Airline and Rail Members Fight Though Pandemic, Understaffing to Keep America Moving

Airline and Rail Members Fight Though Pandemic, Understaffing to Keep America Moving

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Airline and Rail Members Fight Though Pandemic, Understaffing to Keep America Moving

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This story first appeared on GOIAM.org >

The IAM Transportation Department includes more than 160,000 active and retired members in the airline and rail industries, making it the largest airline union in North America. Its members have always been on the front lines, moving travelers and goods across the world, but the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought upon added stress, responsibilities and, in some cases, confrontations with unruly passengers.

“Our transportation membership in the airline and railroad industries have been nothing short of heroes during these difficult times,” said Richard Johnsen, Chief of Staff to the International President and a former United Airlines mechanic. “The Transportation Department is engaged at the local, district and international level to negotiate strong contracts, keep our members safe on the job and continue to fight for and win much-needed relief for our members.”

Since the start of the pandemic, and thanks to the IAM’s activism, U.S. airlines have received $54 billion in federal aid to help cover payroll expenses. In return, carriers were prohibited from furloughing or laying off workers. However, they were allowed to persuade tens of thousands of employees to take buyouts, early retirement or leaves of absence.

Nina Caldwell (Southwest Airlines)
IAM Member, Local 846 (District 142)

The number of people flying daily in the U.S. is getting closer to pre-pandemic levels, even though business and international travel have been slow to resume. Airlines and airports have struggled to accommodate this influx through proper staffing, which has resulted in longer customer service wait times, significant flight delays and sudden cancelations. In some cities, airport concession stands and restaurants aren’t fully staffed or open, leaving stranded travelers with fewer options for food and beverages, thereby increasing passenger irritability.

“Airlines were not prepared for the number of passengers traveling so soon after restrictions were lifted,” said Southwest Customer Service Agent Nina Caldwell, a Local 846 (District 142) member.

Passengers whose flights aren’t canceled or delayed still risk being on board with troublesome passengers. Airlines have reported more than 3,200 incidents of unruly passengers in 2021. Most involve people refusing to wear masks, as required by the federal government.

The passengers who have refused to put a mask on have left many airline personnel, especially customer service agents and flight attendants, in the precarious position of enforcing this mandate.

“I had an incident where I asked a lady if she had a mask and she proceeded to get in my face, not wearing a mask, yelling at me that she didn’t need to wear a mask and asking me what am I going to do about it,” said Caldwell. “She said she would rather die than wear a mask. Luckily, the airport police walked by and she backed up and put on her mask. After the police left, she came back, stood in front of me and stared me down.”

“Due to poor scheduling and understaffing throughout airport operations and the added responsibility of enforcing the mask mandate, several flight attendants had multiple encounters with unruly passengers,” said Lisa Ferm, a CommutAir Flight Attendant and Local 2339N (District 142) member. “Many have been threatened and felt unsafe, but each time me and my coworkers have been able to de-escalate the situation. Because of our IAM contract with CommutAir, the company has addressed these occurrences and provided assistance. I do feel grateful to a part of the IAM because I know our representatives have been going above and beyond fighting to protect us.”

Understaffing has also caused issues for other IAM-represented groups like Fleet Service Agents.

Larry Reeves (American Airlines)
President, IAM Local 1776

Larry Reeves, an American Airlines Fleet Service Agent and Local 1776 president, says understaffing has also caused problems for Fleet Service workers, but “because of our ironclad IAM contract and lobbying done by our legislative team, there was a recent hiring surge, bringing 50 new part-timers into the fold in Philadelphia.”

“These new hires will help alleviate some of our workload issues and, hopefully, get our workforce to the point where we can provide the service to our passengers that they deserve,” said Reeves.

The IAM has been urging lawmakers and other federal officials to step up measures to protect the safety of airline workers in recent months. That includes Richard Johnsen, Chief of Staff to the International President, taking part in the Aviation Labor Recovery Roundtable call with FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and U.S. Transportation Department Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg.

Johnsen then urged participants on the call to share the union’s urgency to assure airlines properly staff positions, adding that “airlines were granted billions of dollars in federal relief from this administration to address these problems, and they must act now.”

How understaffing is affecting the Precision Rail

IAM District 19 represents 11,000 active Machinists across the country, including every Class 1, commuter railroad, Amtrak and many others. The Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) also represents tens of thousands of railroad members.

Our members primarily maintain and repair locomotives and track maintenance equipment, both in shop and on the line of road. They also perform complete overhauls of locomotives and assemblies and sub-assemblies used in all aspects of railroading.

A massive operational change is currently upending the railroad industry by threatening the jobs, health and safety of our members. It is also significantly impacting the massive freight network they help operate. That operational change is called “Precision Scheduled Railroading,” or PSR.

PSR is a process to minimize the amount of times a train would be required to stop between destinations. In order to accomplish this, the railroads are creating longer trains, and in some instances, adding an additional 3,000 to 5,000 feet to their existing train length.

“PSR, as currently being implemented, is not safe or effective, and Congress should exercise its oversight to investigate,” said Andrew Sandberg, IAM District 19 Assistant to the President/Directing General Chairman Rail, who represented the IAM with testimony to Congress. “We are concerned that current PSR schemes are detrimental to the long-term outlook of the rail industry, putting short-term gains ahead of long-term success, furloughing thousands while downgrading safety.”

The Machinists Union supports efforts to efficiently operate our nation’s railroads. We want our employers to be profitable, as profits leads to raises and quality benefits for our members.

However, PSR is designed to increase short-term profits for shareholders, at any cost. What was once scorned upon by industry professionals and executives is now being forced on the industry by Wall Street investors.

The IAM’s main concerns are with meeting strict deadlines at all costs and reducing headcounts to deliver short-term savings to shareholders.
After implementation of PSR, understaffing and lay-offs have become all too familiar, with Machinists Union members being asked by management to do other craft jobs almost daily.

Management at railroads such as Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and CSX Transportation expect our members to complete their normal tasks in the same timeframe as before, even though management are now asking members to do the tasks of the Pipefitters, Boilermakers, Carmen and utility workers as well.
“This environment is very unsafe as it creates an atmosphere of ‘hurry up and rush’ just to get a number out the door,” said Sandberg.

The atmosphere on the railroad is increasingly one of hostility towards reporting any safety violations. For example, CSX Transportation’s accident rate has increased despite the fact that the rate of train accidents for all Class 1 railroads nationwide is decreasing. Since 2013, the national rate has decreased about 6%, while CSX’s rate has increased 59%.

Congress and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) must apply greater scrutiny to these Precision Scheduled Railroading practices.

“Our members report being overworked, stressed, and scared,” said Derrick Battle, District 19 General Chairman. “They talk about drastic cuts to their shops while those remaining are being asked to perform double or triple the work compared to the pre-PSR era. Our members also cite increased safety violations, managers threatening job cuts if deadlines aren’t met and being forced to ignore basic safety procedures.”

A recent survey of members asked them to rate overall safety on a scale of 1-10, before and after PSR implementation. The results showed that before the PSR rail safety received an average score of 6.9 while after PSR implementation rail safety received an average score of 2.6.

“Congress and the Federal Railroad Administration must apply greater scrutiny to these Precision Scheduled Railroading practices,” added Sandberg. “It’s a business model loathed by workers, railroads, customers and communities. All the PSR does is enrich rent-seeking Wall Street investors, no matter the cost or disruption to the lives of our members, and the commercial transportation market they’ll destroy in the process.”

“The Transportation Department is committed to stand hand in hand and side by side with our members to fight any challenge that may arise in the airline and railroad industries,” said IAM Transportation Coordinator Edison Fraser.

Machinists Union from Capitol Hill: JetBlue Must Repay Workers

Machinists Union from Capitol Hill: JetBlue Must Repay Workers

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Machinists Union from Capitol Hill: JetBlue Must Repay Workers

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The Machinists Non Partisan Political League seeks to advance public policy that benefits airline and aerospace workers. To support the work of the MNPL, please consider recurring, automatic donations of any amount today. Click Here to start supporting this important work.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) on Monday, Nov. 8, sent a letter to Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue Airways Inc., alerting him that the union will reach out to federal lawmakers in an attempt to help workers who wrongfully lost wages and benefits even as the carrier took taxpayer-funded relief as part of the CARES Act.

“We will reach out to key federal lawmakers, inform them that JetBlue management took almost $2 billion in federal tax-payer funds and then cut the hours, pay and benefits of hundreds, if not thousands, of JetBlue workers in potential violation of federal law. At present, you may ignore the IAM, but ignoring the questions of federal lawmakers would likely not be a good strategy,” wrote Richard Johnsen, IAM Chief of Staff to the International President.
 
Johnsen’s correspondence was a follow-up attempt by the IAM.
 

The Payroll Support Program, under Division A, Title IV, Subtitle B of the CARES Act, provided payroll support to passenger air carriers for the continuing payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits trhough the pandemic. This money was given to airlines based on how much they spent on total labor costs in 2019. JetBlue executives took nearly $2 billion, and agreed to keep pay, staffing levels and benefits at 2019 levels. 
     However, soon after taking the money, JetBlue cut the hours, removed premium-pay positions, and reduced benefits for non-union Ground Ops Crewmembers. This meant that the amount of PSP funding the airline got was much more than it needed, allowing executives to pocket the difference. 
     Now, the Machinists Union is asking the same lawmakers who wrote the PSP provisions into the CARES Act to review the actions of JetBlue executives and determine if any violations have taken place. 

On Oct. 13, James Carlson, the IAM’s Assistant Airline Coordinator, wrote Hayes, urging him to rectify the matter.
 
“JetBlue Crewmembers deserve better,” Carlson wrote. “They deserve to be repaid the money you wrongly took from them last year. They deserve to have their 401k accounts increased by the exact amount that was lost due to their working hours/pay being wrongly cut.”
 
The IAM lobbied aggressively to make sure the airline Payroll Support Program (PSP) was included in the CARES Act.
 
JetBlue applied for and received taxpayer funds under the Payroll Support Program, which required airlines to maintain workers’ jobs, pay and benefits as a condition of taking the funds. In May 2020, a group of 13 U.S. Senators, led by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), wrote to Hayes, urging the company to reverse its decision to cut hours of workers after receiving the financial assistance of the CARES Act.
 
“Your decision to cut employee hours is inconsistent with congressional intent and is a blatant and potentially illegal effort to skirt your requirements to keep workers on payroll, and you should reverse this policy immediately,” the senators wrote.
 
The IAM is actively trying to organize JetBlue’s Ground Operations (GO) Crewmembers.
 
Johnsen’s letter to Hayes pointed out some falsehoods in the company’s messages to its workers, many of which are an attempt to thwart union representation.
 
“The truth is that JetBlue management will do everything in its power to coerce GO Crewmembers against forming a union. JetBlue management knows that by unionizing GO Crewmembers will be able to gain the power needed to secure a legally binding contract that they deserve, which recognizes their value to JetBlue Airways,” Johnsen wrote. “JetBlue management also knows it will lose the power to dictate every aspect of GO Crewmembers working lives if these brave, dedicated workers join a union.”

Machinists in the House as Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Bill is Signed

Machinists in the House as Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Bill is Signed

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Machinists in the House as Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Bill is Signed

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The Machinists Non Partisan Political League seeks to advance public policy that benefits airline and aerospace workers. To support the work of the MNPL, please consider recurring, automatic donations of any amount today. Click Here to start supporting this important work.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers were present Monday as President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the South Lawn of the White House. The union joined other labor groups, lawmakers, governors, and others who the White House had invited to attend the event. 

“Getting this infrastructure bill passed has been a major focus for our union,” said David Roderick, District 141 Legislative Director with the Machinists Union. “Our members have been out there making phone calls, writing letters and meeting with lawmakers, trying to make the case that now is the time to really invest in America.”

Describing the experience of attending the signing ceremony as an “honor of a lifetime,” Roderick was among a delegation from the Machinists Union invited to attend the signing of the legislation, which marked the most significant single investment in transportation in at least half a century. The bill will provide  $25 billion to modernize America’s increasingly outdated airports, where tens of thousands of Machinists Union members work.

According to multiple polls, not one airport in the United States today ranks in the top ten or even the top twenty best airports for travelers, despite being the birthplace of aviation. To make matters much worse, U.S. Airports are overcrowded and increasingly unable to accommodate the number of passengers that need to use them. “The United States built modern aviation, but our airports lag far behind our competitors,” the White House said in a statement on the bill. “Modern, resilient, and sustainable port, airport, and freight infrastructure will support U.S. competitiveness by removing bottlenecks and expediting commerce and reduce the environmental impact on neighboring communities,” the statement continued.

“I especially want to thank Organized Labor, who understood that this is about jobs. You all stood up.”
-President Joe Biden

President Biden Signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law.

Photo Credit: President Joe Biden.
Shortly after the signing ceremony, President Joe Biden stopped to give a personal thanks to the labor unions who helped get the Infrastructure Bill passed. Here, the President takes the cellphone from IAMAW  Legislative Director David Roderick to snap a selfie.

The bill’s investment in the nation’s rail system is also critical to Machinists Union members, boasting an extensive railroad membership. At $17 billion, it will be the most significant investment since the creation of Amtrak in 1971.  The legislation positions “rail to play a central role in our transportation and economic future,” the White House said of the bill.

Economists have argued that supply chain bottlenecks are primarily to blame for the current rise in inflation and consumer prices that have working Americans increasingly worried. According to Roderick, the Infrastructure bill will offer mid and long-term solutions for Americans, who are seeing spikes in the prices of everything from food to utility costs. “This bill targets virtually all of the drivers of inflation,” he said. “It will grease the entire supply chain, making it easier and cheaper to transport goods and bring them to market,” he said. Essential for the Machinists Union, according to Roderick, was that the bill would be adding tens of thousands of jobs for American workers to fill. “These are going to be union jobs,” he said. “With union paychecks.”

In addition to improving the American transportation sector, the bill will also benefit airlines in one important but often overlooked way: lowering fuel prices. Fuel costs are a significant burden for airlines, making up around 20% of overall costs. They can also be dangerously unpredictable, leading carriers like United to invest heavily in electric vehicles and updated wing designs. 

The legislation will create the first-ever national network of Electric Vehicle chargers in the United States, built by American workers. The new funding will open up interstate highways to electric vehicles, including fleets of electric trucks and 18-wheelers. “The bill will provide funding for deployment of EV chargers along highway corridors to facilitate long-distance travel and within communities to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop,” the White House said. “Federal funding will have a particular focus on rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach communities.” Additionally, the bill also funds the creation of electric school bus fleets that can replace current gasoline and propane-powered fleets. “Together, these moves will bring a permanent end to high gas prices by collapsing demand,” Roderick said.

 

The legislative win comes after heavy lobbying by unions throughout the pandemic – a massive mobilization that saw $25 billion in emergency aid for airlines to retain their workforces. That assistance was followed up by a second round of payroll support worth another $15 billion. The help allowed passenger air carriers such as United, American, and JetBlue to maintain the “payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits.” 

Machinists Union District President Mike Klemm praised the legislation and the work that the legislative department has accomplished on behalf of airline and transportation workers. “Our union is filled with an incredibly active and engaged membership,” he said, adding that Machinists Union members don’t listen to excuses well. “Our members kept this bill front and center for lawmakers, and that made a difference. This is evidenced by the fact that our union was invited to the South Lawn signing ceremony today,” he said.

In attendance were Machinists Union members David Roderick, (Legislative Director, District 141), Josh Hartford, (General Chairman, IAM Dist. Lodge 19),  Elliot Benton, (TCU Local Chairman, Amtrak), David Arouca (TCU Asst. National Legislative Director). The delegation was led by Hasan Soloman (IAMAW Legislative Director).

Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal a Win for Machinists

Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal a Win for Machinists

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The Machinists Union will be in attendance as President Joe Biden signs the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. Once passed, the legislation will provide funding to modernize airports, railways, and lower prices for things like jet fuel. 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal a Win for Machinists

On November 6, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, better known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. It’s great news for Machinists Union members in the United States, especially in the transportation sector, because the I-A-M fought for these investments. Not only will this legislation repair and rebuild our roads and bridges, but it will improve transportation options through the largest investment in public transit in U.S. history.

Our airports and ports will be upgraded to strengthen supply chains, address repair and maintenance backlogs and create more, good-paying union jobs.

It will also make the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak… allowing the U-S to catch up to the rest of the world in reliability, speed and coverage, especially when it comes to high-speed rail. The package will also strengthen Buy America rules to help boost our domestic manufacturing sectors. This all means working families can live a better life with decent wages and benefits.

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141 Report – Philadelphia is a Union Town

141 Report – Philadelphia is a Union Town

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On this week’s 141 report Host, Dave sits down with 4 leaders from the American Airlines Grievance committee who represent 1400 Fleet Service Brothers and Sisters at Philadelphia International Airport. Chairman Derrick Monk, Committee members Maria Davis, Jonathan Ortiz, and Terrence “Chooch” Murray brief the viewers about the large union group they look after.

141 Report – Philadelphia is a Union Town

IAM District Lodge 141 Report with Host Dave Lehive is a weekly podcast featuring Machinist Union Members and Allies of the Labor Movement. Our Video report airs every Friday at 2:00 PM EST (1:00 CST) on Facebook and Youtube and is also on Spotify.

On this week’s 141 report Host, Dave sits down with 4 leaders from the American Airlines Grievance committee who represent 1400 Fleet Service Brothers and Sisters at Philadelphia International Airport. Chairman Derrick Monk, Committee members Maria Davis, Jonathan Ortiz, and Terrence “Chooch” Murray brief the viewers about the large union group they look after.

Veterans Day Message from the Machinists Union

Veterans Day Message from the Machinists Union

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Robert Martinez, Jr. is the International President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union. A former aircraft assembler at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Martinez knows personally how vital service members are to this nation. 

Veterans Day Message from the Machinists Union

Mike Klemm,
IAMAW District 141 President & Directing General Chair

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is the largest union of defense and aerospace workers in the world, meaning our commitment to military service members is a fundamental part of who we are as a union. 

On this Veterans Day, I ask everyone to take some time with friends and family members who have served. Listen to their stories. Try to learn from the example that they have set. Let them know that their service is inspirational to you and this nation. 

If you are one of the thousands of IAMAW Members who have worn this nation’s uniform, I want to thank you for your service personally. Know that this entire union stands behind you, from our frontline membership to our International President. 

We take our commitments to you seriously. Not just on Veterans Day, but every day of the year. Whether it’s building, maintaining, or servicing the vital hardware that helps keep our nation safe – or working to keep our transportation grid flowing smoothly. Veterans at IAMAW workplaces are the highest-paid and most respected workers in their classifications. As a union, we champion calls to expand veterans’ benefits eligibility and improvements at the VA. We led efforts to protect crucial programs such as the F-35 fighter jet program and “Buy American” rules for renewed investments in our nation’s infrastructure. These efforts have provided veterans with high-paying and secure jobs, and you have my word that we will continue to uphold this critical work on your behalf. 

So again, it is an absolute honor to wish our nations’ men and women in uniform a happy Veterans Day.

Richard Johnsen
IAMAW Chief of Staff to the International President

Today is a day we all get a chance to honor those who served. So many IAM Transportation members have bravely defended our nation in the armed forces.

Their service allows all of us to enjoy so many freedoms. Like the military, transportation careers are made up of individuals who form a team to accomplish the task at hand. Our union is fortunate that so many veterans choose to be a part of the IAM family.

On Veterans Day and every day, please take some time to say thank you to a fellow IAM member who has served in the military. Their bravery has contributed significantly to the transportation industry and our great union.