Could the companies posturing in the current pilot negotiations be a spillover, from the farming out of the heavy Airbus checks ?
If the company were to lose this arbitration on the farmout issue, they will be left with egg on their face and have very little wiggle room to still take it from the mechanic and related. Unless there is a motion in chapter 11 to ask that this be done.
So, if the company is intent on ridding themselves of heavy maintence (inhouse) and the feeling, is the arbiter will render a decision favorable to the union, why negotiate in good faith with the remaining labor groups, knowing they will file to take the maintenance anyway. They can also ask for motions on the items the other unions and company can't agree upon all in one shot. The company will claim they let the unions know they needed these concessions to survive. Will the court aprove this, anybodys guess.
But, at first the company claimed they didn't have the tooling to do the checks. When that was disproved the company then relied on the lack of facilities arguement, which was also disputed. So the track record of being forthright is lacking.
Below is an excerpt of the company news release, when it was announced that the work was being farmed out. Even though the company claims lack of tooling and facilities, it goes on to say, it would explore options to do work in house and in addition explore third party maintenance for other carriers. Sounds like speaking out of both sides of the pie hole.
This press release would have come out early October 2003. Now, I'm sure the IAM would jump at the chance to have more work for it's membership. So here we sit almost a year later and nothing has been said about this additional work. The arbiters ruling should be out within the next 2 weeks.
Again alot of ifs, but logical ????
US Airways today informed the International Association of Machinists (IAM) that it will contract with ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. (Mobile Aerospace) located in Mobile, Ala., for the overhaul of only 10 Airbus narrow body aircraft that are due for heavy maintenance checks this fall. The airline will continue to explore with the union the assignment of future Airbus heavy maintenance work.
The airline lacks existing facilities and equipment to complete the scheduled maintenance required by Airbus and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). US Airways said that it will work with the IAM to immediately look at all options and to determine whether a cost-effective new facility and other adjustments can result in future maintenance on these aircraft to be done in-house. However, no furloughs or layoffs will result from today’s announcement.
Discussions regarding future Airbus work being brought in-house is supported by an agreement US Airways reached with the IAM in June that resulted in a Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service grant to fund a labor-management committee to identify such opportunities. “The issue of how to manage existing maintenance activity and how to incorporate new lines such as this Airbus maintenance is a perfect opportunity for the union leadership and the company to team up,†said John Prestifilippo, US Airways senior vice president-maintenance operations. “We will need to look at whether there are economically-feasible facilities and work adjustments that may lead to either the Airbus maintenance to be brought in-house or other maintenance activities that can be done on a contract basis for other airlines.â€
If the company were to lose this arbitration on the farmout issue, they will be left with egg on their face and have very little wiggle room to still take it from the mechanic and related. Unless there is a motion in chapter 11 to ask that this be done.
So, if the company is intent on ridding themselves of heavy maintence (inhouse) and the feeling, is the arbiter will render a decision favorable to the union, why negotiate in good faith with the remaining labor groups, knowing they will file to take the maintenance anyway. They can also ask for motions on the items the other unions and company can't agree upon all in one shot. The company will claim they let the unions know they needed these concessions to survive. Will the court aprove this, anybodys guess.
But, at first the company claimed they didn't have the tooling to do the checks. When that was disproved the company then relied on the lack of facilities arguement, which was also disputed. So the track record of being forthright is lacking.
Below is an excerpt of the company news release, when it was announced that the work was being farmed out. Even though the company claims lack of tooling and facilities, it goes on to say, it would explore options to do work in house and in addition explore third party maintenance for other carriers. Sounds like speaking out of both sides of the pie hole.
This press release would have come out early October 2003. Now, I'm sure the IAM would jump at the chance to have more work for it's membership. So here we sit almost a year later and nothing has been said about this additional work. The arbiters ruling should be out within the next 2 weeks.
Again alot of ifs, but logical ????
US Airways today informed the International Association of Machinists (IAM) that it will contract with ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. (Mobile Aerospace) located in Mobile, Ala., for the overhaul of only 10 Airbus narrow body aircraft that are due for heavy maintenance checks this fall. The airline will continue to explore with the union the assignment of future Airbus heavy maintenance work.
The airline lacks existing facilities and equipment to complete the scheduled maintenance required by Airbus and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). US Airways said that it will work with the IAM to immediately look at all options and to determine whether a cost-effective new facility and other adjustments can result in future maintenance on these aircraft to be done in-house. However, no furloughs or layoffs will result from today’s announcement.
Discussions regarding future Airbus work being brought in-house is supported by an agreement US Airways reached with the IAM in June that resulted in a Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service grant to fund a labor-management committee to identify such opportunities. “The issue of how to manage existing maintenance activity and how to incorporate new lines such as this Airbus maintenance is a perfect opportunity for the union leadership and the company to team up,†said John Prestifilippo, US Airways senior vice president-maintenance operations. “We will need to look at whether there are economically-feasible facilities and work adjustments that may lead to either the Airbus maintenance to be brought in-house or other maintenance activities that can be done on a contract basis for other airlines.â€
