Teamsters United Airlines Mechanics Join Labor Council

Airline Mechanics at United Airlines at San Francisco International Airport are again part of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council. The re-affiliation of the mechanics comes six years after they voted for representation by the Teamsters. Teamsters SFO 856/986 represents the over 3,000 United Airlines Mechanics and related workers at the SFO SFO Maintenance Base.

Business Agent Rich Petrovsky, who was chairman of the organizing drive that won Teamster representation in 2008, said even though the mechanics weren’t affiliated with the Labor Council, they have been active on informational pickets with other unions at the airport. “We joined with fellow union members, like the Flight Attendants, and they have supported us as we continue to battle with United and deal with their lack of negotiating,” he said. “Being part of the Labor Council again will strengthen that solidarity.”

The Teamsters have actively opposed the outsourcing of maintenance of aircraft. Petrovsky said in their last contract, the union was able to protect local jobs by re-instating a “no furlough” clause for base mechanics and good contract language for line workers. “Now United is in the process of recalling the furloughed mechanics,” he said. “That’s been good. United may start to hire new mechanics as they bring more work back to the base.” Petrovsky said overhaul work and landing gear work is returning to United’s, as well as more work in the engine shop.

Petrovsky said the union is working to reach an amalgamated contract for the two separate groups of mechanicst the Teamsters represent at the airlines as they finalize their merger.

Last November, the union gave its comprehensive final proposal to the company, which United rejected, after 10 months of direct negotiations facilitated by the National Mediation Board. The next meeting set by the NMB for the union and the airline is scheduled for April to work out the next steps in the negotiations.

April 2014