division
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and Airline Division Director David Bourne met this week to discuss projects the division has under way, and Hoffa praised Bourne for recent successes.
“I’m proud of the Airline Division’s successes in building Teamster power and the job David Bourne is doing leading the division,” Hoffa said. Hoffa cited the recent pilot election victories at Republic Airways Holdings and CitationAir, and the current organizing campaign under way involving fleet service, ramp and cargo agents at the new United.
“Thanks for the job well done,” Hoffa said of Bourne’s leadership. “Workers in the airline industry continually turn to the Teamsters because of our strong representation and industry-leading contracts.”
The Airline Division continues to grow rapidly, to nearly 70,000 airline workers. The election at the new United ends August 11 and involves more than 14,000 workers.
“It’s an honor to serve as Airline Division director and I look forward to more successes in the future,” Bourne said. “We will continue to grow to give airline workers the respect, dignity and strong Teamster contracts they deserve.”
“Steady Progress” reported on Comair Flight Attendant Contract
With seven non-economic sections already agreed to, steady progress is being made on the Comair Flight Attendants’ new contract, according to International Representative Rick Dubinsky. At present, with the focus on not only completing sections of the agreement, work also continues on consolidating sections into a more workable agreement than the current agreement.
CitationAir Moving Quickly to Form Committees, Leadership Team
The pilots of CitationAir, who voted earlier this month to join the Airline Division of the Teamsters, are wasting little time setting up their union house. The newest members of Local 1108, they have already appointed a Leadership Council to handle their affairs until elections can be held. Additionally, Negotiations, Communications and Pilot-to-Pilot Committees have been formed, with the Negotiating Committee already working on developing a comprehensive pilot survey to determine the members’ expectations in upcoming negotiations.
“I’m very proud of the pilots of CitationAir,” said Airline Division Director David Bourne. “They have hit the ground running and are doing a great job for their members. I look forward to working with them to ensure they have the tools they need to provide the most effective representation possible. International representative Rick Dubinsky is working with them and his extensive experience will be a tremendous asset to them as they move forward,” he concluded.
Negotiations Continue at Cape Air and Omni, Solid Progress Continues
Contract negotiations for pilots at Cape Air and Omni continued this week with solid progress reported at both properties. Omni negotiators report solid progress towards key issues including economics and quality of life issues, while at Cape Air, a number of sections have been tentatively agreed to, with economics and other issues still being discussed.
All groups will be meeting again next week to continue discussions.
Airline Industry News Updates
Regulatory
The debt ceiling debate may seem to be taking forever, but as an example of legislative dysfunction it is difficult to beat the repeated failure of Congress to manage the affairs of the FAA…US Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that US airlines employed 2.1%
more workers in May compared to the same month last year…With small firms scrimping on employee benefits as the recovery stalls, a growing number of workers say they’re open to better offers from other employers, a new study finds.
Accidents, Incidents and Investigations
The agency charged with investigating the crash of Air France Flight 447, is now focusing on a breakdown in situational awareness by the flight crew and possible pilot error as contributing factors in the June 2009 mishap that killed 228 people when the Airbus 330 crashed into the South Atlantic…Airline and South Korean government officials say that the pilots of the Asiana 747-400 that crashed on Thursday had reported a fire and control problems about one hour into the flight and were diverted to Jeju when contact was lost.
Airlines and Manufacturers
AA President Tom Horton said the massive order for new aircraft "is all about improving the company's outlook and the economics.” A potential threat to Boeing 787 production has ended, now that Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney have settled their patent dispute over engine technology…A list compiled by the US Federal Aviation Administration of battery-related freight and baggage fires shows that the number of occurrences has increased dramatically over the last 20 years