How The Teamsters Are Helping to Overcome the Aviation Industry Talent Shortage
International Representative for Teamster, Christopher Moore offers his insights on Aviation as an industry. As a leader of the Aviation Mechanics Coalition/Airline Division, Moore discusses the future and growth of unions within the industry with Are We There Yet? host Grant Harrell.
In Recent Studies from Boeing, the prediction for how much people is needed to fill vacancies within aviation mechanics suggests a demand for a hundred and thirty-two thousand new mechanics between now and 2041. Within the past 5 years, the numbers don’t necessarily align with that objective and this is because 30% of that workforce is near retirement. A need for a younger fleet arises, especially with COVID accelerating early-retirement within this sector.
Moore also hints at a the history of aviation drawing a stigma of instability with the 80s, 90s and 911 in what was “a lot of bankruptcies, a lot of people losing faith in it as a career,” said Moore, however we have come a long way since then in terms of “stabilizing the industry and making it a good place to work… wages are more stable, and we’re doing a lot of the right things as far as airlines and employee relations.”
Teamster’s initiatives align with outreach programs and events for students, sponsorships in Aerospace Maintenance Skills Competitions, FAA workforce grants to fully implement a soon-to-be educational program flexibly tailored to high school students and veterans in undeserved communities. In addition, apprenticeship programs for members within airlines, offering an accelerated program to earn their license quicker.
“We work with a lot of different folks… Group of Airlines and schools that teach aircraft maintenance, labor unions, and we all pool together to try and work on how we can help streamline the process for aviation maintenance schools to make it easier for the schools to change curriculum as it’s needed,” said Moore.
From benefits to contract negotiations, legal representation to training and development, Moore and Teamster is on the frontlines of Aviation to continue answering the big question, Are We There Yet? with plausible solutions in union work and talent acquisition.
