Airline Division Week In Review - February 22, 2014

RAH Negotiators Brief RAH Executive Board and Stewards on Tentative Agreement 

The IBT Negotiating Team met again this week in Indianapolis, Indiana to put the finishing touches on the Tentative Agreement (TA) for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was reached with Republic Airlines management on February 14, 2014.  The Team also completed putting together a detailed overview of the TA that was presented to the Local 357 Executive Board and Chief Stewards on Friday, February 21, 2014.  The extensive, in-depth briefing began at 9 AM and concluded at approximately 5 PM.  The Local 357 E-Board will now carefully consider the information it received.  

This coming week the IBT Negotiating Team will be finalizing the scope of the materials, to include a draft copy of the TA that will be sent to the Republic Pilots in advance of the requisite ratification vote, which will take place next month.  A timetable for that vote has not yet been established.  Additionally, the Team is working on scheduling live "Road Show" presentations for the Republic pilots to take place in March.  

More information will be forthcoming as details are completed. 

Amerijet Negotiations Continue 

This past week Amerijet management and the union met for contract negotiations with the membership represented by Local 769 Business Manager Daisy Gonzalez-Colli and David Renshaw from the Local Union. The Company responded to negotiating committee's proposal and is now reviewing Union response to the Company's latest proposals.   

The next negotiating session scheduled for early April. 

TAMC to Launch Investigation into Engine Problems at Allegiant Air 

The Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition (TAMC) announced today that it will launch an investigation into reports of a disproportionate number of engine failures, air returns and declared emergencies at Allegiant Air. After interviewing pilots at the airline, the TAMC recognized that an immediate, comprehensive investigation into the continuing maintenance failures at Allegiant is imperative.  

The TAMC is determined to find the root cause of these maintenance failures regardless of where the investigation may lead. The immediate goal is to identify the underlying cause of these incidents and to offer suggestions to mitigate this unacceptable situation before one of these incidents claims the lives of passengers and crewmembers. 

Dates Set for UAL Arbitrations 

Following discussions between the union and management and barring unforeseen last minute changes or settlement discussions, the union has announced agreement on the following dates for UAL arbitrations.

March 25:        CAL Medical Grievance - Arbitrator Herb Fishgold  at ORD
March 27:         UAL Medical Grievance - Arbitrator Carol Wittenberg at ORD
April 9:              Resource Utilization Dispute - Arbitrator Ralph Berger at NY
May 14:            ORD Data Center outsourcing - Arbitrator Carol Wittenberg at ORD
June 4:             Tool Room Operations Grievance - Arbitrator Ed Krinsky –  TBD
June 11:           APU Shutdown - Arbitrator Ralph Berger -  TBD
June 18:           Newark De-Icing Grievance - Arbitrator Carol Wittenberg – TBD

Airline Industry News  

Governmental and Regulatory 

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to hire and train more than 10,000 air traffic control specialists in the next 10 years.  

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Thursday that Congress should place limits on the number of hours the pilots of cargo airplanes can work in honor of the operators of a UPS flight that crashed last year in Birmingham, Alabama.

Airlines, Industry and Labor 

Boeing is offering a bonus to workers at its South Carolina facility if they can catch up on production of the 787.  

American Airlines has decided to run its engine maintenance facility in Tulsa, Okla., seven days a week. The facility, called TAESL, is a joint venture with Rolls-Royce. The new schedule allows American to keep the current workforce in place.  

Boeing Co. is considering manufacturing a medium-size aircraft to replace its 757 to fly transcontinental routes in the U.S.  

United Airlines is scheduled to begin nonstop service from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 26 and plans to fly its larger, stretched version of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route.  

The debate over whether new rest rules for commercial airline pilots should apply to their counterparts flying cargo gained new attention today when a federal hearing revealed that a UPSpilot who died in a crash told a colleague that his work schedule was “killing” him. 

Boeing  announced the aircraft manufacturer will build the composite wings for its 777X in Everett, Wash.