October 2003 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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Airline Legislation Strike Three for Baseball-Style Arbitration Airline Industry Tells CESTA to Get Lost Enough strikes have been called against baseballstyle arbitration by organized labor. For the time being, they’re benched on the sidelines unless airline management gets greedy enough to call them back. On July 10, 2003, the Bloomberg news service reported that airlines in the United States have “halted a campaign for legislation to require settlement of airline labor disputes in binding arbitration.” The main group lobbying for baseball-style arbitration has been Communities for Economic Strength Through Aviation (CESTA). Through pressure from the Teamsters Union and other AFL- CIO affiliated unions, airlines have slowly been withdrawing their support from this group. As the strikes were growing against CESTA, airlines began to withdraw their financial support. Strike One: Baseball-style arbitration will destroy the ability of airline employees to negotiate a fair contract. Strike Two: The proposal would make it easier for airlines to win wage and work-rule concessions, thereby driving down wages and benefits for all workers in the industry. Strike Three: Airlines have been laying off workers under the guise of having no money. These same airlines then turn around and pay themselves millions in bonuses and also finance this anti-worker campaign overseen by a team of high-paid Washington lobbyists. These are only a few of the strikes against this terrible idea, but at least the main sponsors of CESTA are pulling out for now. On June 20, 2003, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported: “With airlines enlisting labor unions in their struggle to stem massive losses, the industry has quietly dropped an effort to revamp labor law to prohibit airline unions from going on strike.” “A lobbying group created by the industry last year to oversee its campaign has been put on hiatus,” the story continues. Baseball-Style Arbitration Q & A Question and Answer with Teamsters Legislative Coordinator Fred McLuckie of the Government Affairs Department Q. What is going on with “baseball-style arbitration” right now A. Nothing. Labor put on a full court press to make it clear to Congress that baseball-style arbitration was a non-starter. We also made it clear to the airlines that if they wanted our 6 Teamsters Airline Journal November 2003
help in securing government funding for security and other related costs that they had to back off support of legislation that would take away our collective bargaining rights. We also attacked the issue on a political front—boycotting political fundraising events sponsored by lobbyists, and in some cases, former members of Congress who had received labor support in the past. It’s my understanding that the entire CESTA campaign has been taken down. Q. Is this something that workers in the airline industry should stop worrying about A. No. We have to be vigilant. There are powerful members of Congress who are not airline worker friendly. Given the chance, they will revive this issue when they think the time is right. Q. What part did the Teamsters play in thwarting this attempt to rob airline workers of their rights A. We were in the thick of the fight. General President Hoffa made several Capitol Hill visits to members of Congress. We cranked up our field operation and got Teamster members to call, write, visit and e-mail their Representatives and Senators. Q. What are the other big issues the Teamsters are tackling for airline workers on the legislative front A. Security training for flight attendants; closing the gaps in security for cargo airlines and pilots; assuring that airline workers get the due process, privacy and confidentiality protections they deserve when they undergo criminal background checks; flight attendant certification; preventing cabotage (point-to-point delivery in the U.S.) for air cargo; requiring foreign repair stations to meet the same safety requirements (including drug and alcohol testing) that U.S. stations do. Teamster Tells Congress: “Arm Cargo Pilots” Local 1224 Secretary-Treasurer Testified Before Aviation Subcommittee A dangerous loophole was left in legislation arming airline pilots that left thousands of planes vulnerable to terrorism. As a result, the Teamsters have been lobbying Congress to arm cargo pilots. Last year, Congress voted in favor of allowing passenger and cargo pilots to voluntarily be armed to defend the cockpit. But in conference at the 11th hour, cargo pilots were left out of the legislation, leaving a gaping hole in a layer of national security. Dan Graves, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1224 in Wilmington, Ohio, testified on May 8, 2003 before the House Aviation Subcommittee in favor of arming the cargo pilots. “This is not a labor issue or a company policy issue; this is an issue of national security,” Graves said. “And you, as members of Congress, are compelled to protect the American people on the ground, not just the passenger customers, from these airplanes.” As a result of his testimony and further lobbying, the legislation, part of the FAA Reauthorization Bill, has passed the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as a conference committee. The House and Senate will deliver a final vote after the August recess. “Unlike passenger aircraft, cargo aircraft do not have Federal Air Marshals, trained cabin crew, or determined passengers to run interference should an attack occur. Cargo planes also do not have reinforced cockpit doors or screens to monitor what’s happening in the back of the aircraft,” Graves said. He testified that cargo pilots are “inherently more vulnerable to hijacking, so it is imperative that we be armed to defend not just ourselves but American citizens on the ground.” With new warnings of hijackings, Congress should pay special attention to the legislation at hand. November 2003 Teamsters Airline Journal 7
Page 1 and 2: Victory at ABX World Airways and AB
Page 3 and 4: Joining Forces A Message from Teams
Page 5 and 6: And they’re still at it. Recently
Page 7: pilot. “I believe the support of
Page 11 and 12: Safety and Health Airlines Reject S

October 2003 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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