Air
TWU Local 555 Reaches Tentative Agreement with Southwest Airlines
Posted OnFebruary 22, 2024 byTWU Local 555, representing nearly 20,000 ramp, operations, provisioning and freight agents at Southwest Airlines, reached a tentative agreement Wednesday on a contract that provides top-of-the-industry wage rates and average pay increases over 18 percent. The contract, which would provide pay increases to hardworking Southwest employees who last saw a wage increase nearly three…Read More…
TWU Members Rally for Flight Attendant Day of Action
Posted OnFebruary 13, 2024 byTWU members at Locals 556, 577 and 579 rallied with flight attendants at more than 30 airports across the country to demand better contracts, better work rules, and liveable wages. More than 100,000 flight attendants across the country are currently working without updated contracts. The Day of Action united flight attendants across different airlines and…Read More…
Senate Makes Progress on Pro-Worker FAA Bill, More to Come
Posted OnFebruary 8, 2024 byTWU International President John Samuelsen said the markup is a “great development” but the House and Senate “must seal the deal and pass final legislation.”
“Our front-line airline flight attendants and boots-on-the ground mechanics have been waiting far too long for Congress to adopt critically important measures needed to address long-standing problems – like unhinged passengers attacking and abusing crewmembers, and greedy airline executives sending aircraft to questionable repair shops in China, and other low-wage countries, for maintenance and repairs.”Read More…
Transportation Technology Newsletter #17
Posted OnJanuary 25, 2024 byTWU leaders descended on the CES tech show and co-sponsored the 5th Annual Labor Innovation & Technology Summit, together with the AFL-CIO, its Technology Institute and several unions.Read More…
JetBlue Purchase of Spirit Blocked
Posted OnJanuary 16, 2024 byA federal judge issued a ruling Tuesday blocking JetBlue Airways proposed purchase of Spirit Airline. The judge sided with the U.S. Justice Department that the merger would violate anti-trust laws aimed at maintaining competition and consumer choice in the marketplace. Passengers who rely on Spirit’s low fares would be harmed in that the cost of flying either airline would likely increase, the judge ruled. Consolidation of the industry to just a few major carriers has resulted in higher prices. TWU International President John Samuelsen issued the following statement.
Massive Victory For Airline Passengers And Union Workers
Posted OnDecember 6, 2023 bySTATEMENT FROM TWU INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT JOHN SAMUELSEN The FAA announced a proposed new rule that would apply drug and alcohol testing standards to all airline heavy maintenance mechanics, regardless of where they are on the planet. This is a massive victory for US airline passengers and workers. Airline mechanics in China and other lower-wage, lower-standard…Read More…
DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AT AIRPORTS AND IN THE SKIES ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED
Posted OnNovember 30, 2023 byFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2023 Contact: Jonna Huseman, jhuseman@twu.org The Transport Workers Union Urges Both Chambers of Congress to Close Safety Gaps By Approving Full FAA Reauthorization WASHINGTON, D.C.—Testifying at a House of Representatives subcommittee in Washington, D.C., today, TWU Executive Director Gary Peterson cited several alarming situations requiring immediate attention through reauthorization legislation:…Read More…
Transportation Technology Newsletter #16
Posted OnOctober 30, 2023 byIssue #16 October 27, 2023 If you see or hear about new technologies or services, please send us an email, TransportationTech@twu.org BREAKING: Cruise Suspends Robotaxi Operations Nationwide After greenlighting unsafe deployment of autonomous vehicles on California streets, the state’s motor vehicle agency informed AV company Cruise that it was revoking its permits to operate AVs…Read More…
TWU, Lawmakers Push for Aircraft Maintenance in America, Not China, To Protect Fliers & U.S. Jobs
Posted OnOctober 23, 2023 byFor Immediate Release Contact: Pete Donohue, PDonohue@twu.org | Jonna Huseman, jhuseman@twu.org New York City – Airlines are increasingly having planes fixed, overhauled, and maintained by lower-skilled workers in less-secure facilities in South America and Asia. This upward trend increases the risk of a potentially catastrophic mechanical failure – and takes away jobs that can, and should, be done by better qualified American…Read More…
22 Years Later: The TWU Remembers
Posted OnSeptember 11, 2023 byAs our nation marks the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the TWU pauses to remember those whose lives have been lost or forever altered by these horrific events—including many of our own members. Today we honor our union members across all of our industries who, in the face of uncertainty and adversity,…Read More…