Dispute Over Impact of British Airways Strike

AFP – Demonstrators take part in a protest on an open top bus during the third day of a four-day strike by...

Mon Mar 29, 3:34 pm ET

LONDON (AFP) – British Airways management and union leaders clashed again Monday over the impact of a cabin crew strike, as the industrial action caused disruption for a third straight day.

The airline said it had operated 83 percent of long-haul flights over the weekend, up from 78 percent during a three-day strike the previous weekend, as well as 67 percent of short-haul flights -- up from 50 percent a week earlier.

The company also said it had leased only half as many non-BA aircraft with crews -- 11 compared to 22.

United Air Sees ‘Real Signs of Recovery’ in Pacific

By Bloomberg News

March 29 (Bloomberg) --UAL Corp.’s United Airlines said it’s seeing a rebound in bookings for flights across the Pacific, the carrier’s largest region by passenger traffic outside the U.S.

“There are real signs of recovery,” Chief Executive Officer Glenn Tilton said in Beijing today. “The Pacific is showing its traditional strength. It’s moving at a higher level compared to our other international markets.”

United is “very encouraged” by demand for trans-Pacific flights for the first quarter and beyond, Tilton said at a signing ceremony for a service agreement with Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Corp., a joint venture between Air China Ltd. and United alliance partner Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

US Airways to Equip A321 Fleet with Gogo Inteernet

Tuesday March 30, 2010

US Airways announced the launch of Aircell's Gogo inflight Internet on five A321s and plans to offer the service onboard all 51 A321s by June 1. A Wi-Fi symbol on the outside of the aircraft will alert passengers that Gogo is available, US said, and beginning in late June passengers will be able to check service availability when booking travel on the carrier's website.

Southwest Airlines - Most Passengers '09

12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 30, 2010

By TERRY MAXON / The Dallas Morning News
tmaxon@dallasnews.com

For the third straight year, Southwest Airlines Co. carried more passengers than any other U.S. carrier, while American Airlines Inc. carried the most international passengers, the government said Monday.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which released its annual traffic summary for airlines and airports Monday, also said Atlanta Hartsfield remains the nation's busiest airport by a comfortable margin over No. 2 Chicago O'Hare.

Health Care Reform: A Campaign Trail 'What If’

Posted: March 29, 2010 - 6:56pm
By David Hunt

Voters may need a score card to keep track of who said what about whom regarding health care on the Florida campaign trail.
In less than two weeks, there has been a bombardment of news about a lawsuit, whether that lawsuit is legal, whether that lawsuit is a political ploy, whether the people saying it's a political ploy are bad for public office - the list goes on and on.

Healthcare Industry Needs Accountability Before Dollars

Just Bad Patient Care In A System Full Of Errors
I thought about writing about different issues in healthcare that persist today. I even went so far as to send my last posting to a Senator and to Congress. I expect nothing but don't we have a right, an obligation to voice out opinions? Shouldn't each and every individual that breathes and is a citizen standup and demand healthcare change today. After all, we are the recipients of healthcare's services good or bad. I am just another name in the ocean of people that make up our wonderful country.

Will Military Benefits be Affected?

What impact will the health care bill have on TRICARE for retired military personnel?

Peyton Looks to Delay Finding True Cost of Pension

Posted: March 24, 2010 - 4:15pm
By Matt Galnor

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton wants to put off a study that would determine how much the city owes its pension fund - a move that will save the city millions in a tight budget year.

To make the change, Peyton will need a two-thirds vote from the City Council to waive city policy that requires an annual actuarial study. A bill was introduced Tuesday night and a vote is expected next month.

If the city did the study this year, it would without question be on the hook for more than the $30 million it pays to the pensions for all employees except police officers and firefighters, said Mickey Miller, the city's chief financial officer.

New Report: Unions Raise Immigrant Workers’ Wages, Benefits

by James Parks, Mar 26, 2010

Immigrant workers who belong to unions have a large wage and benefit advantage over their nonunion counterparts, according to a new study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).

The report, released yesterday, shows that, on average, joining a union raises immigrants’ wages by 17 percent—about $2 per hour—compared with nonunion immigrant workers. In addition, immigrant workers in unions were much more likely to have health insurance benefits and a pension plan.

UNITEHERE! Calls for Boycott of 7 Hotels

by James Parks, Mar 26, 2010

Fed up with their employer paying off its high debt on the backs of workers, employees of Columbia Sussex Corp. rallied around the country this week and called on customers to boycott seven hotels owned by the company.

In the past few years, workers represented by UNITEHERE! at four hotels owned by Columbia Sussex have been laid off, seen their benefits reduced and their pay frozen and been forced to pay higher health care premiums as the company scrambles to pay off more than $1 billion in debt in securities it borrowed to buy 14 hotels in 2005.

(Publisher Note: See the rest of hotels owned by Columbia Sussex - http://www.columbiasussex.com/cscbybrand.lasso)