This 4th, We Can Help Create a More Perfect Union

This 4th, We Can Help Create a More Perfect Union

Jul 3, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Row 2, Safety | 0 comments

This weekend Americans proudly celebrate our independence and ability to self-govern. We must also acknowledge that not every American is able to enjoy our freedoms equally. Our country has come a long way since 1776, but there is clearly much work to be done before everyone in this country truly has the same protections and freedom regardless of how they look, what they believe, or who they love.

We cannot forget that with our freedom comes great responsibility, both collectively and individually. While we have tremendous freedoms, there are limits. For example, we do not have the freedom to hurt innocent people. More specifically, we do not have the right to infect others with a deadly disease. When something as simple as wearing a mask over our mouth and nose and respecting social distancing guidelines becomes a political statement, we are not acting responsibly. We are acting selfishly.

Science shows that if everyone wears masks in public and adheres to social distance guidelines the spread of this disease will be dramatically reduced. It will save lives. Failure to act responsibly, however, has allowed this virus to explode to record numbers in the United States. Though much of the world is containing the COVID virus and is gradually returning to normal, we are the global example of how NOT to handle a pandemic.

The United States still does not have a uniform nationwide response to the COVID crisis, and the world has noticed. The European Union is reopening its borders, but not to Americans because we are not properly defending ourselves against the COVID virus. We are considered a threat, and Europe does not want our failure to spread to their continent. We are also not permitted to travel to Canada, and within our own borders some states require people travelling from other states to quarantine. The lack of an effective pandemic response is hampering the industry’s recovery and will lead directly to the loss of air and rail industry jobs.

The COVID-19 virus has already cost millions of jobs around the country, but if we cannot contain it we will lose countless more. We are all responsible for our own safety and the safety of those we work with.

Never before has how we behave in our personal lives affected our job security so much.
 
We know how to restart the economy and resurrect the transportation industry. If we choose to ignore science and politicize safe, responsible actions, we are hurting our chances for a quick economic recovery. While we wait for a vaccine, the immediate
response is simple:
  • Wear a mask, or shut down the economy again;
  • Wear a mask, or ground the airlines and suspend rail service;
  • Wear a mask, or keep local businesses closed;
  • Wear a mask, or continue spreading the virus and killing others;

Those who refuse to wear a mask are stating publicly that they do not care if they infect others with a deadly disease. That type of self-serving action undermines the free, responsible society that we celebrate this weekend. That level of selfishness is killing people.

As we commemorate our independence we must always honor the brave women and men in our armed forces who fought, and continue to fight, to keep us safe. Considering all the heroes lives that have been sacrificed over the last 244 years so that we can enjoy our freedom today, it really isn’t too much of a personal sacrifice to wear a piece of cloth on our face when we are out in public for the next few months.
 
I hope you and your families enjoy your Independence Day celebration, stay safe and, just as important, keep others safe.

In solidarity,

Sito Pantoja

General Vice President IAMAW Transportation Department

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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Extend Airline Payroll Funding Program and Help Prevent Furloughs this Fall

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Extend Airline Payroll Funding Program and Help Prevent Furloughs this Fall

Jul 2, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, MNPL, Row 2, Uncategorized | 11 comments

The IAM is among several labor unions urging Congress to extend a provision of the CARES Act coronavirus relief law as an effort to thwart airline executives threatening to lay-off several workers in the fall.

The IAM signed a letter asking the federal lawmakers to extend the Payroll Support Program (PSP) contained in the CARES Act until March 31, 2021. The current provision expires Oct. 1, 2020.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to extend the airline Payroll Support Program (PSP)

“When the CARES Act job and pay protection we secured expires on October 1, the number of IAM members furloughed could easily rise into the tens of thousands, literally overnight,” IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja wrote in a letter to members. “Although passengers are slowly returning to the sky, the industry’s downturn will last far beyond CARES Act protections.”

Extension of the provision would provide $31 billion in increased funding over six months, in addition to extending requirements for involuntary furloughs. The CARES Act, signed into law in March, has included provisions like $114 billion for the transportation industry. That has mandated that the funds be exclusively used for continuation of wages and benefits for workers.

“Nobody likes to ask the government for assistance, but without additional intervention I fear a repeat of the multiple airline bankruptcies that marked the opening of this century,” Pantoja wrote in the letter to members. “Tens of thousands of IAM families, hundreds of thousands of airline families from outside our union, will soon be faced with devastating job loss unless action is taken.”

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“The airlines do not expect to see any substantial increases in passenger travel in the near future,” said IAMAW District 141 Legislative Director David Roderick. “This will, without a doubt, result in the airline industry having no choice but to cut our livelihoods in order to protect their bottom lines.”

“The impact of these cuts will be devastating to most of us.  We depend on our full pay and full working hours to sustain our quality of life and to support our families,” he continued.

Director Roderick went on to underscore the importance of regular, recurring automatic MNPL donations, calling them the “lifeblood” of union political activism, and a major reason why airline workers have not already been laid off in huge numbers.

“We are currently on another campaign to tell Congress that they MUST support an extension of the “Airline Payroll Funding Program,” Roderick said of the MNPL program.

“We have a clear call to action for those of us that are willing to participate in legislative action,” Roderick said. “We are asking union members once again to contact their Congressional leaders in helping their constituents to quickly move forward with this extension.”

Members can sign up for recurring MNPL donations of any amount by visiting the MNPL Legislative Department at IAM141.org. 

Fall is Coming...

Every major airline has announced mass furloughs and layoffs starting October 1. However, if Congress extends the Payroll Support Program, air carriers will be forbidden from furloughing us for another 6 months. This could buy us enough time to stop the pandemic and bring Americans back to the skies once more. Contact your member of Congress right now. Tell them to renew the Payroll Support Program ASAP.

Help Stop Furloughs this Fall

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Local 1932 Distributes Food, Gives Hope to Los Angeles

Local 1932 Distributes Food, Gives Hope to Los Angeles

Jul 1, 2020 | Community Service, Community Service Page, COVID, Featured News, Front Page, MNPL, Organizing, Row 2 | 0 comments

Members of IAM Local 1932 organize and host a food distribution event at their local lodge in Hawthorne, California 

 

Joe Martinez, Community Services Representative led the collaboration between Local 1932, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (LA Fed) and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Volunteers from Local 1932 joined union members from several LA Fed affiliates including SEIU, Teamsters, Carpenters and other trades to receive, stage and distribute food supplies to community members in need. The three-hour, drive-through only event on Monday distributed food supplies to 1,200 families.   

The LA Fed has 300 affiliated unions representing 800,000 workers in the Los Angeles region. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, they have provided a safety net for unemployed or underemployed workers through the Miguel Contreras Foundation and Labor Community Services. 

At an LA Fed meeting in March, Joe Martinez, who also serves as Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1932, discussed the possibility of the Machinists lodge becoming a host site for a food drive. When he brought the idea to the local’s Executive Board, they endorsed the idea enthusiastically. 

Joe is grateful for the assistance provided by Alex Monteiro, Vice Mayor of the City of Hawthorne, and also for the support of District 141 AGC Terry Stansbury and Special Representative Nancy Sweeney. Local 1932 Auditor Tony Blannon and Committee person Patricia Aumua also joined over 20 IAM volunteers at the event. 

Los Angeles County has been hard hit by COVID, recently surpassing 100,000 confirmed cases and 3,300 deaths since March. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank reports that volunteer activity has declined during the crisis, making labor sponsored events such as this one an important part of the food bank’s work to fight hunger.

 

 

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Voluntary Separation Program (VSP2)

Voluntary Separation Program (VSP2)

Jun 30, 2020 | COVID, Featured News, Front Page, retirement, Row 2 | 2 comments

June 30, 2020

Brothers and Sisters at United Airlines,

Hopefully, you have all seen the latest Voluntary Separation Program 2 (VSP 2) that United Airlines has offered. 

As we all try to navigate through these very tumultuous times together, I know we all wish there would be more value in this package. I also know that many of us, after seeing two VSP offers and an enhancement to the second one, may be expecting another, more lucrative VSP down the road. However, United Airlines officials have assured me there will not be any more enhancements or additional VSPs offered any time soon.

It is very important that all IAM members know that our union has engaged in many conversations with company officials regarding the voluntary separation programs and we strongly advocated for even more value to be added to them to encourage participation and reduce future layoffs. The Company responded by enhancing the VSP2 program significantly and providing up to $45,000 in a Retirement Health Account.  

The ability to sign up for the voluntary separation program (VSP2) is now open.  While I believe that a more robust voluntary separation program would vastly increase participation and would greatly decrease future layoffs, this is a rich program and I encourage everyone to take a look to see if the VSP2 is a good fit for you. The VSP2 enhancements have some valuable components that may be of interest to you and your families.

Please make sure to visit the VSP2 website: Information and link to the website is below. For questions on VSP2, call the UA Employee Service Center at 1-877-825-3729. 

Program offerings are specific to each individual employee and may change slightly due to factors such as years of service and age.

Highlights include:

  • $1,500 for each year of completed service up to a maximum of $45,000 as a one-time credit to a Retiree Health Account to pay for your and your dependents’ eligible medical expenses such as premiums, copays, prescriptions, dental services and vision services
  • Eligibility for medical premium reimbursement, regardless of whether you are enrolled in a UA medical plan, which can be used towards any medical plan at United or elsewhere, such as another employer or a spouse’s plan
  • Extra CARP or 401(k) benefit 
  • Additional pass travel benefits

If you wish to review details of the program, you can do so by CLICKING HERE or by logging into your FlyingTogether account, and accessing Help Hub.

In Solidarity,

Mike Klemm

President and Directing General Chair, 
District 141,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VSP2

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Airline Labor Seeks Payroll Support Program Extension

Airline Labor Seeks Payroll Support Program Extension

Jun 27, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, GOIAM Stories, Home, MNPL, Row 2 | 1 comment

Three months ago I wrote to the membership stating we were about to face a situation unparalleled in our lifetime due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that nobody could accurately predict what would come next. The picture is now starting to get clearer, and it is not pretty. 
In response to societal restrictions and the unprecedented global economic collapse, commercial air service has been cut dramatically. Only through an intense lobbying effort led by the Machinists Union, our membership and our Legislative Department did transportation unions secure early in the crisis pay and job protection for most airline employees through the CARES Act.
When the CARES Act job and pay protection we secured expires on October 1, the number of IAM members furloughed could easily rise into the tens of thousands, literally overnight. Although passengers are slowly returning to the sky, the industry’s downturn will last far beyond CARES Act protections.
Today, the Machinists Union and other airline unions sent a letter to the House and Senate leadership to pass a clean extension of the airline Payroll Support Program (PSP) contained in the CARES Act until March 31, 2021. I ask each IAM member to follow up and engage your representatives in Washington. You can contact your representatives to explain the importance of saving our workforce by clicking here.
Specifically, we are asking for:
  • Increase PSP funding levels by an additional $32 billion (covering six months)
  • Extend requirements relating to involuntary furloughs, share repurchases, dividend payments, and collective bargaining agreements to March 31, 2021
  • Require Treasury to immediately disburse funds to every air carrier and contractor that executed a Payroll Support Program Agreement, an amount equal to their current payroll support.
Nobody likes to ask the government for assistance, but without additional intervention, I fear a repeat of the multiple airline bankruptcies that marked the opening of this century. Tens of thousands of IAM families, hundreds of thousands of airline families from outside our union, will soon be faced with devastating job loss unless action is taken.

 

In solidarity,

Sito Pantoja

General Vice President IAM Transportation Department

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IP Martinez Addresses Racial Justice, Voting Rights and COVID-19

IP Martinez Addresses Racial Justice, Voting Rights and COVID-19

Jun 25, 2020 | COVID, Front Page, Home, MNPL, Organizing, Row 2, Uncategorized | 0 comments

As IAM members continue to bravely confront the coronavirus crisis, IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr., remotely attended IAM District 751’s 2020 Membership Conference.

With the theme of “Winning the Vote! Centennial of Women Winning the Right to Vote and the Role of Labor and Race in This Continuing Struggle,” the virtual event took place June 13, 2020 with Martinez, IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, Washington State Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer April Sims, civil rights activist Bill Fletcher, along with hundreds of attendees participating via live video stream.

The protests, turmoil and calls for justice following the killing of George Floyd gave the conference even more importance and timeliness.

“As we speak right now, I feel a real change coming to our country,” said Martinez. “I see people of all races marching, speaking up and speaking out together for a better world, and demanding that justice finally be done. We are here today to turn those calls into action to use our collective voices and our votes to make real, lasting change, just like we have so many times in the history of our union.”

“The IAM has always and will forevermore fight for the rights of those who are oppressed. We fight for equal rights for women, minorities, and all people of color,” said Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “The struggle for justice and equality will always be the labor movements guiding principle.  The victories we pursue and the goals we aspire to achieve regarding equal rights for all can only be attained at the ballot box. Once we elect someone it’s only the beginning, as we must hold all politicians accountable.”

The conference was hosted by the District 751 Human Rights, Labor History, Women’s and Legislative Committees. It celebrated women winning the right to vote and emphasized the continued importance of insuring voting rights.

“We appreciate everyone that participated in our conference. It is always important to share the struggles we have come through in our history in order to identify how far we have come and how far we still have to go,” said District 751 President Jon Holden. “Even though much progress has been made for Voting Rights we have much work still ahead of us across the country.

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“It is hard to believe that nearly 250 years after the birth of our nation, we are still fighting for equality and the right to vote for everyone,” said Martinez. “This struggle goes to the very core of our democracy.”

Martinez took the opportunity to address District 751 members on the IAM’s ongoing efforts in Washington, DC to protect workers as a result of COVID-19.

“We have been relentless in lobbying Congress to provide federal unemployment relief for the millions of our brothers and sisters that are out of work. We have made certain that companies that get relief, give that relief to their workers instead of pocketing it for the CEOs and other executives,” said Martinez.

IAM Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center

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