Travel arrangements for the busy Memorial Day weekend will likely be affected by the planned walkout by workers who refuel aircraft at Queens’ John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday, according to a story from The New York Post.
The private company that services the aircraft at the regional airports, Allied Aviation Services, is reportedly at odds with Teamsters Local 553, which represents 300 laborers and mechanics who fuel commercial and cargo airplanes at the airport. The union claimed that although it had ongoing contracts for many years, it has been operating without a collective bargaining agreement for more than a year.
“We have been without a contract for almost a year, and Allied Aviation has not been negotiating in good faith since they are conditioning any new contract on our forfeiting our right to strike and fight for our members in the future. That is simply a non-starter for us,” said Demos Demopoulos, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 553, according to The Post.
According to the union, Allied is the only firm that airlines may utilize to receive, store, test, and transport jet fuel at JFK since it is the only fuel service provider there.
The National Labor Relations Board or the National Mediation Board, two national labor agencies that handle contract disputes, have authority over the labor quarrel. Under the NLRB, the union is entitled to further protections and the ability to strike; Allied, however, is challenging this.
“We will work closely with our airport partners to minimize any disruptions over this busy holiday travel weekend,” Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Seth Stein said when asked about backup preparations in the event of a strike at JFK airport. “We have no involvement in negotiations between our contractor and their unionized staff.”
The last significant strike by Teamsters Local 553 occurred in 2005 due to a disagreement over pay and benefits.
