IAM 141 TA discussion

[Tim Nelson]

Lol. Trust me, the west only understands WAGES. We all see your contract as a great opportinuty to get more cash. Ron put 2 copies up. One that illustrates what we currently have, and what we could have under your contract. Trust me, it's better haha!



Tim, seriously, you need to get an entourage out here and explain this to us at the next rally. It seems as though we have a change in plans again!

Now what's going to happen is the west will be put under the bankruptcy contract so they have free reign to seek a consolidation with another airline. Hey, now we are 1 workgroup right? We are being sold out, and I hope the West doesn't vote yes, or allow the IAM to do this.

It is nonsense to think that less than the same 87% east siders who voted no last time will do anything different with a similar contract or less this time. I also doubt Canale will enrage the east by giving parker what he wants without a vote. The west has been banking on that for 2 years because of the lies that the union has been telling you.

The environment has changed, your company is not in bankruptcy anymore and just made another 1/2 billion dollars last year, is appointing VP's by the week, and enhanced Parker's contract.

On a good note, to put additional pressure on Canale, it is imperative that each station get out the nomination vote against him and his ticket in a mighty way next month. Canale's arrogance and UA Board of Director bias, has him disillusioned and he desperately needs to see a big voter turnout against him. Such a feat would be the single biggest act of solidarity at your Local that can offer the potential to change an outcome. He needs to see our 'shock and awe' nomination campaign and it needs to be supported in each local and in a mighty way for his handlers to get a grip on his delusional ways.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chair, Chicago

 

[freedom]

Here is the full text , notice that i bolded the section that gives reference to a time frame


To: All IAM US Airways Fleet Service Members

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

Printable Version

Your District 141 - US Airways Negotiating Committee returned to the bargaining table this week in Phoenix, AZ. since we last met, the membership rejected a tentative agreement and an arbitrator ruled against us in the Change In Control grievance. Additionally, the bargaining has changed.

The company's presentation began with a review noting a downturn in the economy (recession) and that US Airways stock has lost more than half its value since August 10, 2007, the date we reached the tentative agreement in mediated talks in Washington D.C. Over the last 12 months US Airways stock has plummeted from 62.50 a share to 13.14 a share. Although US Airways posted a third quarter 2007 profit of 185 million dollars, it was 76 million dollars less than the previous quarter, and a fourth quarter 2007 net loss of 79 million dollars, with a net profit for 2007 of 427 million dollars, down approximately 80 million dollars year over year (we advised the company IAM Fleet Service Members will be eligible to receive 2007 profit sharing in accordance with our current contract). With that, the company then submitted its post “Change in Control" proposal to your negotiating committee, reflecting a substantial reduction in value from the rejected tentative agreement.

One thing that has not changed since we were last at the bargaining table is that we are still negotiating in an anti-labor environment promoted by the most hostile presidential administration in our lifetime. I am reporting these facts so the membership is aware of the atmosphere surrounding the resumption of negotiations.

The financial condition of US Airways and the industry are not the only things that have changed. As a result of recent local lodge elections, the make up of your negotiating committee has been adjusted. The current negotiating committee members are Randy Canale (DL 141 President), AGC Bill Chandlee, AGC Pat Flynn, AGC Mark Wingard, AGC Jeff Rusk, AGC Nate Gushi, Dl 141 VP Steve Miller (BOS), DL 141 Trustee Danny Zuger (BWI), John Mendenhall (LAS), Ron Roth (PHX), Mary Reed (MCI), Gil Simmons (PHL), Mike Fairbanks (CLT), and Dave Hall (PIT).


Supporting the negotiating committee will be a team of Grand Lodge Representatives, attorneys from our Legal Department and members of the IAM's Strategic Resources Department.

Your negotiating committee is aware that the previous tentative agreement was not acceptable to the membership. It is our goal to improve upon that agreement so we can move forward as a unified work force with fair and equitable wages, improved benefits, secure pensions and job security for everyone with no more sacrifice involved. In exchanging proposals with the company, our proposal in fact reflected those goals. However, it is crucial that the membership understands that the IAM and US Airways are not engaged in traditional negotiations. These transition negotiations were prompted by the US Airways-America West Airlines merger and the necessity to have everyone in a particular employee group working under a common agreement. Therefore, we have no option to strike if we are unable to reach a ratified agreement. Our negotiations recessed to review our respective proposals and the membership will be updated when we return to bargain. Your negotiating committee is seeking a timely conclusion to these negotiations.
The option to strike will not be available until we complete the prolonged negotiating process prescribed in the RAILWAY LABOR ACT, the law governing airline labor negotiations. This process will not start until the end of 2009 (November) and since there is no timetable for negotiations called for in the ACT, it can take years from that point before a strike can occur.

To achieve our stated goals, the membership's solidarity is the most important element to our success in providing contract improvements to all IAM members in these negotiations. If we can stand together, we can accomplish our goals. If the membership is divided...US Airways wins.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

S.R. (Randy) Canale
President and Directing General Chairman

Top

 

[pjirish317]

(we advised the company IAM Fleet Service Members will be eligible to receive 2007 profit sharing in accordance with our current contract). With that, the company then submitted its post “Change in Control" proposal to your negotiating committee, reflecting a substantial reduction in value from the rejected tentative agreement.

This means that the I'll Ask Management will say that we kept this for you. See aren't we great. Oh by the way, we can't negotiate our way out of a wet paper bag. You Wesy guys, were sorry about your luck, but you still are just a bargaining chip for the East. We will resume talks when Dougweiser says it's O.K. Untill that time comes we are here for you. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Same old song and dance from this team of negotiating nitwits.

 

[700UW]

Well I doubt the company will offer anything to Fleet, time for Randy to file mediation and restart Section 6 for the West.

Hemenway is a jerk, I know first hand, start calling him "No Value Al", every time I brought up something they wanted, he stated, "that has no value" but our actuaries proved different.

I hate to say this but you are all in for a long and tough battle, time to hunker down and take them and tell you Negotiating Committee what you want and demand it from the Company.

And PJ, it is apparent you have never been in negotiations, you cant make one side agree to something they have no intention of, you are not bargaining in traditional negotiations, you have no threat of a strike and no leverage against them.

I have dealt with those currently in labor relations and they are a bunch of something I cant say on the boards.

 

[Tim Nelson]

This is what I inferred from the union posting …..

The company has made the same offer as before , we have asked for some minor changes ….

As long as those changes include JOB PROTECTIONS !!!!!! and possibly sick days or either holidays , then they got my vote ….


I agree that the economy is in a downward spiral , we will not achieve unreasonable demands …but on the other hand , this company must not believe that it can fleece the employees again …No more sand paper!!!!!


For those of you who think we’re just going to be slid into the East’s contract , I find that to be HIGHLY doubtful … it would be fool hardy to attempt to pacify the west without doing so to the east … it would be illogical and wasteful …

Freedom, they had your vote at hello. Therefore, the question isn't that they don't have your vote [see your chest thumping going for the wage bait as you threw 19 of your own stations under the bus last time by siding with Roth], but what can they do to get the east vote.

It doesn't appear they can do anything to get the east vote [87% NO's last time] if they don't offer a minimum of $20hr and front ended benefits. Again, I doubt Canale wants to take down his whole ticket and just slide the west into the east contract without a vote.

You've heard of the movie, "How the west was won"? Except for a few changes this is the story of "How the west was screwed over". How many months do I have to keep telling you that your boy Roth needs to finally support section 6 negotiations instead of standing behind Canale and all the East siders on the negotiaitons team putting the screws to you guys? How many more months do you want to do this Freedom? How many?


Instead of placating the members suggesting that he isn't going to be getting anything fair, Canale needs to grow a set of nuts...but that isn't going to happen. His goofy letter should be posted everywhere so that all workers will get even more outraged at his chump company mouthpiece ways and we need to FLOOD the locals in a couple weeks to vote against his slate in a mighty 'shock and awe' manner.
regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, Chicago

 

[b737200]

WO....WO......WO
Everybody slow down, rationalize the situation. They only went to the desert once, it will take many more trips. " cheap suites " and "big cheeks " aren't going to come to an agreement so fast, they have to
play out the story line. Only and only if they get pressure from 'big daddy" Tilton will things move faster.

Hey Goldenram(ROD) come out and play.....seen the new slate? Frankie O baby, Frankie O.
17.52 AIN'T SO BAD....................................remember you're proud of that.

 

[pjirish317]

I hate to say this but you are all in for a long and tough battle, time to hunker down and take them and tell you Negotiating Committee what you want and demand it from the Company.

Well if they listened to us, the last T/A would have been a non-conseccionary T/A and might have passed. Unfortunately, we have negotiators that are not fighting for the workers. They appear to take the table scraps off Dougweisers table and tell Fleet Service that is the best that they could do. There is no fight in them. Never was for Fleet Service. And section 6 should have been ongoing along with transition talks. But that is the I'll Ask Management doing what Dougweiser tells them to do. I sya it is our so called unions fault not the current Presidential administration.

 

[Jester]

Wow, it took the IAM all night to come up with a release that said "US Airways cut down their previous offer, it's gonna take a long time to reachan agreement, and here's our excuse."

Are you surprised? Think about it... the last TA offer was because Boss Canale was using the CIC as leverage on the remote possibility that the ruling would go in the IAM's favor. Unfortunately, during all of Boss Canale's cheerleadering, he didn't bother informing the membership his true beliefs to the effect that winning was a small chance of success (according to the post decision memo). Boss Canale went to Philly and nodded his head when asked if he thought the recently rejected T.A. (and before the CIC ruling) was a good offer for which the membership walked out on him. People believed their own B.S., but Canale and Company knew the reality of their grievance and it was a shear bluff to get a T.A. from Parker.

Section 6 has been removed and East has a valid contract for 2 more years... so where's the leverage? Of course, Parker will come back with a lower offer as the CIC isn't an issue anymore. Parker can go another decade without West getting a new contract for all he cares, as he is getting West labor on the cheap and it is not affecting operations.

The IAM is about looking after the East guys first and foremost, and it will be the West who would be used as leverage for the East objectives. In the meawhile, both Parker and IAM will tell West to pound sand for a few more years while working in poverty. If West was a true equal partner in this union, Boss Canale wouldn't have removed Section 6 from the table.

By the way, West is paying for this so-called "representation".

So Muses Jester.

 

[freedom]

“With that, the company then submitted its post “Change in Control" proposal to your negotiating committee, reflecting a substantial reduction in value from the rejected tentative agreement.â€


Sounds like they have the same idiot-savants doing the talks again … this is where I sigh ….

Sure the company is losing money , but that won’t last forever , especially if we MERGE again …. The contract that was proposed LAST time wasn’t even industry LEADING , In fact I think we were still around the bottom , so now your going to come back to the table and offer us even something LESS than before ? Are you guys on crack ? Have you been drinking with doug parker too often ?

What was offered before was for the most part fair , and now you simply can’t resist the temptation to be unfair again ?

Let me explain to you what you get with something similar (with job protections ) to the old offer , you get a TA that passes , you get a happy motivated work group , you get a signed sealed and delivered labor agreement that you can parade around the business world to say “look we can successfully merge two companies “…. Some of these things are intangibles , but they have value nonetheless .

What you do not get if your greed surpasses your common sense .

1. Irregardless of the RLA you will have started a labor dispute that will manifest itself in the worst way across the entire network …

2. Another pathetic failure for us airways management in dealing with labor , this is pretty big here , because if this airline can’t even make a deal with it’s BAGGAGE handlers , the lowest on the ladder , well that speaks volumes and you can expect it to be that much harder when trying to find another partner to merge with … Why do you think delta passed on a 10 billion dollar offer?
Our R E P U T A T I O N


I hope management understands that these negotiators could actually kill this company , one labor group at a time …


Oh and hey tim and PJ , since we’re throwing around the harsh truth , and in all honesty let none of us fool ourselves , the reason the last TA went down hard was because of the COC being forfeited , or do you guys have memories that are just that short ?

I expect our union to pursue these negotiations to a speedy close and I’m betting the farm that we will receive the same TA as before with minor adjustments (JOB PROTECTIONS!) .

 

[Tim Nelson]

Oh and hey tim and PJ , since we’re throwing around the harsh truth , and in all honesty let none of us fool ourselves , the reason the last TA went down hard was because of the COC being forfeited , or do you guys have memories that are just that short ?

I expect our union to pursue these negotiations to a speedy close and I’m betting the farm that we will receive the same TA as before with minor adjustments (JOB PROTECTIONS!) .

That's not why the last contract was voted down by the east. THe last contract sucked on its own from an east perspective. Anyways, hopefully your betting the farm will pay off, your opinion is as valid as mine on that. I'm just saying section 6 negotiations need to commence for the west. In the meantime if Hemmingway has a change of heart and offers equitable enhancements then great.

It's scary, but me and 700 are thinking the same at this point...start section 6's. What could be so wrong with that?

At any rate, talk about having a pissed off like hell workforce...geez, I can only imagine the worker outrage of such a disrespectful and insulting offer from Hemmingway.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, Chicago

 

[orioleman]

jester,
"he is getting West labor on the cheap and it is not affecting operations."

???WHY is it not effecting operations..

 

[freedom]

You've heard of the movie, "How the west was won"? Except for a few changes this is the story of "How the west was screwed over". How many months do I have to keep telling you that your boy Roth needs to finally support section 6 negotiations instead of standing behind Canale and all the East siders on the negotiaitons team putting the screws to you guys? How many more months do you want to do this Freedom? How many?

Oh isn’t that sweet tim ,,, awwww your thinking like an honest decent man awww that’s so sweet , I bet doug parker is proud of you … yes let’s ALL play by the rules and do what’s right and just ! ….. NOT …..

Ah hahahahahahahhahahahahhahah!!! You want section 6 ??? You ain’t gonna get it ….. This is 2008 , not 1960 …. You honestly expect us to play by the rule book ??? Oh yeah let’s all strike !!! That will only take years to accomplish ! … ah hahah man you KILL me ….

Why I ask oh WHY should we play fair when there are so many UNFAIR things that we can do , has this company been fair to ANY of us ? I ask you , why should we return the favor ???????? Get your head out of DP’s ass …..

I have an idea for a new moto when people think of us airways , it’ll; go something like this

Hi we’re US AIRWAYS , go #### yourself … I like the ring of that one don’t you ?

See my signature at the bottom , that indicates how much time this company has left in my view …

 

[orioleman]

Freedom,

my friend the COC was the icing on the cake. the other b/s in the t/a was what shot down the t/a

none of you westies even gave a second thought about farming out class II .. the east did

let's see no profit sharing yea that wasn't going to fly. .75 cent raise (after insur prem increase ) not going to fly either

pension contributions at the END of the contract . nope not going to work . Extend B/R contract 2 more years don't think

so. and so on and so

 

[700UW]

Tim,

You know we have not seen eye to eye on many issues but I am a trade unionist.

And if you remember back years ago I spoke up to a full Communications Conference on how the IAM and DL 141 failed the ramp and it was inexcusable that they never reached a TA from 1995 till 1999. I believe it was 1996 or 97 when this occured in MCO.

Our local caught a lot of flack for myself and ST who spoke up for Fleet and made Buffy get on Canale for the lack of a first CBA.

 

[pjirish317]

Oh and hey tim and PJ , since we’re throwing around the harsh truth , and in all honesty let none of us fool ourselves , the reason the last TA went down hard was because of the COC being forfeited , or do you guys have memories that are just that short ?

I expect our union to pursue these negotiations to a speedy close and I’m betting the farm that we will receive the same TA as before with minor adjustments (JOB PROTECTIONS!) .

Freedom,

The last T/A was voted down because it was concessionary in nature, we had to "pay" for the so called improvements. And I have been saying all along that we will probably get close to the same if not the same T/A as last time.