April/May 2013 IAM Fleet Discussions

[JFK Fleet Service]

FWIW, there are 87 Clerks and 10 Crew Chiefs in LAS.CC seniority is '75 and '90. FT is '79 and '90 respectively and PT is '84 and '08.

Correction there, Junior FT is '98.Couldn't edit.

 

[freedom]

Correction there, Junior FT is '98.Couldn't edit.

Thank goodness when I saw 90 my jaw dropped ...

 

[mike33]

Tim,

I am pretty sure that they are sticking with section six negotiations. And here is my take on wages, of course I expect you to disagree, but that's the point isnt it? I do not think that we should be above AA is wages, and here is why. If US fleet service gets, for example what tim sez we "should" get that being $25.97, and AA is stuck at $22 and change, I don't know what the exact scale is, is there anybody, even you tim, who thinks that the new AA would surpass southwest in wages in transition talks? I seriously doubt it. IMO, the only offer would be to bring the AA folks up to our higher scale and we get zip, nada, nothing as far as a pay increase. Keep in mind also, we are currently negotiating as the #5 carrier, not the worlds biggest airline, that has to considered. regards

Lets not forget that there is a TWU m.o.u. in place for AA. The further away we get from $$ amount the more resistance you would encounter from the company. Im not sure what the $$ amt should be, but in TA talks it would probably be avg'd to become a new wage to get passed. So i guess what i'm saying is in a TA, AA would come up from what they signed and US would come down form what they may sign for. ( imo)

 

[mike33]

Just did some looking at the LAS seniority list. I'm GUESSING that, if the rumors are true and we see 15-20 recalls the junior FSE will have a 1998 hire date MAYBE 1999. These are NOT official numbers, just my guessing. I believe the current junior FSEs are '95 and '98 respectivly for FT and PT. Currently, since I don't know the actual number, and certianly not the FT/PT breakdown, I'll make a reluctant guess at '96 for FT. And these are sloppy numbers, there's just not enough REAL information (i.e. not rumor) out there, plus the fact that I'm not 100% certain that I have an accurate senority list.

One thing is almost certain IMO, for just about every other FT opening there will be a PT opening. This is based on some FTers being displaced to PT and others electing to go to Furlough status. So if they create 15 FT and 20 PT positions as the Bagfathers suggested, I think there will 8 PT going to FT, and thus 28 PTers from furlough or displacement. Remember that I think his numbers are WAY high though, with my guess 15-20 TOTAL in an unknown split.

Of course all these numbers are made up and there are no real numbers at this time.

Lets hope those that were furloughed read their contract in Art. 9C. In essence you come back the way you left unless you didnt have enough seniority to stay P/T in the location i believe.
In otherwards if you elected to stay F/T and go to another location without first displacing to P/T, then there may not be an opening for you to come back too. Say you are number 6 out of 5 and there are still P/T available? They wouldnt be offered to you, but offered to someone that left P/T and is junior to you.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Tim,

I am pretty sure that they are sticking with section six negotiations. And here is my take on wages, of course I expect you to disagree, but that's the point isnt it? I do not think that we should be above AA is wages, and here is why. If US fleet service gets, for example what tim sez we "should" get that being $25.97, and AA is stuck at $22 and change, I don't know what the exact scale is, is there anybody, even you tim, who thinks that the new AA would surpass southwest in wages in transition talks? I seriously doubt it. IMO, the only offer would be to bring the AA folks up to our higher scale and we get zip, nada, nothing as far as a pay increase. Keep in mind also, we are currently negotiating as the #5 carrier, not the worlds biggest airline, that has to considered. regards

My point isn't to disagree but to uphold fairness. A few clarifications are in order though from your post. Kindly reread my post you quote mined me on [you have a distinct history of this btw] and you will see that I think it unlikely that we can expect $25.97 before a final transition agreement [you actually agree but you had to lie about what I said so you could disagree with me. lol]

At any rate, you are in serious error about your expectations but I'm not surprised since you are usually 'damn near' what ND wants. A few comments are in order.

1. We are currently negotiating as the biggest airline in the world. To say otherwise would be to turn a blind eye towards wall street and the last 6 months. Notice, the TWU had a bankruptcy contract when they were negotiating from that perspective but Parker agreed with their contract and enhanced it with an MOU just to get support for the world's biggest airline prior to transition talks. The TWU's TA was cruddy because it had no leverage in bankruptcy. OTOH, last I checked, the IAM isn't negotiating for a bankrupt airline but an airline that made hundreds of millions of dollars. Your position is incredibly unreasonable since you don't think the IAM NC should get more than the bankrupt TWU contract. Further, if Parker gave the TWU that cruddy contract in bankruptcy, then it naturally follows that he ought to at least propose that bankrupt contract to our members as a starting point. We should get more of course through proper negotiation strategies as we have natural leverage that the TWU didn't since we are not in bankruptcy.
PJ, your airline made hundreds of millions of dollars last year! Snap out of your Delaney trance!!!! It is so asinine to suggest that CB and Delaney are correct and that we ought not get better than a bankrupt contract. WTF? If we don't get as much as Delta then why are we paying dues anyways????

If you and CB want to rubber stamp something less than the bankrupt contract at AMR and claim that transition talks is the great 'pie in the sky' then I hate to say this and I don't mean to be crude but you guys are just complete and utter dumb arses.

At any rate, if you had the slightest knowledge about negotiations then you would certainly understand that the more we got in section 6 then the higher the bar would be in transition talks. As far as Southwest, I'm more concerned about a total package which should mirror Southwest scope. I myself would be willing to accept less money if it meant more stations without any IAM drop dead dates.

We have great leverage even if Roabily, you and CB want to support Delaney and his 'theories' that now isn't the time. Good Grief!

 

[700UW]

US and AA are not merged, they havent received DOT nor DOJ approval, so US is not negotiating as the largest airline.

They are two distinct and separate companies still.

Why the misinformation again?

Guess you havent read that WN wants to outsource ramp work and other job functions in their current negotiations and they are laying off 300 IAM represented jobs in ATL and closing several catering operations at several stations.

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

You're currently negotiating as the biggest airline in the world? Must've missed the approval of the POR, the single carrier determination,the SLI and the transition agreement.

You're in the section six negotiations as US Airways you've been in for the last few years, you don't get to magically claim all of a sudden you're negotiating as the biggest airline in the world.
I'm gonna' have to call some folks I know in ORD and see if they have an opinion of the US Air guy in our ready rooms...

 

[AANOTOK]

AA has already negotiated and successfully outsourced a lot of their ramp work and other job functions.
So regardless of what union comes calling, "unskilled" ramp work will continue to be outsourced at ALL airlines for the foreseeable future.

 

[robbedagain]

is wn pullin some flights out of ATL which would be the downsizing of their atl ops? as for US when does the dfw round of talks begin or has it begun already

 

[700UW]

WN is rightsizing FL and debanking the hub.

April 24, 2013
Dear TWU Local 555 Members,
Today, Southwest Airlines announced that Provisioning Stations in ELP, PHL, and SLC will close effective July 31, 2013. Members in the ramp/provisioning classification are affected.

Your executive board met today and district representatives and other officers will be in the three impacted stations tomorrow to answer questions from members. All ramp and provisioning agents in the three impacted stations have been given packets from the company that explains their options.

TWU Local 555 vehemently opposed the company’s decision to close these three Provisioning Stations and believed it could have been handled by alternate methods. It is obvious that the company has chosen profit over people, and your union is ensuring that Article 15, concerning reductions in force, is being upheld.

Also today, 300 AirTran employees, in ATL were notified by Southwest Airlines that they would be required to transfer to another station, or separate from the company. These employees are represented by the IAM.

Moving forward it is imperative that TWU Local 555 members are strong and united to protect our contractual rights and job security.

Please keep impacted members and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
Fraternally,
Charles Cerf
President
TWU Local 555
Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
Air Transport Division
Local 555
Southwest Airlines Ramp, Operations, and Provisioning
2608 Inwood Rd • Ste 150 • Dallas, Texas 75235-7449
Phone 214.358.5404 • 800.595.7672 • Fax 214.358.6010 • opx DAL.5537/5538 • www.twu555.org

 

[700UW]

From US Fleet Update:

We have committed to meet in early May and in early June to move these talks to conclusion.

 

[necigrad]

Lets hope those that were furloughed read their contract in Art. 9C. In essence you come back the way you left unless you didnt have enough seniority to stay P/T in the location i believe. In otherwards if you elected to stay F/T and go to another location without first displacing to P/T, then there may not be an opening for you to come back too. Say you are number 6 out of 5 and there are still P/T available? They wouldnt be offered to you, but offered to someone that left P/T and is junior to you.

That depends on some things, the biggest being what you put on your displacement bid. It was VERY possible to be bumped from FT in LAS and not be able to get PT in LAS. I think we had some FT Leads that couldn't even hold PT and had to transfer.

 

[robbedagain]

thanks 700 im just curious how come they dont put dates it says early may n june

 

[700UW]

The scheduling is up to the mediator.

 

[ograc]

AA has already negotiated and successfully outsourced a lot of their ramp work and other job functions.
So regardless of what union comes calling, "unskilled" ramp work will continue to be outsourced at ALL airlines for the foreseeable future.

Especially when the membership, district leadership and NCs continue to focus on wages only. The recent LOA signed by US and DL 141 for fleet, regarding outsourcing, seemed to indicate a much needed change in the tide. A change that put more emphasis on protecting existing work. Unfortunately, based on recent posts, the focus remains on hourly wage. Blood money if you will. Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. In the meantime... following this course; ramp work and members will continue to be lost to outsourcing. The exact course the company wants us on Brothers and Sisters.