Teamsters Airline Division Involvement Promotes Industry Change

Local 1224 President Muckle Contributes To New Aviation Safety Bill

WASHINGTON, July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aviation Subcommittee,
chaired by Congressman Jerry F. Costello, today announced recommendations
included in a new aviation safety bill, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training
Improvement Act of 2009. This announcement follows several private meetings
with the chairman, staff and subcommittee members attended by IBT Local 1224
President Joe Muckle.

"We had a voice in this process," Muckle said. "The Aviation Subcommittee
diligently listened to the concerns of safety experts and pilot union leaders
and we saw our concerns echoed in today's bill."

Muckle met with Chairman Costello, staff and subcommittee members to discuss
current and potential aviation safety programs, training requirements, pilot
fatigue and the bankruptcy code under the Railway Labor Act on several
occasions during July. His involvement on behalf of the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters was to provide input on behalf of all Teamster air
carriers to be considered for potential legislation.

House recommendations included in the Airline Safety and Pilot Training
Improvement Act of 2009 encompass a number of safety and training initiatives
including the creation of an Air Carrier Safety and Pilot Training Task Force,
heightened FAA regulations, increased pilot training based on aircraft type
and a new set of research-based pilot fatigue guidelines. Each issue included
in the recommended legislation was discussed in detail with pilot union
leaders.

A major component of the bill is the increased pilot certification requirement
of the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate to fly a transport category
aircraft. In private forums every represented pilot union agreed, including
the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division, Coalition of
Airline Pilots Association (CAPA), US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) and
Allied Pilots Association (APA), that ATP Certification should be required for
every pilot who flies in part 121 air carrier operation. This would be an
increase from the current commercial rating which requires only 250 flight
hours. The ATP requires 1500 flight hours with additional flight and aviation
knowledge requisites.

During discussion of this issue in meetings, Muckle conveyed to the committee
that the period between these ratings should be thought of as an
apprenticeship, ensuring pilots gain knowledge and awareness that can only be
attained through flight experience.

Union leaders collectively expressed concern that Aviation Safety Action
Program (ASAP) and Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs
require direct union involvement for the programs to be effectively utilized
by crewmembers. The subcommittee took this into consideration, providing for
input from commercial airlines and their unions.

Other portions of the bill which can be attributed to input from the Airline
Division and other CAPA pilot unions include recommendations to: (1) Utilize
current fatigue research to institute a new pilot flight and duty time rule;
(2) Study current pilot academic training requirements across all accredited
two-year and four-year universities, as well as foreign academic requirements;
and (3) Truth in advertising disclosures which require airlines to disclose
the air carrier that operates each segment of the flight.

"The opportunity for the IBT Airline Division to represent the best interests
of all Teamster air carriers at a national level demonstrates that our Union
is about more than labor -- as a united group the Union provides guidance for
the betterment of the aviation industry," said David Bourne, Teamsters Airline
Division Director. "We chose Local 1224 President Joe Muckle to represent the
IBT Airline Division because of his past success on Capital Hill."

Congress began to prioritize airline safety issues in the wake of the
Continental Express, also know as the Colgan Air, crash near Buffalo last
February. In July Muckle, U.S. Airways Captain Chesley Sullenberger and U.S.
Airways First Officer Jeff Skiles participated in private meetings with
Congressman Costello and members of the aviation subcommittee voicing concerns
that airline safety is at risk because of the industry decline in value placed
on the airline pilot profession. Concerns expressed in these meetings also
had an impact on the urgency for new legislation and improvements to future
safety efforts.

The IBT Airline Division and Local 1224 undertook the initiative to work with
the subcommittee to protect the safety of the flying public, as well as the
rights of our membership.

Notable aviation professionals who met with staffers and subcommittee members
include Local 1224 President Joe Muckle, ALPA President John Prater, CAPA
President Paul Onorato, Captain Chesley Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff
Skiles, Local 747's Executive Council Chairman from Horizon Air Lines Trevor
Bulger, APA President Lloyd Hill, and USAPA President Mike McCleary.

SOURCE Teamsters Local 1224

Amanda Bledsoe of Teamsters Local 1224, +1-937-383-2500