Airline Division and UAL/CAL/CMI Representatives Meet with Mediator
On Thursday March 15th members of the Airline Division along with Local Union representatives from the larger Locals met with mediator Ralph Berger to preliminarily discuss seniority integration issues. Mr. Berger gave a brief background of himself and the mergers that he has worked on and then asked questions about the history of the three carriers to get an understanding of the way each of them has treated seniority in the past.
Items discussed included the Consent Decree on the sub UA side and how that would affect the sub CAL and CMI groups. Also discussed was the fact that there are several different uses for seniority between the three groups i.e., the sub CAL group uses mechanic craft seniority for bidding for premium jobs (leads and inspectors) while the sub UA and sub CMI groups use a different premium or classification seniority for that purpose. Mediator Berger posed several items to discuss in future meetings and made a request for any documentation that may assist the rank and file committee when they meet.
In attendance for the Airline Division were Director Bourne, IBT counsel Ed Gleason and International Representative Bob Fisher. Local union representatives attending were: Robert Rasch, Angel Cantu, and Dominic Fierro (Local 19), Ralph Salzano (Local 210), John Hennelly (Local 455), Tommy Esposito (Local769), Charlie Alferio (Local 964), Dave Elmore, Rich Petrovsky and Justin Muraki (Local 986) and Javier Lectora (Local 856).
ExpressJet Mechanics Negotiations Continue
The ExpressJet (ASA Legacy) “Mechanics & Related” negotiating committee met in Atlanta March 14th through the 16th to continue working towards a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Their focus was Section 3- Classifications, Descriptions, Bid Areas and Work Areas, and Section 12- Fieldtrips.
Both company leadership and your committee continue to make strides in attaining a Tentative Agreement (TA) that will be included in the future contract.
The Company’s Leadership Team has expressed an eagerness to accelerate negotiations moving forward and open up more dates with the common goal of reaching a CBA for the “Mechanics & Related” work group.
Horizon Mechanics and Related Rebuff Attempted Raid, Send a Clear “No” to AMFA
In a 151 to 103 vote, the mechanics and related workers at Horizon Air reaffirmed their support for the Teamsters and the Airline Division on Thursday, voting to retain the Teamsters Airline Division as their union representation over AMFA, who was decertified at Horizon in 2009.
“Although AMFA was able to create a representational dispute through a deceitful campaign of misinformation and untruths, our members knew better,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “Horizon mechanics and related workers have witnessed firsthand our dedication in winning back losses they suffered under their old AMFA contract and the improvements in the current agreement we have secured for them. I applaud this group for standing together in solidarity.”
The mechanics, who have been Teamsters since 2009, had the option of voting for the Teamsters Union, AMFA or no union. Of the 323 workers in the bargaining unit, 257 voted. 3 opted for no union representation.
“I’m very proud of the Local leadership at Horizon and the level of service they have provided their members since 2009,” said Bourne. “That representation; combined with the full time support and representation we provide in Washington for them and all of our Division members is one of the reasons the Teamsters Airline Division has been the union of choice for so many airline properties in the past three years. I join with the Horizon leadership in pledging my support to all Horizon mechanics and related members as we now move forward for them,” he concluded.
The vote follows a contract ratified by the mechanics in December 2010. The contract secured significant improvements in job security and increased pay and benefits.
Airline Industry News
Governmental and Regulatory
The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that the U.S. commercial – aircraft fleet shrank to 7,185 by the end of 2011…all air-traffic controllers will be required to undergo retraining periodically…
Industry and Labor
Web addresses related to American Airlines have been registered by USAirways…unions representing employees of American Airlines have asked U.S. mediators to step in for binding arbitration…DHL Express plans to expand its cargo hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The $47 million expansion is expected to create 285 jobs when it is completed in about 14 months…Frontier has appointed the former President of Comair as its new COO…
Hawaiian Airlines and the union representing its flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement on a contract. …US Airways learned its lesson when its hostile bid for bankrupt Delta Air Lines failed in 2006…
Boeing has announced plans
to move production of its 787-9 horizontal tail from its plant in Seattle to a Boeing facility in Utah, and then will be moved to a company in Italy by the end of 2012. A Boeing representative said no jobs would be lost in Seattle due to the move…Airbus is searching for a way to prevent interior wing cracks from appearing on its A380 jets and will spend $138 million patching up 71 superjumbos that suffered the stress-related cracks.
"We have no interest or intention in purchasing the Irish government's stake in Aer Lingus," JetBlue said in a statement. The Irish Times reported that JetBlue had been in talks with Aer Lingus…Air cargo operators may need to brace for tough times ahead, experts say.