IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. brings members up to date on the union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resources available to the membership.
IAMAW District 141 /////
Sisters and Brothers,
In recent weeks, many of you have contacted your local union representatives, Assistant General Chairpersons or me directly to express your fears of possible pay cuts, furloughs or the likelihood of your carrier going bankrupt or completely out of business. You have good reasons to be concerned.
The airline industry is facing an existential threat from a global pandemic. The spread of the Coronavirus across continents has resulted in a decrease in demand for air travel by two-thirds worldwide, with at least one airline going out of business. For over two months, airline workers have worked on the front lines of the crisis, and you have adapted to reductions in flight schedules, last-minute policy changes, and have worried about how to best protect your personal health and safety. The worst part is the unease that comes from not seeing a clear end to this crisis.
As airlines announce more cuts in service, IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja said today that “US carriers are contemplating further capacity cuts or shutting down operations altogether, which only a month ago was unimaginable.”
The President of the United States and members of Congress are discussing how they can best help the airline industry, which is the backbone of our nation’s economy. There are several ideas being considered, and we support any action that helps workers quickly and directly. As workers, we need to unite and say with a clear and strong voice that the need is great and immediate.
I urge you to call your representatives today at 202-224-3121 and ask them to take any action necessary to save our airline jobs.
Click here to send a message to your Federal Representatives:
Please act today to protect your job and those of thousands of airline workers and millions more who depend on our industry for their livelihoods. Many of you are applying for voluntary leaves and reductions in schedules, which shows how committed we are to get through this crisis together. I ask that we work with our elected officials to make sure no one gets left behind.
Thank you for your activism and solidarity.
Fraternally,
Mike Klemm
President and Directing General Chair,
District 141
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
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TWU-IAM Members Urged to Vote on Tentative Agreements with American Airlines.
Committee members and leadership from IAM Districts 141 and 142 met in Chicago this week to review the Tentative Agreements reached by the TWU-IAM Association for over 30,000 members at American Airlines. The highly anticipated agreements were achieved after four years of negotiations that sometimes became contentious. If ratified, these will be the first joint collective bargaining agreements for five workgroups represented by the Association since American Airlines and US Airways merged in 2015.
Together, the agreements focus on protecting health care, retirement benefits, and provide historic levels of job security for union members at the airline. “Pensions like yours are unheard of,” said Machinists and Aerospace Union negotiator Tom Regan to a packed room of union members. “Your wages, your job security, your health care… will be second to none.”
“This is a historic agreement,” he said. “Truly historic.”
The agreements would improve benefits such as sick time, vacation, and holidays. Retirement accruals will become some of the very best ever to exist for commercial aviation fleet service workers. New job security language will add to existing, iron-clad outsourcing and layoff protections, preventing both airline workers and the work they do from being eliminated.
Wages, overtime rules, holiday pay, and profit-sharing will lead the industry.
Additionally, workers represented by the TWU-IAMAW Association will get “Delta” profit-sharing with one crucial caveat: the unionized workers at American will own their profit sharing, guaranteed in the new contract. “That’s why I don’t like naming our profit-sharing plan after the one at Delta,” Regan explained. “Delta workers can have theirs taken away.”
Mike Klemm, President and Directing General Chair of District 141 and Dave Supplee, his counterpart at District 142, opened the meeting thanking members for their steadfast support and solidarity. “You are part of this negotiating committee,” said Supplee. “Without your support, we would not be where we are today.” Klemm praised the work of the negotiating committee that delivered “the best contracts in the industry” and explained the process that will lead to the membership ratification vote in late March.
John Coveny, General Chair of District 142, and Mark Baskett, Assistant General Chair at District 141, led a detailed review of the agreements, highlighting changes and important details. In addition to improvements in wages, Profit Sharing, and strong job security protections, the contracts would protect the superior health care coverage that IAM members value.
American Airlines negotiators included a provision that would allow the company to “immediately” eliminate many of the medical plans for any workgroup that loses union membership with the Association.
Members will receive the full text of the agreements via email and a printed copy via US Mail in the next ten days. Polling hours and locations for the ratification vote will be announced once the voting date is confirmed.
The agreement for Fleet Service members specifically focuses on scope, guaranteeing 45 cities system-wide where members will work, adding BNA, DTW, IAH, MSY, and SNA. Cargo, de-icing, lavatory service, catering, and regional bag transfer work is protected in locations where it currently exists. The agreement also includes station job protections and specific language on station closings, staffing ratios for Crew Chiefs and agents, provisions to ensure the effective handling of grievances, and language that prevents new technology from replacing workers. There are also clear tables listing qualifications for a variety of positions, facilitating the career advancement and mobility of members.
Tim Klima, the Airline Coordinator of the IAMAW Transportation Territory, praised the work of negotiators and delivered thanks and words of support from General Vice President Sito Pantoja. Klima stated the agreements “left nothing on the table” and were achieved because of the hard work of negotiators and support and solidarity of members.
Summarizing what’s ahead, PDGC Mike Klemm encouraged members to read the agreements, reach out to committee members and leadership if there are questions, and most importantly: “Go Vote!”
The TWU-IAM Association was formed after the merger of American Airlines and US Airways in 2012. As Labor Partners made up of members from the Transport Workers Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, they represent approximately 33,000 employees at the new American Airlines and is the largest union at the carrier. The Association is vested with all powers and authority necessary to carry out its objectives.
Three members of District 141 spent a week in late January at the Winpisinger Education and Technology Center with the IAMAW Spanish Leadership Working Group (SLWG). Local 1759 Shop Steward and EAP Representative Adriana Picasso, District 141 Communications Representative Ines Garcia-Keim, and Marilyn Soto, a District 141 Organizer and Local 914 Shop Steward, who was welcomed as a new member of the group, worked to strategize outreach, set teaching schedules and to review and update course materials for this year’s Leadership courses in Spanish. The group also includes Jorge Bonilla, an Education Representative at the Winpisinger Center who is a former District 141 AGC and a member of Local 811.
Leadership programs in Spanish track the English language curriculum while also considering cultural characteristics, developing bilingual leaders who can communicate and work effectively with an increasingly diverse membership.
International President Robert Martinez recognized the work that Adriana, Ines, and Marilyn are doing in a letter he sent to members of the SLWG. Martinez pointed out his experience as an Education Rep and praised the union’s Spanish Language Programs as “second to none.” He added, “This work…is about opening doors to greater involvement, to greater activism, and to leadership to those who have for far too long been sidelined by design or by default.”
IAM Leadership Programs help bilingual and Spanish-speaking members become officers, activists, and leaders in our union, in their workplaces, and in their communities. The programs offered at the Winpisinger Center provide participants the tools and inspiration they need to amplify a message of unity in the face of efforts to divide working people.
The 2020 calendar for Spanish Language Programs is:
March 15-20 Spanish Leadership I
May 17-22 Organizing I in Spanish
June 14-19 Spanish Advanced Leadership
July 12-17 Spanish Leadership II
August 16-21 Spanish Leadership I
August 23-28 Spanish Train-the-Trainer
November 8-13 Collective Bargaining in Spanish
If you have questions about the Spanish Leadership Programs or need additional information, please contact District 141 Director of Education “Mac” McGovern at mac@iam141.org
A principal member of the negotiating team at American Airlines, Wilson will serve as Assistant General Chair for District 141.
Mike Klemm, President and Directing General Chair announced the appointment of William “Billy” Wilson as Assistant General Chair at the February District 141 Board Meeting.
“Billy Wilson is a dedicated and proven leader whose energy and steady advocacy on behalf of our members helped us achieve a fair agreement with American Airlines. He is a valued member of our District 141 leadership,” said Klemm.
Just six months after he began working for US Air in Philadelphia in 1987, Billy recognized the benefits of having a union and a voice in the workplace and became a Shop Steward. He earned the support of his coworkers and was re-elected multiple times. In 2006 he was elected to the Local 1776 Grievance Committee, where he continued to distinguish himself and was elected Grievance Chair in 2014, a position he held for six years.
In the Summer of 2015, Billy joined the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiating Committee of the TWU-IAM Association as a representative of the IAM. That same year, he became a District 141 Vice President At-Large.
“Working as a member of the IAM JCBA was an honor and a privilege. I learned that in negotiations it is alright to not get everything you asked for. If you get everything, then you probably didn’t ask for enough,” Wilson stated.
Wilson was relentless in his pursuit of justice and a fair contract for all union members, at and away from the negotiating table. A video of his exchange with American Airlines President Robert Isom at a “town hall” meeting went viral in April 2018.
Wilson’s resolve at the negotiating table is balanced with an easy-going personality that makes him accessible to the members he represents. He stressed that there is nothing more important than paying attention, and stated, “I think one of the most sincere forms of respect is taking the time to actually listen to others.”
The experience of shame—a feeling of being unworthy, bad, or wrong—can be extremely uncomfortable.
Shame has the potential to change the way we see ourselves and may lead to long-lasting social, professional, and other difficulties.
The word “shame” means different things to different people. Shame is very different from guilt and embarrassment. Guilt is usually understood to involve negative feelings about an act one has committed, while embarrassment deals with a societal reaction. Shame, on the other hand, involves negative feelings about oneself, and although a person can be shamed by peers or society in general, shame can also be experienced secretly.
Unresolved shame can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Shame may also be a symptom of some mental health diagnoses, such as body dysmorphia, or the product of a traumatic experience, such as rape or sexual assault. Living with shame, regardless of the shame’s source, can be a lonely and demoralizing experience. Therapy can help by addressing the underlying cause. When shame is due to a past misdeed, a qualified counselor can support a person to make amends or move on.
WHERE DOES SHAME COME FROM?
The experience of shame can be deeply unpleasant. People experiencing shame are struck by the overwhelming belief that they—as opposed to their actions or feelings—are bad. In some people, this may inspire a change in behavior. In others, shame can be paralyzing. Shame has many sources. Sometimes a person is plagued by feelings of shame without a clear cause. Some studies have linked conditions such as depression or social anxiety to shame. Because mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety remain stigmatized, a person experiencing shame due to these conditions may continually become more ashamed of themselves and their condition, making symptoms worse and making it difficult to seek help.
HOW TO GET HELP FOR SHAME
Getting help for shame begins with identifying shameful emotions. Some people are not conscious of their shame. Others know they feel ashamed, but worry that seeking help will force them to disclose their shame to others. Because shame is linked to feelings of unworthiness and low self-esteem, some people fear that those from whom they seek help will eventually discover that the shame is deserved. They fear exposure, and worry that others will reject them when they see the truth.
These are self-defeating thoughts. Shame is treatable, no matter where it comes from. If you feel that your shame is deserved, it’s important to know that your shame serves no purpose. Instead, it may cause you to harm yourself or others. Brene Brown’s shame resilience theory is a comprehensive approach to preventing and overcoming shame.
Brown argues that resilience to shame has four components:
• Recognizing signs of shame and understanding a person’s triggers for shame.
• Awareness of shame, its cultural origins and how it functions in relationships.
• Reaching out to others to share your story.
• Giving voice to feelings of shame, since shame derives much of its power from secrecy.
HELP DEALING SHAME
Shame often stems from a traumatic experience. A person may fear that they deserved the trauma, experience guilt and shame about having survived, or feel ashamed of sexual or other abuse. When shame is due to trauma, it’s critical that therapy is trauma-sensitive, addressing the root cause of shame. Some treatment options include:
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps people understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Therapists focus on automatic thoughts that typically go unnoticed— such as “I don’t deserve love if I make a mistake.”
• Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): CPT is short term and involves talking about your trauma. CPT works to understand how trauma affects emotions and behavior and implements strategies for controlling the effects of trauma, including shame.
• Stress inoculation training (SIT): Stress inoculation training is a variant of CBT that teaches people how to respond to stress before it overwhelms them. It includes training on breathing techniques, muscle relaxation, noticing and changing automatic negative thoughts, and role-playing exercises.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a stage-based approach to treatment that uses specific eye movements to help a person talk about trauma. Over time, a person learns to manage their emotions and to integrate the trauma into their life story.
These techniques may also work for other forms of shame, such as shame due to depression. Finding a therapist who respects your values and helps you set goals is key. Your local Employee Assistance Program representative listed below can help you find the right resource.