United Executives Want to Take Taxpayer-Funded Employee Paycheck Support for Themselves. This Texas Congresswoman Says No.

United Executives Want to Take Taxpayer-Funded Employee Paycheck Support for Themselves. This Texas Congresswoman Says No.

May 2, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Home, Home, United | 2 comments

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has come out in support of the airline workers at United Airlines targeted for furloughs by United Airlines after the carrier accepted billions in taxpayer-funded support to avoid job cuts. 

“The CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program was intended to make employees whole during this devastating time due to COVID-19,” Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18) said in a letter to IAMAW District 141, President Mike Klemm. “It was not the intent of Congress for this program to be used as an economic bail-out, but to support the hard-working men and women who are the focus of United Airlines,” she said. 

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee issued a formal letter to the union last week. 

United Airlines accepted an estimated $5 billion in payroll support funds through the CARES Act, part of a $50 billion aid package for airlines. In accepting the money, United executives pledged to postpone job cuts until after September. The goal was to keep skilled employees on payroll while preparing for harder times if a recovery wasn’t underway by the Fall season. It also allowed Congress to review and consider additional aid for the nation’s transportation network.

However, the day after accepting the funding, United announced it would need to cut payroll expenses. This week, the company plans to announce massive job reductions, including a plan to furlough all fleet and customer service agents to part-time, or by 45% of their total hours. 

“Airlines need to seek congressional approval to secure new routes, tax subsidies, and other important items,” said IAMAW District 141 Legislative Director Dave Roderick. “Airlines such as United will need constant support from lawmakers, for help with everything. Fuel, environmental regulations, noise abatement programs, seat sizes, safety rules… airlines need to stay mindful of how they appear to Congress and lawmakers,” Roderick continued. 

“Flagrantly laughing in the face of Congress – taking the money and running like this… it’s not a good look for a company that needs Congress as much as United does. United executives may think it’s smart business to snatch the aid from employees, but it’s not.” Roderick said. “Within days these same executives will be right back in front of lawmakers like Jackson-Lee, hat in hand, asking for help with something. These unlawful actions on United’s part will be remembered by taxpayers and lawmakers next time they need something.”

“If United goes ahead with furloughs in violation of the CARES Act or because they found some clever loophole, they will have a much harder time convincing Congress to give them more taxpayer help from now on.” 

This is the second time Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee intercedes to assist airline workers with issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. In March, she played a key role in reducing dangerous overcrowding in employee parking buses at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). She also appealed directly to city officials in Houston for free and reduced-price airport parking. This effort reduced the number of bus riders by about 1000 employees per day, achieving better social distancing for workers. 

“We appreciate the help of Congresswoman Jackson-Lee,” said IAMAW District 141 President Mike Klemm. “She has been a great friend of our union and airline workers for years. She fights every day to make air travel safer and more reliable, and we respect that.” Jackson-Lee represents the 18th Congressional District in Texas, which includes the area surrounding Houston’s IAH airport. 

Klemm also praised the steadfast lobbying work of union members, saying, “This is what solidarity looks like.”

“Despite United Airlines’ blatant disrespect for their employees, I want to thank our essential front-line members,” Klemm added. “These are the people who risk their health to reunite families and keep healthcare workers and critical supplies moving during these challenging times. While our country thanks and salutes our essential workers, United Airlines shows it has a different philosophy on how to treat theirs. Those with power should keep their word to the essential and front-line workers of this country.” 

You can read the letter that Representative Sheila Jackson Lee sent to District 141 PDGC Mike Klemm HERE>

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IAMAW District 141 President Klemm to United: “Unacceptable.”

IAMAW District 141 President Klemm to United: “Unacceptable.”

May 1, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Home, Home, Organizing, Uncategorized | 36 comments

May 1, 2020

Good morning to all of our DL 141 Brothers and Sisters, but this memo is specific to our United members who fall under the PSE and Fleet agreements at United Airlines.

I’m sure the anxiety and frustration of rumors circulating around the workplace and social media are taking its toll on you all, and for that I’m sorry. I wish I could make them all go away right now but the truth of the matter is this: only United Airlines can do that today and unfortunately, only a return of the flying public can do that past September 30, 2020.

As communicated last week, United Airlines has advised us they are looking to reduce all employees who work under the Passenger Service (including Reservations) and Fleet agreements to part-time to save money. Money for a Company that has over $10 billion on hand today, that will have between $8 and $10 billion at the end of June and between $4 and $6 billion at the end of September.

Regardless, no Company can survive long-term with passenger loads the way they are at United today.

We have suggested many cost savings ideas for the Company. Some of those are;

  1. Allow 12-month COLAS that continue to pay employees 25% of their salary.

  2. Offer the medical bridge to employees between the ages of 55-65. (It’s important to note that we have over 10,000 members under these two contracts who are 55 or older.)

  3. Allow employees to defer 25-50% of their salary until the first quarter of 2021.

We’ve suggested incentivizing these voluntary programs by offering United club passes and Positive Space travel which would cost the Company nothing.

Additionally, we have put forward several smaller, but critical proposals that can produce the level of savings that United needs if we can attract enough participation from our members. 

More than 25% of employees have taken 3 to 6-month COLAs already. The company does not want to count these sacrifices alongside the other cost-cutting efforts that have been made to date.

As of this communication, the company has declined these suggestions without so much as an explanation. They have told us they would be making a decision on many of these matters as early as today.

If the Company were to furlough all full-time employees to part-time they would still be required to follow key contractual rules. For example, they will need to notify everyone no later than Monday, May 4th to meet their May 24th target date to adhere to the contractually-required 20-day language.

They have also told us they plan to go down to 22 hours. We expressed that a 45% pay cut, or any pay cut for that matter, is unacceptable under the CARES act and even though we don’t and won’t agree to any pay cuts, they should at least give everyone 30 hours a week.

Times are tough. It’s easy to be an employee-friendly company when you’re making billions on top of billions of dollars (which again, they still have). However, it’s times like this, when everyone is scared for their livelihood, their safety, and our industry as a whole that United could show true CORE4 leadership.

As our Country salutes its essential workers is this really how United wants to treat theirs?

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

Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin boards.
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Protecting Yourself Financially From COVID-19: April Helping Hands EAP Newsletter

Protecting Yourself Financially From COVID-19: April Helping Hands EAP Newsletter

Apr 23, 2020 | COVID, EAP, Featured, Front Page, Helping Hands, Home, Uncategorized | 0 comments

EAP Peer Coordinators:

 
     This issue addresses how to protect your finances from the impact of corona virus. There is a special addendum with specific steps to help with handling budgets. This information is from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, (www.consumerfinance.gov). This is a very informative web site with lots of great free financial information. 
 
     The entire issue has many hyperlinks to relevant web sites. The issue is best distributed electronically, so the hyperlinks can be accessed. If you can’t send it electronically, you may want to be able to share the links with your co-workers as they express interest in a specific  topic. I am happy to help if you have any trouble accessing any of the links. 
 
     It is important to anticipate what might happen after the CARES act funds end, September 30. We have a few months for everyone to look at their financial situation and to prepare for tough times. We can refer co-workers to  the web sites within the issue. Let’s be there to help when questions arise and financial information can be beneficial. 
 

     Thank you for getting this information out. I appreciate your efforts as we step up getting information out to our membership. 

 

 

Bryan,

Bryan Hutchinson, M.S.

Helping Hands Special Edition V

 

There are ways to get help if you are struggling to pay your bills due to the financial impact of COVID-19. If you can still pay your bills, you will likely be better off staying on track. Keep in mind that if you decide to use a program that lets you pause or reduce payments, you will still owe the money you have not paid once the program ends.

You have options.

Download Helping Hands

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Machinists Union Opposes Delta and JetBlue Taking Bailout Money and Cutting Workers’ Pay

Machinists Union Opposes Delta and JetBlue Taking Bailout Money and Cutting Workers’ Pay

Apr 23, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Home, Home, MNPL, Safety, Safety, Uncategorized | 1 comment

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today demanded that Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, who received taxpayer-funded federal funds, reverse course and restore airline workers’ pay.

“The payroll support component for air carriers in the CARES Act requires that taxpayer-funded grant dollars be used to maintain the pay and benefits of the dedicated JetBlue and Delta workers who have made your airlines successful and who are risking their lives every day by providing essential services to the American public,” said IAM District 141 and 142 Presidents Mike Klemm and Dave Supplee in a letter to the two airlines’ CEOs. “It is our understanding that tens of thousands of Delta and JetBlue workers have taken unpaid voluntary leaves in order to aid the carriers in reducing labor costs, yet you have implemented unconscionable policies to reduce the pay of those workers that remain. At Delta, thousands of workers are being forced to work fewer hours per week without pay. At JetBlue, workers have been forced to take 24 days of unpaid leave from now until September 30, 2020. The grant money that you demanded and received was calculated using these workers’ compensation and is meant to maintain their salaries and benefits through this crisis.”

Both Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways applied for and received direct, taxpayer-funded federal grants under the CARES Act. As a condition of taking the direct grant federal funds, air carriers are prohibited from cutting airline workers’ pay and benefits and from laying off workers until September 30, 2020.

“Hundreds of thousands of IAM members in every sector of our union proudly called elected officials and demanded action to protect the industries in which we work,” continued Klemm and Supplee. “Now, opportunist corporate actors such as yourselves are using that good faith support of airline workers around the country and at every carrier to screw your own workforces and greedily undermine the intent of the federal stimulus funds that you demanded.”

READ THE ENTIRE LETTER HERE. The IAM is the world’s largest airline union and represents over 600,000  members. More information about the IAM and our campaigns to organize Delta and JetBlue workers is available at www.iamdelta.net, www.iamjetblue.com and IAMDeltaworkersunite.

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District 141 Committees Use Online Tools to Keep Members Safe

District 141 Committees Use Online Tools to Keep Members Safe

Apr 21, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Home, Home, Safety | 0 comments

Safety and Committee briefings are more important than ever during COVID

 

IAM District Lodge 141 Safety Representatives at American Airlines conducted live video conferences via Zoom this week. Director Tony D’Aloiso, Safety Coordinators Dennis Spencer (PHL) and Mike Moser (CLT), with safety chairs from the Central and Northeast regions led the 90-minute video sessions. Central Region Coordinators Frank Weisen (ORD), Ryan Boland (ORD), Mark Chavez (DEN), Asia McCIain (MCI), Ashely Schwenk (PHX), Randy Braithwaite (DFW), and William Zebley (PHL) also took part in the Monday meeting. 

On Tuesday, Safety Representatives Rodney Walker (BDL), Fred Connor (BWI), Leo Tyler (PIT), Richard Villanueva (DCA) and David Nizwantowski (BOS) also met using virtual tools. The lead topic of discussion was the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace, primarily mitigation efforts like electrostatic cleaning, temperature checks in Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth, safety concerns in Tampa and Jacksonville, and issues related to equipment in all stations. The meeting moved on to new items such as implementing a COVID-19 reporting process, cleaning after a positive COVID case, the availability of PPE such as masks and gloves, and the installation of plexiglass shields in passenger service areas. Safety committees are planning more safety conference calls for the foreseeable future since social distancing is a key element in fighting the pandemic. Representatives also discussed holding a larger safety meeting online. The District 141 Communications Team is working to join a safety meeting in the upcoming weeks to facilitate showing it to a larger audience online.

In Phoenix, Grievance Committee briefings are taking place using Zoom and Facebook Live. PHX Committeeman Brian Harrison is the newest member of the District 141 Education Team, and he is working to expand the use of online tools to keep members up to date during the height of the crisis and in the months ahead. In Newark and Houston, Shop Steward and Committee briefings are also being conducted virtually using tools that are available free of cost in most cases. 

What is your station doing to keep members informed? Do you need help using online tools to conduct meetings remotely? Please share your success stories with us! If you need more information or help to learn how to use these free electronic resources, please reach out to the District 141 Communications Team at info@iam141.org   

 

Unions are adapting to COVID-19 guidelines with technology. One of the new tools in the union arsenal: teleconferencing when in-person meetings are impossible or unsafe.

 

Explaining the Political Priorities of IAMAW District 141

Explaining the Political Priorities of IAMAW District 141

Apr 17, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Home, Home, MNPL, Uncategorized, Video | 0 comments

Explaining the Political Priorities of the Machinists and Aerospace Union, Dist. 141

IAMAW District 141 Legislative Director, Dave Roderick sits down with Dave LeHive to explain how important the work of the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League is during the COVID-19 Crisis and beyond.

Visit the IAM141 Legislative Page

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