Jun 4, 2019 | Airlines, Featured, Home, United
Starting April 1st, Machinists and other employees at United will start being able to conduct day trades all the way up to four hours before they are supposed to clock in.
We were able to capture images of the exact moment that process got started.
Machinists and other airport services employees at United will be able to conduct day trades all the way up to four hours before their clock in time.
That means that sudden emergencies will not force as many people to call out on the company sick line, burning priceless attendance points.
It’s a significant improvement. So big, in fact, that it’s hard to calculate precisely how many people will be included. “It’s system-wide, the changes will cover the whole company,” said AGC Victor Hernandez (IAH, DFW, SJU). “I can’t really say how many people qualify for day trades and will see the improvements, but it’s at least ten thousand.”
Usually, few employees get to see the exact moment that leads to policy changes like this one. But this time, a series of photos captured the specific conversation that led to this sweeping, company-wide change. The results provide a fascinating glimpse into what workplace activism looks like in real life.
We got the whole thing on camera. You can see how it started in this photo essay. Check it out.
November 2018, at IAH airport in Houston, Texas. Mike Klemm, President of Machinists District 141, makes regular visits to the largest airports in America at least once a year. Brother Klemm is responsible for advancing the interests of more than 40 thousand current and retired airline workers in the United States.
Meeting airline employees in their own work areas and break rooms helps overcome barriers that sometimes develop between leadership and the front lines.
Mike Klemm is a former ramp lead from JFK, and he hasn’t strayed far from the ramp culture that he was a part of for more than 20 years. “It’s a matter of basic respect,” he told several airline union leaders at a round table meeting. “These guys are asked to do a tough job, and they do that job with a level of precision and professionalism that makes our US-based carriers the safest and most reliable in the world. I’m not going to stay in a nice, cushy office while these guys are out busting their humps making billions of dollars for our airlines. I want to meet them and hear what they have to say, and that means staying true to my roots, on the front lines.”
On Klemm’s November station visit to Houston, Texas (IAH), the strategy of staying grounded paid off. One of the United employees he met had some valuable insights from the gates.
Mike Klemm (back to camera), Kirk Griffiths (center) and Regional Employee Assistance Coordinator Bahiyyah Wright at IAH airport in Houston, Texas.
Here it is – The conversation that led to sweeping work rule changes that will impact more than ten thousand employees at United Airlines. This is the exact moment that led to new day and shift trade rules across the system.
Kirk Griffiths, a Houston-based IAM member, and Ramp Service Agent, stopped DL141 President Klemm during a station visit and explained how the day and shift trade rules at United could be improved. It can take years to recover from a serious attendance issue, which is the number one cause of job terminations at the carrier. More day and shift trade flexibility could help.
His fix was simple: just shorten the cutoff time for turning in a day trade. For years, United had insisted on having all trades submitted 24 hours or more prior to the start of the shift. Reduce that deadline, and life would suddenly get a lot easier for thousands of United employees.
President Klemm agreed – and promised to take the matter up with United Airlines leadership.
After meeting with President Klemm, Kirk Griffiths (right) continues to press his position with Local 811 Grievance Committee Member Greg Hall. Hall represents IAM members when dealing with attendance issues at United/IAH. Thanks to the work of union activists like him, IAH has seen fewer job terminations than anywhere else in the United fleet services system. Of more than 350 attendance hearings in 2018, only 4 Machinists members actually lost their job.
… And now, the company has also agreed with Kirk Griffiths.
Here’s how United explains the new policy:
[gdlr_stunning_text background_color=”#f3f3f3″ button=”Download PDF” button_link=”https://iam141.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/This-is-the-Exact-Second-that-Changed-the-Way-that-Ten-Thousand-People-Go-to-Work.pdf” button_background=”#184ab9″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#0d2a6b” title=”This is the Exact Second that Changed the way that Ten Thousand People Go to Work” title_color=”#184ab9″ caption_color=”#a0a0a0″]Please Post on Bulletin Boards[/gdlr_stunning_text]
May 24, 2019 | Airlines, Featured, Home, United
Dear United team member,
We are pleased to share some good news about steps United has taken to strengthen the IAM National Pension Fund and protect your retirement benefits.
Over the last several weeks, United has met with the IAM to discuss the issues facing the IAM National Pension Fund. As a result of our collaborative discussions, United and the IAM have jointly agreed to the NPF’s Preferred Schedule of the Rehabilitation Plan. This means that United chose to increase the Company’s financial contribution to ensure your future monthly benefit at age 65 will not be reduced because of the Rehabilitation Plan.
United does not make this commitment lightly, but it reflects the loyalty of the company and its leaders to the men and women who have worked so hard to ensure the success of the airline we love.
IAM District 141 Union Representatives have been briefed by representatives of the IAM National Pension Plan and will be in the field meeting with employees and answering questions over the coming weeks. Contact your IAM District 141 office for more details.
In addition, the IAM NPF has created a video to help explain the Rehabilitation Plan in more detail. If you have additional questions please contact the IAM NPF directly at 866-262-1296.
Mike Klemm Zachery Jones
[gdlr_video url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bIsO0J_0vI&feature=youtu.be” ]
[gdlr_stunning_text background_color=”#f3f3f3″ button=”Download PDF” button_link=”https://iam141.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/National-Pension-Fund-Update.pdf” button_background=”#184ab9″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#0d2a6b” title=”National Pension Fund Update” title_color=”#184ab9″ caption_color=”#a0a0a0″]Please Post on Bulletin Boards[/gdlr_stunning_text]
May 13, 2019 | Airlines, Departments, Education, Home, United
Anyone who has ever watched union shop stewards in action has probably noticed a lot of parallels between the work they do and that of a defense attorney. According to one lawyer, there are good reasons for the comparison.
Father Bob Lindell (left), AJ Lindell (Right)
AJ Lindell, J.D. is a practicing attorney admitted to the Minnesota State Bar Association.
He’s also the President and Grievance Committee Chairman of IAM Local 1833 in Minneapolis-St. Paul. A 24-year employee of United Airlines, Lindell is the primary enforcer of the contractual agreements made between the airline and the 300 Machinists at MSP airport.
If all that weren’t enough, Lindell graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and passed the Minnesota State Bar exam on his first attempt.
Whether representing members of his hometown rural farming community in a court of law or representing unionized airline workers before managers at United Airlines, Attorney AJ Lindell knows what he’s talking about.
According to Lindell, representing the rights of the accused before a judge and jury is comparable to representing the rights of members before company management.
In fact, his experiences as a union steward directly inspired his decision to enroll in law school.
A family affair: AJ with his wife Tiffany, a Ramp Services Agent in MSP. His father Bob Lindell also worked there for 20 years, retiring in 2016.
“I became a shop steward because I noticed that there was a need for someone with the right skills to stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves,” Lindell said in a recent interview. “I found that I could provide a voice for that.”
“I could use the rhetorical skills I had developed to stand up and speak for people when they couldn’t speak for themselves.”
“It’s just a natural evolution to a courtroom situation. When I was representing people as a shop steward or in hearings as a Grievance Committee member, it just became a natural outgrowth to think, ‘what if I could take this to the next level? What if I could do this in a courtroom setting and be an advocate for those individuals?’”
“After finding success in union grievance hearings and representation, I wanted to find out how well those skills would translate into a courtroom setting,” said Lindell. “And, I found out, they translate pretty well.”
The son of an airline worker, Lindell has a keen interest in labor law, yet he also maintains a close connection to the farming community values he grew up with. He plans to serve as a voice for these two communities over the coming years.
IAM141 AGC Kris Hannah (right), AJ Lindell, J.D. (left) recently used Machinists Union college benefits and IAM-negotiated contractual guarantees to earn a law degree from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Machinists Union has a range of student aid resources, including scholarships and free college benefits. Find out how you can access these valuable resources at your Local Lodge’s monthly Business Meetings.
“It isn’t just because there’s a JD behind your name,” Lindell explained. “You build credibility through being a shop steward that investigates a particular situation, you build credibility when you’re a committeeperson and you advocate zealously on behalf of the employee.”
“The need for a union is absolute,” Lindell said of the importance of union activism. “When it comes to job protections when it comes to identifying issues for contract negotiations… when you have a union and a membership standing behind you… it’s incomparable. There is simply no other advocacy that is on par with having a group of individuals collectively working towards something and collectively advocating. If that means better healthcare, better wages, better pensions, nothing that exists is better than a group of individuals moving in one direction. And, companies have a very difficult time overcoming that. The more collective we are as a group, the easier we can get to that point that we want to get to.”
[gdlr_stunning_text background_color=”#f3f3f3″ button=”Download PDF” button_link=”https://iam141.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/What-do-attorneys-and-shop-stewards-have-in-common_-.pdf” button_background=”#184ab9″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#0d2a6b” title=”What do attorneys and shop stewards have in common? A lot, according to one lawyer.” title_color=”#184ab9″ caption_color=”#a0a0a0″][/gdlr_stunning_text]
May 3, 2019 | Airlines, American, Departments, EAP, Hawaiian, Helping Hands, Home, Philippine, Spirit, United
We focus on drug addiction this month. Drug Addiction is defined and explored on page 1. Page 2 addresses whether drug addiction can be cured or prevented.
Much of the information is from the www.drugabuse.gov web site. This is a very good resource and I encourage you to browse the site so you are familiar with all of the information there is.
Thank you for taking good care of your fellow co-workers. It is important work.
Bryan,
Bryan Hutchinson, M.S.
[gdlr_stunning_text background_color=”#f3f3f3″ button=”Download PDF” button_link=”https://iam141.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HH-May-2019.pdf” button_background=”#184ab9″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#0d2a6b” title=”Helping Hands May: Drug Addiction” title_color=”#184ab9″ caption_color=”#a0a0a0″]Please Post on Bulletin Boards[/gdlr_stunning_text]
May 1, 2019 | Airlines, Departments, Home, retirement, United
Changes are focused on benefit subsidies, not retirees.
The IAM National Pension Fund is one of the largest and best-funded retirement plans in the US, with total assets that exceed 18 billion dollars.
This week, beneficiaries received some concerning news as the Plan’s Board of Trustees voluntarily chose to move the IAMNPF into “Red Zone” status. The Fund is projected to remain in that classification for at least one of the next five years, according to a mailing sent out this week.
For the 292 thousand plan participants, the news isn’t exactly as bad as it may sound. For example, the decision will not impact current retirees or any accruals that have already been earned. Instead, most of the changes are related to the way that the Fund collects subsidies from employers.
According to Ryk Tierney, Executive Director at the IAM National Pension Fund, the decision will have limited impact for most participants.
In a video statement released last Friday, Tierney explained that the Board’s decision to downgrade the Fund was voluntary, and was executed as a way to free the program to make reforms that would not have been permitted otherwise.
“Voluntarily declaring Red Zone while the fund remains well-funded at 89% allows the Trustees to implement a plan to strengthen the fund’s financial future,” Tierney said.
According to Tierney, the move “will not affect any accruals that have been earned in the past, nor does it impact the benefit currently being received by retirees or beneficiaries.”
Instead, the major changes expected at the fund are happening at the employer level. The change in status allows the Fund to require employers to commit to subsidies that are slightly larger than in previous years, when the plan was classified in green and yellow zones.
Federal law requires employers to pay a surcharge geared towards improving the Fund’s status following a Red Zone certification.
Beneficiaries are also protected by Federal law that requires the plan to enact a “Rehabilitation Plan.” This will reduce some variable benefits, such as some death benefits, payout time frames and accruals. However, none of these reductions will impact basic benefits collected at normal retirement.
[gdlr_video url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bIsO0J_0vI&feature=youtu.be” ]
More information is available at IAMBFO.org.
Apr 27, 2019 | Airlines, Departments, Featured, Home, retirement, United
The IAMAW and IAM District 141 are separate entities than the IAM National Pension Plan (NPP), even though both bear the “IAM” acronym. For those DL 141 IAM represented employees in the NPP, a letter was sent to your homes by the NPP. If you haven’t already received the letter, you will soon. The letter outlines changes that the NPP’s Board of Trustees have decided are necessary to maintain the long term stability of the NPP. IAM District 141 received the information contained in the letter on Friday, April 26, 2019.
Unfortunately, United Airlines attempted to blame District 141 today for the NPP dropping the ball in communicating these changes and stated: “we [United Airlines] were not informed by the IAM in advance.” The NPP, of which United Airlines management has a representative on the NPP Board of Trustees, David Lieb, failed to inform United Airlines in advance. The NPP also failed to inform the IAM’s largest district, IAM District 141, a district with the most active NPP participants, in advance. United’s weak attempt to shift blame and the NPP’s botched rollout of the modifications to our pension plan are BOTH completely unacceptable.
While the NPP remains well funded at 89%, in 2019, it has been certified in the Yellow Zone. The major reason for this is that the liabilities of the plan outweigh the assets, in the long term, and the NPP’s Board of Trustees decided changes are needed to fix this unsustainable condition. Because of this, the Board of Trustees have voluntarily reclassified the plan to be in the Red Zone, so that the Trustees can make changes to ensure the long term stability of the plan, per federal law.
It is not IAM District 141’s responsibility to notify United Airlines of modifications to the NPP. That responsibility falls squarely on the NPP, and more specifically United’s Board of Trustees representative, David Lieb. After all, Mr. Lieb had to approve of the changes to the NPP.
You can be assured that District 141 will do everything in its power to make sure all IAM represented NPP participants receive all the information there is pertaining this matter.
There is a lot of complex information included in the NPP mailings. There is a toll free telephone number 1-866-232-1296 and a website www.IAMBFO.org set up to give everyone more information.
Michael G. Klemm
President and Directing General Chairman
I.A.M.A.W. District Lodge 141
[gdlr_stunning_text background_color=”#f3f3f3″ button=”Download PDF” button_link=”https://iam141.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PDGC-of-IAM-District-141-Michael-Klemm-Response-to-NPP-United.pdf” button_background=”#184ab9″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#0d2a6b” title=”PDGC of IAM District 141 Michael Klemm Response to NPP & United” title_color=”#184ab9″ caption_color=”#a0a0a0″]Please Post on Bulletin Boards[/gdlr_stunning_text]
