United CSRs in California: Important Information Re: MAP Devices

United CSRs in California: Important Information Re: MAP Devices

ATTENTION All California CSR’s: Important Information Re: MAP Devices

District Lodge 141, along with Local Lodge 1782, addressed the MAP Device Protection Program. United attempted to implement a policy that seems to require that United Airlines’ workers who have been provided iPhones have to buy insurance with respect to the devices.

Six years ago, we corresponded with United and advised them that any requirement that employees buy insurance with respect to company-issued equipment is unlawful.

Apparently United heeded that letter at that time and the Union was successful in getting affected employees refunded.

Under California law, employers must bear all costs of doing business and can’t impose it on employees. See Labor Code Section 2802 which, specifically prohibits any employer from forcing employees to pay for any expenses including insurance on those phones.

The statute also provides for attorney’s fees should the employees have to bring an action to remedy an unlawful requirement that employees bear any costs such as insurance. You also may want to take a look at Cochran vs. Schwan’s Home Service, 228 NLRB Cal.App 4th 1137 (2014) dealing with this issue. The Court was relying upon a California Supreme Court decision which is now 25 years old. Gattuso v. Harte-Hanks Shoppers, Inc. 42 Cal.App.4th 554 (2007). The Union asked United to rescind the policy.

After the Union met with United & HR, United has now agreed once again to reimburse all members in California in the following locations: SFO, SMF, SJC, LAX, SNA, SAN for a total of 539 employees at the total cost of $16,170.

Troy Rivera

Assistant General Chair,

IAMAW District 141

Olu Ajetomobi

Assistant General Chair,

IAMAW District 141

Terry Stansbury

Assistant General Chair,

IAMAW District 141

Mike Klemm

President and Directing General Chair,

IAMAW District 141

Recording Secretaries: Please print and post on all Union Bulletin Boards.

Lodge 811’s Ongoing Commitment to Community: Toy Drive for Pediatric Cancer Patients

Lodge 811’s Ongoing Commitment to Community: Toy Drive for Pediatric Cancer Patients

Home Town Pride: Lodge 811 Continues A Long-Standing Commitment to Community Service with Annual Toy Drive for Pediatric Cancer Patients

Commitment To the Community: Local 811 Toy Drive for Pediatric Cancer Patients

Local Lodge 811’s Women’s Committee recently dropped off a large donation of toys from their latest toy collection project for Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas.

In previous years the local donated any type of toy to all children at the hospital, but this time, the committee chose to collect specific toys for bed-ridden pediatric cancer patients: puzzles, word games, books, and hand-held electronics.

Local 811 Secretary Treasurer Sarah Monderoy Garcia has been on the Women’s Committee since 2013. She, Lodge 811 Vice President Nelson Yanes, Trustee Adrienne Coleman, Charlotte Lazard, and Evelita Everitt make up 811’s Women’s Committee, which is continually collecting donations for different organizations.

“We’re always doing some type of drive, whether it’s toiletries, clothing, or toys. We like to target different areas of need in the community,” said Garcia.

The committee encouraged members to bring donations to union meetings and advertised with flyers on the break-room bulletin boards at George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport (IAH) where Local 811 members work for United Airlines as ramp service employees, ground crew, and stores material specialists (members who work side-by-side with mechanics to provide parts for planes).

The committee strategically decides to host their toy drives in the summer time, the “off-season,” because hospitals typically receive an abundance of toy donations over the holidays but are running low and have new patients come summer.

Richard Johnsen, General Vice President of the Machinists’ newly formed Air Transport Territory, expressed optimism that the Machinists and the ALU could forge a strong alliance. “We are more than just unions,” said Johnsen. “We’re also part of a movement. People are tired of sitting on the sidelines. They want to act, they want to make changes. That’s why this campaign at JetBlue is so exciting; it’s a vital part of a larger movement to prove that working people deserve just as much respect as managers and executives.”

Johnsen also pledged to work closely with the ALU, including hammering out a potential agreement to open the renowned Winpisinger Education Center to ALU members. “The Winpisinger Center is the largest labor school in North America,” he said. “It has an expert teaching staff that holds classes on things that matter to unions. Things like contract negotiations, leadership training, arbitration, organizing and more. It’ll be a great asset to JetBlue Crewmembers once they come on board, and I hope that ALU members will look into the opportunity to find out more about the Winpisinger Center.”

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JetBlue Union Organizing Effort Heats Up

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Tristan “Lion” Dutchin (center, light brown shirt) was instrumental in the historic campaign to bring union rights to the Amazon Staten Island Facility, the first such victory in the history of the trillion-dollar company.. He is lending his insights and support to JetBlue Ground Operations Crew members currently organizing with the Machinists Union!
Tristan is shown here with GVP Richard Johnsen (center, blue shirt) District 141 President Mike Klemm (center, dark shirt), and a team of Machinist Union Organizers. Photos: Brian Vega, IAMAW 141 Communications Coordinator

JetBlue Union Organizing Heats Up in Wake of Historic Union Victories

Organizing
8 July 2022

A recent spate of high-profile union victories is inspiring union organizers at JetBlue, according to Ground Operations Crewmembers, at an appreciation rally this week at JFK airport in New York.

The event was hosted by the Machinists Union, which Ground Crews at JetBlue are seeking to join. The Machinists include ground and gate agents, flight crews, and other air transport workers at every airline and large airport in the country. 

Headlining the rally was Tristan “Lion” Dutchin, one of the lead organizers at Amazon’s Staten Island facility that became the first property at the trillion-dollar corporation to unionize. 

“I wanted to come out and show support for what Ground Ops are trying to do,” said Dutchin. “It’s not easy. Really, organizing with a union is impossible until suddenly it’s not,” he said. “There’s a lot a company like JetBlue or Apple or Amazon can do to mess you up,” he continued. 

As one of the lead organizers at Amazon, Dutchin saw firsthand how far companies are willing to go to stop a union drive. “They hired people to go work and pose as real employees,” he said. “When really their only job was to spy on us and badmouth unions,” he explained. “That fooled a lot of us for a while until we caught on to what they were doing.”

A central union-busting talking point at Amazon was to portray unions as “outsiders” and “third parties,” an argument that Dutchin laughed off. “I’m a third party now just because I joined a union?” He asked mockingly. “Ain’t no third parties. Sometimes they act like they don’t even know what a union is,” he said of Amazon’s anti-union efforts.

The union that Dutchin helped found, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), is aggressively building itself up, growing, and educating its membership about union activism. An essential part of that effort includes outreach to other labor groups and participating in high-profile union drives like the ongoing campaign at JetBlue.

Richard Johnsen, General Vice President of the Machinists’ newly formed Air Transport Territory, expressed optimism that the Machinists and the ALU could forge a strong alliance. “We are more than just unions,” said Johnsen. “We’re also part of a movement. People are tired of sitting on the sidelines. They want to act, they want to make changes. That’s why this campaign at JetBlue is so exciting; it’s a vital part of a larger movement to prove that working people deserve just as much respect as managers and executives.”

Johnsen also pledged to work closely with the ALU, including hammering out a potential agreement to open the renowned Winpisinger Education Center to ALU members. “The Winpisinger Center is the largest labor school in North America,” he said. “It has an expert teaching staff that holds classes on things that matter to unions. Things like contract negotiations, leadership training, arbitration, organizing and more. It’ll be a great asset to JetBlue Crewmembers once they come on board, and I hope that ALU members will look into the opportunity to find out more about the Winpisinger Center.”

Machinists held the rally to showcase union organizing at the airline and recognize Ground crews currently working towards joining the Machinists Union. According to event organizers, the demonstration drew about a hundred JetBlue Crewmembers, many of whom participated in a raffle, were served an assortment of food items, and signed union authorization cards. Union authorization cards are critical to earning union rights at the workplace. More than half of employees must sign a card petitioning the federal government to recognize a union vote. Once a vote is scheduled, employees will then get a chance to formally join a union.

While JetBlue has thus far managed to avoid a union vote among Ground Crewmembers, Machinists Union organizers say that the campaign is getting very close to reaching its target of “50% +1” for card signing.

“We are very close,” said Machinists Union District President Mike Klemm. “The mood has changed. The rate of card signing is way up. People are asking questions, and we’ll be here to give our Ground Operations Crewmembers all the resources they need,” Klemm said.

“Importantly,” he continued, “we have the best union organizers in the nation working on this from our end. They’re working side by side with Crewmembers at JetBlue, who are organizing on the inside. Altogether, I am incredibly proud of this team. I know we’re going to get this done,” he said.

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Negotiations Limp Along as Self-Imposed August 1st Deadline Approaches

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Negotiations Limp Along as Self-Imposed August 1st Deadline Approaches

 

24 June 2022

This week, IAM District 141 and United Airlines management continued negotiations in Chicago, IL. We continue to be frustrated with the pace of the talks. We are doubtful we will reach the mutually agreed upon, self-imposed deadline of August 1, 2022, to reach tentative agreements for approximately 25,000 IAM-represented workers at United Airlines.

This week’s talks focused on the many facets of Article 2 Job Security and LOA 9, Article 4 Hours of Service, Article 9, Investigations, Grievances and Arbitration, and the vital quality of work/life issues of mandatory overtime and outage relief. While we did make some marginal progress, we still do not have agreement from United management that our job security and scope of work will be at the very least equal to what we have presently. This is very concerning at this stage of the expedited negotiations process.

In other news, this past Wednesday, IAM District 142 announced tentative agreements with Alaska Airlines on a two-year contract extension, which provides industry-leading pay rates that range between 9-17 percent. The tentative agreements cover over 5,000 IAM-represented ramp, customer service, stores, and office and clerical employees. The top-of-scale wage rate is $34 per hour, and the starting rate is $18.50.

Click here to view the Alaska COPS TA.

Click here to view the Alaska Ramp TA.

IAM-represented United Airlines workers in similar classifications earn approximately 10 percent above that of Alaska Airlines workers at the top of the scale. This is due to United being over five times the size of Alaska Airlines. This is welcome news for our contract talks as a rising tide lifts all boats, and United Airlines is poised to report record-breaking revenue generation for the second quarter of 2022.

Make no mistake; if United Airlines management believes it can stick its head in the sand regarding what is currently happening and what has already been negotiated at other carriers, it is sorely mistaken. Our only goal for IAM members at United Airlines is the best contract in the airline industry in all areas.  

Negotiations will continue July 13-15 and the week of July 25.

In solidarity,

Your District 141 Negotiating Committee

Olu Ajetomobi
Joe Bartz
Victor Hernandez
Barb Martin
Andrea’ Myers
Terry Stansbury

Faysal Silwany
Erik Stenberg
Sue Weisner

Michael G. Klemm

President & Directing General Chair,
IAMAW District 141
#LGR

Recording Secretaries: Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin boards.

Machinists Union Negotiates $34/Hour at Alaska Airlines

Machinists Union Negotiates $34/Hour at Alaska Airlines

Machinists Union Reaches Historic Deal at Alaska Airlines

Justice at JetBlue
22 June 2022

Machinists Union Reaches Historic, Industry-Leading Tentative Agreement Extension for 5,300 Members at Alaska Airlines

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has reached a tentative agreement with Alaska Airlines that, for the first time in the carrier’s history, will put approximately 5,300 Alaska Airlines workers at the top of the airline industry’s pay scale.

The tentative agreement extension covers IAM members who work in Ramp, Stores, Clerical, Office and Passenger Service at the carrier. Alaska Airlines hubs include Anchorage, Alaska; Seattle-Tacoma; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; and Los Angeles.

If ratified by IAM members at Alaska Airlines, the four-year contract would:

  • Raise base wage rates for all classifications to between 8.9% and 17.4% on Aug. 10, 2022.
  • Further raise all base wages rates for all classifications by 2.5% on Aug. 10, 2023
  • Base wage rate will also increase a minimum of 2.5% on Aug. 10, 2024 and Aug. 10 2025, subject to an industry review.
  • In 2024 and 2025, the agreement calls for an industry review, which will give employees a minimum 2.5% base wage rate or the percentage required to match the top of the scale as the No. 4 airline, whichever is greater.
  • No changes to strong existing medical and other benefits.
  • Longevity pay increases starting after year 6 at 5 cents per hour, and topping out after year 12 and beyond at 35 cents per hour.
  • Strong existing job security language extended until Sept. 27, 2028.

Read full highlights of the tentative agreement here.

IAM members at Alaska Airlines will vote on the tentative agreements in the coming weeks. IAM representatives will also hold contract educational meetings at locations across the country.

“The IAM’s tentative agreement with Alaska Airlines is historic for our union, the carrier, and the entire airline industry,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richard Johnsen. “IAM members have built Alaska Airlines into a perennial top-performing airline, and now, they have an industry-leading contract to vote on that rewards their dedication, skill, and sacrifice.”

“The IAM’s negotiating committee at Alaska Airlines has put in countless hours of hard work obtaining this tentative agreement,” said IAM District 142 President and Directing General Chair John Coveny. “From our leadership to our membership and everyone in between, this tentative agreement is the result of our union’s strength and solidarity.”

“As the largest air transport labor union in North America, our membership knows that they have the strength of the entire IAM at the bargaining table,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser. “We are proud to present this industry-leading tentative agreement to our hard-working IAM membership at Alaska Airlines.”

“I could not be more proud of the IAM negotiating committee and our membership,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Airline Coordinator Tom Regan. “We look forward to speaking to IAM members at Alaska Airlines from coast to coast about this industry-leading, historic contract.”

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is the largest and most powerful airline union in North America, representing more than 100,000 air transport members in North America. The IAM 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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JetBlue Ups its Bid for Spirit: Now $3.7 BILLION

JetBlue Ups its Bid for Spirit: Now $3.7 BILLION

Up, Up and Away; JetBlue Management
Again Ups its Bid for Spirit: Now $3.7 BILLION

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22 June 2022

Washington, June 16, 2022 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) applauds the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for approving the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 7321). 

JetBlue management yesterday once again upped its bid to $3.7 BILLION to merge with Spirit Airlines. This is approximately 68% more than the Frontier offer.

You read that right, yes, 68% more.

JetBlue management is totally obsessed with merging with Spirit, and it appears no price is too high.

Management previously cut the summer flight schedule by about 10 percent due to staffing concerns. JetBlue could be investing much more in its people to retain workers that we need and attract new workers, which we also need. But, it seems management is more concerned with merging with Spirit, even as many economists predict a slowing economy
due to rising interest rates to battle inflation.

The tough questions are:

(1) Could this money be utilized more wisely?

(2) Is the total obsession with merging with Spirit good for us?

Management has claimed it will divest routes in the Northeast and gates in FLL. Without a union contract to protect our interests in a merger, we are certainly at risk and that needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) 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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