Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

British Airways strike threat: US Teamsters union weighs into cabin crew dispute
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/16/pensions-deficit-ba-strike-unite

British Airways strike threat: US union weighs into cabin crew dispute
Teamsters union to meet Unite leaders amid declaration of solidarity with UK workers
Dan Milmo, transport correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 March 2010 21.48 GMT

BA's pension deficit is commonly viewed as the greatest threat to the airline’s survival. Photograph: Tim Ockenden/PA

British Airways passengers face the threat of disruption on both sides of the Atlantic after the Teamsters, the powerful US trade union, confirmed last night it is meeting Unite representatives to discuss supporting a looming cabin crew strike.

Teamsters members have the potential to affect BA's lucrative US routes because they work on ground operations and aircraft services at major American airports. James P Hoffa, the Teamsters' general president, said he had been in contact with the Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, to discuss the dispute as time runs out to avoid a three-day strike beginning on Saturday.

"We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters at Unite who are fighting for a fair contract at British Airways," said the Teamsters in a statement. "The Teamsters are an active member of the International Transport Workers Federation. ITF affiliates around the world are mobilising to support British Airways workers in their fight for passenger safety and worker respect."

New rules could boost union numbers for airlines
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-rules-could-boost-union-numbers-for-airlines-2010-03-16?reflink=MW_news_stmp

March 16, 2010, 10:16 a.m. EDT
New voting rules could boost union numbers for airlines
Carriers face higher labor costs as workers fight to regain lost wages

By Christopher Hinton, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- A change in the way U.S. airline workers vote to organize could swell union numbers by the tens of thousands over the next two years and raise labor costs for the industry.

Under a new rule that could be announced as early as this week, the federal agency that referees labor-management relations for airlines would allow employees to organize if a majority votes in favor of unionization.

Reuters

Current rules by the National Mediation Board state that the majority of the entire workforce has to favor unionization, with absent ballots automatically counted as a "no" vote.

The change would align voting rules for airline labor -- governed under the Railway Labor Act -- more closely with those under the National Labor Relations Board.

The change in voting rules coincides with airline unions' ramped-up efforts to secure higher wages and benefits, drawing strength from a more labor-friendly administration in Washington as well as renewed industry growth after nearly two years of recession.

US UAL cabin crews will hold St Patrick's Day protest Against Outsourcing And Union Busting
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/us-cabin-crews-will-hold--st-patricks-day-protest-2096962.html

US cabin crews will hold St Patrick's Day protest

By Anne-Marie Walsh Industry Correspondent
Friday March 12 2010
AMERICAN cabin crews will protest on St Patrick's Day after accusing Aer Lingus and their employer of putting thousands of aviation jobs at risk.

United Airlines flight attendants will demonstrate against a landmark deal between their airline and the Irish carrier, claiming their jobs are being outsourced.

The US staff vowed to "vehemently" oppose the airlines' decision not to use existing staff on a new route betweenWashington and Madrid that launches on March 28. Aer Lingus is hiring non-union staff in the Washington area to man the new route as part of a corporate partnership with United Airlines announced last year.

Cabin crew demonstrations are being organised in Chicagoand Washington just days after Aer Lingus announced 230 compulsory redundancies among cabin crew in the Republic. Impact said the development in the US raised "very serious concerns" about future recruitment and conditions for cabin crew.

Angry US Airline Workers Want Wage Increases After Taking 25% Wage Cut
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703625304575116030010494148.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews

Labor Tensions Threaten Airline Recovery
As Industry Emerges From Recession, Unions Aim to Recoup Wages Cut Over Past Decade

By MIKE ESTERL and SUSAN CAREY

Increasingly turbulent labor negotiations are threatening to knock U.S. airlines off their recovery course just as the battered industry starts to emerge from a deep recession.

Airlines slashed pay and benefits over the past decade, often during stays in bankruptcy court. Now, their restive workers are pressing for wage increases, in some cases by double-digit percentages.

Illustrating the growing divide between labor and management, the largest union at AMR Corp.'s American Airlines asked federal mediators Thursday to release it from mediated talks with the airline. That could open the door to the first strike at a major U.S. carrier since 2005.

Both sides agree that never before have so many of the nation's airlines been in labor talks simultaneously. More than two-thirds of the industry's contracts are estimated to be up for renewal. Fifty-two employee groups spanning most major carriers already have taken their grievances to the National Mediation Board, which oversees labor relations at airlines.

Militants win Philippine Airlines Ground Crew union elections after 12 year union struggle
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100228-255836/Militants-win-PAL-union-elections

Militants win PAL union elections

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:35:00 02/28/2010

Filed Under: Labor, Air Transport

MANILA, Philippines—Militants won a landslide victory in the elections for the Philippine Airlines (PAL) ground crew union on February 25, twelve years after the controversial moratorium in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) of 1998, the PAL Employees Association (Palea) said in a news release over the weekend.

“After 12 long years, PAL employees again have a union that will protect their rights and welfare, including job security,” said Gerry Rivera, who will assume the position of Palea president on March 29.

Rivera said his group, party-list group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), campaigned on a platform of defending job security, will immediately face a challenge as PAL reportedly plans to spin off departments and lay off employees this coming April.

PM members won the top three national union positions and their local party called Sulong Paleans cornered 13 of the 21-member union board during the elections held last Thursday, February 25. But the ballots were only finally tallied Friday night with the winners proclaimed by the union Commission on Elections and representatives of the labor department’s Metro Manila office, the news release said.

French air traffic controllers' strike latest European labor rebellion
http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/282318

French air traffic controllers' strike latest European labor trouble
A French air traffic controllers' strike has grounded dozens of flights in Paris, one of Europe's busiest air travel hubs. The first hints of spring appear to be bringing strike fever to Europe.

By Robert Marquand Staff writer
posted February 23, 2010 at 11:49 am EST

Paris —
With chills from a ghastly European winter in abeyance, thoughts on the continent are turning to labor strikes. This week, a French air traffic controllers' strike has roiled European travel, grounding half of the regional flights from Orly and a quarter from Charles DeGaulle, the two main Paris hubs, until Saturday.

French air traffic controllers, currently among the most well paid in Europe and required to work only 100 days a year, are angry at a proposal to consolidate air traffic control with some of their European neighbors, which they fear will lead to salary and benefit reductions.

Air travel-associated strikes in recent days have created delays and ticket-counter drama elsewhere as well. Pilots for Lufthansa ended a one-day strike last night, but there will be routing and delays until Friday, authorities say. In all, some 800 flights have been affected.

American Airlines, labor unions may be near impasse
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/02/27/2001263/american-airlines-labor-unions.html

American Airlines, labor unions may be near impasse
Posted Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010

BY ANDREA AHLES

aahles@star-telegram.com

After months of negotiations, it's come down -- as always -- to money.

American Airlines and its labor unions have been in contract talks for years, and with no tentative agreements in sight, the unions are starting to make noise about a strike.

Two weeks ago, the Transport Workers Union announced that it will ask federal mediators to declare an impasse if it doesn't have a deal with the Fort Worth-based carrier by March 8. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has said it will also ask to be released from mediation when its next bargaining session ends Friday.

The company says it is not dragging its feet and has posted its contract proposals on the Internet for employees to look at.

And with American continuing to post huge annual losses, the carrier says it needs to revise work rules and retiree benefits to remain competitive.

American has offered lump sum payments in its contract proposals, but the unions say they want wage increases instead.

TWA Former Flight Attendants Charge Betrayal By APFA And Threaten To Cross Lines Of American Airlines Flight Attendants
February 10, 2010

Ex-TWA flight attendants send another message to APFA
6:11 PM Wed, Feb 10, 2010 | Permalink
Terry Maxon/Reporter
At the risk of starting a new knife fight, I'm passing on the latest messages coming out of the Coalition for Union Principles, a group of ex-Trans World Airlines flight attendants that joined American Airlines and then got furloughed.

Last week, the group said they would be willing to work American flights if the Association of Professional Flight Attendants went out on strike. That prompted more comments than any other item Airline Biz has published, by a factor of at least three.

I won't rehash the issues involved here. Here are the messages:

Item #1:

TO: APFA
FROM: TWA Flight Attendants

RE: New Poll Tax

DATE: February 10, 2010

The former TWA Flight Attendants who have been the victims of your anti-union animosity since 2001 are well aware of your most recent action to disenfranchise us. The most recent slap that requires us to pay a poll tax in the full amount of monthly union dues even though all but about 20 of us are unemployed is well understood. We are also aware that the APFA membership voted down a dues increase of $1.63 per month for those who are active and working while requiring those of us who are unemployed and not working to shoulder the entire amount of monthly dues as a condition of voting.

French air traffic controllers’ strike strengthens on second day
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/fran-f25.shtml

French air traffic controllers’ strike strengthens on second day
By Antoine Lerougetel and Alex Lantier
25 February 2010
The strike of air traffic controllers in France spread yesterday, amid widespread opposition of workers throughout the European air transport system to rationalise the industry at their expense.
The controllers had struck for two days in January and they have followed up with the current four-day strike launched on Tuesday, at the height of the winter holiday season. It followed on from a two-day strike in January. On its first day, Tuesday, it hit the Paris airports, grounding 50 percent of planes at Orly and 25 percent at Charles de Gaulle airport. In the provinces, Pau, Grenoble, and La Rochelle airports were shut. At Lyon-Saint Exupéry, 43 of 345 flights were cancelled.
The strike also disrupted flights due to pass through French air space from other hubs, including Amsterdam, Brussels and Geneva. Lufthansa also reported delays on flights due to overfly France.
On Wednesday morning the figures were similar in Paris, while no planes took off from Rennes, Lille, La Rochelle and Biarritz airports and there were 44 cancellations in Lyon, 25 in Marseille and 34 in Nice. Air traffic controllers in Greece also struck on that day, as part of the general strike against the harsh austerity measures being forced on the Greek social democratic government by the European Union, in order to reduce Greece’s debt and avoid sovereign default.

British Airways cabin crew push for 10-day strike action

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/21/ba-cabin-crew-strike-action

British Airways cabin crew push for 10-day strike action
Passengers face prolonged travel disruption next month if ballot endorses industrial action
Dan Milmo, transport correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 21 February 2010 21.35 GMT

BA is training volunteer cabin crew to help to staff flights in preparation for what could be a lengthy strike. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

British Airways passengers face prolonged travel disruption next month as cabin crew push for a strike lasting at least 10 days if a ballot endorses industrial action.

The Unite trade union announces the result of a strike poll tomorrow and officials are expecting a yes vote from more than 12,000 BA cabin crew in a dispute over staffing cuts. Despite having a 12-day Christmas strike blocked by legal action last year, disgruntled air stewards appear determined to send another defiant message to the airline, with 1 March the earliest possible date for a walkout.

According to an online poll organised by Bassa, Unite's cabin crew branch, more than two-thirds of members want a strike lasting at least ten days. More than 3,600 Bassa members voted in the poll – about a third of BA's entire cabin crew workforce.