- Dec 21, 2002
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Posted on Tue, Feb. 03, 2004
Court: US Airways can use outside maintenance company
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - A federal appeals court on Tuesday lifted an injunction preventing US Airways from hiring an Alabama company to do maintenance work on 10 jets based at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The airline has been arguing with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers over whether farming out the work violated the union's contract. Maintenance on US Airways jets has been performed exclusively by the airline's employees for 54 years.
By a 2-1 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a judge's October decision to temporarily block the airline from giving some of the work to Singapore Technologies Mobile Aerospace Engineering Inc. of Mobile, Ala.
The court ruled that the labor dispute was minor, and that the planes could be sent south for work while an arbitration board decides whether similar work can be performed by outside companies in the future.
Federal laws governing airlines and their employees mandate that in the event of a "major" dispute about a union contract, both sides are barred from taking any action that would change the status quo until the disagreement is resolved.
US Airways said it needed to hire an outside company to perform the work because it lacked the buildings and equipment needed to overhaul the aircraft itself. International Association of Machinists General Vice President Robert Roach Jr., the airline's argument "frivolous."
"We will not allow the airlines arrogance and disregard for the employees that rescued the company to go unchallenged," he said.
US Airways spokesman David Castelveter said work on one of the planes is already complete. The remaining nine will be sent to Alabama soon, he said.
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Court: US Airways can use outside maintenance company
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - A federal appeals court on Tuesday lifted an injunction preventing US Airways from hiring an Alabama company to do maintenance work on 10 jets based at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The airline has been arguing with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers over whether farming out the work violated the union's contract. Maintenance on US Airways jets has been performed exclusively by the airline's employees for 54 years.
By a 2-1 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a judge's October decision to temporarily block the airline from giving some of the work to Singapore Technologies Mobile Aerospace Engineering Inc. of Mobile, Ala.
The court ruled that the labor dispute was minor, and that the planes could be sent south for work while an arbitration board decides whether similar work can be performed by outside companies in the future.
Federal laws governing airlines and their employees mandate that in the event of a "major" dispute about a union contract, both sides are barred from taking any action that would change the status quo until the disagreement is resolved.
US Airways said it needed to hire an outside company to perform the work because it lacked the buildings and equipment needed to overhaul the aircraft itself. International Association of Machinists General Vice President Robert Roach Jr., the airline's argument "frivolous."
"We will not allow the airlines arrogance and disregard for the employees that rescued the company to go unchallenged," he said.
US Airways spokesman David Castelveter said work on one of the planes is already complete. The remaining nine will be sent to Alabama soon, he said.
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