Looks like those blue chips will not be loaded on JetBlue aircraft with union labels attached anytime soon.

The IAM’s effort to become the representative for JetBlue’s employees involved in ground operations, provisioning, and other related positions was dismissed by the National Mediation Board today.

The NMB dismissed the petition because the union failed to produce evidence that at least 35% of the eligible employees had supported holding a representational election.

JetBlue remains the largest airline with no union representation of its employees.

Wonders never cease.

The Wall Street Journal (sub required) reports tonight that House and Senate negotiators are close to coming to terms on a new pension bill.

PBB readers know that we have been following the progress, er, lack of progress on this bill since last year.

Negotiations on the bill have been mired in Potomac Muck for months, but last weekend, according to the WSJ,

“A bipartisan bloc of five House and Senate members began drafting a proposed settlement independent of Sen. Michael Enzi (R., Wyo.), the official leader of the talks and chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pension Committee. The unusual process is politically delicate for all involved, but it has had the active support of House Majority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio). “I think we are very close to an agreement,” Mr. Boehner said yesterday. Montana Sen. Max Baucus, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said there’s a “good chance of getting this all wrapped up before the August recess.”

Interesting. And yes, this does sound like a rather unusual way to get the bill put together.

According to the report, “The agreement is also expected to include a break for Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, giving them a period of 20 years to fully fund their pension plans, rather than the seven-year deadline all other companies would face. The agreement would also require a so-called hard freeze of pension benefits for the airlines. AMR Corp.’s American and Continental Airlines would get 10 years to meet their current pension obligations and would also have to freeze new obligations.”

Employees of Northwest and Delta swarmed the Hill this week, trying to cajole, connive, or, as a last resort, break some arms — in an attempt to impress upon legislators not only on the importance of a pension bill — but a pension bill that gives breaks to the airline industry.

It’s hard for me to believe that it has been ten years since TWA Flight 800 went down over Long Island Sound. I was living in New York then, and I remember how hot that evening was. And I still remember the sickening feeling when I turned on the television and saw the first reports of the crash.

I remember thinking at the time, “It was just out there — in the sky” — not too far from where I was — as I stood and listened to the drone of the newscasts.

Terrible night. Terrible, terrible night.

Not much of a surprise here, as today — the day Northwest would have been given the right to impose terms on the flight attendant union — both sides announced that a tentative agreement has been reached.

Apparently both sides negotiated all night, with a deal being hammered out this morning.

There are no details out yet about the deal, except that it does provide for a quick vote by the flight attendant membership.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Gregory Kishel told Mesaba Airlines today that it can throw out its contracts with its three major labor unions.

The judge also said that Mesaba must give the unions 10 days notice if it intends to do so. This will allow both sides one final chance to come to terms on new contracts.

I would expect that we will hear shortly that Mesaba has indeed given notice they intend to reject the contracts.