Story ID: 
NetJets Mechanics Picket at NBAA 
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Members of the Teamsters union that represents mechanics, aircraft fuelers and other support personnel conducted what they called "informational picke
Word Count: 177
Members of the Teamsters union that represents mechanics, aircraft fuelers and other support personnel conducted what they called "informational picketing" at the NBAA Convention this week and elsewhere against their employer, fractional provider NetJets. "The business jet and fractional ownership community needs to know NetJets is outsourcing mechanics jobs and defending its actions by comparing our superior wages and benefits to those of lower paid, non-union mechanics," said union official Chad Morrison. "Cheaper is not necessarily better when it comes to aircraft mechanics." The Teamsters and NetJets have also been unable to reach agreements on wages, working conditions and health insurance. But NetJets' "insistence on using cheaper, non-union mechanics is at the core of the contract dispute," said Local 284 president Allen Price. A NetJets spokeswoman told AIN, "We are currently in negotiations with our maintenance and related group and are in the process of presenting them an offer that we believe is very fair. At this time we prefer not to comment further as we are still in negotiations." The contract became renewable in January last year.