Embry-Riddle Flight Instructors Sign Contract
Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 28, 1999 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have reached an agreement on a labor contract for flight instructors at the university's Daytona Beach, Fla., campus. The three-year contract affects approximately 80 hourly-paid, full-time and part-time instructor pilots.
"We're very satisfied with this outcome and with the positive effort and conduct of our flight instructors during the bargaining process," said Thomas J. Connolly, interim chancellor for the Daytona Beach campus. "We're also pleased we were able to maintain full flight operations during negotiations, which began last February."
"Over the past several years, Embry-Riddle's flight instructors had
lagged behind changing market conditions affecting compensation," Connolly said. "This agreement gives our professional flight instructors a very competitive compensation package and positions our flight program well for the future. We will continue working together to serve our students and exceed their expectations."
The agreement complements Embry-Riddle's successful resolution, with Cessna and Lycoming, of recent aircraft performance problems that forced it to ground many of the Daytona Beach campus's new aircraft. Last month, the university instituted new maintenance procedures and approved modifications. All 53 Cessnas at the Daytona Beach campus are now back in operation. This problem did not affect Embry-Riddle's Prescott, Ariz., campus, which uses the Cessna 172S aircraft.
The university still faces a shortage of instructor pilots, who are being recruited aggressively by the airlines. The competitive pay-and-benefits package now in place at both campuses exceeds the industry average and is expected to attract qualified instructors from around the world.
Flight training for Daytona Beach campus freshmen, which had been postponed one semester, is on schedule for the spring semester.
Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Degree programs through the master's level are offered at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 100 teaching sites in the U.S. and Europe, and through independent study and distance education.
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