Airline Workers Pick Up Powerful Ally in Fight Against Norwegian Air
U.S. airline workers have another friend in their fight to prevent a low-cost foreign carrier from unleashing a wave of a downward pressure on industry wages.
IAM-endorsed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is urging the Obama administration and the Department of Transportation to reject Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) request to fly routes to and from the United States.
“Workers in the U.S. airline industry deserve rules of the road that support a strong workforce with high labor standards — not attempts by airlines to flout labor standards and outsource good-paying jobs,” said Clinton labor director Nikki Budzinksi. “That’s why our Open Skies Agreement with Europe explicitly calls for the maintenance of high labor standards to guide the parties in its implementation. Hillary Clinton urges the Obama Administration against moving forward with final approval of Norwegian Air International’s application. Too many questions have been raised about NAI’s practices and plans.”
NAI, which is based in Ireland to avoid stricter Norwegian labor laws, wants to use Bangkok-based flight crews employed through a Singaporean hiring agency to fly U.S. routes.
The IAM supports a bipartisan bill in Congress that would prevent NAI from gaining an unfair competitive advantage by beating down U.S. workers’ rights, wages and benefits. U.S. Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) have sponsored H.R. 5090, which will reverse the DOT’s ill-conceived decision to potentially grant NAI access to U.S. skies.
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CRJ
submitted by Marche’ Johnson-Cooper Special Representative
Grievances
Four grievances were submitted to Grievance Mediation this week.
ERJ
submitted by Sara Gonzales, General Chairperson
Vacation Pay Reminder
Please keep in mind that trip trading never affects you vacation pay under the ERJ CBA. Your regular vacation is always worth 21 hours or the flight pay credit that was inside your vacation week. Vacation days bought under the Flex Program will be paid at the rate of 2:50 per day. Whether you trip trade or not you are not guaranteed 80 hours if your line value falls below 80 due to trips being dropped for vacation. Our vacation pay has not changed and vacation pay has been calculated this way since our CBA has been in effect. If you have any questions please contact your Local Grievance Representative.
Step 2 Gr
ievances
Three grievances were received for appeal to Step 2 in the grievance process this week. The current pending Step 2 grievance base breakdown is as follows:
ORD-1
EWR-3
DFW-1
Pending Step 2 grievances are scheduled to be heard on June 7, 2016.
Upcoming Local Lodge Meetings
2339N (EWR)
EWR Embassy Suites
95 Glimcher Realty Way, Elizabeth, NJ 07201
Tuesday, June 14, 2016 3pm
transportation provided from EWR P-4
2339O (CLE & ORD)
ORD Best Western
10300 W Higgins Rd, Rosemont, Illinois, 60018
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 1pm
transportation provided from ORD bus/shuttle center
2339H (ERJ-DFW & IAH)
Ramada Houston Intercontinental East
6115 Will Clayton Pkwy, Humble, TX 77338
Tuesday, June 21, 2016 1pm
transportation available from IAH
2339A (CRJ-DFW, DTW & ATL)
Location TBD due to hotel construction
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 2pm
Please Post On All IAM Bulletin Boards
