There is a letter circulating the system to Petition Congress with an emphasis on Airline Maintenance Safety, requesting to make changes to the Class and Craft of Aircraft Maintenance Technician. It specifically calls out Section 152.4 of the Railway Labor Act.
The Petitioner would be expressing concerns that the Craft and Class of Aircraft Maintenance Technician is a singular determination and needs to be expanded to a separate Class and Craft for Line Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. This Petition goes further to point out that this should be mandated by Federal Law, requiring a Line Aircraft Maintenance Technician to have prior Line Experience. I understand the intent, since it has been widely known that the Maintenance Bases are having a rush of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians getting Line Qualified in the event they have to relocate.
I would caution all that putting this decision in the hands of the Federal Government may not yield the results that some would intend. An experienced Overhaul Aircraft Maintenance Technician is highly qualified to work the line and it would be a travesty to disqualify him based on prior line experience. We don’t need the Fed’s to Red Circle our Line Station Mechanics.
Signed:
Dale Danker
Gary Yingst
D’Ann Johnson
Jay Potter
Tony Bunch
Pat Bax
Dale Lantz
David Corbit
Randy Campbell
Terry Buck
Gene Chapin
Dennis Hall
Tracy Hardin
Chris Rhinehart