AIRCRAFT MECHANICS FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION

AMT Years to Top Step of Scale for US Carriers in the Industry

The Official Newsletter of AMFA September 2024 In This Issue: - 2024 AMFA National Officer Election Results - Farewell and Thank You AMFA Members - I Don't Need Help - MemberLink Puts Members in the Driver's Seat - Your SIDA Badge and Your Job: Confirmation that the Government is Your First Master Link: https://lnkd.in/gfEGJuxd

National President Update - July & August 2024 To: AMFA Locals and Members Re: National President’s Monthly Update for July & August 2024 Date: September 17, 2024 Full Update Link: https://lnkd.in/gryK86Pg Dear Members: With the summer ending, we can reflect on our successes as we have made substantial tangible strides to “right-size” the aviation industry by securing our careers and craft/trade. We have made strong efforts to secure job protections, ratify industry-changing wages and benefits, and increase the recognition of your licenses as Aircraft Maintenance Technicians/Engineers (AMTs/AMEs). Supporting Our Members AMFA is the voice of the AMT/AME and related skilled professionals. As your representative, we will continue to support you by taking action to protect your work and ability to earn, raise wages, and improve benefits. We are committed to aggressively defending the rights of aircraft maintenance professionals in both Canada and the United States. We know how to combat coercive employer strategies that decrease your quality of life and jeopardize air travel safety. AMFA respects your work, and we will demand proper recognition from your employers and the general public for your critical contribution to aviation safety. Full Update: https://lnkd.in/gryK86Pg

NATIONAL PRESIDENT LETTER TO SPIRIT MEMBERS REGARDING AIR 21 FILING Download link: https://lnkd.in/gmi92PNe 1. 20240729_Britton_Spirit_Airlines.pdf 2. AIR 21 Complaint - Spirit 7-29-24 (F)-Redacted (Up.)_Redacted3.pdf July 29, 2024 Dear Spirit AMTs: Today, with the assistance of AMFA, a fellow Spirit Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) is filing a formal complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) pursuant to the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (“AIR 21”), 49 U.S.C. § 42121. The complaint alleges that Spirit Airlines took adverse action against the AMT, including removing him from a scheduled overtime shift, in retaliation for having reported maintenance discrepancies in accordance with the applicable maintenance manual. We take this step with some reluctance, and only after having tried for over a month to resolve the issue directly with Spirit; however, our determination to proceed is dictated both by the welfare of our members and the safety of the traveling public. AIR 21 makes it illegal for an airline employer to take any adverse action against an AMT who reports compliance issues to the Company or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Prohibited retaliation includes any of the following: discipline; blacklisting; demotion; denying overtime or promotion; denying benefits; failure to hire or rehire; intimidation; reassignment affecting promotion prospects; reduction of pay or hours; and written warnings in certain circumstances. If the federal government determines that the employer has violated AIR 21, it is empowered under the law to mandate reinstatement, back pay for lost wages, compensatory damages, and litigation costs, including attorney fees. You have both an obligation and a right under federal law to perform your work in accordance with applicable maintenance manuals. FAA Part 14 CFR § 121.701 Maintenance log: Aircraft. (a) Each person who takes action in the case of a reported or observed failure or malfunction of an airframe, engine, propeller, or appliance that is critical to the safety of flight shall make, or have made, a record of that action in the airplane's maintenance log. The action filed today is for the purpose of protecting that right. Sincerely, Bret Oestreich National President

NATIONAL PRESIDENT UPDATE - MAY & JUNE To: AMFA Locals and Members Re: National President’s Monthly Update for May & June 2024 Date: July 19, 2024 Dear Members: With half the year remaining, we have reflected on our successes as we have made huge tangible strides to “right-size” the aviation industry by securing your careers and our craft/trade. We have made strong efforts and have secured job protections, ratified industry-changing wages and benefits, and increased the recognition of your licenses as Aircraft Maintenance Engineers/Technicians (AME/AMT) and Facilities Maintenance Technicians (FMTs). Industry Challenges Your collective bargaining agreements are only as good as those of the day-to-day industry we work in. We still see government oversight of manufacturers struggle with compliance issues, delayed manufacture deadlines, and compounding the industry's instability with AME/AMT shortages that continue to cause the industry to suffer from the necessary qualified and experienced workforce to keep up with potential aviation industry growth. Addressing Workforce Shortages The AMT population is expected to fall nearly 30,000 AMTs short of meeting just commercial aviation needs by 2031. Over the next 20 years, Boeing estimates that the industry will need 612,000 new pilots, 626,000 new maintenance technicians, and 886,000 new cabin crew members. By 2027, projected to be the worst year for the shortage, we might see a supply deficit of more than 48,000 aircraft maintenance professionals or a shortfall of about 27%. Demographics and Industry Growth The aviation technician population continues to grow older. The average FAA AMT is 53, which is 11 years older than the usual U.S. worker. Females comprise a much younger demographic; the average female AMT is 45. Thirty-eight percent of the AMT population is age 60 or older. In Canada, current ages make up the eroding skillset and experienced workforce vs. industry growth outpacing the AMEs. The De Havilland expansion outside of Calgary will create approximately 2,000 new jobs. Marshall Aerospace expansion in Abbotsford BC will add approximately 500 new jobs. Both facilities should be operational in the next 2-3 years. Age Distribution of AMEs in Canada https://lnkd.in/g2-RtbUV Age. # of AME. Percentage 15-24. 1230 7% 25-34. 3925 22% 35-44. 4220 23% 44-54. 4265 23% 55-64. 3725 20% 65+ 850 5% Read Full Update: https://lnkd.in/g2bnV_wM References: https://lnkd.in/gcyCAM6K https://www.atec-amt.org/ https://lnkd.in/g-gV7rmq https://lnkd.in/gE4eSHKa https://lnkd.in/g2-RtbUV

This opinion is in response to the 1 July 2024 op-ed entitled “WestJet Mechanics Make Only $109,000 on Average. Oh, the humanity.” by Ashley Nunes. Opinion Response By: Ian Evershed AMFA-WestJet Airline Representative Inspecting, maintaining, & repairing aircraft is not difficult work because of the cold winter weather or the hot summer weather. It is difficult because it requires substantial education, training, & experience to become licensed to perform the complicated work that is critical to protecting the lives of every person – passengers & crew – onboard that aircraft. It is in everyone’s best interest that only the most qualified people perform this work. In addition to the critical safety role aircraft maintenance engineers (AME’s) play, the efficient performance of their work impacts on-time performance and minimizes flight cancellations. Airlines understand the value AME’s deliver to the overall operation of the business. The author of this op-ed piece, Ashley Nunes, asks the question “why do these engineers believe they should earn far more than most Canadians?” Let me answer that for you… *Their work is responsible for protecting lives. *Their work is critical for the smooth operation of the airline. * There is a shortage of qualified AME’s in Canada and airlines can’t grow without more of them joining the industry. More competitive wages make the industry more attractive. * The new pay scale is competitive with other similarly skilled workers. Even within our own industry, many cargo aircraft AME’s earn higher pay than passenger aircraft AME’s. Ms. Nunes also seems to believe that unions should not exist. That it would be more efficient if the free market could be uncontested by unions, & large, investor focused entities could set the pay scales wherever they liked. There was a time when that scenario prevailed, & the abuses of that power were legendary. The example Ms. Nunes uses to support her argument against the WJA AME’s is the 43-year-old case of President Ronald Reagan’s wholesale termination of striking U.S. air traffic controllers. The difference here is that the WestJet AME’s were engaged in a lawful strike action while the U.S. air traffic controllers were engaged in an unlawful strike. As crucial government employees, their contract prohibited striking, & they did it anyway. Full Response Below: 1 July 2024 op-ed entitled “WestJet Mechanics Make Only $109,000 on Average. Oh, the humanity.” by Ashley Nunes.