Negotiations Update

This week’s negotiations focused on Article VI, Hours of Service. Much discussion was held on this article but more work needs to be done in order to reach an agreement.
Negotiations will continue in San Francisco on October 4th, 5th, and 6th.

In Attendance for the IBT: Clacy Griswold ‐ Airline Div. Rep., Ed Gleason‐ IBT Attorney, Paul Alves – Airline Div. Rep. Negotiating Team: Roger Apana, Larry Calhoun, Dion Cornelious, Bob Fisher, Ramon Gonzalez, George Graham, Dominic Gulley, Javier Lectora, Ken Meidinger, and Harvey Wright. Business Agents: Dave Elmore, Paul Molenberg

In Attendance for the Company: Marcel Delhommeau, Gary Kaplan, Kellee Allain, Anita Davis, Mark Prpich, Kathryn Cassley, Paul Darrow

Senate Blocks Republican Attempt to Stop NMB Rule Change on Union Voting

This Thursday in a 56-43 vote, the Senate blocked a resolution designed to stop the Obama administration from implementing a reform instituted by the NMB about how employees can gain union representation. The NMB change allows a union be certified if a majority of the employees who vote support it. The rule previously required majority support of all airline or rail workers eligible to vote to be certified as a union.
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today praised the Senate for upholding the National Mediation Board’s reform of union elections at airlines and railroads.
“The NMB reform finally lets airline and railroad workers’ votes be counted according to today’s election standards in the United States,” Hoffa said. “Whichever side gets the most votes wins. I’m pleased that the majority party in the Senate defeated an attempt by anti-union groups to undermine a fairer system for workers who want to join a union.”
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., introduced a joint resolution of disapproval today in an attempt to overturn the NMB rule. "There is no sound legal or policy basis for hastily changing a rule that has been in place and upheld repeatedly for over 75 years," he was quoted as saying.
Senator Tom Harkin (D), of Iowa disagreed, saying the 75-year history of the old rule was “irrelevant in evaluating its fairness.”
“The deck is stacked against workers who want to form a union,” Hoffa said. “Those who voted in the Senate to proceed to the joint resolution were deliberately trying to undermine workers’ right to form a union.”

United fined for reporting tarmac violation that wasn't

The quick background is that United reported four flights as having been on the tarmac away from the gate for more than the new three-hour limit. So the DOT investigated and found out that, on all four flights, United offered passengers food, beverages, working lavatories and an opportunity to get off the planes.

This means that the airline did not, in fact, violate the new rule.

"United's misreporting of this data wasted valuable Department resources, since only after the Enforcement Office initiated its investigation did it learn that United improperly filed the data," the DOT said.

United and the DOT agreed to settle the issue with a $12,000 fine, half of which would only be payable if the airline messes up again within the next year.

Click here for the rest of the story.


Thanks Seattle PI I wished you were still in print all of your reporters did a great job of digging at the Truth..

Jock

Teamsters Applaud Major Win for Labor, Airline Employees, Taxpayers

In a major victory for organized labor, airline employees and American taxpayers, the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law has adopted language of an amendment into H.R. 4677 that will preclude U.S. airlines that are in bankruptcy from abrogating labor agreements and dumping pensions onto the Pension Benefit and Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) and ultimately the U.S. taxpayers.

Click here for the rest of the story.

UAL Discussions Continue

Negotiations continued this week at the WHQ training center in Chicago, with the first day devoted to Joint Board of Adjustment (JBA) hearings.

Contract discussions commenced on the 14th with the Company passing a counter proposed Training article to the Union, and following additional discussions, the parties reached agreement. With the inclusion of language from the Continental Agreement, this article represented a positive fundamental shift in the way training will be administered. In addition to the T/A, a new Letter of Agreement, “Covered Employees Working as Full Time Trainers” was signed by both parties.

The remainder of the week’s negotiations focused on Article VI, Hours of Service. Extensive discussions were held on this article which covers all aspects of shift work, including hours and bids.

Negotiations will continue next week in San Francisco, beginning on September 21st.

Continenatal & Mechanics Tentative

The Mechanics at Continental Airlines have reached a tentative agreement. The votes will be counted in mid October. Click here to read the T/A


Airline Division Website

Teamsters, Continental Reach Tentative Agreement On Contract

(WASHINGTON) –The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced today that the mechanics it represents at Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the company.
The Teamsters represent 3,700 Continental aircraft maintenance technicians and related employees who work in the United States.
“This is a good agreement, with healthy raises and signing bonuses,” said Teamsters Airline Division Director David Bourne. “It recognizes the contribution that our hard-working mechanics make to the success of Continental Airlines.”
A date for the ratification vote has not yet been set, but it is expected within the coming weeks. The count is expected in mid-October.

http://teamsterair.org

Negotiation Update

As you know, the United States Department of Justice recently determined that it had no objection to the merger between United and Continental. The two carriers now anticipate that the legal aspects of the merger will be completed shortly after the September 17, 2010 shareholder's meetings where it is expected that the shareholders of both carriers will vote in favor of the merger by a large margin. United and Continental also announced its top-tier leadership team and stated their intention to combine the FAA part 121 certificates of Continental and Continental's subsidiary, Air Micronesia. In addition to the flurry of corporate and legal activity, the United negotiators came to the table this week focused and prepared to negotiate. It was a productive week.

The parties focused on finishing two brand new Articles to the Agreement, which were Field Service and Training. The Field Service Article was TA’d and much of the work was completed to facilitate a TA on the Training Article when the Parties reconvene on September 13th.

Using the Continental language as a template for these Articles was helpful to the process. However, there are several definitional pieces of each Article that required a complete understanding by both parties due to the different nomenclature used by the two different Carriers. Both Articles represent a positive fundamental shift in the way these issues are administered. These Articles required extraordinary amounts of work from each side, using both the full committee, as well as several subcommittees, to achieve the required understanding.

The next session of negotiations will be held the week of September 13th in Chicago followed by the week of the 21st in San Francisco.