141 Report: Daryl Current, Taking Care of Business and People

Jul 9, 2021 | Front Page, Page Five, Page Four, Page Three, Page Two, Perusals, Row 2, Video

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After laboring through four airline mergers and doing his fair share of moving around to keep his airline job over 37 years, Daryl Current has a deep appreciation for what a good union contract can do for workers.

141 Report: Daryl Current, Taking Care of Business and People

141 Report host Dave Lehive catches up with his former coworker Daryl Current, the Grievance Committee Chair at Victory Local Lodge 1725 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dave and Daryl reminisce about their days working together in Newark, New Jersey before Daryl settled in Charlotte in 2006. He was a Shop Steward when District 141 AGCs encouraged him to run for a position in the Grievance Committee in 2015. He has served as Committee Chair since 2017.

As a leader in one of the largest locals in District 141, Daryl Current wants to make sure the 1,8000 members of Victory Lodge 1725 have easy access to their union representatives. For this reason, he and fellow Committee Reps John Wilkinson, Mike Noble, and Lou Gilmore keep staggered hours in their office at the airport. “Our door is always open,” says Daryl, stating how there is a Committee Rep available to members, in person, for 15 hours a day, on average.

Daryl makes sure union stewards receive training and support to help them perform at their best, often taking on training responsibilities “in-house.” He also finds the skills he learned in EAP training helpful to recognize cases when members need help beyond the bounds of the union contract.

Communication at every level is a key element of effective representation, and Daryl works to maintain open channels with district representatives and committee reps in many cities. He mentions the close relationship CLT reps have with their counterparts in Phoenix, which was profiled in a 141 Report when they hosted them at the airport to exchange ideas and best practices on the field.

Maintaining these relationships helps union representatives know well the issues that are important to every member, and are the best way to build solidarity and power.

141 Report: Local 1886 Golf, Smoke, BBQ Events Support GDA

Dave welcomes back John Martinez, President of Local Lodge 1886 in Denver, Colorado, to talk about their most successful charity golf tournament ever. Has your local lodge considered organizing a charity event? Watch this video!

After a one-year hiatus, Local 1886 held their 5th Annual Golf Tournament to benefit Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines on June 25. Golfers were eager to sign up, and the event sold out in 6 weeks.

Brother John Martinez shares the planning process and gives a step-by-step timeline and organizing tips on putting together a big event for charity. He stresses the importance of starting early, at least six months in advance, to line up sponsors and get the word out. John and his team of volunteers led by Rich Pijanowski, Frank Gagliano, and Ken Cardoso began meeting via Zoom in November 2020, unsure about whether they could resume their annual event.

They received an enthusiastic response to their initial solicitation for sponsors. The early start paid off: they collected over 140 gift donations for raffles and cash to underwrite the event’s costs.

With 144 golfers signed up to play and the main event sold out, event organizers scheduled a BBQ lunch at the airport to raise funds a week before the golf tournament. Volunteers donated all the food and supplies, allowing members to show off their cooking and smoking talents. That event also raised awareness about the extraordinary work GDA does and the vital role the Machinists Union plays in their support.

As expected, the food sold out quickly. “We didn’t realize how hungry ramp service, flight attendants, and customer service people could be,” said John, pledging that the Smoke and BBQ lunch would also become an annual event.

After covering all costs, Local 1886 presented $17,000 to Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines, the largest donation in the local’s history.

John and the team of volunteers are not resting and look forward to repeating their success next year. Save the date for the 6th Annual Local 1886 Charity Golf Tournament on June 24, 2022.

Read the Official Announcement

25,000 New Hires, 500 New Planes.

United News Hub

“United Next” Will Build a Bigger United and a Stronger IAM

United’s CEO went on a media blitz this week with bullish news on how he wants to direct the airline post-pandemic.

Scott Kirby began his day on Tuesday with early morning interviews on CNBC and other news outlets, before he joined members of his executive suite at Hangar 54 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey for twin live presentations. The first event was reserved for VIPs and media, while the second had an in-person audience of United employees and was also live-streamed on the airline’s intranet. Admission to both events was by invitation only.

As the temperature in Newark hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit at noon, Kirby shed his suit jacket to share the good news: United is placing the biggest new aircraft order in its history, a total of 200 MAX jets from Boeing plus 70 aircraft from Airbus, and will hire 25,000 new employees in the next 5 years to support that investment in their fleet. The news was welcomed by representatives of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at both United and Boeing. The IAM represents 28,000 airport and call center workers at United, the largest group of unionized workers at the carrier. The union also has 30,000 members at the Boeing Renton, Washington facility where the MAX aircraft are made.

Assistant General Chairs Mitch Buckley and Erik Stenberg represented District 141 at the events. Buckley joined representatives from 4 labor unions on the stage during the live stream where Kirby thanked them for the important role organized labor played in the airline’s quick return to profitability as the country rises from the coronavirus pandemic. After losing $7 million last year, Kirby announced separately on Monday he expects the company to show a pre-tax earnings profit in July 2021.

Kirby praised the decisions of his team, specifically that of grounding fewer aircraft than other major carriers in the Spring of 2020, which facilitated the return to flying to fit demand when markets opened and customers returned when vaccines became widely available this year. All labor unions at United lobbied Congress and got $54 billion in federal payroll support for US airlines in exchange for keeping workers employed and receiving benefits such as health insurance during the pandemic. Throughout 2020, thousands of airline workers also accepted early retirement packages or took voluntary leaves of absence, saving companies millions in payroll.

Jon Roitman, United’s Chief Operating Officer, wore a safety vest as he answered a question about the job security of employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements when the Payroll Support Program expires in September. “It remains to be seen,” said Roitman, pointing out that the airline is still “reconciling” what resources would be needed, and their timing.

District 141 stood firm and defended every clause in our contracts during the worst crisis in the history of commercial aviation, and sued United in federal court to stop the involuntary downgrade of thousands of workers to part-time status. Every IAM member at United enjoys peace of mind knowing their livelihood will be protected by a legally binding contract even after the expiration of the Payroll Support Program.

The positive news set the stage for a successful post-pandemic United, which made District 141 members and leadership look to brighter days ahead. AGC Mitch Buckley said, “This is very exciting, especially for our members at EWR,” pointing out how the “United Next” plan calls for significant growth in that hub city. For AGC and District 141 Safety Chair Erik Stenberg, the most important part of the plan is how “Our members will have great opportunities at United Airlines.”

Carmelo Benedicto, a United Lead Ramp Services Agent at EWR who is an active member and Organizer at Local 914 said, “It will be great to go into negotiations with a company that’s not broke.”

141 Report: Meet the Scholarship Judges

District 141 members enjoy many benefits besides those enshrined in our contracts, and today’s 141 Report features the Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship Awards. Since 1984, this competitive scholarship program has helped district members and their families by providing monetary awards to support their efforts to earn college degrees.

Dave interviews Frank Casciato, Executive Vice President, and Dan Brin, Managing Editor at Bleiweiss Communications, a 100% union public relations firm based in Calabasas, California that has worked with organized labor groups for 75 years. Bleiweiss has had a working relationship with District 141 since 1981.

The Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship is named after a District 141 officer who worked as an aircraft mechanic at United Airlines. Frank and Dan head the committee that reviews the required essays submitted by applicants and chooses the award winners.

The program awards one top scholarship prize of $2,000, plus six additional placement awards of $1,000 each.

This year’s essay subject asks applicants to describe a post-COVID world, and whether it may bring a shift in human priorities. Click this link for the contest rules and an application. The deadline to submit applications is July 1st, 2021.

Frank Casciato complimented the scholarship program as an example of how “the union recognizes the aspirations of the members,” and added, “I’m personally very proud of being part of it.”

In closing, Dan Brin encouraged members to “Take advantage of this. It’s there for you.”

141 Report: GSAP Rollout at American, PA State Council Conference

Safety First. The culture of working safely drives everything we do as a union. Dave Lehive welcomes back Dennis Spencer, District 141 Safety Coordinator at American Airlines to update us about the rollout of the GSAP safety reporting system at American.

Asia McClain, a GSAP Advocate from Local 561 in Kansas City, Missouri, joins the conversation to share her views on how the implementation of this important safety program is going and how it has improved safety at her station.

Front-line workers have filed over 100 GSAP reports since the program began at American on March 29, 2021. There are 100 safety advocates from the IAM/TWU Association throughout the American Airlines network who have received training on GSAP protocols. Dennis is still recruiting advocates and conducting training sessions to make sure there is a trained GSAP advocate at every airport. Asia praised the program as an opportunity for workers to voice safety concerns and how it prevents managers from “shutting you down and not listening.”

Having the FAA and neutral parties reviewing problems at ERC meetings has already improved the safety culture at Kansas City, and both guests agreed that while there’s a lot of work to do, GSAP will improve the safety culture for all members of The Association. “Members need to be informed about this program because it gives them a voice. Problems are looked at from every perspective,” said Asia.

“No more sweeping things under the rug.”

To learn more about GSAP or to file a report, go to https://www.unionsafe141.org/

In the second part of the video, Dave reports on the in-person gathering of delegates of the Pennsylvania State Council of Machinists for their conference in York this week. They welcomed John Fetterman, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Attorney General who spoke about voting rights, and several members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation, who participated both in-person and virtually.

Hasan Solomon, IAMAW National Legislative Director, spoke at the conference about the ongoing fight to protect labor rights and the importance of passing the PRO Act, the most important labor reform legislation in a generation. In his signature style, Brother Solomon reminded everyone that “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

141 Report: Walt Ingram, Union Sportsmen Alliance

Formed in 2007 by a group of charter union affiliates, including Machinists, Steelworkers, and Building Trades members, the Union Sportsmen Alliance’s mission is to “unite the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage.”

Walt explains how the group provides opportunities for members to build relationships and become more engaged with their union away from the workplace. It is also a tool for union leadership to get to know members “on their level,” doing activities they enjoy outside of work. “Many Machinists Union members care about the outdoors and engage in outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, hiking, and are engaged in activities to preserve the environment,” he says.

USA hosts several Conservation Dinners every year to raise funds for their community outreach program, Work Boots on the Ground, which has completed hundreds of infrastructure projects around the country that provide access to the outdoors regardless of ability. Two of the dinners are held in Machinists Union halls in Seattle and St Louis, and Walt says there is always a Machinists table at every event.

Walt calls the Work Boots on the Ground program “the hallmark of our organization,” and we see a short video of their restoration project in Henryetta, Oklahoma. Nichols Park, a historic park built in 1941 under President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program, was restored by USA members who built a new fishing pier and pavilion, which is very popular with families in the area. He says these projects help “connect your Local with your community in a powerful and positive way that lasts forever.”

Members of the Machinists Union may join the Union Sportsmen Alliance at no cost, a benefit provided by the IAMAW as a Charter Union. Benefits include a subscription to their quarterly journal, access to an exclusive website for members to purchase equipment, and the opportunity to participate in “Brotherhood Outdoors,” their television show that showcases members’ stories, besides the community outreach programs.

Through July 1st, USA will send a bonus gift to any District 141 member who applies for membership, while supplies last.