Fleet Service Arbitration or IAM concession

[insp89]

Dio,

Let me correct you one some stuff.

Step I-handled by shop steward.
Step II-handled by Grievance Committee
Step III-handled by the AGC/GC

Only PIT and CLT can be full time off the clock for M&R, small stations have to submit for time off, they dont work full time off the clock.

CLT had the same problem with Fleet and they had to get Canale involved and he straightened it out. And you can always file charges with the NMB if they refuse you to let you service the CBA and if the IAM fails you file a DFR against them, it has been done before.

Also when we were just East, in CLT they had no problems getting PS to service CAE and MYR.

They wont give up the change of control and the FM Grievances were voted away in Bankruptcy #1 and Concession #1, and every union in the industry lost their FM Grievances in Arbitration.

700,
Concerning the Force Majeur Grievance for Mechanics and Related at Usairways, [Lest anyone forgets]

Yes 700, You are correct, The Force Majeur Grievance was voted out by the membership. But please do not forget to mention it was on the RE-VOTE that the FM was voted out..

It was the IAM that decided to RE-VOTE the "final" offer...

Also, Let's not forget how the IAM [mis]-handled the Force Majeur issue...The AGC Reps. in CLT and PIT could not find the time to pick up the phone and come up with a UNIFIED solution for their members in BOTH cities...
Instead PIT members came back to work in a matter of DAYS, while members in CLT were out around 3 WEEKS.

To this Day, No one at the IAM has stepped up and even ATTEMPTED to correct this disparity..

When members see this type of [mis]representation, is it any wonder these same members have doubts about the IAM concerning the upcoming "change of control" grievance ?

One more point 700, while you continue to defend the IAM, You found it necessary to Leave and accept employment elsewhere. Actions Speak Louder than Words.

 

[700UW]

I did not leave because of the IAM, I left after being on the NC, dealing with corporate blackmailers but the main reason was the termination of our pension plan.

There is nothing to correct on the FM issue, it is done and over and it was handled wrong by PIT making secret deals and hiding it from the other AGCs. What have you done in five years about it? Instead of just whining about it?

And the International made the decision to revote as Siegel said he was going to hold his own vote, did you not get his letter in the mail?

I guess you conviently forgot about that part.

 

[delldude]

700,
Concerning the Force Majeur Grievance for Mechanics and Related at Usairways, [Lest anyone forgets]

Yes 700, You are correct, The Force Majeur Grievance was voted out by the membership. But please do not forget to mention it was on the RE-VOTE that the FM was voted out..

It was the IAM that decided to RE-VOTE the "final" offer...

Also, Let's not forget how the IAM [mis]-handled the Force Majeur issue...The AGC Reps. in CLT and PIT could not find the time to pick up the phone and come up with a UNIFIED solution for their members in BOTH cities...
Instead PIT members came back to work in a matter of DAYS, while members in CLT were out around 3 WEEKS.
Pit members were in fact out for up to 2-3 weeks too,not all.
To this Day, No one at the IAM has stepped up and even ATTEMPTED to correct this disparity..

When members see this type of [mis]representation, is it any wonder these same members have doubts about the IAM concerning the upcoming "change of control" grievance ?

One more point 700, while you continue to defend the IAM, You found it necessary to Leave and accept employment elsewhere. Actions Speak Louder than Words.

Told you before...your guys had equal opportunity to rectify the situation....They chose not to...don't blame PIT.

For crying out loud guy.....move on.

 

[insp89]

I did not leave because of the IAM, I left after being on the NC, dealing with corporate blackmailers but the main reason was the termination of our pension plan.

There is nothing to correct on the FM issue, it is done and over and it was handled wrong by PIT making secret deals and hiding it from the other AGCs. What have you done in five years about it? Instead of just whining about it?

And the International made the decision to revote as Siegel said he was going to hold his own vote, did you not get his letter in the mail?

I guess you conviently forgot about that part.

Yeah, I got Siegel's Letter. So What ?
The IAM should of told Siegle to go ahead and hold his Vote.
I believe if the IAM would of acted like a REAL union and got the members on board,[instead of rolling over and re-voting, and applying scare tactics], the concessions we have to live with today would not have been so severe.

What have I done in the past 5 yrs. about the Force Majeur issue ? First, I should not have to do ANYTHING about it, if it was handled correctly in the FIRST place.
People seem to forget what a union is supposed to stand for. Two reasons to HAVE a Union is to receive fair and equal treatment. [Which is NOT what happened with the Force Majeur issue].
The reason I continue to "whine" about this, is because nothing has changed to keep this from happening again.
What I am [and some others] are looking into, is changing some IAM bylaws and the IAM Constitution wording to actually make AGC's and above ACCOUNTABLE to the membership.
IAM members at Usairways today do NOT have that accountability.

 

[insp89]

Told you before...your guys had equal opportunity to rectify the situation....They chose not to...don't blame PIT.

For crying out loud guy.....move on.

Told you before, You lost 1 day of pay,
IAM members in CLT lost up to 3 WEEKS !

What's this "your guys" and "PIT" B.S. ??
This is the ROOT of the problem that STILL exists..
It should be OUR guys, Not "Your" or "My" guys..
I'll "move on" when this Union starts acting like a Union.

 

[700UW]

Insp89,

Your info is wrong, when the mechs returned in PIT others were furloughed, you forgot that fact.

 

[insp89]

Insp89,

Your info is wrong, when the mechs returned in PIT others were furloughed, you forgot that fact.

I am well aware of that fact, What you forgot is this one word, SENIORITY.

I was talking directly to Dell about being out of work for only one day..
Difference between Dell and myself?
He was able to use his seniority only after being out of work 1 day, Members in CLT were denied this opportunity.

 

[700UW]

Blame the company for not following procedure, but FM gives them that right.

 

[delldude]

I am well aware of that fact, What you forgot is this one word, SENIORITY.

I was talking directly to Dell about being out of work for only one day..
Difference between Dell and myself?
He was able to use his seniority only after being out of work 1 day, Members in CLT were denied this opportunity.

Uh...I had friends in the same dept. that were senior to me out longer than I.
I still say CLT dropped the ball.
Also...I/YOU/WE lost a lot more than what WE'RE bitching about at this point in time.I didn't like it then and don't really now...But WTF I/YOU/WE going to do about it now?

 

[diogenes]

Dio,

Let me correct you one some stuff.

Step I-handled by shop steward.
Step II-handled by Grievance Committee
Step III-handled by the AGC/GC

Only PIT and CLT can be full time off the clock for M&R, small stations have to submit for time off, they dont work full time off the clock.

CLT had the same problem with Fleet and they had to get Canale involved and he straightened it out. And you can always file charges with the NMB if they refuse you to let you service the CBA and if the IAM fails you file a DFR against them, it has been done before.

Also when we were just East, in CLT they had no problems getting PS to service CAE and MYR.

They wont give up the change of control and the FM Grievances were voted away in Bankruptcy #1 and Concession #1, and every union in the industry lost their FM Grievances in Arbitration.

I don't need your correction.

When the committee completed the grievance at step II, it was passed on to the AGC and Canale, never to be heard from again. It never got completed at step III, and as far as I know never even got started. Thus "died at step II" is an accurate description.

Did the mech chairs ever get turned down?

If not, why did the IAM allow it to happen to fleet?

If Canale corrected the situation for CLT, why not for other locals?

Better to say some pigs are more equal at IAM, rather than put lipstick on them.

 

[700UW]

Mech chairs, officers and reps have been turned down plenty of times.

I had to get the DL President to write a letter to the SR VP of MTC to get my time off for DL business.

I use to have to schedule my lost time around people's DATs,Comps and Vacation when I was in stores. So it was not so easy getting lost time.

The only time they did not give me a hard time was when I was on the NC.

I had to have the GCs intervene plenty of times to get my time off approved. Especially after I pissed off the VP of MTC when I wrote and published Wolf's history in the airline business.

One time I had to get Vic Mazzacco involved to get Bruce Aubin who was Sr VP of MTC at the time to get my manager to let me get time off to attend Placid Harbor.

Remember the IAM has been on the property since 1949 with the M&R Group, relationships have been established, Fleet doesnt have the longevity on the property under a CBA.

 

[delldude]

I have a strange feeling no matter what union was on the property.....there would be unhappy campers in one way or another.

 

[john john]

And the CWA has snapbacks as they reached an agreement as the company did not want to layoff 54% of their membership, I guess you forgot the CBA was abrogated and we all voted on a final offer.

All the call centers were on the chopping block as well as all the small and medium cities operate an unlimited number of mainline flights into Express cities CTO Agents US Airways Club Representatives Internet Help well over 50% of their membership. CWA bargaining positions change at the table when CWA took a strike vote.October 2004
CWA CALLS FOR AGENT STRIKE VOTE TO BACK UP THE BARGAINING TEAM AGENT VOTE 90% IN FAVOR OF A STRIKE
This is the first passengers service strike vote at any airline in history IT HAS A STRONG EFFECT
Something IAM does not due or did during negotiations.Charlotte Observer reports CWA strike authorization vote underway at US Airways...
Union could clear way for strike - Gate workers to vote on whether to authorize action
By: STAN CHOE Staff Writer 10/28/2004

US Airways' reservation, customer-service and gate agents will vote in coming days whether to authorize a strike, according to a source familiar with the union's plans, as the struggling airline seeks to slash their wages further and outsource their jobs.

Ballots should begin hitting mailboxes of Communications Workers of America's 6,000 active US Airways members today or Friday. No strike, though, is imminent.

If CWA members were to approve the strike authorization, the union would still have to take several more steps before picketing could begin.

The CWA would also strike only if US Airways convinces a bankruptcy judge to throw out their labor contract, the source said. The airline has said in U.S. Bankruptcy Court filings that it would make such a request if it doesn't get consensual labor concessions by mid-November.

However, the airline said even the threat of a strike may be enough to scare away passengers already skeptical about whether the airline will be flying months from now.

And an actual strike would kill the company, said Chris Chiames, senior vice president of corporate affairs.

"The act of a strike would result in an immediate shutdown and liquidation of the airline," he said. "So this is irresponsible grandstanding of the highest level. This serves no purpose in getting a consensual deal and completing our restructuring."

US Airways also believes federal law prohibits the CWA from striking.
The strike authorization vote comes as CWA members face what they see as a Draconian proposal from the airline, including a 34 percent pay cut from wages they were earning at the time US Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 12. In addition, the carrier wants to be able to contract out their jobs.

CWA members already are among the lowest-paid workers at the airline. Since a bankruptcy court judge ordered temporary 21 percent pay cuts for most union workers earlier this month, CWA workers are making an average of $14.40 an hour.

The recent court order marks the third time in two years that the airline's workers have watched their paychecks shrink.
To Cathy Lee, a US Airways customer-assistance representative in Charlotte, a yes vote on the company's contract offer is essentially a vote to give away her job.

She said Wednesday that she is especially upset that US Airways' managers took only 5 percent to 10 percent pay cuts after receiving raises that averaged 4 percent earlier this year.
The airline is in bankruptcy court for the second time in two years, trying to slash its labor costs to better compete with low-cost carriers.

It's negotiating permanent cuts and work-rule changes with the CWA and the unions for flight attendants, mechanics and fleet-service workers. Pilots have already agreed to pay concessions and productivity improvements.

A CWA spokeswoman declined to comment on the strike-authorization vote.

US Airways believes the Railway Labor Act, which dictates relationships between airlines and labor, precludes a union from striking. "We believe it's pretty clear under the Railway Labor Act that there is no authority to conduct a work action," airline spokesman David Castelveter said.

Labor professors interviewed Wednesday, though, were unsure if a strike would be legal.

It typically takes years of impasse before a strike occurs, said Neil Bernstein, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis and a labor arbitrator. Federal law prescribes a lengthy schedule of requirements, from negotiations to mediation to a 30-day cooling-off period before unions can strike.

And even if the union were to strike, the airline would likely ask for an immediate court injunction to force them back to work, said Clyde Summers, a University of Pennsylvania law professor. "Courts are not very sympathetic to unions these days, to say the least," said Summers, who has testified before Congress on the Railway Labor Act.

US Airways carries nearly 90 percent of the traffic at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the airline's biggest hub. It employs 5,700 locally.

Morton Beyer, chairman of aircraft consulting group Morton Beyer & Agnew, agreed that a strike could kill US Airways. Getting replacement workers trained is no easy task, he said.
"While there's a fair number of people out there on unemployment, it would take them a while to train them on the software and the procedures and policies."

It was unclear late Wednesday when balloting on the authorization would be completed. If the members approve, the next moves would rest with the union's vice presidents on the national executive board. The CWA represents workers across many industries, such as phone companies.

If the vice presidents approved, CWA President Morton Bahr could then set the date for a strike.

The last strike by a US Airways union was in 1993. The International Association of Machinists, whose members include mechanics, picketed for five days, after three years of negotiations and a 30-day cooling-off period declared by the National Mediation Board.

Picketing in Charlotte was peaceful, but 28 picketers were arrested in Pittsburgh: 25 for trespassing and three for allegedly having brass knuckles. The two sides settled on a 3.5 percent pay cut, down from the company's request of 8 percent.

 

[insp89]

Blame the company for not following procedure, but FM gives them that right.

No doubt the company [LeBeau] was the start of this mess,
But it was OUR AGC's that failed the membership by not representing EVERY member in a FAIR and Equal manner.

 

[insp89]

Uh...I had friends in the same dept. that were senior to me out longer than I.
I still say CLT dropped the ball.
Also...I/YOU/WE lost a lot more than what WE'RE bitching about at this point in time.I didn't like it then and don't really now...But WTF I/YOU/WE going to do about it now?

Dell,
If you're serious about doing something, WE could take a look at the IAM BY-Laws,
And CHANGE the way OUR AGC's are elected,[which are voted in office with the help of members who work for OTHER airlines].
I would like to see AGC's voted in by ONLY the members that the AGC will represent. This would make the AGC more accountable to the members.