Captain Paul Rodell, an executive council member of the Allied Pilots Association Teamsters Local 1224, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Omni Air negotiations and the events that led to the members recently voting to approve a potential strike.
Omni Air is a passenger-carrying long-haul airline that is primarily responsible for the transport of the United States Military, and other Department of Defense work. Rodell has been working in the aviation industry for over 35 years. During his time with Omni, he has served on several DoD missions across the globe.
Workers at Omni Air have been dealing with nearly 30 years of lower wages than the industry standard. The company has brought in over $600 million in yearly revenue, and workers still suffer from low wages, Rodell said. He explained the background information on the relationship between the workers and ownership. After a transfer in ownership, Rodell said the union has been in negotiations for three years with the new corporate owner who doesn’t want to negotiate in good faith.
Industry-standard wages are the main point that workers are trying to negotiate, but there has yet to be any substantial movement from ownership. Rodell talked about some of the delay tactics being used by the employer. While the negotiations have been ongoing, 97 pilots have left the company, forcing the employers to seek qualified, well-trained replacements. All the employees want is a fair contract that meets the industry standard, and they are prepared to follow the proper channels to make this happen after the members recently approved a strike vote.
Listen to the show above for more information about the Omni Air negotiations.