Feb 11, 2020 | Airlines, American, Featured, Home, Uncategorized
A union leader in the world of aviation, Gil Simmons will serve as Grand Lodge Special Representative at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
IAMAW Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja announced the appointment in a recent communication to union members. Brother Pantoja also announced the appointment of District 142 General Chair Sean Ryan to the position of Special Representative for the Transportation Territory. The assignments became official in January.
“Sean and Gil have a long history of commitment and dedication to our members which has earned them tremendous respect throughout the IAM,” said Pantoja. “They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our department that will serve as a great resource for our team.”
Gil Simmons began his career at US Air in 1985 when he initiated into IAM Local Lodge 1776. While working at US Air (which later merged with American Airlines) for several years, Gil decided he had the tools necessary to create needed workplace improvements. He became a union activist in 2006 and quickly established himself as a trusted advisor and tireless advocate for his fellow workers.
Gil became a Local 1776 Grievance Committee Representative in 2007 and was elected Committee Chair a year later. In 2010, members elected him Vice President At Large at District 141, and later Assistant General Chair, a position he has held since 2011.
Simmons also serves as Airline Coordinator East at the Pennsylvania State Council of Machinists. He is a Trustee for the New Jersey State Council and an IAM delegate to the Pennsylvania State AFL-CIO.
A consummate professional, Gil has helped save countless jobs from unfair terminations, worked to expand workers’ rights, and has devoted himself to creating a broader social and policy-making role for working people.
“Gil understands the importance of working with other union members to advance a strong, pro-worker legislative agenda,” said New Jersey State Council of Machinists President Ines Garcia-Keim. “He was the point person in the effort to affiliate our 42,000 airline workers with the NJ State Council,” she said of his work in New Jersey.
“That’s just one thing Gil has done for which I am grateful,” she said.
Gil Simmons with IAMAW Local 1776 President Rich Howell and Derrick Monk at a Labor Day Awards Ceremony in 2017.
IAMAW District Lodge 141 President and Directing General Chair Mike Klemm praised Gil’s lifetime of service to airline workers, and said, “For years, Gil has been an incredible advocate for working people. Do not let his modesty and quiet nature fool you; there is nobody that I would rather have on my side than Gil.”
“I’m honored to earn the opportunity to serve my sisters and brothers in whatever way I can,” Gil said of his appointment. “I was proud to work at District 141 and with President Mike Klemm for ten years, and I can count hundreds of friends there. They put me into a position to succeed in what was always a challenging and rewarding job.”
“I learned a lot, and I hope I helped a lot,” Gil said. “I can never really thank District 141 enough.”
As Special Representative, Gil will service local lodges within the IAMAW’s Transportation Territory and will provide assistance and oversight in organizing campaigns.
Feb 9, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, The Association, Uncategorized
February 9, 2020
Revised Compensation Schedule
Please click the link below to view an updated compensation schedule that clarifies
pay elements for all Association members.
Click here for Base Wage Rates and Hourly Premiums >>
Feb 7, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, The Association, Uncategorized
February 7, 2020
Association and American Meet to Finalize Language
As previously announced, the TWU-IAM Association reached Agreements in Principle (AIP) last week with American Airlines on five new Joint Collective Bargaining Agreements (JCBAs). The five-year accords run through 2025.
This week, Association negotiating committee members met with company representatives in Fort Lauderdale, FL to begin finalizing contract language to bring our Agreements in Principle back to you as complete Tentative Agreements for your consideration. This time-consuming work is necessary for accurate full-text documents to be presented to the membership before ratification voting begins. We expect this process to take a few weeks.
The parties this week finalized the proposed base wage scales and associated premiums going forward, and those rates for each group accompanies this update.
We ask for your continued patience as we continue the work to bring you complete details on the premier collective bargaining agreements in the industry.
Click here for Complete List of proposed base wage rates and hourly premiums
Click here for Fleet Service and Central Load Planner proposed base rates and hourly premiums
Click here for a printable version of this bulletin
Feb 4, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, retirement, The Association, Uncategorized
February 4, 2020
What to Know About the Early Out Offer at American Airlines
Sisters and Brothers,
The Company has informed the Association that they are planning to offer an Early Out to Association Members at some point and time under terms and conditions established by the Company.
Why is this not part of the Agreement in Principle:
- As part of the negotiation process over the past several years, the Company has discussed offering an Early Out to Association Members. The Association informed the Company that if we were to agree to an Early Out as part of the contract it would have to be offered by Seniority to any Member in the system who applied. The Company stated they could not agree to such application.
- In the last session, prior to reaching an Agreement in Principle on the terms and conditions of open items that the Association had proposed, the Company indicated that the cost of offering an Early Out during the JCBA was going to cost millions of dollars. The Association did not agree to any cost for an Early Out since it is a program the Company will unilaterally offer and is not part of the collective bargaining agreement. In fact, the carrier could have made the offer at any time, since it was never a part of our negotiations.
- So, an Early Out could be offered by the Company, but since the Company does not agree to offer such Early Out by Seniority as the Association discussed, the terms and conditions of the Early Out will be solely established by the Company.
Many of you have sacrificed much over the years and may have the opportunity to participate in an Early Out, but the Association could not agree to allow the Company to circumvent a Member’s Seniority or allow millions of dollars to be held over our heads in negotiations.
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Jan 30, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, The Association, Uncategorized
January 30, 2020
Agreements in Principle
Sisters and Brothers,
After more than four years of bargaining, the TWU-IAM Association is proud to announce we have reached Agreements in Principle with American Airlines for five new joint collective bargaining agreements (JCBAs) worth $4.2 billion, covering more than 30,000 Mechanic & Related, Fleet Service, Maintenance Control, MLS/Stores and Maintenance Training Specialist members.
The Association negotiating committees must finalize and proof contract language on agreed upon provisions of the tentative contracts, and the parties will continue to meet to accomplish that task. This process could take a few weeks. Preliminary highlight sheets are attached to this bulletin, but the final, complete contract language will be available to all members. In addition to being posted on union websites, the complete agreement will be mailed to each member’s home before voting begins.
After the final language is finalized, membership ratification details and voting information will be announced.
When negotiations began, the Association negotiating committees were faced with the tremendous challenge of combining dissimilar, mature contracts negotiated by different unions with different airlines into JCBAs for the new American Airlines. From the outset, we had a decision to make: get a quick agreement, or get the right agreement for Association members, regardless of how difficult, lengthy and contentious that process would be. As you review the complete terms of the contracts, you will see that we chose the correct path.
Your negotiating committees recommend the ratification of these agreements.
These Agreements in Principle will provide all Association members with wages, benefits, work rules, job security and retirement income that had never before been accomplished. Total compensation (wages, premiums, retirement, and profit-sharing) is the richest in the industry. Not only are all Association members’ jobs protected in their locations, but more importantly, we were able to protect the work we do. The considerable benefits to all members will be immediately apparent.
Nothing in these Agreements in Principle would have been possible without the support, solidarity, and patience of the membership. We ask for your continued patience as we complete and proof every word so you can be presented with all the information you need to make an informed decision when you vote on ratification.
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Click to See the Agreement Highlights
Jan 29, 2020 | American, Featured, Home, The Association
January 29, 2020
Negotiations Update
Sisters and Brothers,
Negotiations between the Association and American Airlines resumed today in Washington, DC. with some progress made. The remaining outstanding issues are few, but are some of the most important elements of a collective bargaining agreement, including wages and job scope language.
The parties will continue negotiations tomorrow, and the membership will be updated as developments occur. Your solidarity has brought us close to an agreement, and your committee thanks you as we try to conclude these negotiations.
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