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Old 10-02-2009 | 09:47 AM
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Default No Airline Strikes anytime soon.

Both American and United airlines have major labor negotiations underway, but travelers don’t need to worry about any major flight-disrupting showdowns anytime soon. The National Mediation Board isn’t going to let that happen.

That’s the view of two long-time airline industry labor experts, one on each side of the bargaining table. At a recent American Bar Association aviation conference, Russ Bailey, senior attorney at the Air Line Pilots Association, and Jerry Glass, a longtime negotiator for airline management, both said the Mediation Board is unlikely to set up any major labor confrontations while the economy is weak.

“The reality is our economy is in such a fragile state that the notion of the Mediation Board rushing through and creating the potential to put 70,000 or 80,000 people out of work – I don’t see it,” said Mr. Glass.

Airline industry labor disputes almost always fall to federal mediators to try to resolve once the two sides reach an impasse. Strikes or lockouts can happen only after the Mediation Board releases both parties into a 30-day cooling off period. Even then strikes can be averted by presidential intervention.

By all accounts, several of the major unions, including pilots, at both AMR Corp.’s American and UAL Corp.’s United are far apart in negotiations. Airline workers took huge pay, benefit and retirement cuts after the 2001 terrorist attacks and are itching to get some of it back. You can see the bag tags on crew bags at airports, slogans like, “We’re worth it.’’

Large bonuses handed to CEOs and other managers ratcheted up tensions at big airlines, including American and United.

But none of that means travelers will have to be on the lookout for a showdown that could lead to widespread delays, cancellations or even shutdowns.

“The board will only use cooling off when it’s close enough to get a resolution,’’ predicted Mr. Bailey.

Mr. Glass thinks it’s all about the economy. “The Mediation Board will be careful to not do anything to make this economy go backwards,” he said. “You’ll see a lot of care being taken before anyone gets in that situation.”
j
Old 10-02-2009 | 10:05 AM
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Is it just me or does it seem a little assinine to have someone who is supposed to represent ALPA making such statments below even if they are true?


Originally Posted by B317
Both American and United airlines have major labor negotiations underway, but travelers don’t need to worry about any major flight-disrupting showdowns anytime soon. The National Mediation Board isn’t going to let that happen.

That’s the view of two long-time airline industry labor experts, one on each side of the bargaining table. At a recent American Bar Association aviation conference, Russ Bailey, senior attorney at the Air Line Pilots Association, and Jerry Glass, a longtime negotiator for airline management, both said the Mediation Board is unlikely to set up any major labor confrontations while the economy is weak.

“The reality is our economy is in such a fragile state that the notion of the Mediation Board rushing through and creating the potential to put 70,000 or 80,000 people out of work – I don’t see it,” said Mr. Glass.

Airline industry labor disputes almost always fall to federal mediators to try to resolve once the two sides reach an impasse. Strikes or lockouts can happen only after the Mediation Board releases both parties into a 30-day cooling off period. Even then strikes can be averted by presidential intervention.

By all accounts, several of the major unions, including pilots, at both AMR Corp.’s American and UAL Corp.’s United are far apart in negotiations. Airline workers took huge pay, benefit and retirement cuts after the 2001 terrorist attacks and are itching to get some of it back. You can see the bag tags on crew bags at airports, slogans like, “We’re worth it.’’

Large bonuses handed to CEOs and other managers ratcheted up tensions at big airlines, including American and United.

But none of that means travelers will have to be on the lookout for a showdown that could lead to widespread delays, cancellations or even shutdowns.

“The board will only use cooling off when it’s close enough to get a resolution,’’ predicted Mr. Bailey.

Mr. Glass thinks it’s all about the economy. “The Mediation Board will be careful to not do anything to make this economy go backwards,” he said. “You’ll see a lot of care being taken before anyone gets in that situation.”
j
Old 10-02-2009 | 05:24 PM
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Sounds to me like ALPA needs new representation.
Old 10-02-2009 | 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by B317
Both American and United airlines have major labor negotiations underway, but travelers don’t need to worry about any major flight-disrupting showdowns anytime soon. The National Mediation Board isn’t going to let that happen.

That’s the view of two long-time airline industry labor experts, one on each side of the bargaining table. At a recent American Bar Association aviation conference, Russ Bailey, senior attorney at the Air Line Pilots Association, and Jerry Glass, a longtime negotiator for airline management, both said the Mediation Board is unlikely to set up any major labor confrontations while the economy is weak.

“The reality is our economy is in such a fragile state that the notion of the Mediation Board rushing through and creating the potential to put 70,000 or 80,000 people out of work – I don’t see it,” said Mr. Glass.
Sounds like Mr. Bailey and Mr. Glass just shot their respective unions right in the head. Now management has absolutely ZERO incentive to bargain with the labor groups, especially the pilots. Last time AA went on strike, it lasted, what, 12 minutes? Ol' Bill put them back to work right away, didn't he? Pilots are getting the shaft from everyone it seems.
Old 10-02-2009 | 07:16 PM
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So much for the "labor friendly" O'Bama administration. Hope nobody on these boards voted for him hoping to get a raise anytime soon.
Old 10-02-2009 | 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by JetPiedmont
So much for the "labor friendly" O'Bama administration. Hope nobody on these boards voted for him hoping to get a raise anytime soon.
ohh my...... you should had heard some people over at pinnacle.. got a few friends over there and before the elections they were saying :
"Obama needs to be elected, otherwise McCains ad. will never release us to strike". They were talking like if Obama was the new mesiah coming to save america's opressed working calss and that he'll fight against injustice and let the Unions regain strength.... well..... we're waiting still aren't we???

Ps I don't want this thread to become a political arena, but I think it is directly related to our inability to let managment have it for real...
Old 10-02-2009 | 11:07 PM
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Originally Posted by JetPiedmont
So much for the "labor friendly" O'Bama administration. Hope nobody on these boards voted for him hoping to get a raise anytime soon.
Can you say Amerijet?
Old 10-03-2009 | 03:32 AM
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Originally Posted by CaptainCarl
Last time AA went on strike, it lasted, what, 12 minutes? Ol' Bill put them back to work right away, didn't he? Pilots are getting the shaft from everyone it seems.
Thread drift, but a point to be made.

* NORTHWEST PILOTS STRIKE AS TALKS FAIL ON CONTRACT - New York Times | August 29, 1998 |
More than 6,000 pilots at Northwest Airlines walked off the job last night, shutting down the country's fourth-largest airline in a strike that may cripple much of the Midwest.''No Northwest pilot will fly until further notice from me,'' said Steve Zoller, the 747 captain who is chairman of the master executive council of the pilots' union, which reviewed Northwest's offer.

* Wall Street Praises Halt To Pilot Strike
By ALLEN R. MYERSONPublished: Monday, February 17, 1997
Now that President Clinton has removed the threat of a strike for at least 60 days and started arbitration, the company and its shares may benefit. But whether that help will be permanent remains in question.

Even with the same President (Clinton), with the political weight of ALPA behind them, the NWA pilot strike lasted about 12 days, while the AA (APA) strike a mere 12 minutes.

Just something to remember.
Old 10-03-2009 | 07:01 AM
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Posts with political content. Thread closed.
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