NMB Declines Request by Local 2727 for Release from Mediation
In noting that “the case record establishes that a proffer is not in order at this time,” Lawrence Gibbons, Director of the Office of Mediation Services for the NMB, notified the Airline Division that the request, put forth at the request of Local 2727, was denied. Gibbons also noted that the mediation was in recess subject to the call of the mediator.
“While we are disappointed for our UPS brothers and sisters, we respect the Board’s decision and thank them for the timely response,” said Airline Division Director David Bourne. “We will work with the leadership of Local 2727 to identify and address the areas in their discussions that brought about the recess. Once this is done, we will work to request that the mediator resume discussions as promptly as possible, hopefully prior to the end of this year.”
Recent Events Prompt Union Leader to Remind Pilots about Maintenance
Citing recent maintenance events including the loss of a flap gear drive cover and recent in-flight turnbacks caused by engine and pressurization issues, the Atlas Air TEC co-Chairman, Captain Steven Richards, has put his members on notice to maintain a high level of vigilance. “As crewmembers, we have a responsibility to ensure our aircraft are properly maintained prior to departure. With the pace of operations, situations may develop where the customer is pushing to get the flight out or the logbook does not arrive until just before it is time to close the door. It is imperative that we made sure that our preflight duties are done in an unrushed manner and ensure that not only is the aircraft properly preflighted; but that the logbook is accurate.”
“Repeat items must be given the attention they are due,” he went on to say. “If an item has been written up more than once, it is clear that the problem has not been properly addressed and the crew must address this prior to departure. Captains must also take the initiative to ensure the outbound crew is thoroughly briefed as well.” The in-flight loss of the flap gear drive cover was the second for the carrier, both occurring in Miami and both coming to rest in the same parking lot.
“Considering the number of days our crews are expected to fly; coupled with forced extensions, ensuring that the aircraft is properly repaired and items addressed properly is critical,” Richards went on to say. “As we have witnessed recently in the
Citing concerns over the rights of passengers and United employees, Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez, (D-IL 4th), will be holding a press conference on Monday, June 7th, at the Sheraton Hotel, 301 East North Water Street in downtown Chicago. The press conference will be held in the Ohio Room. "From the standpoint of passengers and employees, the current power of the few airlines we have makes us have to dance to their tune on baggage fees, frequent flyer programs, ticket prices, schedules, wages, benefits and working conditions," Rep. Gutierrez said. "Before the creation of even bigger mega-airlines, we need to take a breath and look at what impact it will really have."
Gutierrez, who remains neutral on the merger, wants answers about the effect of the merger on
Southwest Airlines Stock Clerks, Management Request NMB Assistance
After voting down a Tentative Agreement on February 23, 2010, the Southwest Airlines Stock Clerks Negotiating Committee met with the company in March to review the areas of the Tentative Agreement that would need to be changed before it would be brought back to the membership for a vote. Additional meetings took place in April, with both sides discussing areas that needed to be addressed and changed. The
The two parties met again June 1st and 2nd, to review the data the company compiled and continue negotiations. After two days of negotiations, both parties could not come to an agreement and have mutually agreed to request assistance from the National Mediation Board, under Section 5 of the Railway Labor Act.
Week in Review News Items
Labor Developments
The union that represents thousands of American Airlines ground workers said Thursday that it has suspended its tentative agreement with the Fort Worth-based carrier. The move comes less than a week after the agreement was announced. Union leadership said at the time that while the proposed contract's terms were not satisfactory, it would still be presented to the membership for a vote. "If we can't recommend it, we're not sending it," Transport Workers Union International President Jim Little said Thursday. "Certain issues on the bargaining table had not been resolved."
British Airways could face even more strike disruption this summer unless it resolves a dispute with cabin crew over travel perks. Cabin crew began a second five-day strike on Sunday night, ahead of a week of school holidays, after talks between Unite and the airline failed to reach an agreement last week…and the National Mediation Board has rejected a union request to release UPS and its aircraft mechanics from mediation. The Teamsters union, which represents the 1,400 mechanics, asked the NMB to declare that contract talks, which have gone on for more than three years, have reached an impasse.
Regulatory & Safety
About 14 and a half minutes before the plane crash in April that killed Poland’s president and many of its top officials, the pilot delivered bad news to the president’s chief of diplomatic protocol: The fog was so thick that they could not safely land. But then the pilot, Arkadiusz Protasiuk, offered to try landing once, while warning that “most likely, nothing will come of it.” The chief of protocol retreated to the cabin and returned four minutes later.
Airline Industry Finances & Structure
While executives at United and Continental maintain that their proposed merger was designed to win U.S. government approval, opposition and skepticism about the deal are mounting on Capitol Hill. The most vocal opponent of the merger has been Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. That had been expected, given his long-held opposition to any airline merger. But other key congressmen are also starting to question the merger, which could become a convenient populist target in a tight election year.
Two weak companies joining each other will not miraculously become one strong one. This is worth remembering in light of recent developments in the
One of the great things about the Regional Airline Association convention is that the CEOs of many of the regionals give 15 minute briefings to the media that includes a question and answer session. It’s not long, but it gives great insight into where the airlines are going. Here’s a roundup of the different strategies being used. http://industry.bnet.com/travel/10006322/regional-airlines-try-different-strategies-to-survive/
Passenger Rights
The government said Thursday that airlines virtually wiped out three-hour tarmac delays in April before huge fines for holding passengers on the runway went into effect. Airlines faced fines up to $27,500 per passenger for tarmac delays of more than three hours as of April 29….and moves to strengthen passenger rights for air travel in