Teamsters mute on A&P work being lost at UAL!

[whoop whoop]

More A&P jobs lost, and not 1 word from the ibt!!!! This is straight from the company monthly publication "United World".



[font="Tahoma""]APUs– to run or not to run?[/font]

[font="Arial""]ORD spends $12 million in fuel and maintenance per year to run the auxiliary power units (APUs) that provide power on board an aircraft when the engines are shut down. Last year at ORD, we deployed Ramp Service co-workers around the airport to check for aircraft running APUs unnecessarily. When they found them, they called trained technicians to come out to the aircraft and power them down (previously, only technicians or pilots could go into the cockpit and shut down the APU). In November and December 2012, we saved about $200,000 a month by having technicians ride along with Ramp Service employees — but we knew we could do better.[/font]

[font="Arial""]As a cost-savings project, Tech Ops, Flight Ops, Safety, Fuel Efficiency and the Continuous Improvement team partnered to develop training for Ramp Service co­workers to shut down the APUs themselves. “We built training materials from scratch, so that anyone with no experience could perform the function without makingmistakes,” said Continuous Improvement Senior Manager Tarundeep Suri. Beginning in March, ORD began operating a fully functional APU team. We have seen a significant reduction in fuel burn and expect to see up to $3.5 million in annual savings at ORD alone as a result. EWR, SFO, LAX and DEN just started teams of their own. We expect IAH and IAD to start teams[/font]

[font="Arial""]in May. [/font][font="Arial""]Continues on p2 »[/font]
[font="Times New Roman""][/font]

 

[whoop whoop]

Article from United world, May 2013. Sorry for the small print..
APUs – to run or not to run?

ORD spends $12 million in fuel and maintenance per year to run the auxiliary power units (APUs) that provide power on board an aircraft when the engines are shut down. Last year at ORD, we deployed Ramp Service co-workers around the airport to check for aircraft running APUs unnecessarily. When they found them, they called trained technicians to come out to the aircraft and power them down (previously, only technicians or pilots could go into the cockpit and shut down the APU). In November and December 2012, we saved about $200,000 a month by having technicians ride along with Ramp Service employees — but we knew we could do better.

As a cost-savings project, Tech Ops, Flight Ops, Safety, Fuel Efficiency and the Continuous Improvement team partnered to develop training for Ramp Service co­workers to shut down the APUs themselves. “We built training materials from scratch, so that anyone with no experience could perform the function without making mistakes,” said Continuous Improvement Senior Manager Tarundeep Suri. Beginning in March, ORD began operating a fully functional APU team. We have seen a significant reduction in fuel burn and expect to see up to $3.5 million in annual savings at ORD alone as a result. EWR, SFO, LAX and DEN just started teams of their own. We expect IAH and IAD to start teams

in May. Continues on p2 »

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[T5towbar]

To tell you the truth, I didn't know that we had a APU team. It is the pilots job to shut down the APU after he/she blocks in and the a/c is plugged up. Pilots are the ones that leave the APU's running even after we plug up power. On final, they will call OPS if the APU is inop, usually a MX tech is waiting at the gate to check things out after block in, or we will have to bring an airstart to the gate. I as an Lead Agent do not go up into the cockpit and turn off a running APU either on mainline a/c or express a/c. This is new news to me as well. But I haven't seen any APU Team members yet (@EWR). I guess the lines for this task will be for the Safety Team (closed area job). Or the way they are talking us Leads have to do this as well? Just another job on our hands. We already have enough to do on the ramp as it is.

How does this take away jobs from MX is the question?

 

[blue collar]

How does this take away jobs from MX is the question?

Not that this will lead to any layoff, but it is the continual chipping away if mx duties that will lead to job loss. This is one of those things that would fall under mx in a staffed station, and the ramp shouldn't be involved, period. Same with taxi/tow.

 

[Vortilon]

Well, with exception of some smaller line stations, baggage handlers were not allowed to touch any switches in the cockpit - let alone starting or shutting down an APU. These functions were for aircraft maintenance only. Over the years aircraft maintenance has seen a good deal of work given away to fleet service with the blessings of the union leadership. This is yet another give away.

 

[1AA]

Well, with exception of some smaller line stations, baggage handlers were not allowed to touch any switches in the cockpit - let alone starting or shutting down an APU. These functions were for aircraft maintenance only. Over the years aircraft maintenance has seen a good deal of work given away to fleet service with the blessings of the union leadership. This is yet another give away.

That is Industrial unionism at its best. They do not understand or care about the job descriptions of certain work groups. They just shuffle the work around to different work groups to make the company happy. No loss of union dues so what do they really care about it anyway. A class and craft union on the other hand would have not allowed this without a fight.

 

[xUT]

To tell you the truth, I didn't know that we had a APU team. It is the pilots job to shut down the APU after he/she blocks in and the a/c is plugged up. Pilots are the ones that leave the APU's running even after we plug up power. On final, they will call OPS if the APU is inop, usually a MX tech is waiting at the gate to check things out after block in, or we will have to bring an airstart to the gate. I as an Lead Agent do not go up into the cockpit and turn off a running APU either on mainline a/c or express a/c. This is new news to me as well. But I haven't seen any APU Team members yet (@EWR). I guess the lines for this task will be for the Safety Team (closed area job). Or the way they are talking us Leads have to do this as well? Just another job on our hands. We already have enough to do on the ramp as it is.

How does this take away jobs from MX is the question?

Simple answer is a reduction in MX headcount.
Chip, Chip, Chip...
Not too long ago receive and dispatch; taxi and tow was MX exclusively.
The company asked for relief from the onion to allow certain stations that doesn't need MX to allow R&D to ramp.
After the onion agreed (by a LOA) later the company said that since the R&D can be performed by ramp at some locations successfully, why not all?
Now UA will relieve MX of taxi and tow.
Chip, Chip, Chip...
Looks like there will be trained ramp people to turn off the apu from the flight deck.
Chip, Chip, Chip...
Good for ramp, not too good for MX.
B) xUT

 

[T5towbar]

It's called "harmonization". We are living it now as we speak........

 

[whoop whoop]

Not only does it chip away at our headcount. It also chips away at our bargaining power. The less we do as A&P's, the less valuable we become. The less value we hold, the less compensation we can demand. It's a full cycle of downgrading and dissolving this once great profession with the help of these so called "unions" that we are paying with our hard earned money.

It's time for all A&P's to get rid of these industrial sellouts and get under the AMFA banner, so we can control our own futures and profession ourselves.

This is one more of numerous reasons we all need to empower AMFA even more.

And another reason for the US air A&P's NOT to go with the ibt. As bad as you think you have it with the iam, the ibt is worse and more expensive. And I am no fan of the iam!!!

 

[T5towbar]

That's the bad thing about all this. It has union competing for jobs (and continuous dues flow). Harmonizing leads to outsourcing, which we are living now on he ramp. We should not be doing this, (APU Team and who came up with this idea) but things are here to stay. sCO did things one way. sUA did things differently. We' be always done R/D while sUA let MX do that function. We've always had a Move Team at our hubs. sUA had/have MX do it.

Harmonization.......... You will hear more of this word enough.

 

[necigrad]

How does this take away jobs from MX is the question?

Honestly, it doesn't, unless MX has someone whose job is to check APUs. Look at the big picture though. This one thing is no big deal. What if MC is responsible for doing the final walkaround and the company gives that to fleet? Also probably not a big deal. Towing aircraft? Not a big deal. Start adding up all those little "no big deal"s and all of a sudden you've cost your workgroup hundreds of jobs. Even worse you've shown the company that you're willing to give away work. Adding insult to injury, some of that work might not even go to another union, it might go to a contractor.

Some also might say that it's a skilled job. I call BS, but with caveats. Rampers can push planes, they can handle shutting down an APU. Were I the company, however, I'd much prefer it be MX in the event the APU has a fire, or (if it's possible) the APU runs away (don't ask). Even worse, imagine if a ramper goes to shut off the APU and accidently turns on the hydraulics. I'm a private pilot and truly believe I could sucessfully handle flying IN THE SIM under NORMAL circumstances. I know a lot about aviation. I also know that I don't trust most rampers to do something like that. I'm not even sure if I'd want to do it, even with additional training and union issues aside.

 

[T5towbar]

Ramp has been pushing planes for years. That's not the issue. This is entirely a new issue s not within our scope. This is an MX job, not ramp. Someone in ORD came up with this one. I have no business in the flight deck, but when I started a long time ago, I learned how to ride the brakes.

Personally I don't like this idea. Dealing with the APU is not something ramp should do. The Move Team is already out the barn and there will be a fight to keep it (at least in IAH and EWR.

 

[robbedagain]

in my station i do know we have some folks who are qualified to start up/shut down the apu and brake ride as 6 nights a week we do repo one plane.. but other than that none of us in my station goes in the cockpit

 

[Kev3188]

This speaks more to the company delivering the wrong fix to an easy problem than anything.

Instead roving bands of "teams" looking for running APUs, they should've first stressed the importance of shutting them down w/the pilot group. Couple that with making sure the ramp knows to get 'em chocked, plugged in, and set up with air (when needed) ASAP, and 95% of your issue is solved before it even becomes one...

P.S. Not for nothing at NW, in non MX stations, most everyone was trained in both APU operation and brake riding.

 

[T5towbar]

This speaks more to the company delivering the wrong fix to an easy problem than anything.

Instead roving bands of "teams" looking for running APUs, they should've first stressed the importance of shutting them down w/the pilot group. Couple that with making sure the ramp knows to get 'em chocked, plugged in, and set up with air (when needed) ASAP, and 95% of your issue is solved before it even becomes one...

P.S. Not for nothing at NW, in non MX stations, most everyone was trained in both APU operation and brake riding.

AMEN!
That's the whole problem in a nutshell.
We on the ramp get blamed for every issue, especially if we don't plug up or put the air on fast enough.
This issue is squarely on the Pilots. They get paid the big bucks, so do your job. We got enough concerns and issues already.