Airline Division Week In Review - October 26, 2014

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IBT, TAMC Participate in Nationwide Conference Call Discussion on Ebola  On Friday, October 24th, IBT Safety and Health Industrial Hygienist Enjoli DeGrasse and TAMC Chairman Chris Moore participated in the national conference call; "Ebola Preparedness for Labor Unions".  The call was opened by Paulette Aniskoff, Deputy Director to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement. The Government panel consisted of ranking members from DOT, FAA, CDC, OSHA, CBP and TSA.  Participating Labor Unions were the Teamsters, TWU, AFA, APFA, SEIU, AFL-CIO TTD and AFGE. Each of the Government Agencies gave a brief overview regarding their current procedures and recommendations for dealing with infected passengers or possible contaminated aircraft followed by a question and answer session with Labor Representatives.  The session consisted of discussions surrounding customer contact and cleaning workers but did not directly address Aircraft Maintenance workers. Teamster Airline Division representatives were the only participants who asked questions as to the possible risk to mechanics working on contaminated aircraft and the need for training for all of our represented Crafts.  The two major points made to the government panel were that airlines and contractors and are not doing to train our workers fast enough and keep them safe and that the Government must mandate training for all workers who face the possibility of infection. The panel promised answers to the questions and they will be reported to the membership as soon as they are received. UAL Negotiators Meet in Chicago, No New Meetings Scheduled  The parties reconvened in Chicago this week for another session of bargaining under the direction and supervision of the National Mediation Board. On Monday; prior to meeting with the company, representatives from TeamCare gave the committee a presentation on what the fund has to offer in regards to health and welfare benefits.  On Tuesday morning the company made a proposal in the form of three different bundled economic packages. The committee worked all day on counters to the packages. Late Tuesdayevening the negotiating committee made counter proposals on the three packages. The IBT committee’s counter was not well received, and on Wednesday morning, NMB Mediator Gerry McGuckin informed the IBT committee that he was disappointed with the counter received on Tuesday night. He informed the group that he sent the company negotiators home. In addition, he told the committee that he was “unwilling to waste the taxpayers’ money,” since it appeared to him that the committee wasn’t at all serious about reaching an agreement, and that future negotiation dates were in jeopardy.  The committee vented its frustration to the mediator and voiced their strong view that the company wasn’t serious about reaching a fair agreement from the beginning of what has become a long drawn-out negotiation.  After listening to the committee, the mediator suggested that if they would put together a counter proposal; clearing out the remaining non-economic items he would consider reinstating future mediation dates. Late on Thursday, after two full days of internal deliberations, the committee delivered its non-economic counter. Mediator McGuckin reviewed the proposal and, while he thanked the committee for its hard work, he determined that given the state of the non-economic proposal; to move forward he would need to see a comprehensive proposal including all items. The committee continued discussions throughout the evening and late into the night and determined that they considered the mediator’s comments and instruction to be unfair.  They believed that if they made any further moves at this point, they would be negotiating against themselves and would do a disservice to the membership. The committee asked the IBT leadership to ask the mediator to advise them in writing exactly what his expectations are concerning his request that they put a new comprehensive proposal together.  The committee also asked that the IBT leadership ask the mediator to assist in obtaining information that it has been waiting for from the company for many months, which they have agreed to do.  Airline Industry News  Governmental and Regulatory  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering new rules for aircraft dispatcher certification courses, the agency said.  Airlines, Industry and Labor  United Airlines expects to increase capacity 1.5% to 2.5% in 2015, with domestic capacity increasing 0.5% to 1.5%. The company also announced that it has converted orders for Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to 787-10 models, deferring planned 2017 and 2018 deliveries to 2022 and beyond.   Strong demand and lower fuel prices have led to strong quarterly profits for U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, United Continental, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Delta Air Lines reported revenue of more than $1 billion in the third quarter.   United Continental Holdings reported net income of $924 million for the quarter, compared to $379 million for the same quarter last year. The 144% increase in profit year-over-year was achieved partly through lower operating costs.   American Airlines and US Airways have completed the merger of their cargo divisions. American Airlines Cargo is the first operations division to complete integration after the carriers merged last year.

Airline Division Week In Review - October 11, 2014

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Piedmont Stock Clerk Negotiations Update  Stock Clerk negotiations resumed on October 9th, 2014 with the Union presented proposals on Article 21 (Moving Expenses) and Article 14 (Vacation). After discussion, both articles were tentatively agreed to.  The Union also presented a comprehensive economic proposal to the company that they have requested time to study and respond to.  A new date has not yet been set for the next meeting.  Piedmont Mechanics Negotiations Update    Negotiations that were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 were cancelled because of the Company’s lead negotiators illness and was inability to attend at the last minute.    The Union negotiating team; already assembled used the time to work with the IBT economist to review the current positions and plan for future sessions    Once new dates are scheduled, the membership will be notified. Airline Industry News Governmental and Regulatory      The Federal Aviation Administration announced the Chicago air traffic control center that was closed due to fire damage will open on Sunday. "FAA technical teams will complete equipment and system testing over the next few days at Chicago Center and conduct flight checks before they fully restore and connect the telecommunications network and other services at the facility," the FAA said.   The Federal Aviation Administration and the NextGen Advisory Committee, a group of stakeholders from the aviation industry, have agreed to a plan outlining priorities for NextGen over the next three years.   Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta says the agency doesn't havetechnology in place to seamlessly take over air traffic control functions from an inoperable regional facility. "The current backup plan for the agency is to get everyone on the ground safe and get them to their destinations safe," he said. Airlines, Industry and Labor  Alaska Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants have tentatively agreed on a new five-year contract for the airline's 3,300 flight attendants. If union officials approve the proposed contract, a ratification vote will be taken by the flight attendants in December.   The nation's largest flight attendants union says it wants airline passengers to return to stowing cell phones and other electronics during takeoffs and landings, but the group's arguments didn't seem to fly Friday in court.  American Airlines Group said it forecasts an operating margin of up to 12% for the third quarter. By the end of 2014, the carrier also expects to have 1,540 aircraft in its fleet.   Modest profitability has enabled airlines to accelerate investment, to the tune of $1 billion per month, in people, products and technology to enhance the travel experience. Robert Stallard, an analyst for RBC Capital Markets, expects carriers to continue buying fuel-efficient aircraft to update fleets.   American Airlines is further shrinking regional subsidiary Envoy Air by shifting some of its Miami flights to operators with bigger planes.  Boeing Co. predicts that the market for global air freight will double over the next 20 years. "We see strong signs of a recovery as air-freight traffic levels continue to strengthen after several years of stagnation," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for the carrier.   Airbus has patented advanced digital sonic technology that could be deployed to frighten away birds from aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration has estimated that bird strikes cost $957 million a year.  Boeing Co. announced plans to expand its defense facility in St. Louis to build composite aircraft parts for the 777X. Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon said the decision will add up to 700 jobs in the region. Boeing now employs around 15,000 people in St. Louis.