Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Monday, September 2, 1996
Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Monday, September 2, 1996
Chambrella, a city bus driver for 35 years, ran unsuccessfully seven times over 20 years for president of Local 996 before he was finally elected in October 1994.
Chambrella prevailed over incumbent president Harold DeCosta and two other opponents by nearly 200 votes in the race that drew 2,559 votes.
Describing himself as a rank-and-file man, Chambrella said he never gave up because the felt the old leadership wasn't doing the job.
The local represents some 6,000 bus drivers, tour drivers and hospital workers.
The teamsters board was to meet later today to determine who will succeed Chambrella.
A hearing for preliminary approval of the settlement has been scheduled for tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, the Star Tribune reported over the weekend. Officials for Continental declined comment, as did the lead attorney representing the travel agents.
TWA was the first to settle the class-action lawsuit, which was filed last year on behalf of 33,000 agents, including some in Hawaii, after the airlines capped commissions on domestic tickets at $25 one-way and $50 round-trip. Agents typically had received 10 percent of the ticket price.
The lawsuit accuses the airlines of conspiring to set commissions at artificially low levels, then announcing the limits at different times to give the impression that they were acting independently.
Remaining as defendants in the lawsuit are American, Delta, Northwest, United and USAir airlines.
Boeing's new orders are from airlines in Europe and from leasing companies in the United States and Australia. Among the orders, British Airways Plc plans to buy four 747-400s, three 777-200s and three 757-200s. Ansett Worldwide, an Australian leasing company, plans to buy 10 737-700s, six 737-300s, and 9 767-300s.
In Tokyo, the 225-issue Nikkei index lost 59.79 points, or 0.30 percent, to close at 20,107.11. Bourses in Singapore and Bangkok also fell.