Sky Talk

TWU, IAM agree to jointly represent mechanics and ground workers at merged American/US Airways company

The Transport Workers Union and International Association of Machinists announced on Tuesday that the two unions have agreed to jointly represent mechanics and ground workers at the new carrier once American Airlines and US Airways merge later this year.

The unions said the partnership will represent about 30,000 employees and will be called the TWU/IAM Employee Association. After the merger between American and US Airways closes, the unions said they will ask government regulators to hold a union representation election among the affected work groups.

Currently, TWU represents mechanics, store clerks and fleet services workers at American while IAM represents the same work groups at US Airways.

"This agreement allows us to use our combined strength and resources on behalf of all our members as we move forward at the new American Airlines," said TWU International president Jim Little.

Under the agreement reached this week, the unions designated which one will conduct post-merger business in a specific city. For example, in Dallas/Fort Worth where the TWU currently has more members than the IAM, the TWU will keep its union facilities in place and work with employees. In Charlotte, the IAM will do the same.

"These agreements protect our members' representation, pensions and seniority," said IAM International president Tom Buffenbarger. "Working jointly with the TWU, we will ensure both unions' members are rewarded in this merger."

The partnership does not cover aircraft dispatchers, flight crew training instructors or flight simulator engineers as the TWU represents those work groups at both carriers. It also does not include the maintenance instructors at US Airways which are represented by the IAM.

Recently, the Teamsters filed for a union representation election of US Airways' mechanics and has said it plans to file a similar application for American's mechanics as well.

-Andrea Ahles

TWU, IAM agree on seniority lists for mechanics, fleet service and stock clerk workers at combined American/US Airways

Unions representing mechanics, fleet service and stock clerk workers at American Airlines and US Airways have agreed on a seniority list for its workers at the combined carrier.

According to documents posted by the Transport Workers Union, which represents American workers, to its website on Sunday, it has agreed on a "date of entry" into a work group to determine an integrated seniority worklist. The agreement is with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers, which represents US Airways workers in those work groups.

It is not a strict date of hire agreement but will create the lists based on when an employee was placed into a work group classification that is currently outlined in the union contracts with each airline. If there are two or more employees that have the same date of entry, then the seniority will be determined by their date of hire.

Employees will also not be able to displace another employee from a position as the result of the seniority list integration. The seniority list integration will not be implemented until after a single union contract is negotiated with the newly merged carrier, the documents, dated April 24, said.

"The IAM/TWU seniority agreement is yet another positive step forward in the merger between U S Airways and American Airlines," said US Airways spokesman Ed Stewart.

Both unions are part of the AFL-CIO and were encouraged by AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka to come to an agreement. A union representation fight is already brewing as the Teamsters and AMFA are attempting to become the unions for the mechanics at the merged carrier.

"I am urging you to consider a more constructive approach, one in which both unions will share representation rights at the merged airline, with each union retaining its basic pre-merger membership. This approach seems to me the only one which will avoid either union feeling that it is being or has been raided and will generate the kind of harmony that we need for acting together in labor's best interest, and which will guarantee that labor's organizing dollars in the next year are not devoted to unions fighting one another," Trumka wrote in a letter to the TWU and IAM presidents.

The seniority agreement affects 25,000 workers at the two airlines.

Click here to view the documents posted to the TWU website.

-Andrea Ahles

Southwest ground workers picket outside Dallas Love Field

 

Photo provided by TWU Local 555

Southwest Airlines ground workers picketed Dallas Love Field on Thursday afternoon as the union continues to negotiate a new contract with the carrier.

The Transport Workers Union Local 555 has been in talks with Southwest since July 2011 but the two sides have been unable to reach a deal as the Dallas-based airline has proposed outsourcing jobs, increasing part-time workers and reducing medical benefits.

"We simply can’t understand why management would compromise our tradition of excellence by making demands at the bargaining table to outsource our work, cut into our sick days, and make it harder for our members to be on the job," said TWU Local 555 president Charles Cerf in a statement. "If we’re not there, who is going to provide our passengers with the quality of service they have come to expect at Southwest?"

Local 555 represents 9,400 ground crew workers at Southwest. Both parties filed for federal mediation last fall as contract talks stalled between union and company negotiators.

The picketing at Dallas Love Field was part of the union's national campaign to raise awareness about its contract talks. The union also picketed at 15 other airports across the U.S.

UPDATE: Southwest issued this statement on Thursday afternoon.

"Southwest Airlines is aware that some of our Ramp and Operations Employees are participating in informational picketing—this is often times part of the negotiating process. We have always supported, and will continue to support, our Employees’ right to express themselves.

"Southwest will continue to actively participate in negotiations as we make every effort to reach agreements with our unions that are rewarding, flexible, and secure; ones that provide wage and benefit levels that are fair to Employees, allow Southwest to be competitive, and ensure our long-term success."

-Andrea Ahles

Southwest ground workers deliver valentines to management, asking them to "have some heart" in upcoming contract negotiations

It's a day early but Southwest Airlines ground workers are showing a little "LUV" to the Dallas-based carrier's executives in the hope that their "LUV" will be returned.

On Wednesday, the Transport Workers Union which represents 9,000 ground workers, will present valentine cards to Southwest executives as contract negotiations continue between both sides. The cards are "lighthearted" union leaders said but underscore the seriousness of contract talks.

"Our members do not understand why a company with a $421 million profit last year is asking for concessions," said TWU local 555 president Charles Cerf, adding that contract talks have been ongoing since July 2011. "This new approach to labor relations is disappointing and we encourage management to remember that working harmoniously with Southwest’s workers in the past has significantly contributed to the success of our airline and benefited not only employees, but our customers."

Southwest flight attendants, who are also represented by the TWU, will also deliver cards to executives at Southwest headquarters around noon on Wednesday.

-Andrea Ahles

American Eagle dispatchers ratify agreement

Regional carrier American Eagle said its dispatchers ratified a new agreement with the company.

The dispatchers, who are represented by the Transport Workers Union, were the only union group at the AMR subsidiary that did not have a new cost-cutting contract.

"American Eagle is pleased our dispatchers voted to ratify the agreement reached between the company and the TWU. We realize this was a very difficult decision for our people. Achieving labor cost savings was an absolute necessity for the company, and this marks a huge milestone as we now have ratified agreements with all of our union workgroups," said American Eagle spokeswoman Andrea Huguely in a statement on Monday.

-Andrea Ahles

Layoffs begin at American's Alliance maintenance facility

No more American Airlines planes will be flying in and out of Alliance Airport in north Fort Worth.

Starting Friday, the Fort Worth-based carrier will begin laying off about 250 workers that staffed the Alliance maintenance base, fixing Boeing 777s and 767s and other parts for American’s aircraft.

"We are all quite sad to be bringing it to a close," said Bill Collins, vice president of base maintenance for American. "But we had a more efficient way to get that job completed and the economics of the restructuring required us to do something in a fairly significant way to improve the cost base."

The 1.6-million-square-foot maintenance facility first opened in 1991 with an iconic suspended roof that has no fixed columns holding it up. With its cantilever design, seven wide-body planes standing wingtip to wingtip can fit inside the facility’s docks.

Robert Kirk, treasurer of Transport Workers Union Local 567 which represents the mechanics and store clerks that work at Alliance, has worked at the facility since 1992. He said it is hard to watch friends who have worked for American for over a decade lose their jobs.

"When I came down here, it was a state-of-the-art facility. I saw this is as the future of American Airlines," said Kirk who is helping laid off employees work with the Texas Workforce Commission for job retraining and other career services. "It’s not fun watching people pack up their toolbox."

When American announced its restructuring plan in February, it said it planned to close the Alliance facility by the end of the year, displacing the 1,200 employees at the base. But with early retirement offers and other positions open within American, the carrier was able to significantly reduce the number of Alliance workers laid off. American said 73 percent of its Alliance workers affected by the potential layoffs accepted jobs elsewhere in the company.

Some of the Alliance mechanics were able to move into positions at the Texas Aero Engine Service facility in Alliance which will remain open. TAESL is American’s joint venture with Rolls-Royce that repairs and overhauls engines and employs about 600 workers.

The carrier has moved some of the maintenance work performed at Alliance to its Tulsa facility but much of the work has been outsourced to third-party vendors. Those include TIMCO Aviation Service and ST Aerospace, which have facilities in Alabama and North Carolina, and Hong Kong-based HAECO. The last plane to leave Alliance was a Boeing 777, which had its maintenance work completed last week, Collins said.

However, there are still some employees at Alliance working on aircraft components, such as coffee pots. Collins said American plans to move component work to hangars at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport but has experienced construction delays at DFW as it prepares the facility to accommodate the work. As a result, American’s Alliance facility will remain partially open until possibly the middle of next year, he said.

"Once those renovations and improvements are complete, it will enable us to move the rest of the back shops and the people over to [our DFW hangars]," Collins said.

-Andrea Ahles

TWU launches union drive of Southwest mechanics to decertify AMFA

Southwest Airlines mechanics are being wooed by another union.

The Transport Workers Union has launched a representation campaign to unseat the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, which currently represents the Dallas-based carrier’s 1,800 mechanics.

Frank McCann, TWU national organizer, said the union has received several inquiries over the past six months from Southwest mechanics who are unhappy with AMFA and the lack of progress in contract negotiations. The mechanics contract became amendable in August.

AMFA has lost thousands of members over the past several years as mechanics at United Airlines decertified the union and thousands lost their jobs when Northwest Airlines went bankrupt. The national union, which has about 2,500 members, recently announced it will re-run its national election after several protests over how it was conducted in September. AMFA gained some members this year following Southwest’s purchase of AirTran Airways. AirTran’s mechanics had previously been represented by the Teamsters.

Mailers from the TWU that included a vote authorization card were sent to hundreds of Southwest mechanics this week.

“You don’t have to listen to [Southwest CEO] Gary Kelly’s ‘Message to the Field’ to know that Southwest Airlines has lost some of its ‘LUV’n feeling lately,” the mailer said. “Southwest today is not the same company that Herb Kelleher built. Mechanics will need all the help they can get.”

The TWU already represents about 20,000 Southwest employees, including flight attendants and ramp workers. The union has lost hundreds of members in the American Airlines’ bankruptcy restructuring when the Fort Worth-based carrier decided to outsource maintenance work and cabin-cleaning jobs.

McCann said the union plans to run phone banks and make house calls to gauge the interest of Southwest mechanics. Under a new law passed in February, unions must collect authorization cards from 50 percent of a work group before the National Mediation Board will order a union representation election.

“We have a strong interest at this point and we’ll see what happens when we do the house visits,” McCann said. “Our goal is always to have 70 percent turn in cards when we do a campaign like this.”

-Andrea Ahles

American Eagle reaches tentative agreement with dispatchers

AMR Corp.'s regional carrier, American Eagle, reached a tentative agreement with its dispatchers on Tuesday.

Dispatchers are the only union group at American Eagle that has not agreed to a new contract during AMR's bankruptcy restructuring process as the workers voted to reject a previous contract offer in October.

American Eagle spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said the carrier is pleased to reach a deal although it still needs to be ratified by the union members, who are represented by the Transport Workers Union.

"If ratified, this will be another important step toward our restructuring which will position us for a successful future," Huguely said. If the contract is approved, the carrier will no longer need to ask the bankruptcy court to reject the dispatchers contract as part of the Section 1113 process.

-Andrea Ahles

American and Southwest flight attendants union applaud proposed OSHA policies

Flight attendant unions at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines applauded new government proposals to ensure workplace safety on airplanes.

The Transport Workers Union, which represents flight attendants at Southwest, said a proposal to give the Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversight on issues such as cabin noise levels and blood-borne pathogens threats will make air travel safer.

"Moving luggage and equipment in a small confined space, and sharing a limited air supply with hundreds of travelers, creates exposure risks for our members," said TWU local 556 president Stacey Martin on Monday. "Getting OSHA and the [Federal Aviation Administration] on the same page is a huge step in the right direction."

The proposals, unveiled last week, will give OSHA the ability to enforce workplace health and safety standards not currently covered by the FAA, unions said.

"APFA has been pushing for these workplace protections for many years and we’re looking forward to incorporating them into our union’s safety culture," said Association of Professional Flight Attendants president Laura Glading, who represents flight attendants at American.

Public comments will be accepted by the government after the proposals from OSHA and the FAA are published in the Federal Register.

-Andrea Ahles

American says it has a "few hiccups" as it transitions to new cabin cleaners

Changing cabin cleaners for its aircraft has not gone smoothly for American Airlines.

Hundreds of flights have been delayed at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in the past few days as the Fort Worth-based carrier started using AirServe as its cabin cleaners on Thursday.

"As is typical when starting a new relationship with a vendor, we had a few hiccups during the first days; however, things with AirServe have greatly improved since then," American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said in a statement on Monday. "We hold our contractors to the same high standards as our in-house employees."

According to FlightStats.com, 140 American departures out of DFW were delayed by more than 15 minutes on Monday. The day before, only half of American’s flights departed on time from DFW with 229 flights delayed.

Sources told NBC5 that AirServ employees did not have the correct identification badges needed to work in secured areas of the airport and were entering through American’s old mail sorting facility to access the planes to clean them.

The dayline cabin cleaning used to be performed by Transport Workers Union employees, but as part of American’s restructuring in bankruptcy, the union agreed to allow the carrier to outsource its cabin cleaning to a third-party contractor. As a result, hundreds of TWU workers were laid off at several airports across the country.

American has said in bankruptcy documents that it would save $29.8 million annually by outsourcing dayline cabin cleaning.

UPDATE: I had a chance to talk with TWU Local 513 president Darrin Pierce on Tuesday morning. Pierce said there have been quite a few delays at DFW since the new vendor took over the cabin cleaning work from the union workers. About 220 workers in his local were laid off as part of the outsourcing.

"The jobs we are talking about, we’ve had for decades so we know how to do it," Pierce said. "Unfortunately, we lost those jobs through the bankruptcy process. The new company that is performing this job, at a lower wage doesn't know how to do them yet, so American is going to take some lumps as it goes through this."

-Andrea Ahles