10-8-13: No Confidence Vote Press Release
Teamsters Local Union No. 357
“Professional Flight Deck Crewmembers”
Affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Republic Airways Pilots: “No Confidence in COO, Senior Management”
INDIANAPOLIS -- Pilots at Republic Airways Holdings (NASDAQ: RJET) can now prove what many have vocalized for years – they have no confidence in senior management’s ability to run the airline or negotiate fairly for new pay and work rules.
Teamsters Local No. 357, the labor union that represents the pilots at the Indianapolis-based company, released results of a one-week “No Confidence Vote” held from September 30 to October 7.
97.5% percent of pilots voted “No Confidence in Wayne Heller COO RAH (RJET) and his Senior Leadership Team. 1409 out of the eligible 2093 pilots voted.
Pilots have asked for an opportunity to show their displeasure in the company’s latest offer and how the company operationally treats its pilots, said Local 357 Executive Board President Craig A. Moffatt.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. 357 represents the pilots at Chautauqua, Republic Airlines, and Shuttle America, all owned by Republic Airways Holdings and operates on behalf of American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, United, and US Airways.
The pilots’ contract with Republic Airways Holdings was written in 2003 and has been "amendable" since 2007. The Railway Labor Act, which includes airline pilots, does not allow contracts to expire. After years of negotiations, the union and company agreed to federal mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB) in 2011. Later that same year, over 99 percent of the pilots voted in favor of a strike. However, the government-appointed mediator has refused to schedule additional meetings and has refused to move the parties to arbitration, but will not release the parties to the next step in the process – a 30-day cooling off period before a strike could legally occur.
In addition to a prolong battle over an updated contract and industry-standard work rules, pilots are upset with the company’s failure to stem the tide of high pilot attrition due to the poor working conditions, pay, and work rules and failure to plan for the New Part 117 Flight Time and Duty Time Regulations, both of which will result in a much higher burden on the pilot group.
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Teamsters Local Union No. 357
6100 Clarks Creek Rd., Suite 100, Plainfield, IN 46168
Phone: 317-644-1405 / Fax: 317-644-1408 /
www.local357.org
FINALLY, in their own Press Release, the IBT and 357 admit they don't represent or claim to represent the Frontier pilots in any manner. Their honesty is as overdue as it is refreshing.