United Mechanics Win Bid to Keep Maintenance Jobs at SFO

United Airlines says 60 jobs at San Francisco International Airport have been saved because its local maintenance base came in with the best bid to upgrade the first class and business class cabins in 32 of its Boeing 777 aircraft. The local operation, which employs about 2,700 maintenance workers and engineers, beat out third party contractors that would have taken the work elsewhere, a United spokeswoman said. United now employs about 6,000 maintenance workers systemwide, down from about 16,000 prior to the September 11 attacks that sent the airline industry into a tailspin. The San Francisco operation, which is the airline's headquarters for maintenance, employed about 9,000 people at its pre-9/11 peak -- and is fighting to hang on to every possible job.

Pension Update

Company and the Union officials met this week with the representatives of the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund. The Pension Fund representatives provided an update concerning the Fund's "funded" status. A follow up meeting with representatives of the fund will be scheduled in the near future so the Company and the Union can ask additional questions.

Also this week the Union Pension Sub-Committee met to discuss the status of the Union's effort to negotiate the Company into the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund. The Union's attorney Ed Gleason, provided an update concerning the Pension Fund status. Impressively, even in the current economic environment, the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund remains in the "Green" zone. The Sub-Committee will provide a more detailed written update in the coming weeks.

Upcoming Negotiations

• November 12th and 13th in Chicago
• December 2nd, 3rd and 4th in San Francisco

What Not To Do At Work.

A worker at Washington Dulles International Airport has been arrested after running away from a security official who questioned the man about not wearing his security badge.
Airport spokesman Rob Yingling says 33-year-old Jermaine Christopher Newland of Beltsville, Maryland is charged with unauthorized entry for violating airport security regulations. Newland is being held in Loudoun County without bond on the misdemeanor charge.
Newland, who works for United Airlines, fled Tuesday morning after a Transportation Security Administration inspector noticed he was in uniform without a security badge. Newland was caught shortly after in an airport concourse after officials contacted United Airlines.
TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee says there was no threat against the airport.

©2009 The Associated Press.

Bucking Trend, Airline Keeps Repairs In-House

Instead of outsourcing its airplane maintenance to Mexico and South America, American is sticking with its own crew of 6,000 mechanics based in Tulsa, Okla., to service its fleet. This "insourcing" strategy also allows American to contract with other airlines and freight companies to service their planes.

This is part three from NPR.
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Podcast

SkyWest loans United Airlines money?

The parent of SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines said Tuesday it reached an agreement with United Airlines involving operational funding and a codeshare arrangement.

SkyWest Inc. said SkyWest Airlines extended to United, a unit of UAL Corp., a secured term loan of $80 million at an interest rate of 11 percent.

The term loan is secured by certain ground equipment and airport slot rights held by United. SkyWest Airlines also agreed to defer certain amounts otherwise payable to SkyWest Airlines under the existing United Express Agreement. The maximum deferral amount is $49 million and any amounts so deferred accrue a deferral fee of 8%, payable weekly. United's right to defer such payments is scheduled to terminate in ten years.

source
MSN
Reuters

Crossed Wires: Flaws In Airline Repairs Abroad

Here is part two of a three part series on overseas maintenace from NPR reporter Daniel Zwerdling.

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Jock

To Cut Costs, Airlines Send Repairs Abroad

Shortly before sunrise on Jan. 23, 2009, passengers on US Airways Flight 518, who were flying from Omaha to Phoenix, were startled by a terrifying shriek.
The pressure seal around the main cabin door was failing, and that shriek was the sound of air leaking through. The plane diverted to Denver. Everybody was safe.
But that and other recent malfunctions affecting US Airways planes, which NPR is reporting for the first time, raise questions about a controversial and growing practice at most U.S. airlines: The industry is sending 1 of every 5 planes to developing countries, from Central America to Asia, when the planes need to be overhauled and repaired.

This is a must read, click on the link below and read the rest of the story.
Here

Or Listen to Dan first hand report of his visit to Aeroman in El Salvador, Dan is a reporter for NPR. Click on link below.

Podcast

FAA Proposes $3.8 Million Penalty Against United Airlines

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $3.8 million civil penalty against United Airlines for allegedly operating one of its Boeing 737 aircraft on more than 200 flights after the carrier had violated its own maintenance procedures on one of the plane’s engines.
On April 28, 2008, a United 737 returned to Denver after shutting down an engine due to low oil pressure indications. During teardown of the engine a week later, United mechanics found that two shop towels, instead of required protective caps, had been used to cover openings in the oil sump area when maintenance was done in December 2007. As a result of United’s failure to follow its maintenance procedures, between February 10 and April 28, 2008 it flew the aircraft on more than 200 revenue flights when it was not in an airworthy condition.
United’s maintenance procedures specifically require use of protective caps or covers on all components that could be adversely affected by entry of foreign materials.
United has 30 days from the receipt of the civil penalty letter to respond to the FAA.

United Master Executive Council Elects Captain Morse Chairman

UAL 6October 13, 2009
United Master Executive Council Elects Captain Morse Chairman
Denver, Colo.—Captain Wendy Morse, a 24-year veteran of United Airlines and a long-time representative of the pilots of United Airlines, was elected Chairman of the United Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association this afternoon.

Captain Garry Kravit, another long-time aviator and ALPA volunteer, was elected Vice Chairman. Captain Joseph Genovese was reelected Secretary/Treasurer.

The new slate of officers will begin their two-year term on January 1, 2010.
Captain Morse, a 777 Captain based in Chicago, replaces Captain Steve Wallach, who will complete his term as Chairman on December 31.
“While there is a change in leadership, there is no change in our collective resolve to bring about industry- leading career security, wages and working conditions,” said Captain Morse.
“It has been my privilege to have served the United pilot group faithfully for the past 21 months,” said Captain Wallach, a 30 year veteran of United.

White House

On this day today October 13th, 1792 the first stone was placed to start building a new official residence for the President of the United States. The site was 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington D.C.

Some of the first names given to the new residence was the “President’s Palace”, “Presidential Mansion” or the “Presidents House”. It was not until 1811 it was recorded as the “White House”.

Agreement reached

In a key moment in the course of negotiations, an agreement has been reached that has the potential to set the stage for permanently revising the current broken grievance procedure. The Union proposal for a Joint Board of Adjustment has been agreed to in a Memorandum of Understanding for immediate implementation.

The Joint Board of Adjustment will be a panel consisting of two members appointed by the Union and two from the Company. This will be implemented on a trial basis to replace the current 3rd Step of the grievance procedure, which now relies entirely on a review and decision from a single member of the Company’s Labor Relations Department.

The Teamsters Airline Division has successfully utilized a Joint Board of Adjustment at carriers such as Continental, Frontier and Air Canada. The Division is confident that the process can be used here at United to eliminate the backlog of grievances that has created such a high level of frustration for the membership.

Non‐punitive attendance discipline will continue to be addressed in the ongoing Dependability Subcommittee meetings and are temporarily held in abeyance pending the outcome of these talks. To read the full Memorandum of Understanding please visit www.IBTUALNegotiations.com

In addition to reaching an agreement on the Joint Board of Adjustment, the parties reached tentative agreements on the Preamble as well as Article XV — Extended Illness Status.

A story you just have to say “What the …….”

For those of you that did not know in the southern part of the state of Washington there is a site called the Hanford site or Hanford Project.

This place was once home to the first nuclear bomb. There they had up to five plutonium processing complexes that produced most of the plutonium during the cold war. This facility spans some 586 square miles and the Columbia River flows along the site for about 50 miles. By 1971, most of the reactors were shut down but they left one running until 1987 to supply electrical power to the local power grid.

Which leads me to the story out of today’s Seattle PI. “What’s up, Doc? Radioactive poop at the Hanford”. One of the companies in charge of the environmental cleanup of the area had to hire a helicopter company to hover 50 feet above the reservation and search a 16 square mile area for radioactive poop.

So, if you are hiking around in south eastern Washington just be careful of what you pickup or as Dave just said step in.

Jock

The Rest of the story.

Moving on from my previous post, here is the rest of the story. SkyWest, AKA United Express has gone from a total of 13 flights departing Seattle in 2002 to 5,094 for the year 2008. These passengers have not stop flying. United Airlines management just move them over to SkyWest. Is this a way to run a business? Did United Airlines stop running an airline or are they wanting to move more to a virtual airline. No airplanes, no employees, just greed. A thought for the day.
Jock

Thought for the day

January 2000 to January 2001 United Airlines had 16,523 flights depart SeaTac Airport.

January 2008 to January 2009 United Airlines had 8,964 flights depart SeaTac Airport.

January 2000 to January 2001 United Airlines had 11,545 flights depart Portland Airport.

January 2008 to January 2009 United Airlines had 6,453 flights depart Portland Airport.

Did these passengers just stop flying or did United Airlines stop running an airline?
Jock

Ref: BTS

United Mechanic Negotiations Cut Short

Negotiations opened on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Talks resumed where they had left off in the last meeting – with Article XVI (Transportation). The Union began by submitting its second proposal on this Article, followed by discussions. By the end of the day, the Union had not received a counter from the Company.
The Union Negotiating Committee is frustrated with the pace and progress of negotiations The Union Negotiating Committee feels that in order to place these negotiations on a positive and constructive track, the parties' current, Article-by-Article bargaining approach needs to be changed to a more phased approach, where the parties meet to hammer out multiple Articles that are inter-related. Accordingly, the Committee unanimously decided it would be a waste of time to proceed under the current process and advised the Company that it was canceling this week's second day of formal negotiations. Bargaining will resume next week on October 7th and 8th in Washington, D.C., at the IBT Headquarters.
The Company has emphasized that it is committed to negotiating a fair and equitable contract in a timely manner. The parties have agreed to regroup next week in Washington, D.C. and to work out the details of implementing a new bargaining approach as described by the Union Negotiating Committee.