The
Update Message from the International Association of
Machinists representing Continental, ExpressJet and
Continental Micronesia Flight Attendants in the 2339 Local
Lodges
Friday,
September 9, 2005
The enrollment period
for eligible Continental, Continental Micronesia and
ExpressJet employees to buy or sell vacation ends Friday,
September 2, 2005; enrollment is through "myCOAIR." If
co-workers do not make an election during the enrollment
period, Continental and Continental Micronesia employees'
elections will default to "not purchase a week of vacation."
Continental flight attendants are enrolling through CCS, as
they have done in the past, through September 7, 2005
Experts in
the airline industry
are in agreement that the spike in fuel prices caused by
Hurricane Katrina could not have come at a worse time for
the troubled airline industry. Higher fuel costs could push
Delta Air Lines
into bankruptcy, analysts said. Airlines are also worried
about a jet fuel shortage as the storm forced major
pipelines that supply fuel to Atlanta to be shut down for
three days. Prices were already rising before Hurricane
Katrina struck a devastating blow to the travel industry,
and fall 2005 may make 2001 seem tame to business travelers,
The New York Times reports.
US Airways
will pay the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. $23.5 million to
resolve claims against the carrier. A bankruptcy court on
Friday approved the settlement, which will resolve more than
$13 billion in claims by the pension agency. The airline
will make a $13.5 million cash payment and provide a $10
million note to the PBGC.
Delta Air
Lines
will eliminate up to 1,000 jobs in Cincinnati and sell 11
large jets in an attempt to restructure quickly. Analysts
say the airline is trying to avoid filing for bankruptcy
protection. Delta operates its second-largest hub in
Cincinnati. Delta will reduce capacity by 26%. The airline
said the hub was "oversized relative to local traffic."
Delta will also add more international and domestic flights
to its Atlanta hub.
United
Airlines
said it will emerge from bankruptcy protection early next
year as a "much more competitive" airline. The airline filed
its reorganization plan with a bankruptcy court Wednesday.
United said unsecured creditors probably will receive just
four cents to seven cents on each dollar. A $2.5 billion,
all-debt loan package from Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase,
General Electric and Deutsche Bank AG will finance the
reorganization plan.
Northwest
Airlines
and its mechanics union will resume negotiations. The
mechanics went on strike nearly three weeks ago. The carrier
said it wants $203 million in annual labor savings, up from
its original demand of $176 million. "Our last best offer
which was presented to you on August 18 was based on
economic circumstances that no longer exist today," said a
letter from Northwest sent to the union. The company told
the union it will start hiring replacement workers by
September 13 unless the two sides reach an agreement.
The company said it will start permanently
replacing the workers if an agreement is not reached by
Tuesday. Standard & Poor's downgraded the airlines'
credit rating again and said it expects the airline to file
for bankruptcy.
The
Transportation Security Administration
still has
not set performance goals or created ways to assess cabin
crew security training aboard commercial flights, a new
government report found. The Government Accountability
Office report also found the TSA has set no timeline for
determining whether a voluntary self-defense training
program established in 2004 for airline employees is
effective.
We would like to
encourage all members to attend your Local Lodge business
meeting.
Each base must have a quorum to conduct business. The
following is a schedule for upcoming meetings:
Cleveland:
Thursday, October 13, 4:00 pm at 669 North Rocky River
Drive;
Guam:
Wednesday, September 21, 4:00 p.m. at the Airport Conference
Room;
Houston: Wednesday, September 28, 1:00 p.m. at 15710
JFK Blvd;
:
Tuesday, September 13, 3:00 p.m. at the Wyndam Hotel
