Oct 7, 2019 | Airlines, American, Departments, Hawaiian, Home, Philippine, Safety, Spirit, United
Machinists Union members at IAH are rallying around a critically injured ramp agent who many know as a humble and hard-working friend.
Ulysses Cruz was severely injured by an Allied Aviation van, according to officers of the International Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union in Houston.
Cruz was struck as he was wing-walking an aircraft from the gate on the morning of September 7.
Witnesses say that Cruz’s actions may have prevented the van from crashing into the aircraft.
Surveillance video shows Cruz spotting the approaching van, raising his wands to alert the driver about the moving aircraft, and then bracing himself just before being hit. Safety experts who have reviewed the footage say that Cruz had only a split second to react after seeing the van. Had the van continued past Cruz, it may have collided with the departing aircraft, potentially resulting in a larger incident. The van’s impact knocked Cruz about 15 feet back onto the concrete, causing extensive injuries.
According to witnesses and security videos, Cruz was positioned correctly at the rear of the plane as it began to push away from the gate when he was struck. Witnesses and video of the event indicate that the vehicle may have been traveling above the posted speed limit, giving Cruz very little time to react.
Coworkers at IAH who know Cruz were not surprised that he would instinctively place the safety of others before his own. “I believe he thought that his first job was to protect the people on that plane,” said Local 811 Committeeman Bruno Pereira, who was working at the Control Center at the time of the accident. “That’s the person Uly is. He would have tried to protect his passengers and the driver of that van,” adding that Cruz might not have been able to avoid injury, even if he wanted to.
The driver of the van, whose identity has not been released, said the morning sunlight blinded him just before the accident. He is a lead agent with Allied, an aircraft fueling contractor for United Airlines. Sources at the company said that he is an experienced lead agent with over 40 years of service. Charges have not been filed against him.
Cruz, a native of Guam, transferred to Houston seeking more secure work at the IAH hub. The move was risky, but friends say Cruz was willing to “sleep in his van” to make it work. He eventually gained a full-time position and made his home in Houston. He also built a reputation as a hard-working and modest coworker. “His paycheck would all go to his family. I never see him wearing expensive clothes or jewelry or have the latest gadgets,” said Simi Edwards, a friend of Cruz’s for 22 years.
Cruz has been unable to return to work and faces urgent and possibly long-term medical needs because of the accident. His coworkers are collecting donations to help cover expenses that his family is incurring while he recovers.
The Cruz family has asked for privacy throughout the ordeal. Those wishing to make donations or send their good wishes to the family may do so on the IAM Houston BTW Facebook Page.
This summer has been particularly dangerous for airline ramp workers. In August, an agent in Charlotte, North Carolina, died when the tug he was driving flipped over, pinning him underneath. The same week, another ramp agent was killed at JFK airport while working short-handed at Delta. In that incident, the tug he was operating shifted into gear as he was connecting carts, crushing him.
The District 141 Ground and Flight Safety Committee works to promote a safety culture within our members at every airline. More information and links to educational and reporting tools are available at https://iam141.org/safety/ and UnionSafe141.org.
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Sep 30, 2019 | Airlines, American, Departments, Featured, Hawaiian, Home, MNPL, Philippine, Spirit, United
District 141 Legislative and MNPL Director Dave Roderick introduced the first MNPL 141 Club Awards to union activists who support legislation and public advocacy that improves workplaces in the airline industry.
The awards were presented on the second day of the 2019 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 141 Committee Conference, held this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Among those honored were airline workers from Charlotte, North Carolina, who raised more than $9,000 in voluntary donations for the Machinists Union’s legislative and political work. Victory Lodge 1725 was also recognized earlier this month by the North Carolina AFL-CIO with the PR Latta Award for its outstanding advocacy on behalf of American Airlines workers.
Representatives of Charlotte Local 1725 and 141 MNPL
President Craig Vanderhoof accepted the award alongside representatives from Victory Lodge 1725 and Assistant General Chairs Mike Baskett and Mike Fairbanks.
The awards ceremony was one of the highlights of the conference, which assembles unionized airline workers from 5 airlines. Delegates at the conference represent more than 40 thousand current and retired airline workers affiliated with the Machinists Union.
The annual Committee Conference is an opportunity for elected union representatives to share ideas, network, and debate the priorities of airline workers in the United States.
Also honored at the conference was Denver Local 1886, which raised nearly $16 thousand for the political fund. Local 1886 MNPL Chairman Jim Stellini, Instructor Mark Chavez, District 141 Special Rep Terri Crandall and AGC Richie Robinson accepted the award on behalf of the members.
Representatives from Denver Local 1487
Top honors went to Chicago’s Local 1487, which raised $26,600 last year. Among those present to receive the award were Chicago Committee Chairman Craig Krzewina and Recording Secretary Greg Klewjewski, and District 141 Assistant General Chairs Mike Quartuccio and Laura Stone.
Overall, members of District 141 contributed $133,000 to the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League in 2018.
Representatives of Chicago Local 1487
The Machinists Union was instrumental in pushing lawmakers to adopt stronger protections for airline customer service agents, longer rest periods for flight attendants, better in-flight security, and critical pension protections for airline workers. MNPL donations also support legislative work that succeeded in preventing air carriers from considering household credit scores when making employment decisions. Other public policy concerns included stopping proposed policies to force airport workers to stand in TSA Security lines instead of using employee entrances as they go to work each day.
The Machinists Non-Partisan Political League is funded entirely through voluntary donations from members of the IAM and their families. No union dues are used for campaign contributions or political lobbying work. To become a contributing member of the IAM141 MNPL, visit IAM141.org/MNPL and sign up to make a recurring donation of any amount.
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Sep 30, 2019 | Airlines, American, Hawaiian, Home, Philippine, Spirit, United
Airline workers with IAMAW District 141 are gathered in Las Vegas for the 2019 Committee Conference. Each year, the conference brings together elected union leadership from airports around the nation to network, share information, and celebrate the successes of the Machinists Union in commercial aviation.
This year the focus is on growing the union, both in terms of membership and industry impact. District 141 organizers and activists are leading two of the largest union organizing campaigns in the United States, at Delta and JetBlue Airlines.
Persistent advocacy and organizing from Machinists Union members have improved wages, working conditions and safety at all airlines – including non-union carriers like Delta and JetBlue.
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Sep 20, 2019 | Airlines, American, Departments, Hawaiian, Home, Philippine, Safety, Spirit, United
Flash flooding from Tropical Storm Imelda hammered the Houston area this week, causing over 900 flight delays and cancellations at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The historic storm stranded thousands of passengers and employees for hours.
Motorists trapped by rising floodwaters near IAH airport in Houston finding higher ground under a bridge.
Airport officials grounded all flights into IAH by mid-afternoon on Thursday, after continuous heavy lightning prompted an hours-long closure of ground operations earlier. By late afternoon, all roads surrounding the airport were impassable due to flooding.
According to the IAH Twitter account, most flights departed with delays of up to 50 minutes. Houston-bound travelers, however, were stuck at airports until the flooding that surrounded Bush Intercontinental subsided.
Airline and airport employees, including over 1500 ramp and gate agents at United Airlines, were unable to leave.
At noon, authorities reported that cars parked in the airport’s parking lots were safe; floodwaters had not breached the daily or hourly parking areas. Those with family members trapped at the airport got assurances that their loved ones were also safe. Many restaurants remained open, and the airport never lost electrical power.
Union officials with Machinists Union Local Lodges 811 and 2198 reported that the airport would cease most operations into Friday. However, the airport would not be closed and a few arrivals would resume as soon as conditions improved.
The storm brought an estimated 45 inches of rain to the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast by Friday. Floods, rain and lightning forced at least 650 flights at IAH to be cancelled, with another 230 delays on Thursday. Friday saw another 350 cancellations and 84 delays, according to social media posts by airport authorities.
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Sep 19, 2019 | Airlines, American, Hawaiian, Home, Philippine, Spirit, United
With the potential for three simultaneous contract negotiations becoming more likely, the President of District 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is working to stay connected with front-line workers.
Machinists District 141 President Mike Klemm was greeted by over a hundred Local 914 members at a recent station visit at EWR. Meeting directly with members on their home turf has become a regular part of Mike’s tenure as President.
For anyone leading an organization with over 40,000 members scattered from Massachusetts to Pago Pago, staying connected can be a real challenge.
Even the most tech-savvy leaders value the importance of face-to-face communication and see no substitute for just showing up at workplaces and hearing from workers in person, on their turf. When the organization you lead is the largest district in the largest territory of the IAMAW, the challenge is indeed great.
IAMAW District 141 President and Directing General Chair Mike Klemm spends a lot of time on airplanes, but he sees that as a way to have meaningful connections with the members he has pledged to represent. “When I am not in contract negotiations, station visits are the best use of my time,” according to Mike. “The time I spend on airplanes helps me organize my thoughts so I can communicate better when I get to interact with the members at their jobs. When your thoughts are organized, you can be a better listener. And listening to what the members have to say is the main purpose of a station visit.”
At a recent visit to Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ, Mike spent the day visiting every corner of the airport to converse with members informally. He tries to visit every hub station at least once per year. Many times, these station visits yield concrete results. After listening to insights from Kirk Griffiths, an IAM ramp worker in Houston, TX, Mike negotiated a smaller time frame for submitting day and shift trades for all airport-based employees at United Airlines. The new 4-hour window, an improvement over the previous 24-hour requirement, brought more flexibility and fewer job terminations due to attendance problems.
With two major airline contracts up for renewal in 2020, and ongoing negotiations at American Airlines, station visits have become even more important. “Not everyone is ready to share all their concerns when put on the spot at a station visit. So that’s why we encourage members to watch for and fill out the surveys we put out before we begin negotiations. We rank issues according to how many members mention them in the surveys, and that tells us what’s really important. There may be some issues that are specific to one region or city, but there are always concerns that affect every member. That’s what we need to address in a contract that will work for everyone.”
Local officers and committee members usually join Mike for the station visits, which helps when members bring up issues that are location-specific. It also allows for some reflection on the issues discussed as the visit wraps up. At Terminal A in Newark, Erica Boyce was vocal about her frustrations with short-staffing, but was excited to hear about several cases where union representatives fought for and saved jobs. “You’ve got to get loud and proud,” Erica said. “Advertise your successes.” That exchange ended the day on a high note, as Mike got ready for the drive out to Long Island, New York, to see his family.
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Sep 12, 2019 | Airlines, American, Departments, Featured, Hawaiian, Home, Organizing, Philippine, Spirit, United
Wait, what?
High wages are great, but there’s a lot more that goes into a union paycheck.
If you’re a member of the largest airline union in the world (the IAMAW), you are better compensated than anyone else who does the same work as you. That fact remains true even if someone else makes more money per hour.
How is this possible?
Many things go into building a union paycheck. How many hours you are allowed to work, overtime rules, bonuses and benefits – to name a few. At non-union workplaces, an eye-catching hourly wage might come with hidden costs, such as a smaller pension, forced time off and sick leave policies that deduct from vacation time. These things can drain a paycheck and leave workers wondering where all the money went.
Many people confuse an hourly wage with overall compensation. In reality, your wage is only one of the reasons that you are financially better off (or not) working at one company over another.
Bloggers who don’t work for an airline and company spokespersons might claim that one set of employees is “better paid” than their union counterparts. However, they probably aren’t looking at the full picture.
What is “Overall Compensation?”
A significant portion of your income isn’t part of your hourly wage but still counts toward your total compensation. Some of this is considered income for tax purposes, and some is not.
For example, the value of specific benefits, such as travel privileges, bonuses, and “premium” overtime are considered income to the IRS. Other benefits, such as work rules that allow for nearly-unlimited day trades and paid training, are harder to calculate unless a worker uses them.
Other policies that can boost your take-home pay and net worth are arguably just as important as base wages. Things like your pension and health benefits can add many thousands of dollars to your financial security. Also, don’t forget your vacation time and sick banks. Those have value as well.
Union members get great add-ons to their base wages that are missing at non-union workplaces. Double-time overtime, shift differentials, overrides, day and shift trades, paid training, holiday pay, vacation buyouts, separate sick time and vacation banks, and many other extras that union members know all about, but that are unheard of at non-union workplaces.
All of this combines to create your total compensation, the figure that determines your overall net worth and how financially secure you and your family actually are.
Take Delta Air Lines. Delta ramp workers have a fair hourly wage, often ranging over $30. They also earned an extremely desirable profit-sharing check this year, splitting a record-shattering $1.3 Billion in company profits. Anyone would be happy with money like that.
However, Machinists and Aerospace Union members at other airlines wouldn’t want to trade places with Delta employees. Even if the hourly wages are competitive with those at United and American, union members would be taking a crippling pay cut to work at Delta, even if it might mean slightly higher hourly wages.
How?
As just one example, Delta employees do not get a pension. The company only offers a company match to employee contributions to a 401(k) plan and does not have a fully-funded defined benefit pension plan. Delta is so intent on killing pensions that executives are deducting costs related to on the job injuries from the retirement accounts earned by former Northwest workers who now work at Delta. The airline has consistently raised insurance rates along with wages increases, which can erode a paycheck faster than inflation. In this way, Delta employees raises do not keep up with cost of living expenses in most of the country. Union members at United and American get health insurance plans that are locked in with a legally-binding contract.
Also, while the profit sharing at Delta is something that all companies should be working to emulate, union members at United chose to guarantee their profit sharing each and every year. They did this by boosting the hourly rate they earn all year. Moreover, their yearly profit sharing cannot be taken away, gambled, or spent on stock buyback schemes.
Earning a substantial hourly wage is always a good thing. But workers shouldn’t allow one single figure to distract them from their overall compensation rates. Machinists and Aerospace Union members certainly haven’t. In every classification in which they work, Machinists earn the highest total compensation levels in the industry. From rocket and aircraft builders and from astronauts to airline ground crews, the most highly compensated workers are always members of the Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union.
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