unions

Tag Archives for unions.

Airline Unions Push For New Legislation To Keep Out Long Haul Low Cost Competition

by Gary Leff on June 10, 2021

Jun 10 2021

Forget “Fight For 15!” The Air Line Pilots Association is lobbying for a new bill released by House Transportation Committee Chairman Pete DeFazio (D-Airlines For America) among others that would effectively prevent foreign airlines from flying to the U.S. if they aren’t paying competitive wages.

The measure is also being supported by the Allied Pilots Association (American Airlines pilots), Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (Sara Nelson), International Association of Machinists, Teamsters, Transportation Workers Union, UNITE HERE and others. We thought the campaign by U.S. airlines against Open Skies Treaties was over but now we have the ‘Fair and Open Skies Act’.

Airlines And Unions Push To Extend Mask Requirements, But They’re No Longer Needed

by Gary Leff on April 23, 2021

Apr 23 2021

The TSA’s mask rule is set to expire May 11. It will absolutely be extended, given the language of CDC regulations and lobbying by airlines and unions. However the mask rule is no longer needed for domestic flights.

Breaking: American Airlines Will Send WARN Act Notices To 13,000 Employees On Friday

by Gary Leff on February 3, 2021

Feb 03 2021

American Airlines told employees this afternoon that they plan to send WARN Act notices to 13,000 team members on Friday. This starts a 60 day clock to furloughs. It doesn’t mean 13,000 people will lose their jobs in early April – it means that American plans to reduce its workforce again, and that up to 13,000 people could be laid off.

Flight Attendant Sues Her Union To Stop Paying Dues

by Gary Leff on November 14, 2020

United Flight Attendants Campaigning in Union Election Outside San Francisco United Club

Nov 14 2020

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigated an earlier complaint, was unable to resolve it, but found sufficient merit to issue a “Right to Sue” letter so the federal government has found some merit in the arguments thus far. Winning this case would represent an existential threat to airline unions. It seems a long shot, however.

Why Furloughs Are Wreaking Havoc On The Lives Of Airline Employees Who Still Have Jobs

by Gary Leff on November 11, 2020

Nov 11 2020

Furloughs don’t just disrupt the lives of those who lose their jobs. They’re just the most obvious people affected.

Pilots get bumped down to flying smaller aircraft, and from captain to co-pilot. Flight attendants though are really displaced too. That’s because senior flight attendants, used to working the best trips, wind up back on reserve.

American Airlines CEO: After Furloughs, Even Our Crew Miss Having Young Flight Attendants

by Gary Leff on October 7, 2020

Oct 07 2020

It’s no surprise now to see him take to LinkedIn to tell the story of a flight attendant encounter, emphasizing why he sees more government subsidies for airlines as important. Only this time his argument is that his airline, which furloughed more employees than any other carrier by a wide margin, has gotten too old. Or at least that a flight attendant tells him that furloughing younger employees means they now miss the youth on board their planes.

Southwest Airlines Announces Pay Cuts, Concessions Bargaining For 2021

by Gary Leff on October 5, 2020

Oct 05 2020

Southwest Airlines has promised no furloughs through the end of the year, whether there’s additional government subsidies or not. However 2021 still looks like there will be fewer passengers, and the need for fewer employees to work fewer flights. They have a plan to avoid furloughs. It involves less pay for non-union workers. But to hit their goal they’ll need union concessions, too.

Will Pandemic Airline Furloughs Reduce Worker Appetite For Unions?

by Gary Leff on September 12, 2020

Sep 12 2020

In a shrinking industry airline unions become akin to a Ponzi scheme, benefiting the first in at the expense of those who joined later. When American Airlines took payroll support money from the government, they paid senior flight attendants to stay home while making junior cabin crew work all of the flights. And while neither Southwest nor Delta are furloughing any flight attendants, it’s the junior crewmembers at American and United that are losing their jobs at the beginning of October.

One British Airways union is even appealing to the company to furlough workers – from a rival union.

American Airlines Expects All Furloughed Workers Back Next Year, To Fly More Before Passengers Return

by Gary Leff on August 31, 2020

Aug 31 2020

Speaking to a group of pilots at the end of last week, a recording of which was reviewed by View From The Wing, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker laid out plans not to cut flights further during the winter this year and to grow the schedule for next year even in advance of passenger demand.

With all of the employees that have taken early retirement, that should mean recalling everyone that’s being furloughed.

Why United Is Planning A Second Round Of Furloughs – For Pilots Only

by Gary Leff on July 30, 2020

Jul 30 2020

United was first to publicly warn that a large number of its employees would be unneeded after CARES Act funding ends, because there’s less demand for travel so they’ll be running fewer flights. They were also first out with news of legally-required WARN Act notices for about 39% of employees, preparing to be able to furlough union workers once government subsidies end.

It turns out the airline isn’t done.