Citation Air are now Teamsters

[johnnyride24]

Citation Air Pilots Vote For Teamster Representation
CitationAir Pilots Vote For Teamster Representation

July 6, 2011
More Than 350 Pilots Join Local 1108
(WASHINGTON)—More than 350 CitationAir Pilots voted to join the Teamsters Union today, announced Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. After the National Mediation Board (NMB) certifies the election, the pilots will become members of Local 1108 and join more than 75,000 airline industry workers currently represented by the Teamsters Airline Division.

“The Teamsters Union looks forward to working with the pilots of CitationAir to preserve and improve their compensation, benefits, work rules and just-cause job protections under a union contract, like those guaranteed at other fractional operators we have organized,” Bourne said. “These rights will be secured by an enforceable contract, rather than promulgated by the company ‘for informational purposes only,’ as in the past.”

CitationAir is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Cessna Aircraft Company. It provides private aviation services through fractional jet ownership or the purchase of prepaid flight hours. Its fleet consists of 84 Cessna Citations that are operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hard-working men and women in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.



Press Contact

Galen Munroe

[email protected]

202-624-6904

 

[jynxyjericho]

Is this a first union for the CS people?

 

[tdwnds1]

Yes, I wish them well in the upcoming negotiations.

 

[HSDriver]

Their fun is just starting.

 

[CALRepublic]

Not a big fan of unions, never have been, but the more I think about it the more I believe unions will become a necessary evil in the very near future. With companies always looking to keep their investors happy by penny pinching their employees, and investors becoming more and more greedy (and ruthless), I believe unions will be making a comeback.

I'm actually going from not liking unions to "I'm happy we have one". All due to management and investor attitude.

 

[Captainzero1]

Congratulations CALRepublic on getting a clue.

 

[jonjuan]

BUt doesn't ca already have a better contract (pay, 401k, etc) than fltops?

 

[guido411]

No such thing as a contract without being a union shop.

 

[Fresh Air]

BUt doesn't ca already have a better contract (pay, 401k, etc) than fltops?

First, CA does not have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract). Without a CBA or representation, anything they had could have been taken away from them with an email. They still are without a CBA, but as of last week, they are represented, which makes it much more difficult for CA management to take things away while in contract negotiations. Essentially, the company cannot appear to be (in the eyes of a judge) "punishing" the pilot group for voting for representation. How this played out at FLOPS is that when something was taken from the pilot group (401K match for example) it had to be taken from all employees to avoid singling out the pilot group.

Second, you are correct, the CA pay, schedule, and some other terms of employment are much better than we have here at FLOPS. Before our CBA we were paid 40 percent less than the other jet frax, and had no scope protection or legally enforceable work rules of any kind. Now we are paid 30 percent less, but have those protections. Much less than we hoped for, but more than we had before.

The fact that CA pay and schedule are so much closer than we were to the industry norm should make it that much less difficult for their Negotiating Committee when it comes time to bargain over pay. We were trying to dig our way out of a really deep hole, and the CA pilots' hole is not quite so deep.

 

[netjetwife]

Congratulations to the Citation Shares/Air pilots and their families!

Hear! Hear! A seat at the table and a voice in your future!

I strongly believe that pilots are in the best position to represent their own interests and viewpoint, just as managers do for management. Getting everything nailed down in a binding contract will benefit all involved. It does go both ways, just as a friendly reminder to those who may still be adjusting to the idea.

Best Wishes!!
NJW