ABSTRACT
Global economy has created a culture of outsourcing which benefits large corporations by reducing their labor costs. Corporations contract other companies, or third party vendors, to provide labor and benefits at a lower rate, thus saving the corporation money and improving the return to investors. Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relies on the individual carriers to perform their aircraft maintenance using the certified program, the problem is that with outsourcing the airline has to ensure that every one of its vendors operates properly. Union involvement in commercial aviation maintenance is more important now than ever before. The industry has been faltering economically for many years, and cuts have been made everywhere in order to restore the industry to its former profitability. These cuts have caused maintenance to be outsourced to the lowest bidder. The skilled technicians are supposed to guarantee that the air carrier's maintenance program is followed.
