Teamster AWA Mechanics Win Million Dollar Sick Leave Award

Teamster AWA Mechanics Win Million Dollar Sick Leave Award

America West Loses Battle to Slash Workers’ Sick Time in Half

December 22, 2003

(Phoenix, AZ) – Teamster mechanics at America West Airlines [NYSE: AWA] are celebrating a long awaited victory over a sick time accrual dispute. For two years, management slashed sick time accruals in half denying mechanics earned sick days guaranteed by our contract. An arbitrator agreed with the Teamsters that America West management violated the contract by changing the calculation of sick leave accrual and usage.

“This victory sends management a powerful message – a union contract is a binding agreement between our members and the company and we will fight to protect the best interest of our members,” said James P. Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

On December 10, it was determined that America West had to revert back to the original plan it implemented when the contract initially went into effect. In addition, the arbitrator ruled that the company must make affected mechanics whole by reinstating sick leave hours denied from January 2002 through December 2003. This will cost the company one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) in owed sick time and an additional $650,000 per year in sick time moving forward.

“This decision should be a wake-up call to management that the Teamsters will not tolerate a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement no matter how long it takes for justice to be served,” said Andrew Marshall, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 104, which represents America West mechanics.

“Even though the contract language is clear, the company blatantly violated our agreement and the rights of Teamsters at America West,” said Paul Stevens, Teamsters Local 104 Trustee and Aircraft Inspector, “This is why we organized with the Teamsters. Without our benefits in writing, management can steal them from us.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.