It would appear that after the membership of TWU Local 514 voted not to build a new union hall at least twice, that the local is going to ignore its membership.
AA laying off hundreds at KC base
By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer
4/8/2005
The news disheartened those gathered in Tulsa to break ground on a union hall.
American Airlines will lay off up to 600 of its 1,280 unionized mechanics at its Kansas City maintenance base in June as high fuel prices and competition from discount carriers delay a return to profitability.
American executives and union officials said Thursday there are no layoffs planned in Tulsa or Fort Worth.
About 6,000 mechanics work at American's Maintenance & Engineering Center in Tulsa. American's maintenance base in Fort Worth employs about 2,000 people.
Spokesmen for the Transport Workers Union in Kansas City, Mo., and Tulsa said it would be several weeks before American begins notifying workers of the layoffs and mechanics exercise options to transfer, take other positions or voluntarily retire.
"Our last work day here for mechanics who will be laid off will be June 10," said Gordon Clark, president of TWU Local 530 in Kansas City.
Because of seniority rights of TWU Local 514 mechanics in Tulsa and Local 567 mechanics in Fort Worth, no laid-off Kansas City mechanic will be able to "bump" Tulsa or Fort Worth mechanics out of a job, union executives said. Fort Worth mechanics
belong to TWU Local 567 at Alliance Airport.
The Kansas City mechanics are ex-TWA employees, formerly members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
After American acquired TWA in 2001, the TWU and the IAM went through arbitration to settle seniority issues. A federal arbitrator ruled that the former TWA mechanics have a seniority date of April 10, 2001.
"Because of the downsizing of the airline, nobody working in the AMT class (aircraft mechanic) in Tulsa or Alliance has seniority less than that," Clark said.
News of the impending layoffs in Kansas City disheartened members of Local 514 who gathered in Tulsa to break ground on a $2.3 million, 8,200-square-foot union hall. The building will go up next to the existing 6,000-square-foot hall on a 10-acre site at 11929 E. Pine St.
Terry Kerr, president of Kerr Design Group Inc. of Edmond, is the architect of the new union hall, which he called "technical, contemporary and energy-efficient."
An affiliated company, Kerr Construction Group, is the general contractor.
"This comes at a good time for us," TWU Local 514 President Dennis Burchette told about 20 union members and dignitaries. "The airline industry is in flux, and a lot of our members are concerned about our future.
"We hope the new facility shows that we have 50 years left here."
Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Kathy Taylor congratulated the union on behalf of Gov. Brad Henry. She said the new hall is emblematic of aerospace's leading role in Oklahoma's economy.
Mayor Bill LaFortune proclaimed Thursday as Local 514 day in Tulsa. He said he looks forward to the time when American's M&E base performs third-party maintenance for many companies.
"I have a vision of planes fly ing in here from all over the world," the mayor said. "It will benefit not only this company but companies throughout the city."
In a telephone interview, Burchette said he learned of the Kansas City layoffs during a conference call Wednesday.
"You could tell people's hearts were breaking," he said. "People were real quiet and somber. . . . My personal viewpoint is that we will weather this storm. Workers are doing everything they can to get processes streamlined and costs down."
The Kansas City workers were informed of the layoffs in a letter from David L. Campbell, vice president of Alliance/Kansas City base maintenance.
"American's original plan was to reactivate 28 parked MD-80s by the end of 2005," Campbell wrote. "As you know, deteriorating industry conditions have made it necessary to alter this plan. One aircraft was returned to the lessor, while seven former TWA MD-80s were not reactivated.
". . . Finally, the difficult decision was made to cancel reactivation plans for the . . . remaining aircraft, critically impacting MCI's (Kansas City's) workload."
Campbell said in the letter that the Kansas City base has attracted some third-party work but not enough to offset the lost MD-80 maintenance.
"Compounding our situation is that today, more so than ever before, the aircraft and engine maintenance business is very competitive," Campbell wrote. "There are several quality companies in the market whose cost structures are much lower than American's. It can be said that the competition in the maintenance, repair and overhaul segment of the industry is very similar to our airline competing with the low-cost carriers."
Clark recalled a time when he was making $25 an hour with great benefits at TWA.
"Our competitors in the maintenance world are paying less than that 15 years later, offering no medical benefits and a 401(k) that you pay into," he said. "This industry is in a heck of a mess."
American lost $821 million in 2004, down from a $1.3 billion loss in 2003 and a $3.49 billion loss in 2002.
U.S. airlines have lost an estimated $30 billion since 2001.
AA laying off hundreds at KC base
By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer
4/8/2005
The news disheartened those gathered in Tulsa to break ground on a union hall.
American Airlines will lay off up to 600 of its 1,280 unionized mechanics at its Kansas City maintenance base in June as high fuel prices and competition from discount carriers delay a return to profitability.
American executives and union officials said Thursday there are no layoffs planned in Tulsa or Fort Worth.
About 6,000 mechanics work at American's Maintenance & Engineering Center in Tulsa. American's maintenance base in Fort Worth employs about 2,000 people.
Spokesmen for the Transport Workers Union in Kansas City, Mo., and Tulsa said it would be several weeks before American begins notifying workers of the layoffs and mechanics exercise options to transfer, take other positions or voluntarily retire.
"Our last work day here for mechanics who will be laid off will be June 10," said Gordon Clark, president of TWU Local 530 in Kansas City.
Because of seniority rights of TWU Local 514 mechanics in Tulsa and Local 567 mechanics in Fort Worth, no laid-off Kansas City mechanic will be able to "bump" Tulsa or Fort Worth mechanics out of a job, union executives said. Fort Worth mechanics
belong to TWU Local 567 at Alliance Airport.
The Kansas City mechanics are ex-TWA employees, formerly members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
After American acquired TWA in 2001, the TWU and the IAM went through arbitration to settle seniority issues. A federal arbitrator ruled that the former TWA mechanics have a seniority date of April 10, 2001.
"Because of the downsizing of the airline, nobody working in the AMT class (aircraft mechanic) in Tulsa or Alliance has seniority less than that," Clark said.
News of the impending layoffs in Kansas City disheartened members of Local 514 who gathered in Tulsa to break ground on a $2.3 million, 8,200-square-foot union hall. The building will go up next to the existing 6,000-square-foot hall on a 10-acre site at 11929 E. Pine St.
Terry Kerr, president of Kerr Design Group Inc. of Edmond, is the architect of the new union hall, which he called "technical, contemporary and energy-efficient."
An affiliated company, Kerr Construction Group, is the general contractor.
"This comes at a good time for us," TWU Local 514 President Dennis Burchette told about 20 union members and dignitaries. "The airline industry is in flux, and a lot of our members are concerned about our future.
"We hope the new facility shows that we have 50 years left here."
Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Kathy Taylor congratulated the union on behalf of Gov. Brad Henry. She said the new hall is emblematic of aerospace's leading role in Oklahoma's economy.
Mayor Bill LaFortune proclaimed Thursday as Local 514 day in Tulsa. He said he looks forward to the time when American's M&E base performs third-party maintenance for many companies.
"I have a vision of planes fly ing in here from all over the world," the mayor said. "It will benefit not only this company but companies throughout the city."
In a telephone interview, Burchette said he learned of the Kansas City layoffs during a conference call Wednesday.
"You could tell people's hearts were breaking," he said. "People were real quiet and somber. . . . My personal viewpoint is that we will weather this storm. Workers are doing everything they can to get processes streamlined and costs down."
The Kansas City workers were informed of the layoffs in a letter from David L. Campbell, vice president of Alliance/Kansas City base maintenance.
"American's original plan was to reactivate 28 parked MD-80s by the end of 2005," Campbell wrote. "As you know, deteriorating industry conditions have made it necessary to alter this plan. One aircraft was returned to the lessor, while seven former TWA MD-80s were not reactivated.
". . . Finally, the difficult decision was made to cancel reactivation plans for the . . . remaining aircraft, critically impacting MCI's (Kansas City's) workload."
Campbell said in the letter that the Kansas City base has attracted some third-party work but not enough to offset the lost MD-80 maintenance.
"Compounding our situation is that today, more so than ever before, the aircraft and engine maintenance business is very competitive," Campbell wrote. "There are several quality companies in the market whose cost structures are much lower than American's. It can be said that the competition in the maintenance, repair and overhaul segment of the industry is very similar to our airline competing with the low-cost carriers."
Clark recalled a time when he was making $25 an hour with great benefits at TWA.
"Our competitors in the maintenance world are paying less than that 15 years later, offering no medical benefits and a 401(k) that you pay into," he said. "This industry is in a heck of a mess."
American lost $821 million in 2004, down from a $1.3 billion loss in 2003 and a $3.49 billion loss in 2002.
U.S. airlines have lost an estimated $30 billion since 2001.
This has been a much needed improvement to better serve the members of Local 514. This will make way for a more useful facility to allow more capacity to meet the needs of the membership. The current facility will undergo some much needed improvements to allow for a better social enviroment that will not interfere with the business side of our Local. I look forward to the opening ceremonies of the new Administrative facility.
