141 Report: Sean Rosario, Educator at United Lodge 914

141 Report: Sean Rosario, Educator at United Lodge 914

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Brother Sean Rosario is a 14-year veteran of Continental/United, and as a Lead Ramp Services Agent, has served as a Safety Advocate at EWR for 10 years.

141 Report: Sean Rosario, Educator at United Lodge 914

Dave Lehive stopped by a Shop Steward training class at Local 914 recently, and impressed by what he saw, he returned via Zoom to speak with Sean Rosario, Educator, Safety Advocate, and Shop Steward for the United Lodge 914 in Newark, New Jersey.

Brother Sean Rosario is a 14-year veteran of Continental/United, and as a Lead Ramp Services Agent, has served as a Safety Advocate at EWR for 10 years. He is also a Shop Steward and has represented his local as a delegate to several IAMAW conferences and conventions. Inspired by his experience at the William W. Winpisinger Center, he became the Local Lodge 914 Educator in January 2021.

In his role as Safety Advocate, Sean engaged with his co-workers in “peer-to-peer” education, but after he completed Leadership classes at the Winpisinger Center, he took to heart the call to “take this knowledge and information and share it with the members,” and sought a more active role as Local Lodge Educator.

He began teaching Shop Steward classes this year, which have been well received by both new and experienced Shop Stewards. With the support of Mac McGovern, District 141 Director of Education, and the district’s Education Representatives, Sean uses a hybrid model where some topics are discussed in-person, and they handle others via Zoom on a big screen. Local Lodge 914 is housed in a large space near Newark Liberty Airport that can accommodate classes following safety protocols of masking and physical distancing. Sean’s creative style includes breaking out the group into smaller units to do role play and solve problems.

Sean has taught initial Shop Steward training for UGE Stewards, and an Advanced Shop Steward class that has proven invaluable, especially for Stewards who took leaves of absence during the height of the pandemic and are returning to active duty at EWR. In the wake of many retirements in 2020, there is also a need to train new Stewards who were appointed to represent members in Customer Service, Ramp, Stores, and UGE.

We hear from Paulina Ganhito, a Shop Steward in Customer Service for 10 years, who says “We never stop learning,” and from Raymond Ortega, who has represented his coworkers on the EWR ramp for just 3 months. Sean describes Ray as “a rising star, very passionate,” and someone who took the next step and became a Shop Steward after filing many grievances to defend his rights and his coworkers.’

Eager to return to the Winpisinger Center for the Train the Trainer course that will complete his IAM Leadership education, Sean will continue to motivate members to follow in his footsteps so they can also become a valued resource for the membership.

Canada Will Require All Airline Employees and Passengers to be Vaccinated

Canada Will Require All Airline Employees and Passengers to be Vaccinated

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Canada Will Require All Airline Employees and Passengers to be Vaccinated

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All Canadian forms of mass travel will soon require proof of vaccination for both passengers and employees. The new rules will include commercial air travel, trains, busses, and all federal workers. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has represented workplaces in Canadian rail and Commercial Aerospace and has a significant presence in the Canadian medical industry.

The requirements will impact about 1.2 million Canadians. Commercial air travelers within Canada will also need to vaccinate, but not those traveling Air Canada from two destinations in the United States.

According to the Canadian Treasury Board, the changes will take effect “as soon as possible in the fall and no later than the end of October.”

“Today, we are announcing that the government of Canada intends to require vaccination across the Federal public services,” said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra as he announced the plan. The move is not limited to government agencies but will extend to employees at private companies in the federally regulated sector. “The government of Canada will require employees in the federally-regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sector to be vaccinated,” Alghabra said in the statement.

The mandates will extend to passengers flying on Canada’s two large airlines, as well. Air Canada and WestJet employees and passengers will need to show proof of vaccination by the end of October at the latest,” he said. The goal is to have the new rules enacted as early as the end of September, however.

“We have seen how devastating COVID-19 has been to our transportation and tourism sectors,” Alghabra said of the new mandates. “We must protect the hard-won gains made by Canadians,” he said. Canada has a vaccination rate of 73%, with 64% being fully vaccinated, making Canadians one of the best-protected populations in North America. About 26,000 Canadians have died of the COVID-19 virus.

The vaccination requirements allow those who cannot get vaccinated due to cancer or who have undergone a recent organ transplant, among other medical conditions, to get exemptions. Those with exemptions will have to pass frequent testing and other screening measures. 

In early August, Canada began relaxing some of the travel restrictions for US air travelers, which have somewhat slowed the recovery of air travel in the US. 

While the requirements do not reflect a policy specific to airlines per se, the addition of Air Canada and WestJet to the “vaccinated” column grows the list of airlines that are now requiring immunizations for employees. Delta was the first to mandate vaccinations for new hires in the Spring, and United, Hawaiian, and Frontier have at least some form of vaccine requirements for employees. Delta was the first to mandate vaccinations for new hires in the Spring, and United, Hawaiian, and Frontier have at least some form of vaccine requirements for employees. The Supreme Court in the United States has thus far thrown out two challenges to vaccine mandates, upholding a 1905 decision that allows employers and other organizations to require them. 

 

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

 

 

Support Services Available for Veterans

Support Services Available for Veterans

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Support Services Available for Veterans

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Veterans from all generations are processing the news of what is currently unfolding in Afghanistan and could be experiencing a wide range of emotions and feelings right now. The IAM Veteran Services Program is proud to share resources available to veterans.

“As a U.S. Navy veteran, I can empathize with any Machinist or family member who might be affected emotionally or mentally with the events in Afghanistan,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “I encourage anyone who may need help to utilize resources that the IAM and other organizations have to offer. We are always available to help our Brothers and Sisters in need.”

IAM Resources:

IAM EAP Services can be accessed by emailing iameap@iamaw.org or by calling 301-335-0735.

IAM Addiction Services can be reached by calling 1-888-250-4IAM (4426).

Resources from the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council:

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Hawaiian Airlines Will Require Employee Vaccinations for COVID-19

Hawaiian Airlines Will Require Employee Vaccinations for COVID-19

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Hawaiian Airlines Will Require Employee Vaccinations for COVID-19

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Last week, Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to require all US-based employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The new policy will make Hawaiian the fourth airline to issue a vaccine requirement for employees. Delta issued vaccine mandates for new hires this spring. United and Frontier made similar policy changes in early August.

“As of November 1, 2021, Hawaiian Airlines will require all of our U.S.-based employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” the airline said in a memo to employees. The airline presented the policy partly as a safety measure and necessary to coordinate with pandemic-related restrictions in other countries.

“There is no greater demonstration of our values than ensuring the safety of others,” the memo read. “Safety is the foundation of air travel, and it is ingrained throughout our operation and service. This is no different. By getting vaccinated, we protect ourselves and those around us. That is malama.”

The list of major companies requiring vaccines includes executives at Walmart – as well as workers at companies such as Google, Facebook, Tyson Foods, Disney, and others. Members of the armed forces are also required to undergo immunizations. Fox Corporation is strongly encouraging executives and talent at the company to get vaccinated, using a voluntary self-reporting system.

Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram told workers they had until November 1 to be fully vaccinated. This timeframe means that employees getting a two-shot vaccine will need to get the first dose in the next two months. United set a deadline for its 67,000 employees of five weeks after the FDA grants full use authorization to have at least one vaccine, or October 25, whichever date is sooner. Frontier will require vaccinations by October 1 or employees will need to undergo regular testing. Frontier has a ‘soft’ vaccine requirement, granting exemptions to virtually anyone that requests one.

All airlines have had vaccine mandates for some employees for years, dating back to long before the pandemic. Pilots and flight attendants who travel to regions where certain diseases are prevalent, for example, must get vaccinated. 

Delta has mandated vaccinations for new hires, meaning anyone leaving Hawaiian, Frontier, or United for Delta will need to prove vaccination status.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (District 141), which represents ground crews at Hawaiian, has supported incentive programs for airlines trying to immunize their workforces. These efforts have encouraged airlines to offer on-site clinics, time off from work, extra pay, and more. However, the union’s District President Mike Klemm has voiced concern that similar requirements happening at United Airlines are going out without proper communication with workers, leading to a clumsy and ineffective vaccination policy overall. He stressed that Hawaiian has been much more professional than United and that Hawaiian managers are actively trying to partner with employees, and are largely avoiding the widespread backlash occurring at United.

“Hawaiian has been courteous and careful with their communications with the union,” he said. “That shows a lot of respect. And, that kind of partnership will go a long way towards encouraging more vaccine participation.”

Federal agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and courts have repeatedly found that requiring employee vaccinations is a power companies have. Earlier in 2020, the IAMAW consulted with attorneys and legal experts who determined that companies that choose to require employee vaccinations are legally able to do so. 

It is not yet clear how the decision by airlines to require vaccinations will impact their business liability insurance costs, or whether or not such concerns are influencing their decision-making. 

Those eligible for an exemption will have to get frequent COVID-19 tests and wear masks, among other safety procedures.

 

Airline Business Weaker Due to Delta Variant

Airline Business Weaker Due to Delta Variant

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Airline Business Weaker Due to Delta Variant

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While summer traffic has been promising, there are troubling signs that the profit season for airlines may have peaked early – due to the continuing Pandemic.

TSA bookings year over year show positive growth throughout commercial aviation. Compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic began to ravage airlines, today’s air traffic is 80% of what it historically should be for August. 

However, it may be too early to declare the pandemic behind us. With the Delta variant clogging hospitals with unvaccinated Americans, airline travel is showing severe signs of weakening. For the third straight week, airline bookings are down and far weaker than in 2019. System bookings are currently 53.8% lower than 2019 levels. That could show that the most profitable quarter for airlines may be shorter this year than the historical average. If the trend continues, many airlines will not have enough summer profits to get them through the rest of 2021 as they might have wanted. 

The cause of the general malaise within airlines can be attributed to the continued COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lucrative business and international travel is down at all airlines and show few signs of a quick comeback. Popular destinations for American air travelers, including France, remain on the CDC’s “Do Not Travel” list. Hawaii is restarting restrictions on travel to the islands, including group sizes. Several other resort destinations are asking visitors to leave as soon as possible, while others extend border closures. All of which are challenges that airlines do not need right now. 

Southwest attributed a general slowdown “close-in reservations” for August to the Delta Variant in an SEC filing last week. Delta, Hawaiian, Air Canada, United, and Frontier have imposed some vaccine requirements for employees. 

recent study of air travelers conducted by Longwoods International is not helping relieve fears of long-term, pandemic-related slowdowns for air travel. According to the research, a shocking 67% of communities want to shut their doors to tourists and their money. This number is high and growing; two months ago, it was at 47%, an already incomprehensibly high figure for areas dependent on tourist revenue. The study also found other indicators that COVID-19 concerns are a serious threat to aviation. 

30% of respondents reported that they would rather drive instead of fly to their next travel destination, with 25% choosing domestic rather than international travel. The number that said COVID-19 concerns would “greatly” impact their travel decisions over the next six months was a staggering 34%. 

If all these indications of weakening air travel demand are accurate, airlines may have hit the high point of their profit season. 

141 Report: PHX Committee Grows in Strength

141 Report: PHX Committee Grows in Strength

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Trina David, Committee Chair, with Dan Robinson and Brian Harrison, who serve as Committee Representatives, are elected to represent over 1,000 members working at American Airlines in Phoenix.

141 Report: PHX Committee Grows in Strength

Census numbers released this week show that the city of Phoenix, Arizona is the fastest-growing large city in the United States. Dave Lehive talks to members of the Grievance Committee at Sky Harbor Lodge 2559 to find out how the area’s growth and the challenges presented by the coronavirus in the past year have affected their work. 

Trina David, Committee Chair, with Dan Robinson and Brian Harrison, who serve as Committee Representatives, are elected to represent over 1,000 members working at American Airlines in Phoenix. 

IAM members at American Airlines ratified an industry-leading contract in March 2020, just before the United States and most of the world had to pause to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Brother Brian Harrison, who also serves as an Education Representative for District 141, points out that as a “right to work” state, Arizona has low union density, so many IAM members are working in a union workplace for the first time. Most of them, unlike their counterparts in the East or Midwest, did not grow up in a union household, so the Committee educates members about the role of unions and their value for working people. These anti-worker laws do not apply to workers in the airline industry, which operates under the Railway Labor Act, but their effect on the work culture is still damaging. Dave reminds viewers that the PRO Act, significant pro-labor legislation currently making its way through Congress, would eliminate these state laws and would strengthen organized labor across the nation. 

The Committee members and Shop Stewards of Sky Harbor Lodge 2559 represent members at American Airlines working at the PHX ramp, tower, and cargo. In the past 18 months, the Committee has seen a surge of interest from members who want to become more involved as Shop Stewards. Trina says these members are eager to defend and preserve the benefits of the contract that were hard-won through a years-long negotiation process. 

Communication is a key element of a successful local lodge and committee, and Local 2559 uses a variety of tools, including Facebook Messenger, Slack, and a Google voice hotline. There is a Committee Representative available in person at the airport for 12 hours daily. At the beginning of the pandemic, they also recorded video briefings to keep members informed as information changed quickly. The local has a large space that allows them to continue in-person training sessions with social distancing and following safety protocols. 

Committee members stress the importance of working together with Committees from other stations, and they maintain close contact with their counterparts in CLT, PHL, DEN, and DFW. This helps maintain consistency in the policies at different stations. Committee Chair Trina David mentions that as a “fairly new” committee, these interactions are very important. They also rely on the guidance of AGC Pat Rezler and “Cool Uncle” AGC Mike Maiorino.

“There’s no guidebook,” says Trina, so they learn from leaders and each other.