DO IT AGAIN: Keep Asking Your Senator to Support Airline Payroll Protection Until a Deal Passes

DO IT AGAIN: Keep Asking Your Senator to Support Airline Payroll Protection Until a Deal Passes

Aug 10, 2020 | Airlines, COVID, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, GOIAM Stories, MNPL, Organizing, Row 2, Uncategorized | 1 comment

The IAMAW, along with a coalition of airline unions, is gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. After securing support from a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House, the IAM needs your help convincing the Senate that they must act now to save hundreds of thousands of airline jobs before funding runs out on October 1.
 
The IAM sent a letter this week to every member of the U.S. Senate encouraging them to support a clean extension of the airline Payroll Support Program, resulting in 16 GOP Senators, led by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), throwing their support behind the program. Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) has already pledged his caucus’s support for a clean extension.
 
President Trump endorsed the program at a White House press conference on Wednesday.
 
 
“We are encouraged that the airlines have been in talks with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and White House Economic Advisor Kudlow about extending the program,” said IAM Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “Now it’s up to the White House and Majority Leader McConnell to help the hundreds of thousands of airline families across the country whose livelihoods are at risk without further aid.”
 
“This is not a partisan issue,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “We already have the support of Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi and applaud Sen. Gardner and the GOP senators who joined us in this critical fight to get a clean extension of the airline payroll support program. We strongly believe we have the votes in both the House and Senate to get a clean extension of the airline payroll support program passed.”

Additional Resources  ///  Lobby Your Senator 

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District 141 Video Report With PHX Local President, Donald Carbonneau

District 141 Video Report With PHX Local President, Donald Carbonneau

Aug 7, 2020 | Airlines, American, COVID, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, Organizing, Row 2, Uncategorized, United, Video | 0 comments

A Conversation With New President of Phoenix’s Local 2559, Don Carbonneau.

Brother Don Carbonneau talks about Sky Harbor Lodge and the job of being  a Local President during the pandemic.

Brother Don Started his airline career in 1996 at America West Airlines, where he accumulated 24 years of experience. He is now with American Airlines as a Fleet Service Employee.

When the workers at American West unionized with TWU in 2000, Don Volunteered as a Shop Steward in Phoenix to help serve the membership. From 2001-03, Don Served as TWU Grievance Chairperson in Phoenix.

In 2006, Don transferred with the recently merged US Airways to Boston where he served again as a Shop Steward. In 2011, he worked on the IAM Grievance Committee in Boston under Committee chair Steve Miller. Miller currently serves as Assistant General Chair for District 141. In 2015 Brother Don transferred with American Airlines to Charlotte, North Carolina, and then in 2016 transferred yet again, this time returning to Phoenix. Once back in his home city, Don served as IAM Shop Steward and a term on the Grievance Committee.

Brother Don then was elected just this year as President of his local in Phoenix, for a 3-year term which began January 1, 2020.

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The Other “C” Word

The Other “C” Word

Aug 5, 2020 | Featured, Featured News, Front Page, MNPL, Uncategorized | 0 comments

En Español ///

The Census Bureau just announced they will end all efforts for a national count in September. Did you fill out your Census form?

A Little History:
The framers of the US Constitution chose to make a count of people, not land or wealth, to determine political power. Article I mandates a count every ten years, following the first census conducted in 1790 when George Washington was president. 

Why Should I Care?
The government uses the information gathered by the Census Bureau to determine representation in Congress, in the Electoral College, and also to guide the distribution of public funds. An undercount of the population can have a severe negative impact on any community, which stands to lose funding for education and school lunches, public transport, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, hospitals and health programs, the arts, and many other public works for a decade. By filling out the 2020 Census form, you are doing your part to ensure that your community receives its fair share of over $675 billion available annually for vital community programs.

How Do I Make Myself Count?
Beginning in March, the Census Bureau mailed invitations to homes asking residents to participate. If you did not receive any mail from the Census Bureau, you can still respond via email or phone. Visit my2020census.gov to begin the process. It only takes 10 minutes, on average, to complete the questionnaire. You can also respond via phone at 844-330-2020. There is assistance available over the phone in 13 languages other than English. There are also guides and instructions available for download in 59 languages.

Is My Information Safe?
Yes. The Census Bureau can only use your information to produce statistics and is prohibited from releasing information that could identify you or your household. Your personal information cannot be shared with another government agency, court, financial institution, or landlord. A violation of this confidentiality is a federal crime with severe penalties. More information about the privacy policies of the US Census can be found HERE.

The Census In the Time of COVID:
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the Census Bureau to suspend or delay most field operations critical to getting an accurate count. If you are interested in a temporary job to help complete the census, there may be opportunities in your area. COVID restrictions on neighborhood canvassing are key reasons why completing the 2020 Census online or over the phone is so important. 

LET’S DO THIS!
The self-response rate for the 2020 Census is currently at a rate of 55% to 63% nationwide. It is lowest in areas with high concentrations of people of color and young children, populations who stand to benefit most from an accurate count and the resulting fair distribution of dollars for programs such as Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, and housing and educational programs. This low rate of response is important to address because, in the past, young children and people of color have had a higher risk of being missed in the count.

Protect Our Democracy:
Your response to the census will be used to determine the number of representatives your state is entitled to have in the House of Representatives and the number of voters it has in the Electoral College. While the total number of Members of Congress remains constant at 435, the number of each state’s representatives is determined by a process of apportionment that divides that number according to each state’s population. So besides making sure your community is receiving its fair share of tax dollars, filling out the census protects your political power by making sure you have the right number of people representing you in Congress. 

The whole thing is scheduled to be shut down on September 30, 2020, and there are no do-overs for 10 years. Do your part and make sure your family and your community is counted. Fill out the 2020 Census. Do it today.  

Additional Resources /// 2020 US Census Website

 

 

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New House Measure Would Require Masks on Flights

New House Measure Would Require Masks on Flights

Aug 4, 2020 | Airlines, COVID, Featured News, Front Page, MNPL, Row 2, Uncategorized | 0 comments

The Healthy Flights Act of 2020 protects passengers and also ensures pilots, flight attendants, and other airline employees are provided masks and other protective equipment, requires the development of a national aviation pandemic preparedness plan, and commissions a study on transmission of infectious diseases in airplane cabins.

Washington, D.C. — Last week, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) led 18 Members of Congress in the introduction of the Healthy Flights Act of 2020, which will provide a set of uniform requirements to help keep passengers and airline and airport workers healthy by minimizing transmission of the virus through our air transportation system. The Healthy Flights Act also helps prepare U.S. aviation stakeholders for future infectious disease pandemics and epidemics through the development of a national preparedness plan to define the aviation system’s response to future outbreaks and by advancing scientific research.

Specifically, the bill

  • Clarifies the FAA’s authority to impose any requirements on passenger and cargo air travel necessary to protect the health and safety of airline workers and passengers during public health emergencies;
  • Requires that passengers must wear masks on board aircraft and within airports, and also requires issuance of masks and other protective equipment to airline employees and certain FAA employees (including air traffic controllers and aviation safety inspectors), during any public health emergency that is caused by an airborne disease;
  • Mandates the development of a national aviation preparedness plan to respond to epidemics or pandemics;
  • Calls for a study on transmission of infectious diseases in airplane cabins; and
  • Creates an FAA Center of Excellence on Infectious Disease Response and Prevention in Aviation to advise the FAA Administrator on infectious diseases and air travel.

“I really can’t see any downsides to this bill,” said International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 141 Legislative Director Dave Roderick. “How we deal with this pandemic, the effort that we are willing to put into the protection of our nation, the sacrifices and responsibilities that we are willing to take on…these things will define our generation for the duration of the Republic.”

“All airline workers should help defend our industry. This disease should not be allowed to get past us,” Roderick said.

“As Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee, I make air travel safety my top priority,” Chair Rick Larsen said. “Keeping the flying public safe from COVID is even more difficult because of the lack of coordinated federal leadership. This bill includes commonsense measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in air travel, ensure the safety of passengers and frontline aviation workers, and better prepare the U.S. aviation industry for public health crises.”

In June, District 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, one of the largest groups of airline/aviation workers in North America, recommended that all airline workers wear masks whenever social distancing could not be reliably maintained. IAMAW District 141 President and Directing General Chair, Mike Klemm issued a statement at the time telling union members that their safety could not be compromised under any circumstances. “My foremost concern is your health and well-being as we adapt to life during this pandemic,” Klemm told union members. “Protecting our industry and our jobs will require a collective effort from all of us. I ask the members of IAMAW District 141 to protect yourselves, protect your co-workers, and protect your loved ones who depend on you every day.”

Additional resources: Fact Sheet | Section by Section| Bill Text

 

 

MNPL Poll: Your Vote

Senate Plan Does Not Include Funds for Airlines to Avoid Furloughs

Senate Plan Does Not Include Funds for Airlines to Avoid Furloughs

Aug 3, 2020 | Airlines, American, COVID, Featured News, Front Page, GOIAM Stories, MNPL, Philippine, Row 2, Spirit, Uncategorized, United | 0 comments

The GOP has released the details of their latest COVID-19 relief legislation named the “HEALS Act.” The proposed legislation not only cuts unemployment benefits to the 20 to 30 million Americans who are currently out of work, but falls short in just about every area of concern for working families.

“This legislation is a slap in the face to working people in this country,” said International President Robert Martinez Jr. “They have no problem handing out a trillion dollars in tax cuts to corporations, but want to nickel and dime unemployed Americans at a time when they need it the most. It appears the Senate may go on summer recess a week from now without bringing a bill to a vote, leaving millions of Americans to fend for themselves when additional pandemic economic compensation ends this Friday. They need to pass a relief package that benefits the people they are supposed to be representing.”

Please contact your Senators and tell them to pass a relief package that helps working people.

In addition to cutting pandemic unemployment compensation from $600 a week to 200 a week, the HEALS Act shortcomings include:

  • No airline or railroad relief
  • Immunity for companies that endanger their employees and the public
  • No OSHA standard protecting employees
  • NO pension relief, no COBRA subsidy, no eviction moratorium extension
  • Fast track to cut Social Security and Medicare (TRUST ACT)
  • No relief money for state and local governments
  • No money for USPS
  • Inadequate funding for schools
  • No funding for, or protections for election
  • No hazard pay for essential employees

Legislators are running out of time, as many of the provisions in the last COVID-19 relief package are about to expire, and some have already ended.

“Disaster is on America’s doorstep,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “Republicans need to get serious immediately, and work with Democrats to save lives and livelihoods during this devastating time.”

“One of the few things that’s kept our economy from deteriorating further is that these unemployment benefits have boosted consumer spending,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “That’s why economists say the Republican proposal would cost us over a million jobs this year, and 3.4 million jobs next year.”

 

TAKE ACTION! 

Find out which Senators have yet to support airline aid to prevent furloughs this fall >>

Act NOW: tell your lawmakers that you want them to support airline aid that would prevent furloughs this fall >>

Video Report: Airline Safety During the Pandemic

Video Report: Airline Safety During the Pandemic

Jul 31, 2020 | Airlines, American, COVID, Featured, Featured News, Front Page, Row 2, Safety, Uncategorized | 0 comments

A Conversation About Union-Level Safety Activism With Dennis Spencer

Gate-Side Airline Safety Activism, Created, Directed and Maintained by Front-Line Union Members

Brother Spencer has been fighting for workers safety since 2008, when he became the Safety Chair for his Philadelphia Local.   Three Years ago District Lodge 141 PDGC Mike Klemm appointed Brother Dennis as a 141 Safety Coordinator. Dennis Hired on with Legacy US 1989-accumulating over 31 years of airline experience  he currently is an IAM/TWU Association GSAP ERC member and is also the Union Safety System Administrator. In that role, Dennis is charged with collecting and maintaining data critical achieving a safe workplace at airports aroung the nation.

He is a proud member of  the Obie O’Brian Local 1776 family where he currently serves as a Trustee and as a EAP Peer to Peer Representative.

Dennis has been very active over the years since 2002 doing Community Service for different Charities, including youth sports and  raising over 250,000 dollars in Free Style Wrestling.

Dennis is Married and Has an 18 year old son.

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