Henry J. “Hank” Breen, Founder and First Director of Airline Division, Passes Away

Henry J. “Hank” Breen, the first Director of the Airline Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, passed away after a prolonged illness on June 30, 2013 in San Francisco. He was 87.

Appointed by Teamsters General President James R. Hoffa, he assumed the position of Airline Division Director in 1961 at a time when the air cargo industry was largely unrepresented within an industry represented by other unions in the passenger airline industry.

Breen was a flight engineer; a key cockpit crewmember position in a time when radial engines with multiple banks of cylinders, compound turbo superchargers and constant speed propellers ruled the day. A flight engineer wasn’t just a technician and mechanical genius with a tremendous wealth of knowledge and ability; he was an artist who managed incredibly complex systems and made constant calculations on everything from fuel loads to hydraulic system pressures, weight and balance to density altitude and manifold pressures, mixing this and tweaking that, while providing the pilots the information they needed to operate the aircraft safely.

The coming of the jet age brought more complexity and opportunity; where flight engineers were still needed and their skills were in demand, made it only logical that President Hoffa would appoint Breen to form the new Airline Division. A member of, and at the time; General Secretary of the Flight Engineers International Association (FEIA); the union representing flight engineers, Breen had the talents, ability and credibility to build a new Division where there was none. Working with President Hoffa’s Executive Administrator Harold Gibbons, they implemented a structure for the new Division.

Hank realized early on that the Teamsters had a unique advantage over other unions in the burgeoning airline industry. The structure of the Teamsters; with representation in every city in the U.S. that had passenger and cargo service, meant that the technical resources needed; research, legal and other disciplines, were already in place. This gave him a tremendous advantage over managements who could spend resources to defeat smaller or upstart unions. Hank understood better than many the abilities of the Teamsters and how the union could benefit working men and women in the industry. This proved to be the turning point in getting the Airline Division up and off the ground. His innovative leadership led to the Teamsters representing all classes and crafts within a very short period of time.

Doing so wasn’t without difficulty, especially with pilots. The cockpit was a jealously guarded place and as the transition from piston engines to jets began and modern technology began to shrink the workload of flight engineers; pilots lobbied hard for those positions to be manned by licensed pilots who functioned as engineers, but were now classified as “Second Officers” and would move up the seniority lists as opposed to flight engineers who held a specific license, but may not have been pilots. The battle for the “third pilot” went on for many years. Today, computers and automation have completely eliminated the job.

Breen’s vision of the future even then was very telling. During a time when flying and airlines were strictly regulated by the CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board), Breen accurately predicted that the fastest growing sector in aviation would be the air cargo industry. By focusing on that, he was able to reach out and bring all air cargo carriers in the U.S. into the Teamsters and laid the foundation for a Division that continues to grow today and now has representation across the industry; from stock clerks to pilots, flight attendants to customer service agents, mechanics and technicians to baggage handlers and fuelers. Hank Breen’s vision of the future set a standard that embodies the Teamster spirit.

One of the first groups he brought into the Division was the flight attendants of the storied Flying Tigers line; and where he met the love of his life Marilyn, became the Council Chairperson for the flight attendants. Shortly following them were the Western Airlines mechanics, Flying Tigers Flight Engineers and Los Angeles Airways mechanics and the Bonanza Airlines mechanics.

While each of these carriers was under the RLA, possibly one of the most notable feats of Breen’s tenure was organizing Aerospacelines. Known for operating the unusual looking “Guppy” series of converted Boeing Stratocruisers that were used to transport rockets and missiles; they were under the NLRA with their only customer, the US government.

After his retirement as Division Director, he continued to serve the membership and union when he was appointed Airline Division Coordinator by Harold Gibbons. With his wife Marilyn, they were able to devote time to their passions of family and traveling the world. One of his happiest moments in life before his passing away was his opportunity to meet and welcome his great-grandson Sean into the world.

“Hank was a once in a lifetime man,” said longtime friend and fellow former Airline Division Director Marvin Griswold. “His passion, devotion and dedication to the Teamsters, the Airline Division and the membership never ceased. I am fortunate to have known him as a fellow Teamster, and most of all as a dear friend. He will be missed by all who knew him and whose path he crossed.”

“Hank Breen set the standard for the Airline Division and built a tradition and legacy that is impossible to match,” said Airline Division Director David Bourne. “His vision for what the airline industry would be and what could be attained is something no one else in the history of the airline industry could see. He cast a great shadow and we are constantly reminded of that every day as we strive to continue his legacy.”

“On behalf of myself and the men and women of the Airline Division, I want to extend our condolences to his wife and family on Hanks loss. He truly was a visionary and trade unionist to the core who will be sorely missed,” he concluded. 

Henry J. “Hank” Breen is survived by his wife Marilyn, two sons; Kevin and Kerry, two grandchildren and his great grandson. His son Kenneth preceded him in death.

NetJets Technicians and Related

The Negotiating Committee for NetJets Technicians and Related met with the Company on August 20^th and 21^st. The parties discussed Article 8- (Grievance Procedure), with the Company initiating discussions regarding the Unions last proposal. The Union and the Company were able to reach a Tentative Agreement on Article 4 – (Union Security, Check Off and D.R.I.V.E.)

The Union also provided the Company with proposals on Article’s 12 – (Jury Duty), 13 – (Funeral Leave) and 23 – (Moving Expenses).

The committee also met on August 18^th and 19^th to develop and finalize Articles 19 – (Safety and Health), 34 – (Prisoner or Hostage) and 35 – (Tuition Assistance Policy).

The Union and the Company will be in discussions the week of August 25^th to set dates for the next round of talks.

Division Director Meets with Allegiant Pilots, Dispatchers

Airline Division Director David Bourne met this past week with both the pilots and flight dispatchers of Allegiant Airlines at their home base in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both groups; who recently voted to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, are now in talks with management for their first ever collective bargaining agreements.

“It was a pleasure to meet with such dedicated pilots and dispatchers,” said Bourne. “Both groups showed a very high level of focus and commitment during their respective election campaigns and we are very proud to have them as members of the Airline Division.

The pilots and flight dispatcher understand as we do, that achieving a first contract is sometimes a tenuous but critical process. We understand the task at hand and are committed to the members. We hope that Allegiant Airlines management will realize the value of agreements that are satisfactory to members and management, that recognize and respect the tremendous level of dedication these employees bring to the company,” he concluded.

Move to Block Merger Brings End to Representational Campaign at American Airlines

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has announced an end to the year-long campaign to represent aircraft mechanics and related personnel at American Airlines. The following is a statement by Teamsters spokesman Bret Caldwell:

“The Teamsters Union has determined that the recent announcement that the federal government will fight the proposed merger between US Airways and American Airlines places the workers at American Airlines in significant turmoil. American Airlines’ emergence from bankruptcy has been cast into doubt and the union has determined that the continued conflict between labor organizations is not in the best interest of the workers. This is not a time for workers to fight among themselves.

More than 6,000 American Airlines mechanics and related personnel signed cards to make the Teamsters their bargaining representative. The Teamsters want to thank those men and women for joining us in the fight to improve their wages and working conditions. As the largest union of airline mechanics and related personnel in the nation, the Teamsters will continue to set the standard for good wages, strong benefits, real job security and workplace dignity in this industry.”

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