The United Airlines Labor Coalition met Wednesday, February 14, at the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) UAL MEC Offices in Rosemont, Illinois.
Two new labor leaders were introduced to the Coalition. Incoming ALPA UALMEC Master Chair-Elect, Captain Anne Worster, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Deputy Director, Airline Division Mr. Bob Fisher met with their United counterparts of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Works (IAM), the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Professional Airline Flight Control Association (PAFCA), and ALPA.
Captain Brian Noyes, ALPA UALMEC Vice Chair, briefed the coalition on the current situation in Tel Aviv.
PAFCA-UAL President Mr. Craig Symons discussed expectations for their upcoming Section 6 Negotiations (see this link on Section 6), current staffing, and sick leave issues.
AFA-UAL President Mr. Ken Diaz spoke at length about the Flight Attendants’ recent entry into mediation, future growth plans, and sick leave issues.
IBT Deputy Director Mr. Bob Fisher spoke about the upcoming opening of Section 6 for United Mechanics, specifically addressing his membership’s expectations.
IAM District 141 President Mr. Mike Klemm also addressed opening section 6 for the seven work groups that IAM represents later this spring.
An area of continuing concern for all members of the coalition is the increase in frequency and severity of UAL management-imposed discipline. Employee Pass travel rules are another topic of mutual interest.
The coalition committed to forming a working group of experts from each union to collaborate and discuss potential pass travel improvements. Another interesting discussion between PAFCA, IBT, and ALPA compared the three different training academies (Aviate, Calibrate, Navigate).
The coalition also said their goodbyes to outgoing ALPA UALMEC Master Chair, Captain Garth Thompson, and Executive Administrator, First Officer Quincy Fleming. Garth and Quincy expressed their fondness for the Labor Coalition and their sincere hope that the Coalition continues to collaborate in good times as well as hard times.
Overall, the open exchange of information and unwavering mutual support between the Unions at United Airlines continue to yield profound results. All members reiterated their commitment to labor unity at United Airlines.
The group will continue to meet at regular intervals to discuss ongoing issues, find ways to collaborate and reaffirm their commitment to labor solidarity throughout the entire labor community at United Airlines. Together, we can help each other achieve a better work environment for all United employees, which will lead to even more Company success.