press alert

 



For Immediate Release                                                     Contact:
January 31, 2008                                                                Leslie Miller (202) 624-8734

 

TEAMSTERS, BUSINESS TRAVEL COALITION TO HOLDSUMMIT ON AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OUTSOURCING

Feb. 11 Event To Seek Solutions to Safety, Security Issues

Washington, DC – The Teamsters Union and the Business Travel Coalition will hold a summit on aircraft maintenance outsourcing on Feb. 11, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

The purpose of the summit is to discuss the safety and efficiency of current U.S. airline industry outsourcing practices and to explore potential solutions.

Safety advocates, government officials and aviation industry representatives will also discuss the likely impact of industry consolidation on maintenance outsourcing.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said foreign repair stations are a threat to passenger safety and security.

“Aircraft mechanics should all be held to a single standard whether they repair airplanes in Beijing or San Francisco,” Hoffa said. “Unfortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration doesn’t have the staff or funding to enforce the current double standard.”

“This is a duty-of-care issue for the global business travel community,” said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition.

“U.S. airline industry consolidation initiatives raise the specter of a collapse of six major network airlines to just three,” Mitchell said. “The attendant confusion and management distraction resulting from years of likely integration issues clearly calls for urgent government, industry and customer attention to this outsourcing issue.”

Presenters and contributors will include the following:

  • John Conley, airline division director, Transportation Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
  • Greg Feith, former senior air safety investigator, National Transportation Safety Board
  • John Goglia, former board member, National Transportation Safety Board
  • Linda Goodrich, vice president, Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS)
  • Deborah A. P. Hersman, board member, National Transportation Safety Board
  • James P. Hoffa, general president, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
  • William McGee, author, Consumer Reports: An Accident Waiting To Happen
  • Kevin Mitchell, chairman, Business Travel Coalition
  • Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Steve Purvinas, federal secretary, Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA)
  • Stacie H. Soumbeniotis, Democratic staff director, U.S. House Subcommittee on Aviation
  • More to be named later

 
The summit will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St NW in Washington, DC.

To register for this Summit, click here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7c3VW2TwDNgqZQexH_2fgh9g_3d_3d  There are no registration fees, but seating is limited, so consider registering straightaway.

Other relevant links follow below. (The videos are about 5 minutes in length.)

Consumer Reports:   http://tinyurl.com/2qwgzl (written)
Today Tonight Report (Part 1): http://tinyurl.com/2tqvqy (video)
Today Tonight Report (Part 2): http://tinyurl.com/2rkxjf (video)
CNN: http://tinyurl.com/2j75hy (video)

About BTC
Founded in 1994, the mission of Business Travel Coalition is to bring transparency to industry and government policies and practices so that customers can influence issues of strategic importance to their organizations.

BTC MEDIA CONTACT
Kevin Mitchell
(610) 341-1850

About Teamsters
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 9,000 aircraft technicians of the 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.