Airline Division Names Deputy Director
Steve Nagrotsky, a lawyer with 27 years of experience with the Airline Pilots Association and an expert on collective bargaining and Railway Labor Act contract enforcement, has joined the Teamsters Airline Division as Deputy Director. Nagrotsky has extensive experience in arbitrations, negotiations, and as an advisor to labor groups.
“The Airline Division workload is growing rapidly. We will accomplish an unprecedented 38% growth in membership by the end of my first year in office” said David Bourne, Teamsters Airline Division Director. “For example, we have 22 Section 6 contract negotiations to address this year. This workload is unprecedented, and I needed a Deputy Director to share in managing the future of our Division. “
“Steve Nagrotsky is the perfect man for the job,” Bourne said. “I have known Steve for nine years. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience on Railway Labor Act issues to the Division. He can assist me in any number of ways, from dealing with day-to-day issues as they arise to helping formulate new policies and practices necessary to rebrand the Airline Division for future growth.”
Nagrotsky attended Cornell University on a union scholarship program from the New York Central Labor Trades Council and received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Relations. He earned his law degree from New York University.
Upcoming Transition for Trusteeship at Local 747
The trusteeship at Local 747 will be passed from Dave Ross, the current trustee, to Dan Brennan, who will remain trustee going forward.
“I want to make sure the transition is an orderly process for the membership,” Bourne said. “We will keep all involved updated as this transition takes place, including the leadership at the different carriers.”
Look for updates in future Airline Division Week in Review editions.
United Contract Negotiations for Mechanics Held in San Francisco
On May 26 and 27, the Teamsters negotiating team and United representatives met for substantive negotiations. The union laid out its full agenda of non-economic items over the two days. (The non-economic proposals can be viewed in their entirety on www.IBTUALNegotiations.)
The non-economic items include:
Article IV - Classifications of Work and Qualifications, Article V - Progression, Examinations, and License Requirements, Article VI - Hours of Service, Article IX - Travel Pay, Article X - Seniority, Article XI - Vacancies, Article XII - Leave of Absence, Article XIV - Sick Leave, Article XV - Extended Illness Status, Article XVII - Disciplinary Action, Article XIII - Bargaining and Grievance Procedure, Article XX - Safety and Health, Article XXI - General and Miscellaneous, Article XXV - Union Representation, New Article - Layoff and Recall, New Article - Field Service, New Article – Training.
The next negotiating sessions in San Francisco are scheduled for June 16-17 and July 23-24.
Formation of Pension Subcommittee for United Mechanics Nearing Completion
United and the Teamsters have agreed to form a joint pension plan committee. The parties have exchanged information pertinent to exploring the addition of the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan. The committee is almost fully staffed.
Participating on the Pension Subcommittee for the Teamsters will be:
Clacy Griswold – Union Chair; Ed Gleason– IBT Legal; Peter Finn – Communications, Kevin Giegoldt – ORD; Dion Cornelious – LAX; Larry Calhoun – East Coast Line; Jock Creach – West Coast Line; Bob Fisher – IAD; Joe Schwirian – SFO; and the selection for Denver is forthcoming.
Week in Review News Items
Labor Developments
Pilot recruiter Louis Smith says the airline industry runs on optimism, not fossil fuel, and it's that cheery outlook that keeps Smith and his company, FltOps.com, going these days. The 15 large airlines tracked by FltOps.com hired 2,301 pilots in 2006 and 2,443 in 2007. However, those numbers dropped to 1,299 in 2008. Through the first four months of 2009, those carriers have hired a total of 28. Delta Air Lines said on Thursday it is offering voluntary retirement packages to pilots as it looks to cut costs. Some 9,400 of 12,400 pilots meet the criteria for the voluntary program. Air Canada is facing a pension payment in nine weeks that could create a cash crunch and place the airline close to breaching credit covenants, the Globe and Mail reported.
Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Reform
The U.S. House has passed legislation that would negate the U.S.-European open skies agreement, the European Union ambassador to the United States says. Ambassador John Bruton said Europe wasn't recognizing the importance of Congress in the U.S. decision- and law-making process, EUobserver reported Wednesday. The provision seen as a threat to the agreement was part of a budget reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration that would require FAA inspections of European maintenance facilities handling U.S. airliners.
Regional Airlines Safety Issue
Current and former pilots and other employees at Gulfstream International Airlines allege that the company regularly falsified certain flight-time records so pilots could be scheduled to work more hours than permitted under federal safety rules. Business Travel Coalition transmitted a letter to Congress this week signed by the Teamsters Local Union 747, Teamsters Local Union 961 and Teamsters Airline Division as well as some 65 corporate travel buyers, travel management companies and industry organizations representing millions of travelers. The letter urges hearings in the larger context of formulation of a national air transportation policy that appropriately articulates public policy expectations regarding optimizing safety and minimizing cost in the US aviation system.
Airline Developments
Economy stinks. Travel is down. Time to start a new airline! JetAmerica Airlines, borrowing a name and a concept from the past, opens for business this week with flights starting July 13. The company is operating with the same concept as Ryanair in Europe and the defunct Skybus in the U.S., offering nine $9 tickets (plus a required $5 convenience fee) and other ultra-cheap fares. AndFrontier Airlines is reporting a net profit of $2.4 million for April, compared with a net loss of $26.9 million for April 2008. Frontier President and CEO Sean Menke says the airline is seeing the payoff of restructuring and cost-cutting in the past year since it sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A planned code-share partnership between low-cost carriers WestJet Airlines and Southwest Airlines will be delayed because of a sharp slowdown in air travel, WestJet said in a surprise announcement on Monday.
Airlines and the Environment
Air New Zealand yesterday revealed the results of its Dec. 29 747-400 biofuel test flight at the Eco-Aviation conference presented by ATW and Leeham Co. in Washington, saying that data gathered from the two-hour flight show that a 50/50 blend of jatropha-based fuel and standard jet fuel could reduce fuel burn by 1.2% and carbon dioxide emissions by 60-75% on an average 12-hour 747 flight.
Edited by Business Travel Coalition
