Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Following the announcement of the IAM Union, Air Transport District 142 filing for mediation under the auspices of the National Mediation Board (NMB) on 7/23/26, we wanted to give you more information about where we are in that process. We are extremely pleased that the NMB received and processed our application in a very timely manner. We have been assigned to NMB Mediator Michael Donatelli. His background includes time spent serving in the military as an Air Force A-10 & F-16 pilot, followed by being employed by Delta Airlines in various types of aircraft, retiring as an International B-767 Captain. Mr. Donatelli spent his career being active within his ALPA bargaining unit in various capacities and brings with him a wealth of airline operational and negotiation experience at both the ALPA local and international level.
While a lot of things remain the same, such as our pursuit of a collective bargaining agreement that you deserve, some things do change. It is of primary importance for everyone to understand that the NMB and their mediators control when, where, and how long Unions and Companies meet while in mediation. We are aware that the NMB is requiring the parties to meet in the home cities of the mediators. Mr. Donatelli is from the Chicago, Illinois area, and we expect at least a portion of our meetings will be conducted there.
Your District 142 and International Representatives have had an initial call with Mediator Donatelli and have proffered dates for him to consider for our next meetings. As soon as those dates and locations are confirmed, we will share them with the membership via a District 142 bulletin. If you would like to know more about negotiations under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and the NMB’s role, please visit the link below or simply Google “mediation under the RLA”.
https://nmb.gov/NMB_Application/index.php/meditation-overview-faq
We are still planning a membership engagement away from the airport and Qantas facilities where you can come and meet your negotiators and get answers to any questions you may have. Please keep an eye out for that bulletin in the near future.
We are asking again that if you have not signed up for emails and text messages from District 142, now is the perfect time to do so. Go to our website at https://atd142.org and click the buttons at the top of the homepage to “Join Our Email List” and “Sign Up for Text Messages.” It takes less than five minutes to sign up for both, and you will be assured of receiving timely updates whenever there is news regarding your contract negotiations.
We thank you for your continued solidarity and support.
Sincerely and fraternally,
| John M. Coveny, Jr. President/Directing General Chair | James M. Samuel General Chair | Boris Kochanoff General Chair |
| Edward Berg IAM Union Consultant | Saneel Kumer LAME/Qantas Airways LAX | Miguel Maldonado SAME/Qantas Airways LAX |
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