Sep 1, 2017 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
After the fallout from the Company’s letter on Friday August 24th, the Executive Negotiating Committee met face to face with American Airlines this week in Washington DC. The ghost negotiators from the Company that were invited to join the talks did not show up. The Association is taking the high road and looking to secure an industry leading contract for our members and did not stoop to the pathetic approach that the Company took last week in trying to negotiate on the shop floor. Instead your Committee arrived ready to continue negotiations in an effort to produce the industry leading agreement you are entitled to.
The Executive Committee and the Company were able to reach tentative agreements on Status of Agreement for all groups, MCT Sick Leave, and have narrowed the issues for the groups in the Classifications and Qualifications articles. Additionally, an agreement was reached for initial aircraft inspections for the maintenance bases. The Negotiating Committee continues to review/modify contract language and give their recommendations to the Executive Committee.
The contractually agreed to Association wage increases due on September 12th, will be provided to all Mechanic & Related, Stores, Maintenance Training Specialists, and Fleet Service members.
The Committee sincerely thanks the membership for their continued support and showing of solidarity during this critical phase of negotiations!
Negotiations are scheduled to resume on the following weeks: September 11th Dallas/Fort Worth, October 2nd Washington DC, October 16th New York City. Your Committee is ready and willing to meet anytime – anywhere with the Company to bring you the Industry Leading contract you deserve.
Fraternally,
Mechanic and Related/Stores Committee:
Jason Best, Mike Bush, Ken Coley, John Coveny
Dale Danker, Mark Huffman, Bennie Martino, Gary Peterson
Rollie Reaves, Sean Ryan, Jay Sleeman, Mark Strength
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Aug 25, 2017 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Dear Association member,
In an internal communication to TWU-IAM Association members at American Airlines, Kerry Philipovitch and David Seymour—American executives who have not attended one negotiating session—claim the Association is dragging its feet in responding to American’s “comprehensive” proposal. FALSE! Association executive level negotiators told American negotiators that their comprehensive proposal belongs in the garbage. It is an insult to the membership and doesn’t deserve any further response.
Accurate information is important. The company’s “comprehensive” proposal does the following:
- Outsources work and eliminates jobs
- Maintains legacy American’s high cost health care
- Includes insulting wage rates that are not industry-leading
- Eliminates pensions and shifts risk to workers
Their “comprehensive” proposal was also riddled with basic mistakes including significant errors in wage scales and retirement language. The negotiators that sold Manhattan to the Dutch for $24 were better prepared.
We invite these ghost negotiators, Kerry and David, to show up at our next negotiating session so we can give them the personal response they deserve. And American’s entire negotiating team is welcome to attend one of the collective bargaining training sessions at the IAM’s Winpisinger Center. Maybe then they will develop the skill set required to bargain a fair contract that Association members deserve.
The “comprehensive” proposal is akin to a bribe and a bad one at that. Association represented workers will not be fooled. American Airlines is the most profitable carrier in the industry and American Airlines’ Association workers deserve a truly industry-leading contract.
Fraternally,
On behalf of the TWU/IAM Association,
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Aug 18, 2017 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
The Executive Negotiating Committee met face to face with American Airlines this week in Washington DC. Negotiations centered around the Fleet Service group and good progress was made working through outstanding language issues.
The Mechanic & Related/Stores Committee met internally for important discussions regarding the seniority article and they are pleased to report that significant and positive progress was made working through those complicated remaining issues. Our attention in the next scheduled negotiation will be on the Mechanic & Related/Stores open issues to sync us up to the progress made with Fleet language.
The entire negotiating team looks forward to using the solidarity of our 30,000 Association Members as we move into the more serious economic and scope discussions with the company in the near future.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume on the following week: August 28th.
Fraternally,
Fleet Negotiating Committee:
Mark Baskett, William Fa, Mike Fairbanks, Tim Hughes
Steve Miller, Tim Murphy, Pat Rezler, Art Risley
Andre Sutton, Rodney Walker, Bill Wilson
Mechanic and Related/Stores Committee:
Jason Best, Mike Bush, Ken Coley, John Coveny
Dale Danker, Mark Huffman, Bennie Martino, Gary Peterson
Rollie Reaves, Sean Ryan, Jay Sleeman, Mark Strength
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Jul 28, 2017 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
The Executive Negotiating Committee informed American Airlines they would not meet face to face with the company this week while in Washington D.C. Your negotiating committees continued to evaluate the proposal presented last week and worked on crafting language to respond to this woefully inadequate company document that is far from industry leading.
It is becoming abundantly clear that the Members’ feeling of disgust towards American Airlines is growing. Your committees greatly appreciate your support this and every week. Your continued support is needed to bring you the industry leading contract you deserve!
Negotiations are scheduled to resume on the following weeks: August 14th and August 28th.
Fraternally,
Fleet Negotiating Committee:
Mark Baskett, William Fa, Mike Fairbanks, Tim Hughes
Steve Miller, Tim Murphy, Pat Rezler, Art Risley
Andre Sutton, Rodney Walker, Bill Wilson
Mechanic and Related/Stores Committee:
Jason Best, Mike Bush, Ken Coley, John Coveny
Dale Danker, Mark Huffman, Bennie Martino, Gary Peterson
Rollie Reaves, Sean Ryan, Jay Sleeman, Mark Strength
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Jul 21, 2017 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
The Executive Negotiating Committee met with American Airlines the week of July 17th, in Washington D.C. On the afternoon of July 19th, American Airlines presented their initial proposal covering the remaining articles to your Executive Committee. Upon initial review, the company’s proposal is inadequate and falls far short in providing the contract you deserve. After a year and a half of negotiations with the Company, we are extremely disappointed.
Your negotiating committees have begun the process of evaluating this proposal and remain fully committed to delivering the best contract in the industry on American Airlines.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume on the following weeks: July 24th, August 14th and August 28th.
Fraternally,
Fleet Negotiating Committee:
Mark Baskett, William Fa, Mike Fairbanks, Tim Hughes
Steve Miller, Tim Murphy, Pat Rezler, Art Risley
Andre Sutton, Rodney Walker, Bill Wilson
Mechanic and Related/Stores Committee:
Jason Best, Mike Bush, Ken Coley, John Coveny
Dale Danker, Mark Huffman, Bennie Martino, Gary Peterson
Rollie Reaves, Sean Ryan, Jay Sleeman, Mark Strength
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Jun 16, 2017 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association |
Brothers & Sisters,
The Negotiating Committee met with American Airlines the week of June 12th, in Washington D.C. and continued negotiations on Classifications for M&R, and Promotions & Transfers, Recall, and Reduction in Force for Fleet Service among other contractual provisions. The Executive Committee was unable to reach full tentative agreements; however, progress was made in several areas, and language was agreed to in principle.
The Executive Committee, the M&R and Fleet Service Negotiating Committees continues to discuss open issues for the Articles, and why we are unable to reach tentative agreements on them. It is both disappointing and frustrating that the Company continues to make proposals that contain concessionary language that the Committees cannot accept; even when we provide counterproposals that American cannot disprove would meet their needs of service. While we all agree that progress is slowly being made, the Company still believes that we will make concessions just to reach an Agreement, which will never happen. We all want an expeditious end to negotiations, but we are not willing to simply bring back a substandard contract to get there. Our members deserve the best in the industry. Management has promised that, and so far they have failed to live up to their words.
We are all becoming more frustrated as these weeks go by, because the contract language that the Company has promised and committed to, has yet to fully materialize. The only way these negotiations will be expedited is if American Airlines management actually shows the commitment at the bargaining table they have continually promised to us; that is the industry’s best contracts for their employees.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume on the following weeks: July 17th & July 24th in Washington, DC.
Fraternally,
Fleet Negotiating Committee:
Mark Baskett, William Fa, Mike Fairbanks, Tim Hughes
Steve Miller, Tim Murphy, Pat Rezler, Art Risley
Andre Sutton, Rodney Walker, Bill Wilson
Mechanic and Related/Stores Committee:
Jason Best, Mike Bush, Ken Coley, John Coveny
Dale Danker, Mark Huffman, Bennie Martino, Gary Peterson
Rollie Reaves, Sean Ryan, Jay Sleeman, Mark Strength
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