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Thursday, April 28, 2005
Comair mechanics approve new contract
By James Pilcher
Enquirer staff writer
ERLANGER - Comair's mechanics union today announced that its 500 members have ratified a new contract that gives them a 2 percent raise.
The deal also improves several bonuses they can receive for certain experience or training levels, which was the main point of contention in a similar deal that was rejected earlier this year by the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The final vote tally was not released, and union officials did not give a total value of the contract.
"Our negotiating committee worked hard to forge an agreement that focused on the membership's concerns regarding wages and job security," said the union's Air Transport District 142 President William O'Driscoll. "This agreement addresses our members' issues and positions Comair to remain competitive in an uncertain industry."
Comair mechanics, who made about $12 an hour and could earn more than $21.50 at top scale after seven years under the previous deal, will see the new raise after both sides sign the contract. Any future raises must be further negotiated after 12 months.
Other key items of the contract include:
A new "scope clause" that prohibits the company from outsourcing mechanical work while any union member is on furlough. Comair's corporate parent Delta Air Lines last month announced it was laying off as many as 2,000 mechanics (that company's mechanics are not unionized) and sending major maintenance work to outside companies.
Improves the process for bidding for individual jobs, which was listed as one of the top outstanding issues following the last vote.
Increases the signing bonus, which helps make up for retroactive pay (the contract officially runs from June 2004 through June 1, 2009, but goes into effect upon signing).
Increases or adds several new pay premium levels for different types of work and levels of training.
"The agreement is comprehensive and designed to be fair to employees, increase the operational effectiveness of our operations, and promote the ability of Comair to successfully compete in the airline industry," Comair vice president of maintenance Allen Mesnick and director of labor relations Charles Factor wrote in a company memo. "This is a very exciting time for our team, as Comair resumes fleet growth and the Maintenance team moves forward with initiatives that support growth while improving on fleet performance and reliability."
The union becomes the third labor group at the Erlanger-based regional airline to ratify a new agreement in the past two months.
Both the 1,900-member pilot union and the 1,000-member flight attendant group agreed to concessionary contracts, with the pilots agreeing to a pay freeze and the flight attendants creating a lower pay scale for new hires.
But both of those agreements were reached after a request from Comair management to open up existing deals, with the company saying such concessions were necessary to resume growing and to get new jets from corporate parent Delta Air Lines.
Last week, Comair said that the airline would start receiving new jets from Delta beginning in June as promised, with 10 to be delivered by the end of the year.
Unlike the other two deals, the mechanic contract comes after normal talks after the previous pact came open for negotiation.
Union officials said that a vote authorizing a strike if and when one became legal was held at the same time as the ratification vote. But those votes were not counted once the contract was approved.
The elections themselves were held during union meetings, the last of which was held Wednesday in Orlando, and members cast paper ballots into a box, with the votes counted on the spot - unlike the phone/Internet election conducted by the pilots or the mail-in balloting of the flight attendants.
"We want to make sure that our members can ask questions as they vote to the people who negotiated the deal," union spokesman Joseph Tiberi said.
E-mail [email protected]
Comair mechanics approve new contract
By James Pilcher
Enquirer staff writer
ERLANGER - Comair's mechanics union today announced that its 500 members have ratified a new contract that gives them a 2 percent raise.
The deal also improves several bonuses they can receive for certain experience or training levels, which was the main point of contention in a similar deal that was rejected earlier this year by the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The final vote tally was not released, and union officials did not give a total value of the contract.
"Our negotiating committee worked hard to forge an agreement that focused on the membership's concerns regarding wages and job security," said the union's Air Transport District 142 President William O'Driscoll. "This agreement addresses our members' issues and positions Comair to remain competitive in an uncertain industry."
Comair mechanics, who made about $12 an hour and could earn more than $21.50 at top scale after seven years under the previous deal, will see the new raise after both sides sign the contract. Any future raises must be further negotiated after 12 months.
Other key items of the contract include:
A new "scope clause" that prohibits the company from outsourcing mechanical work while any union member is on furlough. Comair's corporate parent Delta Air Lines last month announced it was laying off as many as 2,000 mechanics (that company's mechanics are not unionized) and sending major maintenance work to outside companies.
Improves the process for bidding for individual jobs, which was listed as one of the top outstanding issues following the last vote.
Increases the signing bonus, which helps make up for retroactive pay (the contract officially runs from June 2004 through June 1, 2009, but goes into effect upon signing).
Increases or adds several new pay premium levels for different types of work and levels of training.
"The agreement is comprehensive and designed to be fair to employees, increase the operational effectiveness of our operations, and promote the ability of Comair to successfully compete in the airline industry," Comair vice president of maintenance Allen Mesnick and director of labor relations Charles Factor wrote in a company memo. "This is a very exciting time for our team, as Comair resumes fleet growth and the Maintenance team moves forward with initiatives that support growth while improving on fleet performance and reliability."
The union becomes the third labor group at the Erlanger-based regional airline to ratify a new agreement in the past two months.
Both the 1,900-member pilot union and the 1,000-member flight attendant group agreed to concessionary contracts, with the pilots agreeing to a pay freeze and the flight attendants creating a lower pay scale for new hires.
But both of those agreements were reached after a request from Comair management to open up existing deals, with the company saying such concessions were necessary to resume growing and to get new jets from corporate parent Delta Air Lines.
Last week, Comair said that the airline would start receiving new jets from Delta beginning in June as promised, with 10 to be delivered by the end of the year.
Unlike the other two deals, the mechanic contract comes after normal talks after the previous pact came open for negotiation.
Union officials said that a vote authorizing a strike if and when one became legal was held at the same time as the ratification vote. But those votes were not counted once the contract was approved.
The elections themselves were held during union meetings, the last of which was held Wednesday in Orlando, and members cast paper ballots into a box, with the votes counted on the spot - unlike the phone/Internet election conducted by the pilots or the mail-in balloting of the flight attendants.
"We want to make sure that our members can ask questions as they vote to the people who negotiated the deal," union spokesman Joseph Tiberi said.
E-mail [email protected]
