JetBlue Election Update – Your Questions, Answered

JetBlue Election Update – Your Questions, Answered

Oct 11, 2022 | Front Page, JetBlue, Organizing, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2

JetBlue Union Vote Update – Your Questions Answered

Organizing
11 October 2022

Now that we filed for an election, what happens next?

The National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that handles representation elections in the airline industry, has ordered JetBlue management to send the list of “potential eligible voters” to the NMB by 10:00 AM, October 18, 2022. Once the NMB receives the list of potentially eligible voters from JetBlue, the federal agency will compare the list with the election authorization cards submitted to determine if at least 50 percent of GO Crewmembers have requested the right to vote in a union representation election.

Who is eligible to vote?

All GO Crewmembers hired on or before September 17, 2022.

How will the vote be conducted?

The vote will be conducted by mail ballot. It is important that we have our most current address updated with JetBlue, as JetBlue will give the NMB the address it currently has on file when it is time for the NMB to mail us our ballot.

It is also important to know that we will vote by secret ballot and that our vote is confidential. JetBlue management is prohibited under federal law from ever knowing how we voted, or if we voted.

How long will it take the NMB to schedule our vote?

Once the NMB determines that at least 50 percent of all GO Crewmembers requested a union representation election be held (signed a card), the federal agency will schedule a voting period. If JetBlue management submits an accurate list of potentially eligible voters to the NMB, which airline management is required to do under federal law, then it is possible that the vote will be scheduled within the next few months.

However, we expect JetBlue management and their high-priced lawyers to delay the process as much as they can, and they’ve already started. JetBlue requested a week extension to submit the list of potentially eligible voters to the NMB by October 18, 2022. The list of eligible voters was originally due by Tuesday, October 11, 2022. The NMB granted their request.

Why would JetBlue want to delay the vote?

Like management at all corporations, JetBlue management wants to retain total control over all decisions. The best way for them to do that is to do everything possible to influence and coerce their employees not to unionize. When workers unionize, they have a seat at the table and the right to negotiate and vote on their terms of employment.

When workers are not unionized, they don’t have those rights (collective bargaining rights).

By delaying the process, JetBlue management and their attorneys will have more time to try and convince Crewmembers that we don’t need to unionize and negotiate a legally binding contract. It’s important that we understand that everything JetBlue management does from this point forward is to influence GO Crewmembers to remain non-union, with no legal rights and no contract.

Keep Signing Cards Till the Very last Second

What can JetBlue management do to delay the NMB process?

We expect that JetBlue management will make every attempt to inflate the list of potential eligible voters by placing individuals on the list who are ineligible. For example, we expect JetBlue to place AO Crewmembers on the list.

This will force us to identify the ineligible workers and to object to their inclusion on the list of potential eligible voters. Under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), workers must organize according to “class and craft” (job classification). According to the law, GO and AO are separate classifications of work and therefore must unionize separately.

 We hope JetBlue management doesn’t engage in any dirty tricks to delay our right to vote. If they try, we are prepared for anything and we will keep the Department of Labor and elected officials abreast of the situation.

What are our rights during this process?

>>  We have a federal right under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), to form and join a union without interference from JetBlue management.

>>  We have the right to talk to our co-workers about the Union just like we talk about any other subject at work. We have the right to hand out flyers and other information during non-work times in non-work areas.

>>  We have the right to wear a Union Pin.

It’s against federal law for management to stop us from exercising these rights, or retaliate against us for exercising our federal right to form a Union. The Railway Labor Act—the federal law that gives us these rights— prohibits management from influencing or interfering with our right to join a union. Ask yourself, is JetBlue management, or any other person, trying to influence us to not unionize?

The law states, “No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees.”

“All employees are free to express their desire to be represented by a labor organization or to be unrepresented.

The Carrier is not permitted to influence, interfere or coerce employees in any manner in an effort to induce them to participate or refrain from participating in an election should there be one.

Get Printable Flyer
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JetBlue Union Vote Update – Your Questions Answered

11 October, 2022

Union Vote Update: Election Process Frequently Asked Questions

Now that we filed for an election, what happens next?

The National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that handles representation elections in the airline industry, has ordered JetBlue management to send the list of “potential eligible voters” to the NMB by 10:00 AM, October 18, 2022. Once the NMB receives the list of potentially eligible voters from JetBlue, the federal agency will compare the list with the election authorization cards submitted to determine if at least 50 percent of GO Crewmembers have requested the right to vote in a union representation election.

Who is eligible to vote?

All GO Crewmembers hired on or before September 17, 2022.

How will the vote be conducted?

The vote will be conducted by mail ballot. It is important that we have our most current address updated with JetBlue, as JetBlue will give the NMB the address it currently has on file when it is time for the NMB to mail us our ballot.

It is also important to know that we will vote by secret ballot and that our vote is confidential. JetBlue management is prohibited under federal law from ever knowing how we voted, or if we voted.

How long will it take the NMB to schedule our vote?

Once the NMB determines that at least 50 percent of all GO Crewmembers requested a union representation election be held (signed a card), the federal agency will schedule a voting period. If JetBlue management submits an accurate list of potentially eligible voters to the NMB, which airline management is required to do under federal law, then it is possible that the vote will be scheduled within the next few months.

However, we expect JetBlue management and their high-priced lawyers to delay the process as much as they can, and they’ve already started. JetBlue requested a week extension to submit the list of potentially eligible voters to the NMB by October 18, 2022. The list of eligible voters was originally due by Tuesday, October 11, 2022. The NMB granted their request.

Why would JetBlue want to delay the vote?

Like management at all corporations, JetBlue management wants to retain total control over all decisions. The best way for them to do that is to do everything possible to influence and coerce their employees not to unionize. When workers unionize, they have a seat at the table and the right to negotiate and vote on their terms of employment.

When workers are not unionized, they don’t have those rights (collective bargaining rights).

By delaying the process, JetBlue management and their attorneys will have more time to try and convince Crewmembers that we don’t need to unionize and negotiate a legally binding contract. It’s important that we understand that everything JetBlue management does from this point forward is to influence GO Crewmembers to remain non-union, with no legal rights and no contract.

What can JetBlue management do to delay the NMB process?

We expect that JetBlue management will make every attempt to inflate the list of potentially eligible voters by placing individuals on the list who are ineligible. For example, we expect JetBlue to place AO Crewmembers on the list.

This will force us to identify the ineligible workers and object to their inclusion on the list of potentially eligible voters. Under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), workers must organize according to “class and craft” (job classification). According to the law, GO and AO are separate classifications of work and therefore must unionize separately.

We hope JetBlue management doesn’t engage in any dirty tricks to delay our right to vote. If they try, we are prepared for anything and we will keep the Department of Labor and elected officials abreast of the situation.

What are our rights during this process?

>> We have a federal right under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), to form and join a union without interference from JetBlue management.

>> We have the right to talk to our co-workers about the Union just like we talk about any other subject at work. We have the right to hand out flyers and other information during non-work times in non-work areas.

>> We have the right to wear a Union Pin.

It’s against federal law for management to stop us from exercising these rights, or retaliate against us for exercising our federal right to form a Union. The Railway Labor Act—the federal law that gives us these rights— prohibits management from influencing or interfering with our right to join a union. Ask yourself, is JetBlue management, or any other person, trying to influence us to not unionize?

 

The law states, “No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees.” “All employees are free to express their desire to be represented by a labor organization or to be unrepresented.

The Carrier is not permitted to influence, interfere or coerce employees in any manner in an effort to induce them to participate or refrain from participating in an election should there be one.

Get Printable Flyer
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Rising Power: Union Growth Has Wings, Report Finds

Rising Power: Union Growth Has Wings, Report Finds

Oct 7, 2022 | Front Page, Organizing, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is the Federal Agency that regulates Unions outside the air and rail transport industries.

Rising Power: Union Growth Has Wings, Report Finds

Organizing
7 October 2022

The Machinists Union held its Grand Lodge Convention in Las Vegas this week. This year, District 141 was recognized with a special award for its efforts at union organizing. District President, Mike Klemm, was specifically honored for his pioneering efforts in growing the Union, which is expected to add more than ten thousand new union members over the next few years.

The recognition comes at a time when union growth and worker power are surging.

A new report by a major Federal Agency that oversees labor affairs in the United States is backing up what many workers have already noticed: union growth is exploding across the United States.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, no fewer than 2,510 workplaces petitioned the Agency to join or form a union. (Fiscal Years do not line up with calendar years. The Fiscal Year 2022 ran from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022.

 

Last year, the number of workplaces filing for a union election was 1,638. The uptick means a 53% increase in workers seeking to organize their workplaces over the last year. 

The number of filings at the NLRB’s 48 field offices in 2022 was the highest since 2016.

Unfair labor practice complaints filed with NLRB Field Offices also jumped by 19%, from 15,082 charges in 2021 to 17,988 charges in 2022.

Adding labor complaints filed with the Agency to the number of representation filings, the

total new caseload at NLRB Field Offices increased by 23%, from 16,720 cases last year to 20,498 in 2022. This increase of 3,778 cases is the biggest single-year increase in a generation, dating all the way back to 1976. It is the biggest percentage increase since 1959.

What it Means

The new report puts to rest the idea that the appearance of massive union growth is an illusion created by a handful of ultra-high-profile organizing efforts. While victories and drives at headline-grabbing workplaces like Amazon, Starbucks, Trader Joes’, Apple, and JetBlue are getting a lot of attention, the 53% single-year jump means a lot is going on under the radar, too.

The data also indicates that the federal government’s protections for workers who want to organize are inadequate. Unions have found support from an astounding 71% of American workers, yet fewer than 7% of private-sector workers are union members. The data strongly suggests that it is harder to organize workplaces than American workers want.

The huge spike in complaints about employers violating workers’ rights to form a union indicates serious deficiencies in the current system.

 

Last year, the number of workplaces filing for a union election was 1,638. The uptick means a 53% increase in workers seeking to organize their workplaces over the last year. 

The number of filings at the NLRB’s 48 field offices in 2022 was the highest since 2016.

Unfair labor practice complaints filed with NLRB Field Offices also jumped by 19%, from 15,082 charges in 2021 to 17,988 charges in 2022.

Adding labor complaints filed with the Agency to the number of representation filings, the total new caseload at NLRB Field Offices increased by 23%, from 16,720 cases last year to 20,498 in 2022. This increase of 3,778 cases is the biggest single-year increase in a generation, dating all the way back to 1976. It is the biggest percentage increase since 1959.

In response to such concerns, the NLRB issued a statement explaining the Agency is processing cases much more quickly, but the sheer number of new filings is threatening to swamp already-thin budgets. 

The increased caseload at both field offices and the Board is happening as the Agency struggles with funding and staffing shortages. The NLRB has received the same budget of $274.2 million for nine straight years – even as costs have risen. Adjusting for inflation, the Agency’s budget has decreased by 25% since 2014. Staffing levels have dropped 39% since 2002, and staffing in Field Offices has shrunk by half, partly explaining the problem. 

The NLRB issued an urgent call to the Biden Administration and Congress asking for better funding for the Agency to pay for things like staff to ease the growing caseload. For its part, the Biden budget includes a sharp increase in funding. The President’s Budget for 2023 requested $319.4 million for the NLRB, a 16% increase that would go a long way toward fixing the issues at the Agency.

What Happens Next

The increased activity at the NLRB will likely have a ripple effect throughout the economy. With more workers wanting to unionize and more complaints of employer wrongdoing, we can expect to see more workplaces engage in union organizing drives – and more employers trying to stop them. 

We can also expect to see more legal challenges to the current system. The NLRB’s ability to protect workers’ rights is already being tested in court, and the new data will likely add fuel to those fires.

The report is a clear indication that American workers are increasingly interested in unionizing. With the proper support from the government, we could see a major resurgence in union membership in the years to come. 

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Rising Power: Union Growth Has Wings, Report Finds

7 October 2022

Now it’s official; requests to join a union jump by 53% in a single year.

The Machinists Union held its Grand Lodge Convention in Las Vegas this week. This year, District 141 was recognized with a special award for its efforts at union organizing. District President, Mike Klemm, was specifically honored for his pioneering efforts in growing the Union, which is expected to add more than ten thousand new union members over the next few years.

The recognition comes at a time when union growth and worker power are surging.

A new report by a major Federal Agency that oversees labor affairs in the United States is backing up what many workers have already noticed: union growth is exploding across the United States.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, no fewer than 2,510 workplaces petitioned the Agency to join or form a union. (Fiscal Years do not line up with calendar years. The Fiscal Year 2022 ran from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022.

Last year, the number of workplaces filing for a union election was 1,638. The uptick means a 53% increase in workers seeking to organize their workplaces over the last year. 

 

The number of filings at the NLRB’s 48 field offices in 2022 was the highest since 2016.

Unfair labor practice complaints filed with NLRB Field Offices also jumped by 19%, from 15,082 charges in 2021 to 17,988 charges in 2022.

Adding labor complaints filed with the Agency to the number of representation filings, the total new caseload at NLRB Field Offices increased by 23%, from 16,720 cases last year to 20,498 in 2022. This increase of 3,778 cases is the biggest single-year increase in a generation, dating all the way back to 1976. It is the biggest percentage increase since 1959.

What it Means

The new report puts to rest the idea that the appearance of massive union growth is an illusion created by a handful of ultra-high-profile organizing efforts. While victories and drives at headline-grabbing workplaces like Amazon, Starbucks, Trader Joes’, Apple, and JetBlue are getting a lot of attention, the 53% single-year jump means a lot is going on under the radar, too.

 

The data also indicates that the federal government’s protections for workers who want to organize are inadequate. Unions have found support from an astounding 71% of American workers, yet fewer than 7% of private-sector workers are union members. The data strongly suggests that it is harder to organize workplaces than American workers want.

The huge spike in complaints about employers violating workers’ rights to form a union indicates serious deficiencies in the current system.

In response to such concerns, the NLRB issued a statement explaining the Agency is processing cases much more quickly, but the sheer number of new filings is threatening to swamp already-thin budgets.

The increased caseload at both field offices and the Board is happening as the Agency struggles with funding and staffing shortages. The NLRB has received the same budget of $274.2 million for nine straight years – even as costs have risen. Adjusting for inflation, the Agency’s budget has decreased by 25% since 2014. Staffing levels have dropped 39% since 2002, and staffing in Field Offices has shrunk by half, partly explaining the problem.

The NLRB issued an urgent call to the Biden Administration and Congress asking for better funding for the Agency to pay for things like staff to ease the growing caseload. For its part, the Biden budget includes a sharp increase in funding. The President’s Budget for 2023 requested $319.4 million for the NLRB, a 16% increase that would go a long way toward fixing the issues at the Agency.

What Happens Next

The increased activity at the NLRB will likely have a ripple effect throughout the economy. With more workers wanting to unionize and more complaints of employer wrongdoing, we can expect to see more workplaces engage in union organizing drives – and more employers trying to stop them.

We can also expect to see more legal challenges to the current system. The NLRB’s ability to protect workers’ rights is already being tested in court, and the new data will likely add fuel to those fires.

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JetBlue Election Update – Your Questions, Answered

IAM / JetBlue Union Vote Update

Oct 5, 2022 | Front Page, JetBlue, Organizing, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2

JetBlue Union Vote Update

Organizing
5 October 2022

Union Vote Update: Timeline and Our Rights 

As you know, the IAM filed an application with the National Mediation Board (NMB), a federal agency, to conduct a union representation vote on Friday, September 23, 2022.

On September 26, 2022, the NMB ordered JetBlue management to forward to the NMB the list of “potential eligible voters” by Monday, October 11, 2022.

Yesterday, JetBlue’s high-priced attorneys requested a one-week extension, until Monday, October 18, 2022, to submit the list (we will let you know if the extension is granted).

Once the NMB receives the list of potentially eligible voters from JetBlue management, the federal agency will then determine if at least 50 percent of GO Crewmembers signed an election authorization card (a-card), requesting a union election be scheduled.

The NMB controls the timeline of this process, and we will keep you updated on any developments every step of the way.

It is very important that all GO Crewmembers understand that our right to join, and express support to form a union of JetBlue GO Crewmembers, is protected under federal law.

The NMB’s Notice to Employees states: “No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees […] The Carrier is not permitted to influence, interfere or coerce employees in any manner in an effort to induce them to participate or refrain from participating in an election should there be one.”

If you believe that JetBlue is attempting to influence, interfere or coerce you against exercising your right to join a union, please notify an IAM representative. CLICK HERE to find out more about your rights, and how you can file an ANONYMOUS “carrier interference” charge. 

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JetBlue Union Vote Update

5 October, 2022

Union Vote Update: Timeline and Our Rights

As you know, the IAM filed an application with the National Mediation Board (NMB), a federal agency, to conduct a union representation vote on Friday, September 23, 2022.

On September 26, 2022, the NMB ordered JetBlue management to forward to the NMB the list of “potential eligible voters” by Monday, October 11, 2022.

Yesterday, JetBlue’s high-priced attorneys requested a one-week extension, until Monday, October 18, 2022, to submit the list (we will let you know if the extension is granted).

Once the NMB receives the list of potentially eligible voters from JetBlue management, the federal agency will then determine if at least 50 percent of GO Crewmembers signed an election authorization card (a-card), requesting a union election be scheduled.

The NMB controls the timeline of this process, and we will keep you updated on any developments every step of the way.

It is very important that all GO Crewmembers understand that our right to join, and express support to form a union of JetBlue GO Crewmembers, is protected under federal law.

The NMB’s Notice to Employees states: “No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees […] The Carrier is not permitted to influence, interfere or coerce employees in any manner in an effort to induce them to participate or refrain from participating in an election should there be one.”

If you believe that JetBlue is attempting to influence, interfere or coerce you against exercising your right to join a union, please notify an IAM representative. CLICK HERE to find out more about your rights, and how you can file an ANONYMOUS “carrier interference” charge.

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AFL-CIO: Thousands of JetBlue Ground Workers Organizing With Machinists

AFL-CIO: Thousands of JetBlue Ground Workers Organizing With Machinists

Sep 28, 2022 | Front Page, JetBlue, Organizing, Page Five, Page Three, Row 2, Uncategorized

Photo Credit: Brian Vega, IAMAW District 141 Social and Visual Media Coordinator.

AFL-CIO: Thousands of JetBlue Ground Workers Organizing With Machinists


AFL-CIO
28 September 2022

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors, and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Exciting news broke this morning that the Machinists (IAM) have filed for a union election on behalf of approximately 3,000 ground operations workers and baggage handlers at JetBlue. These workers say below-standard industry pay rates and benefits, poor and unsafe working conditions, unjustified discipline and terminations, among many other issues, are their reasons for wanting IAM representation and a seat at the table.

“I congratulate all JetBlue Ground Operations workers for uniting in solidarity and demanding that a union representation election be conducted,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It’s been a long road for these brave workers to get to this point, and the IAM stands shoulder to shoulder with them. We will mobilize our union’s significant resources to ensure that these brave and resilient JetBlue workers have a fair and free election.”

“It’s high time that JetBlue workers gain the dignity and respect of a union contract and a strong voice on the job,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richard Johnsen (not pictured). “When our country needed essential goods and services [sent] to where they were needed most during the pandemic, JetBlue workers answered the bell and risked their lives and health to make that happen. What did they get from management? They got their hours and pay cut because they didn’t have a seat at the table. That will end very soon.”

 

 

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28 September 2022


Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors, and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

 

Exciting news broke this morning that the Machinists (IAM) have filed for a union election on behalf of approximately 3,000 ground operations workers and baggage handlers at JetBlue. These workers say below-standard industry pay rates and benefits, poor and unsafe working conditions, unjustified discipline and terminations, among many other issues, are their reasons for wanting IAM representation and a seat at the table.

 

“I congratulate all JetBlue Ground Operations workers for uniting in solidarity and demanding that a union representation election be conducted,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It’s been a long road for these brave workers to get to this point, and the IAM stands shoulder to shoulder with them. We will mobilize our union’s significant resources to ensure that these brave and resilient JetBlue workers have a fair and free election.”

 

“It’s high time that JetBlue workers gain the dignity and respect of a union contract and a strong voice on the job,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richard Johnsen (not pictured). “When our country needed essential goods and services [sent] to where they were needed most during the pandemic, JetBlue workers answered the bell and risked their lives and health to make that happen. What did they get from management? They got their hours and pay cut because they didn’t have a seat at the table. That will end very soon.”

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IAMAW District 141’s 69th Convention: Racking Up Four Years of Union Wins

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Sep 26, 2022 | Front Page, JetBlue, MNPL, Organizing, Page Four, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2, Uncategorized, United

The achievements celebrated at the event included union victories spanning the full spectrum of airport workplaces, including gate and ticket counters, ramp and ground personnel, janitors, security guards, and instructors. Photos: Brian Vega, IAMAW 141 Communications Coordinator

IAMAW District 141’s 69th Convention: Racking Up Four Years of Union Wins

IAM141.org
25 September 2022

The 69th Convention of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) drew to a close on Thursday, but not before providing an opportunity to recap a long list of remarkable improvements to airline work since the District’s last Convention, held in 2018.

The event drew hundreds of top labor leaders from the airline industry, representing ground, gate, ticket counter, and other airline workers from every major airport in the US.

The achievements celebrated at the event included union victories spanning the full spectrum of airport workplaces, including gate and ticket counters, ramp and ground personnel, janitors, security guards, and instructors.

Highlighting Union Triumphs in Commercial Aviation

The wins included a historic wave of impressive contractual agreements throughout the commercial aviation industry. These included the 2020 negotiation of a first contract at SM Cargo, which was overwhelmingly ratified by the newly organized membership. Another agreement, this one for janitorial workers at Flagship, was approved unanimously by every union member at the company. 

Union Members also overwhelmingly ratified a 2021 agreement at Spirit, the second union contract for fleet service workers at the airline.

“We were extremely proud of the overwhelmingly ratified agreement we negotiated at Spirit Airlines,” said District President Mike Klemm, who led the Convention. “This was only the second contract we negotiated with the carrier, and we all know how challenging those first contracts are to accept for newly organized groups,” he told the delegation. “Our members received wage increases that are, on average, 30% higher than they were previously,” he said to applause. 

“Lead premium increases mean more opportunities for double-time pay, we established new training positions which allow our members to earn even more income from the work they currently already do,” he continued. “But, this Agreement also brings paid vacations to part-time agents. And, for some of those folks, this will be the first real paid vacation they’ve ever known,” Klemm said of the Spirit Agreement. “For those of us at legacy carriers, paid vacations are a normal part of life, but these folks were able to negotiate the first-ever paid vacations, making history at Spirit Airlines.”

 

Last Tuesday, Union Reps attended a formal signing ceremony for the most-recently ratified Agreement at Hawaiian Airlines, which was secured earlier this year. That Agreement will provide significantly improved wage increases and seniority protections for part-timers. Part-timers will also gain access to family health care for the first time in the carriers’ existence. It will also provide better flexibility with day and shift trades and impose financial penalties when the company intrudes on workers’ personal and family time with mandatory overtime.

At United, Calls For Union Members to Email Company Executives

But the main topic at the Convention centered around the contentious negotiations with United Airlines. Although the carrier had committed to producing a solid tentative agreement for union members to vote on by August 1, the talks broke down after weeks of company stonewalling.

 

“The days of Oscar Munoz are over,” President Klemm said of the negotiations. “Oscar was a people person. He cared about people, and he cared about the airline. And, we rewarded that commitment. After that Agreement was reached, United Airlines experienced the best financial success in the history of the carrier,” he went on. “And we showed up. During the pandemic, we couldn’t work from home, or from behind a desk. We were there for this airline when it mattered most. We were there when the carrier went to lawmakers for emergency funds to get through the months when travel was nearly impossible. We produced thousands of calls and visits to lawmakers, securing the money the company needed to survive,” he said.

“The thanks we get for that sacrifice is a slap in the face offer so insulting to this membership that talks broke down through the entire month of August.”

“They’re saying that our members don’t really care about job security, and pay raises that wouldn’t even buy half a gallon of gas are ok,” he said.

“All we’re asking for is that, if we are willing to do right by this company, then this company should do right by us. That’s all we’re asking. If we show up to work, do our jobs well, and honor our commitments to this company, then United should be willing to say, in writing, that they will not arbitrarily decide one day to eliminate or outsource our jobs,” he said to roars of applause from the assembled delegates. 

President Klemm also told the Convention that the recent solidarity actions around the nation have been effective. “They got flustered,” he said. “They didn’t expect to see all the “Contract Now’ signs. They didn’t expect to have their inboxes flooded with emails. When they saw that outpouring of solidarity, they got rattled.” Klemm encouraged the union to step up its already impressive email campaign, as company executives can’t miss personal messages in their inboxes. “If you’ve already written to Kirby, do it again,” he said. “Do it every week. If you know someone that normally sits quietly and lets things play out, encourage them not to sit this one out,” he said. “I have seen how those emails have made the company rethink their position with my own eyes.”

 

For pointers, Klemm told the delegates that personal stories are more effective than insults when writing to Kirby and other company executives. “Tell them how inflation is affecting your family. Tell them how important your job is to you,” Klemm said. “We think that 60% of our members at United have yet to send an email to the company. That means we have a lot more in the tank. If they’re already getting nervous, imagine what can happen if thousands more of us join in.”

JetBlue Files For Representation

The Convention is coming to a close as JetBlue organizing begins a new phase; 3000 Ground Operations Crewmembers successfully filed for a union representation vote at the airline, a first for ground crews. On Friday, the Machinists Union announced that it would file for a union representation vote with the National Mediation Board, the Federal agency that oversees labor law for airlines. The efforts to organize ground operations at JetBlue are led by inside committees staffed by current JetBlue workers. Sensing the campaign was reaching a critical stage, these committees opted to skip the Convention and continue their organizing work.

Even without its entire cadre of organizers, union growth was prominent at the Convention. Speaking at the event was Amazon Labor Union activist Tristan Lion Dutchin, whose efforts to organize the first-ever union at the shipping giant led to his unlawful termination from the Staten Island Facility where he had been employed. His story earned international headlines and helped secure an eventual union win at Amazon. Machinist Union delegates at the Convention, moved by his story, raised a little over $2,000, which they awarded to Dutchin in honor of his dedication to the cause of union organizing.

This was just one of the rounds of donations delegates raised for important charities. Guide Dogs of America, which provides service dogs to veterans, children with autism, and visually impaired persons at no cost, was also championed at the Convention. In all, delegates raised approximately $17,000 for charitable organizations and causes.

Held in Orlando, Florida, from September 20-22, the 69th Convention of Machinists Union District 141 drew 224 delegates from Local Lodges around the nation. Also attending were Machinists Union senior leaders, including General Vice President Richard Johnsen. Johnsen is spearheading a range of innovative new programs at the union, including strengthening alliances with other labor organizations, ensuring that new hires are connected to the larger union, and creating a movement-driven mission for labor. The comments fit into the larger vision that Johnsen has painted for unionism as a vital social cause – and more than a set of membership services.

“All around the nation, people are starting to see the value of their labor and wondering where they fit in. We can be that for them; their work has incredible value to unions and working people. At the end of the day, companies only value money. We, as working people, can be so much more. We can help each other spend more time with our families, work in safer environments, and earn better livelihoods in more rewarding careers. We can do that by acting in union, and bringing the power of collective action to bear for working Americans.”

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FAREWELL, OLD FRIEND!
Tony D bid a heartfelt farewell to the many whose lives he’s touched over his long career as District Safety Director today. After an illustrious tenure, he is finally taking a much-deserved retirement. His dedicated service to Machinists Union members was honored with a touching tribute, read formally before the Convention delegates, along with hugs and well-wishes. Congratulations on a truly remarkable career, Brother Tony.

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Sep 23, 2022 | Front Page, JetBlue, Organizing, Page Five, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2

IAM Files for Union Representation Election for Approximately 3,000 JetBlue Ground Workers


23 September 2022

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2022 — The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), North America’s largest airline union, today announced that it will file an application with the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that conducts union representation elections in the airline and railroad sectors. The IAM has sufficient interest among JetBlue Fleet Service workers to conduct a union representation election.

“I congratulate all JetBlue Ground Operations workers for uniting in solidarity and demanding that a union representation election be conducted,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It’s been a long road for these brave workers to get to this point, and the IAM stands shoulder to shoulder with them. We will mobilize our union’s significant resources to ensure that these brave and resilient JetBlue workers have a fair and free election.”

JetBlue Ground Operations workers rebooted their efforts to gain union representation in 2021 after working through the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the worst financial downturn in the airline industry’s history.

“It’s high time that JetBlue workers gain the dignity and respect of a union contract, and a strong voice on the job,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richard Johnsen. “When our country needed essential goods and services to where they were needed most during the pandemic, JetBlue workers answered the bell and risked their lives and health to make that happen. What did they get from management? They got their hours and pay cut because they didn’t have a seat at the table. That will end very soon.”

“I also fully expect for JetBlue management to adhere to the law and allow JetBlue workers to vote without influence, coercion and interference from JetBlue management. If not, we will leave no stone unturned to hold them accountable,” continued Johnsen.

JetBlue workers have cited below-standard industry pay rates and benefits, poor and unsafe working conditions, unjustified discipline and terminations, among many other issues as reasons to gain IAM representation and a seat at the table.

“JetBlue workers are a smart, strong and determined group of workers and we can’t wait to welcome them into the IAM family,” said IAM District 141 President Mike Klemm. “The IAM will support JetBlue workers in getting to and winning this election and negotiating a union contract that reflects their true value to JetBlue Airways.”

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of the largest and most diverse industrial trade unions in North America, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in

the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.

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