Labor unions announce a partnership to counter global airline alliances
April 21, 2011
WASHINGTON (The Commercial Appeal-USA)— Airline labor union organizers from five continents announced today that they have formed a “One World of Labor” partnership to counter the influence of what they said is a de facto merger of airlines into three global alliances.
The group that spoke at the National Press Club represented ticket agents, flight crew and ground and maintenance employees of the oneworld alliance, which includes 12 airlines including American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Iberia and Mexicana.
“In our discussions we realized that in the last years we have witnessed a tendency on the part of management of particularly the oneworld alliance to stimulate conflict with workers,” said Gabriel Mocho Rodriquez, a former Argentine flight attendants union president now serving as the civil aviation secretary of the London-based International Transport Workers Federation. The federation represents 781 unions worldwide with a collective membership of 4.6 million.