IAM Fleet Service topic (Mini Thread)

[Tim Nelson]

Mikey Honey, I couldn't wait! I just had to dig right in! I read it, and it just doesn't cover this problem we have. I would love not to worry about that pesky east contract being so rudely forced on us. After reading that, I still worry. Sugar, this won't stop it. This clearly referes to contract ratifications that were negotiated. The company will argue that we westies are IAM and therefore this is our contract. We pay IAM dues and are represented by IAM, blah, blah, blah. I can hear those dreadful men now! I have a lot more thoughts on this but don't want to repeat myself. See my post to Timmy, I poured my heart out to him on this very thing. Thanks ever so much for trying to help! Very sweet of you! I love your urbff guesses! Keep them coming honey and I'll let you know when you get it!

The company will argue this to who? Not a court and not the NMB because they can't and you don't understand the RLA which ONLY allows a company to change a contract after a cooling off. It's called collective bargaining.

What the company CAN DO is ask the IAM to change direction and consider negotiations that would merge the west into the east contract. Such negotiations would have to be met with a ratification by the west. The only reason why the east is voting on this is because our contract was changed. If the east contract doesn't change but yours does then only the west would vote.

If the IAM opened this up then any merging the west into the east would have to be acceptable to the west by vote. It's the bylaws.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, 1487, Chicago

 

[Tim Nelson]

I beg to differ Tim. Paying $3.50 at the pump and the potential $3.50 an hour raise is fueling their YES vote.

I agree that the raise is fueling their yes vote but when they start making $0 and get laid off they will understand that they at least need a job.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, 1487, Chicago

 

[tug_slug]

I think your opinion is in the vast minority when it comes to a merger with United. Even Canale realizes that PHX and LAS are toast with United and he's on the UA board of Directors.

But if PHX is allowed to stay then there are many east siders that been wanting to retire to a sun city and a reduction in force may be just what the doctor ordered for them to get there. PHX at best will be PHilly west. IMO, it is absolutely unthinkable and mind boggling why any west sider would give up the best protections in the industry. Fear is fueling their yes vote because reasonable thinking isn't on the yes vote side.

If this contract gets in, the west actually loses alot more than the east, especially after the seniority list are combined. There won't be any flushing but it will have the same result as most east siders have over 20 years and when the date of hire is used, 95% of the west in PHX wil have their collective rears at the bottom of the list which isn't a nice place to be with a United merger.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, 1487, Chicago

Tim I dont have a dog in this fight but a United merger is speculation, as a matter of fact most industry analyst's are predicting a CO/UAL merger and for you to even bring it up IMO is nothing more than a scare tactic. As far as some of the senior agents transferring to PHX, another scare tactic. How many senior agents do you think would actually *try* to sell their house pull up stakes and throw bags in the PHX heat during the summer months? Most agents that are at the age of retirement are well established in their community and more than likely have no desire to work in that heat regardless of the short period time before they retire. You make it sound as though theres going to be some sort of mass migration to PHX and the junior agents will soon be out of a job. Rather than use speculation and scare tactics let the proposal stand on it's own merits, if the membership feels its in their best interest to pass it so be it if not than it's up to the NC to do their jobs and go back to the bargaining table and try to get a better offer. I worked at Skyharbor on the ramp for nearly 2 years and can tell you the turnover rate there is outrageous due to the poor working conditions. I commend those agents that work in places like PHX and LAS, you definitely have to be a different breed to work under those conditions. Personally I couldn't wait to get out of that hell whole and the first chance I got to transfer I took full advantage of it.

 

[necigrad]

Wow. I'm not the smartest guy in the world but I do know 100% that the company can't impose the east contract on you guys. It doesn't have the authority and this isn't a cooling off period where you will be striking. I also guarantee you that Canale never said that NOR will he because he agrees with me on this as do all other labor advocates that actually know the RLA.

Sorry Tim, but he did say it. He also "justified" it with a comment about how this has been dragging on for too long and he'd do it to get the West up to the East payscale. Of course that was the plan if the Feburary negotiations didn't get a "Yes" vote, and since the Union walked out, and I'm still on the West scale, we know how that went.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Sorry Tim, but he did say it. He also "justified" it with a comment about how this has been dragging on for too long and he'd do it to get the West up to the East payscale. Of course that was the plan if the Feburary negotiations didn't get a "Yes" vote, and since the Union walked out, and I'm still on the West scale, we know how that went.

I don't know what else to say other than Canale doesn't have the authority to bring the west into the east contract without the west voting on it. The bylaws are clear. I suppose he could do it if nobody was affected and the company agreed to allow your 22 extra benefits and scope clauses to stay. The key is that there can't be any major changes in your contract that would adversely affect anyone. All us east siders know this as true as we had one 'major change' that was so small very few people cared about it. It was something called a 'lead referendum' that adversely affected about 50 people. We had to have a systemwide vote on this because of that one small item that was determined 'major'. Sorry, those are the facts. whether you believe them or not is up to you.
This doesn't mean Canale can't 'negotiate' a path where he gets another transition agreement where the west comes into the east but that would result in a west vote. Likewise, the east is voting on this transition agreement because of the adverse affects.

In any case, that would never happen since the whole fuel for these further concessions is what Hemenway needs, not what Canale needs. It does Hemenway no good to just bring the west into the east. Mergers is self evident and COC, contract extension, further restrictions on reduction in force, profit sharing is what Hemenway needs. That's bottom line and separate from my opinion, I'm just pointing to the scoreboard. I'll be coming out with a informational piece for the west with all the facts as opposed to 'gossip' that your misleaders are putting out.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, 1487, Chicago

 

[bagchucker]

The information and misinformation circulating regarding this T.A., the "pending merger," and the forced integration has convoluted this board to a point that it is sensory overload. We ALL have opinions and speculation to offer, but none of us are prophets. We can't predict based on what history has dictated in the past. The airline industry as a whole is undergoing a MAJOR facelift right before our eyes. Things as we have known it are changing rapidly, and it looks as though we all stand to be affected by it in some way or another, many of us in ways that will affect our jobs. Companies are likely to do what ever supports their business models and survival, with neglect of work-group CBA's (Reference Delta-NW...). Times are gettin ugly... protect what little we have.