Aloha, Kaulana

Aloha, Kaulana

May 26, 2020 | Featured, Featured News, Front Page, Hawaiian, Home, Home, Row 2, Safety, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Sisters and Brothers,

With deep sadness, I share the news that our Brother Kaulana Pakele, who served as Safety Director for District 141 at Hawaiian Airlines, passed away last night. Kaulana was surfing on Memorial Day near Makaha Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, when he went into distress and was rescued from the water.

Kaulana embodied the spirit of Aloha in everything he did: He proudly honored his Hawaiian and Polynesian culture in his work as an award-winning musician, and also fiercely defended the safety of his Brothers and Sisters in the Machinists Union.

He was born and raised in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, and was initiated into IAM Local 1979 in Honolulu in 2006 when he began working at Hawaiian Airlines. Kaulana was already an accomplished musician, and he took the job at the airline in part so he could enjoy traveling, as so many of us do. He became a Shop Steward and quickly took on positions of more responsibility, which led to his appointment as District 141 Safety Director for Hawaiian Airlines in 2016. He was a member of the contract negotiating committee for Hawaiian Airlines and also served on the IAMAW Joint Airline Transportation Safety Committee. 

We will miss Kaulana’s bright smile that would light up any room and his eagerness to liven up any gathering with his beautiful singing, but most of all we will miss our Brother whose dedication to the well-being and security of his brothers and sisters in our union is an inspiration to us all. 

We join Lisa, his wife for 23 years, his children, grandchildren, and his parents in their grief and ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We also share our loss with his friends and colleagues in the artistic community in Hawaii where he was beloved and admired. 

Aloha, dear Brother.

Mike Klemm

President and Directing General Chair, 
District 141,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

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Kaulana Pakele, Beloved Friend, Musician and Safety Advocate

Kaulana Pakele, Beloved Friend, Musician and Safety Advocate

May 26, 2020 | Row 2 | 2 comments

Kaulana Pakele passed away just after 6:30 in the evening on Memorial Day, while surfing near Makaha Beach on the Island of Oahu.

Kaulana’s death has rocked much of Oahu, where he was a beloved award-winning musician and local icon. He was the lead vocalist with the group Mana’o Company and the recipient of multiple Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.  His hits include “Sweet Reggae Woman,” “Roots Rockin,” and “Moloka’i Slide,” recorded with his former group, “Ehukai.” 

Besides his musical career, Kaulana was also an active member of his union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. His work protecting airline workers earned him the position of IAMAW (District 141) Director of Safety for Hawaiian Airlines.

In a statement, District 141 Union President, Mike Klemm marked the passing of Kaulana, saying, “We will miss Kaulana’s bright smile that would light up any room and his eagerness to liven up any gathering with his beautiful singing, but most of all we will miss our Brother whose dedication to the well-being and security of his brothers and sisters in our union is an inspiration to us all.”

Kaulana was a native of Hilo. He was 47 years old.  

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TWU / IAM System Seniority Protest

TWU / IAM System Seniority Protest

May 13, 2020 | American, Row 2 | 0 comments

As required by the recently ratified Association CBAs, American Airlines has posted the updated seniority lists for all classifications. That posting can be found on JetNet at https://people.aa.com/sm/reports/twuiam_seniority/.

Association represented employees may protest any omission or error, which they believe affects their seniority, within thirty (30) days of the posting. Timely submissions received on or before Monday June 15, 2020 will be reviewed and a final determination of seniority, adjustment or denial, will be binding on the parties. Keep in mind that all seniority dates prior to September 16, 2016 were subject to an earlier final and binding protest process. All seniority determinations will be recorded and final revised seniority lists will be posted by the Company. Any employee on leave at the time of posting will have a period of thirty (30) days from his/her date of return to service to file a protest.

The process for submitting all seniority protests is contained on the attached form. Submissions may also be made by email to the following addresses:

TWU M&R Protests may be sent to: AAMaintprotest@twu.org

TWU MLS Protests may be sent to: AAMLSprotest@twu.org

TWU Fleet may be sent to: AAFleetprotest@twu.org

IAM Fleet Protests may be sent to: IAM_Seniority_Protest@iamdl142.org

IAM Mechanic & Related, MLS and MTS Protests may be sent to: IAM_Seniority_Protest@iamdl142.org

      Additional Materials

AA Fleet Service Master Seniority List >

Association Seniority Protest Form >

Javits Memorandum >

Discussing United Lawsuit, Labor Issues with the Valley Labor Report

Discussing United Lawsuit, Labor Issues with the Valley Labor Report

May 11, 2020 | COVID, Featured News, Front Page, Organizing, Row 2, United | 0 comments

Mike Klemm, President and Directing General Chair of District 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, sits down with the Valley Labor Report to discuss labor issues in the airline industry. 

Hosts David Story and Jacob Morrison asked Klemm to talk about how the union defeated an attempt by United Airlines executives to furlough and impose pay cuts and benefit reductions for 15,000 workers. 

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ District 141 President Mike Klemm told VLR show hosts David Story and Jacob Morrison that protecting jobs from mass elimination was something that could only be done through mass action; individual workers would always be outspent by their corporations. 

The Valley Labor Report is a weekly radio program airing Saturday mornings on 92.5 WVNN based in Athens, Alabama.  Listeners can tune in live at WVNN.com and on YouTube.

The full broadcast with IAMAW District 141 President Mike Klemm is available here.

Letter from International Transport Workers Federation Supporting IAM Members at United

Letter from International Transport Workers Federation Supporting IAM Members at United

May 7, 2020 | COVID, Featured News, Front Page, Home, Home, Row 2, Safety, United | 0 comments

The International Transport Workers Federation sent a letter to United’s CEO in solidarity with the IAM. The full text of the letter is below. 

Download original version >

To Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines

I write you today on behalf of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), which represents nearly 700 transport trade unions from 150 countries with a total membership of around 20,000,000 working men and women. Our affiliate the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) has informed us that United Airlines decided to initiate forced layoffs, which the IAM states is in breach of their contracts, while taking billions of US taxpayers funded airline bailout funds.

According to our information, the carrier will cut the pay and benefits of all full-time IAMAW members at United Airlines. Needless to say, these measures will severely hurt United Airlines’ employees and their families.

Like our affiliate IAMAW, the ITF also recognizes the need for airlines to save money in these extremely challenging times. From the very early days of the global pandemic, the ITF and its aviation affiliates have been fighting, together with airlines, for government aid to help support the global airline industry. On 21 April 2020, the ITF and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a joint statement calling for support from governments to the aviation industry, to protect jobs and ensure that air services can be maintained.

However, unfortunately, we understand that these recently announced cuts are not utterly about saving money. We can see this from the fact that United Airlines has categorically refused to engage with the IAMAW in cost-saving discussions. The IAMAW believes and explains in detail that engaging in social dialog would provide the carrier with the same amount of financial relief without feeling the need of cutting workers’ contracts or the CARES (the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act.

As you may know, against this backdrop, the IAMAW is considering all possible legal options, including filing a lawsuit against United Airlines to stop the unilateral action and protect its membership. If the IAMAW opts for this option, the ITF and its aviation affiliates all around the world will not hesitate to provide legal support and lawful solidarity to their brothers and sisters who work for United Airlines.

Quite contrary to the current path United Airlines is set on, a climate of trust, built through social dialog is essential to the effective implementation of measures to address the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Strengthened respect for, and reliance on, mechanisms of social dialog creates a strong basis for building resilience, and the commitment of employers and workers to painful but necessary policy measures. This is particularly key during times of heightened social tension. The International Labour Organization’s (ILO’s) Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience recommendation (No. 205) emphasize, in particular, the importance of social dialog in responding to crisis and the vital role of employers and workers organizations in crisis response.

Furthermore, the recommendation emphasizes the key role of consultation and encouraging active participation of employers’ and workers’ organizations in planning, implementing, and monitoring measures for recovery and resilience. It additionally underlines the necessity of recognizing the freedom of association and protection of the right to organize convention (No. 87), and the right to organize and collective bargaining convention (No. 98).

As highlighted in the ITF-IATA joint statement, there is no doubt that as employers and unions we can navigate our way through this crisis only by working side by side. On the other hand, unilateral and socially irresponsible responses to the crisis, will increase tensions, lower trust, and most probably lead to intensified conflict in the near future.

The ITF will closely monitor the situation.

I look forward to your positive response on these urgent and important matters.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Cotton
General Secretary

cc:
Sito Pantoja, IAM General Vice President
Joseph Tiberi, ITF Civil Aviation Chair
Michael Klemm, President, IAM District 141
United Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors

Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin boards. 
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United Reconsiders Furloughs

United Reconsiders Furloughs

May 6, 2020 | COVID, Featured, Front Page, Home, Home, Row 2, United | 8 comments

Greetings!

As you know yesterday, your union filed a lawsuit against United Airlines in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. We sought an injunction against United Airlines on behalf of the 27,000 IAM represented Fleet Service and Passenger Service workers to halt United’s illegal scheme to reduce all of our full-time members to part-time in violation of the Railway Labor Act and United’s agreement under the Coronavirus Aid and Relief and Economic Security Act  (“CARES Act”) to maintain the wages and working conditions of its employees through September 30, 2020, as a condition for obtaining $5 Billion in taxpayer dollars.

Early this morning we received a message from Greg Hart, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operations Officer that at least for now, United has reconsidered its position. The latest from the company is that instead of unilaterally forcing our full-time members to become part-time, they will instead offer what they call a Company- Offered Leave of Absence Program (COLA) starting next week. Under their new plan, our full-time members can elect to become part-time and go from 40 hours per week to 30 hours without losing their full-time status. Those full-time employees who do not agree to reduce their hours will remain full time. However, we are not out of the woods yet. The company has said it will review the situation at the end of June and if there is not a “high level of participation” they will reconsider resuming their forced reduction to the part-time program. 

Sito Pantoja, IAM General Vice President Transportation stated: “It is deeply troubling that it took thousands of our members appealing to their elected Congressional representative and the filing of a lawsuit yesterday to get United, with whom we worked so hard to help get their billions in CARES Act funding, to finally reconsider its blatantly illegal course of conduct which was to be so damaging to our members. It is striking that the President of American Airlines publicly stated that United’s conduct in attempting to reduce our full-time employees to part-time was not permitted by the CARES Act. While today it appears that, thanks to your hard work and solidarity, we have won an important battle, we have not yet won the war. We will monitor United’s action closely to see what further legal and congressional action may become necessary.” 

Mike Klemm, President of IAM District Lodge 141 stated, “I am deeply grateful for the tireless help of Sito, his entire staff, our legal team and my executive board for helping the District hold off United’s attack on our members. Clearly, we would not have won this round of our struggle without the solidarity and support of our entire union and the thousands of IAM members we represent.”

Please print and post on all IAMAW bulletin boards.  

Get Printable Copy >

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