Jan 29, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, The Association
January 29, 2020
Negotiations Update
Sisters and Brothers,
Negotiations between the Association and American Airlines resumed today in Washington, DC. with some progress made. The remaining outstanding issues are few, but are some of the most important elements of a collective bargaining agreement, including wages and job scope language.
The parties will continue negotiations tomorrow, and the membership will be updated as developments occur. Your solidarity has brought us close to an agreement, and your committee thanks you as we try to conclude these negotiations.
Please Post on All TWU – IAM Bulletin Boards.
Printable Version >>
Jan 28, 2020 | Airlines, American, Featured, Hawaiian, Home, Organizing, Philippine, Safety, Spirit, Uncategorized, United
2020 Novel Coronavirus Update
Concerns centered on Coronavirus are very much on our minds, especially as we work with the traveling public and provide cleaning and maintenance on our aircraft. Members of the IAM Joint Air Transport Safety Committee have been very involved in these issues that concern the varied jobs that our members perform.
We have participated in conference calls with our respective airlines that have included the Medical, Safety, Emergency Preparedness, and operating departments to discuss the adequacy of current policies and procedures.
JATSC members are also sharing information with other aviation union affiliates of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department along with principles and senior officials from agencies charged with aviation safety, health and security about a coordinated response to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
JATSC members will continue to participate in these discussions, providing input concerning our member’s protection.
As this issue continues to unfold we will likely learn more about this virus and how to effectively protect ourselves, but there are some basic precautions that you should take:
- Know and understand your company’s policy on protection from the virus and follow the policies. Don’t take short cuts.
- Good personal hygiene is also very important. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. The use of hand sanitizers (60% or more of alcohol) can be used when water is not readily available. It is always a good idea to wash your hands for 20 seconds as soon as the water is available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Use the proper disinfectant that is approved for use on the aircraft or ground facilities and follow the directions as most disinfectants require a dwell time on the surfaces to be effective prior to wiping off.
Make sure that you are aware of any bulletins, alerts, or protocols that your employer has communicated concerning the Coronavirus. The CDC (Center for Disease Control), OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) all have a lot of current info on the virus as well. Take a few moments to review:
U.S. Department of Labor/Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 2019 Novel Coronavirus Webpage.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2019 Novel Coronavirus Webpage.
Recording Secretaries: please post on all IAMAW Bulletin Boards
[gdlr_stunning_text background_color=”#f3f3f3″ button=”Download PDF” button_link=”https://iam141.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/JATSC-Statement-on-Coronavirus.pdf” button_background=”#184ab9″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#0d2a6b” title=”Printable Version” title_color=”#184ab9″ caption_color=”#a0a0a0″]Please Post on Bulletin Boards[/gdlr_stunning_text]
Jan 20, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, The Association, Uncategorized
January 20, 2020
NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Sisters and Brothers,
Talks continue by phone between the Association Leadership and
American Airlines in reaching a JCBA. As such, we wanted to update
the membership and dispel any false narratives, speculation, or rumors
some may be spreading.
We are set to meet again with the NMB on Wednesday, January 29,
2020 at 10:00 AM through the close of business on Friday, January 31,
2020. We are hopeful these dates with the NMB will not be necessary,
however, if needed they will be utilized.
Further information will be provided as it becomes available.
Get Printable Version>>
Jan 18, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, Safety
Union safety inspectors and company representatives conducted a safety walk-through audit last week at Sea-Tac airport in Seattle. The exercise was sponsored by Local 1351 and the unionized workers at American Airlines.
The planned safety audit was joined by company partners from American Airlines’ Absence Management, the department that studies injuries and workplace dangers. Overseeing the inspections was Tony D’Aloiso, Safety Director at District 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, as well as Systems Safety Expert, Thomas Merrick from Transport Workers Union Local 539.
Airlines and their unionized employees can often adopt an adversarial stance towards one another, particularly during contract negotiations. However, when it comes to airline safety, both sides agree that strong partnerships are in the best interest of everyone involved. Passengers, investors, management and front-line workers alike all benefit from a strong safety culture.
“Today we had corporate and our union guys here, doing a safety audit (and) working together, and that’s our big thing right now,” said Pam Flaherty, a Safety Rep from IAMAW Local 1351, which is based in Seattle.
Jan 9, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, Uncategorized, Video
After 18 years as president of Local 1776, Rich Howell handed the gavel to Larry Reeves, the newly elected president of the local, at a moving ceremony in Philadelphia last week.
Howell’s family, and Obie O’Brien, President of the Pennsylvania State Council of Machinists who served as Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1776 for 45 years and is a mentor to Howell and other members of the local were also present.
Local 1776 was named after O’Brien in 2015 in recognition of his work and dedication to workers in the Philadelphia area.
The “Rich Howell Wall of Leadership” was unveiled at the meeting. The names of Howell and Reeves, the youngest person and first African-American to serve as president of Local 1776 were installed on the display. Gil Simmons, who initiated in Local 1776 and rose to leadership positions in the local and District 141 and was recently appointed Special Representative in the Transportation Territory, was also honored on the wall.
Dec 13, 2019 | Airlines, American, Departments, Featured, Home, Organizing, The Association
Sisters and Brothers,
Over the past several weeks, the Association, the NMB and American Airlines have been working to reach the tentative agreement our members have been promised and rightfully deserve. As most of you know, we also agreed to limit communications in a manner that would not create more rumor or inuendo from either side.
Management Negotiators are frequently absent from these negotiations which was the primary reason for not continuing face-to-face negotiations this week. We also had requested that the NMB allow us to negotiate the week of Thanksgiving, but the Company Negotiators passed on that opportunity as well. We have yet to see Robert Isom or Doug Parker, who we believe are calling the shots from Texas, engage in any negotiating session since the day negotiations started.
With that said, we felt it was imperative at this point to provide a fact-based update to our members about some of the key items that remain open. Below represents a few of the outrageous items Management Negotiators have not provided acceptable solutions to. Please keep in mind that while you may not see an issue listed, others are open, and we cannot agree to a Tentative Agreement until they are all resolved.
Compensation: Management negotiators have walked backwards from their previous public statements and are now only offering the Pay of Delta or Southwest, and with managements 2% out year raises, our members will fall behind in pay once again. This is something CEO Parker has stated would not happen.
Retro Pay: Company Negotiators have flat out insulted our members with their demand for a zero retro payout and have offered a “bonus” that will not cover the missing payday loan they are asking of nearly three quarters of the Association Membership. Remember, retro is a one-time payment to our members for the labor we provide that earns billions of dollars for this company. Our retro pay is no different than management’s stock buy backs of 3.8 billion in 2015, $4.5 billion in 2016, $1.4 billion in 2017 and $2 billion in 2018, except it is in the millions – NOT BILLIONS!
Payroll System: Management is also demanding our members who aren’t paid two weeks in arrears agree to a self-funded Company payday loan demand, so they can switch payroll systems. Obviously, we are fighting this demand since they must pay members weekly by law in some locations. We know the system will accommodate the way our members are currently paid, it just takes more effort on Management’s part to do. Management Negotiators have not offered any other solution to their payroll problem, other than demand our members accept the change to two weeks’ pay in arrears. Just this past week, they made another insulting attempt to convince us the switch was not as bad as we say. Later, Management finally admitted they are demanding TWU members, who are paid biweekly, would be funding an 80 hour payday loan to themselves in order for American to make the payroll change.
Scope Protection: We also remain apart on Scope Protection for our members. Management Negotiators continue to make demands that we accept their proposal that we do significantly less work in the future than we do today. These open items are Scope provisions that we currently have, and are fighting to protect, not additional items.
Vacation: Finally, we are so significantly apart on Vacation that every member should be disgusted with how American views us compared to Management. Their proposal insults all of us by demanding a 5th week of vacation at 25 years and a 6th week of vacation at 30 years, even though management enjoys a 5th week of vacation at 17 years “right now.” Our members have earned the 6th week of vacation at 25 years through the sacrifices made in the work we do.
We are in ongoing discussions with the NMB to solidify additional days and continue negotiations in person or by phone. We remain willing to meet anytime and anywhere, for as long as it is necessary, to achieve the long overdue JCBA our members deserve.
