First Indy, Now SFO?
If United Airlines has its way, there could be almost 4,500 mechanics in the San Francisco area looking for work in the future. United closed its Indy maintenance facility a few years ago. Now it is considering closing its SFO base and outsourcing the work (the airline already outsources 46 percent of its maintenance).
Editor’s Note: Shortly after this blog was originally posted, AMT spoke with a United spokesperson who says the airline has no intention of closing its SFO maintenance base. See comment below. je
The Teamsters, along with mechanics and politicians, are fighting to keep the jobs in the area. They may be fighting an uphill battle.
More and more airlines are outsourcing more and more of their maintenance. The trend continues with no turnaround in sight.
It is pretty clear we are witnessing a major shift in the way airlines run their businesses. They are fiercely focused on flying passengers from point A to point B at the most cost-effective price, period. They are more focused on controlling costs of maintenance than controlling the maintenance that is performed. They are more concerned with offsetting fuel prices than with customer satisfaction.
But we can’t put all the blame on the airlines. Their decisions are based on evolving customer demands. Gone are the days of customer brand loyalty. Nowadays, the flying public will switch airlines quicker than Hollywood celebrities switch rehab centers just to save a few bucks.
Most of us have witnessed similar change in business models with service stations. Up until the early 70’s, there was no such thing as a self-service gas station. When you pulled into a gas station, you not only got a full tank of gas, you had the fluids checked in your vehicle, tire pressures checked and your windshield cleaned — all without having to step out of the vehicle. Service stations had their own mechanics on staff, ready to work on your car at a moment’s notice.
Now fast forward to almost 40 years later. Full service stations are mostly a thing of the past. You now have convenience stores. The cost (and convenience) of having service attendants on duty has been done away with. Now, you fill up your own car. You don’t even have to bother the cashier, you can swipe your credit card and pay at the pump. Things have changed quite a bit in those 40 years.
Think about some of the changes the airlines have already made.
Passengers book their own tickets online. Want to talk to a live person? That’ll cost you extra, and you’ll probably be talking to someone in India.
Meals have been done away with for most domestic flights. Some offer a limited amount of meals — for a price.
Want to check luggage? On some airlines it better be just one bag. More than one? That’ll cost extra.
So, what will the airline maintenance landscape look like in 40 years? There is no question — the aircraft the airlines operate will still need to be inspected and maintained. But how and where will that happen?
Thanks for reading,
Joe Escobar
Joe…How could you possibly make such a HUGE error by printing that the AMT’s at United Airlines are represented by yhe Reamsters? Where do you get your facts? I sincerely hope that you will retract your misinformation. Thanks Rick Girardeau
Its a good thing Boeing builds such a good aircraft. I have the outsoursed work and its all pencil whipped !! No inspectors in these forgin countrys !! And mechanics that canot even read the manuals. I lead sighning for thirty workers. If Boeing and the pilots were not so good these aircraft would be falling out of the sky. Me I am already working overseas (Iraq) to make a decent living. Adapt and overcome the nature of the BEAST.
AMFA was certified at United Airlines on July 15, 2003, and the Association currently represents approximately 5,600 members who maintain the airlines fleet of B737s, B757s, B747s, B777s, and A320s aircraft. The current contract becomes amendable December 31, 2009.
http://amfanational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=25&Itemid=40
My apologies, I misread the press release sent to the magazine regarding the Teamsters. The teamsters, along with mechanics and politicians, are trying to keep United from outsourcing more of its work.
The Teamsters do not represent United mechanics as I originally wrote.
Joe Escobar
I just spoke with a media relations person from United who read my post, and she wanted to set the record straight. She said that United has no intention of closing the SFO base.
So, two things are clear.
1. The Teamsters do not represent United mechanics.
2. The Teamsters sent out a press release announcing they are fighting to keep United’s SFO base open, a maintenance base United says isn’t being considered for closure.
Well, the whole thing is clear as mud now.
The press release AMT received from the Teamsters via prNewswire is posted on our website. Here is a link to it:
http://www.amtonline.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=5155
Joe Escobar
The teamsters are making a run to represent the mechanics at United. It is a dam shame how all companies are farming work out of our country, I can attest that work that was outsorced was inferior to the work that we did in house at United, They were a world leader at one time. So good in fact that Maintenance contract work payed for all of Uniteds Maintenance and put money in the corporations bottom line. Now I look at the government awarding the next KC (tanker) aircraft to Air Bus and not Boeing. Outsorce American jobs, spend our tax dollars overseas for the enrichment of France. The aircraft will cost less, the parts will be what costs to make up for the low priced aircraft. Dam sad what has happened to our country………
Regarding what Frank said about the Hairbrush aircraft, I’ve always said that they could GIVE the aircraft away for what they make on the backside parts profit. To top it off, Scarebus does not support older aircraft, as does Boeing. Just try to buy an antiskid harness for an A300-B4!
Regarding United outsourcing, they do it simply because they can. DOT has facilitated ths offshoring since about 1991, with no end in sight. What’s really ironic is that those union dues go to promote the agendas of the very politicians that are pushing the jobs overseas. If the unions had not been asleep at the wheel, a level playing field would have prevented offshoring in the first place. It’s only when the cockpit jobs are outsourced that you might hear screams of protest…or when the maintenance-related accidents are proven to be the result of outsourced work. Don’t hold your breath, though.
As a Mechanic for United I have been witness to many “near accidents” due to Out-Sourcing.
Sadly the day will come when United will not be so “LUCKY”.
Last Year United post over $1Billion in Profits so our CEO could fill his pockets at the expense of Safety and Employees.
The FAA is at fault for this too.
They (FAA,UNITED) will have blood on their hands just for money.