Wage increases come under legal pressure

Seattle has been in the news this year because of the unprecedented pay awards for airport workers, something that has found a seam of empathy elsewhere in the US. But that victory is now being challenged…

US airlines have said that they are suing the Port of Seattle in order to block planned pay increases for airport workers. This is the latest legal battle over efforts to improve worker compensation in a state which currently boasts the highest minimum wage in the country.

The Port commission agreed to raise salaries to US$11.22 per hour for January 2015, and improving this to US$13 per hour in 2017 for airport employees. However, Airlines for America has now filed a suit, arguing that these wage increases conflict with state and federal law, as well as existing labor agreements. The suit was joined by Baggage Airline Guest Services.

For its part, the Port maintains that its commissioners acted within their authority when they agreed to the wage demands. It added that the move was aimed at reducing employee turnover.

Although voters in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac approved an initiative last year that would enable a US$15 minimum wage for many workers, airport staff were subsequently excluded. However, in June this year, Seattle’s city council unanimously approved the US$15 per hour minimum.

Big investment at Mitchell

Mitchell International airport is to benefit from US$14.4m worth of improvements, including a new de-icing facility and upgrades to a runway, under a project recently announced.

The de-icing facility has a more environmentally-friendly collection system and will allow the aircraft to de-ice closer to the runway, according to Wendy Hottenstein, who is the Project Manager with the state Department of Transportation.

One runway at the airport has deteriorated over time and will be resurfaced as part of the project, she added.

For the project the Federal Aviation Administration will contribute US$10.8m and the state and county will each contribute US$1.8m. The project is scheduled to begin late this year and should be completed by the summer of 2015.

Also announced has been US$1.3m to rehabilitate a runway at Timmerman airport on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The FAA is contributing US$1.17 m towards this, with both the state and Milwaukee County each contributing US$65,000.

ULDs finding favor in the US

Just a few weeks after securing a five-year contract to manage and maintain ULDs for American Airlines Cargo, Germany’s Jettainer has followed up its progress in the North American market with a new division, that of Jettainer Americas, which is located in Delaware.

This new division plans to open other branch offices across the US, beginning with Dallas Fort Worth, which is the largest hub for AA Cargo’s parent, American Airlines Group, the world’s largest airline following its merger with US Airways.

Jettainer, which had been handling ULD equipment and maintenance for US Airways since 2005, will now take on the management of American Airlines’ 15,000 additional ULDs. Other planned locations for Jettainer Americas will include Miami, New York, Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles. The ULD handler will also be introducing ground operation supervisors at each location to manage all co-ordination efforts with the airline via its JettApp application, which can track the movements of each ULD.