Largest Airline Union Adds Orlando Fuelers, Looks To American Talks

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has successfully organized aircraft fuelers and mechanics at Orlando International Airport, employed by Menzies, after the company voluntarily recognized the union. This move is part of TWU's aggressive recruitment drive, making it one of the fastest-growing unions with 165,000 members. The success follows TWU's organization of PrimeFlight fuelers at OIA last year, which resulted in a 15% pay raise and improved benefits, inspiring Menzies workers. Contract talks with Menzies are yet to be scheduled. TWU President John Samuelsen highlighted recent gains of 400 new members and anticipated growth from an airline merger, underscoring the union's expanding influence across various sectors.

The fast-growing Transport Workers Union has organized Orlando International Airport aircraft fuelers and mechanics, as employer Menzies voluntarily recognized the union.

TWU President John Samuelsen said the recognition is the latest move in the union’s drive to recruit members. TWU is the largest union in the airline industry with about airline 80,000 members. It is also among the country’s fastest growing unions, with about 165,000 members, up from about 130,000 in 2017, when Samuelsen took office as international president.

London-based Menzies is the world’s largest aviation services provider. The company was not immediately available to comment. Menzies and PrimeFlight, a Texas-based aviation support company, both provide contract fueling operations for major airlines in Orlando. Menzies

“We organized PrimeFlight fuelers a year ago and we got a contract almost right away,” Samuelsen said Wednesday in an interview. “They spoke to the Menzies fuelers about the solid victory we achieved and one thing led to another.” PrimeFlight fuelers got a 15% pay raise, vacation pay and guaranteed sick time, TWU said.

Contract talks with Menzies have not yet been scheduled. “We will continue to chip away as best we can and get a pay increase at Menzies,” Samuelsen said.

The work groups are relatively small. Menzies has about 60 fuelers and mechanics in Orlando, while PrimeFlight is slightly larger.

However, Samuelsen noted that in the past week alone, TWU has gained nearly 400 members, with successful organizing drives for 220 municipal workers in Brick Township, NJ and for about 60 New York City diesel mechanics.

TWU is also poised to gain about 1,000 flight attendants in the Allegiant/Sun Country merger. It already represents the 2,000 Allegiant flight attendants, as well as 23,000 flight attendants at Southwest; 7,000 flight attendants at JetBlue and several hundred at Atlas Air.

TWU is best known for its representation of 40,000 New York City subway workers and for its leadership of American Airlines’ 30,000 fleet workers and mechanics, who are jointly represented with the International Association of Machinists. About 18,000 are fleet service. Their contract talks “are in a very preliminary stage,” Samuelsen said. “We’re prepping for the next round, which will kick off in January.”