US Airways, International Association of Machinists Reach Tentative Agreement for Unified Mechanics-

[jcw]

jcw,

First of all. Joining the union is not an option. No join-no work. Second: Its funny how the same people win the election every time.

I have read every word of the "agreement". I even asked questions about the gray areas. My vote is still NO. Most of us are tired of concessionary contracts, which this is, while the execs get millions. I would be happy if there was middle ground but there's not. See the union only cares about the dues flow. They will do what ever it takes to maintain that even if it means selling out the membership. So they make deals with the company. In the end the union and the company are happy but the employee's that make the company run are not. The rank and file make all the sacrifice while the rest get the millions. Do you see any middle ground there??? The End

I'm glad you read it and will now vote no. Good luck to you. When I read it I saw a couple things that were better. However, its clear you will never be happy working with us at US. Keep up the great work and enjoy your day. The End.

 

[AluminumEnemaTime]

I would let it bomb out in ratification and start getting Andy Marshall (IBT) on the phone and talk business for a new contract, a new UNION in 2009!

Give me a break, call Andy?? He spent 2 years before the merger and got you guys 000000000000000!

 

[slipnutwrench]

So.....tell me if I am reading this T/A right or need new specs. They mention protection in ELP - El Paso, but no work on PIT- PITTSBURGH. How many guys in PHL-PHILLY that are from PIT-PITTSBURGH? 10 Hour work days, fine for those who commute, but what about the loss of overtime? Mighty nice of them to put in 3 paid sick days if you are thrown in the hospital, if not 50 %pay. DOH- DATE OF HIRE SENIORITY...now that is BIG...read it carefully because it looks pretty GRAY. West will always be up .50 an hour over EAST. West is in the pension plan (great if your 20 years old and just starting). I would vote NO, NO, NO and more NO.
I would let it bomb out in ratification and start getting Andy Marshall (IBT) on the phone and talk business for a new contract, a new UNION in 2009!

dexter- There is NO GRAY AREA regarding seniority integration. Page 13 "attachment B" Items # 1 and #3, in the LOA. Spells it out clearly. Date-of-hire in classification. Period. No tricks, no smoke, and no slotting.

 

[AluminumEnemaTime]

dexter- There is NO GRAY AREA regarding seniority integration. Page 13 "attachment B" Items # 1 and #3, in the LOA. Spells it out clearly. Date-of-hire in classification. Period. No tricks, no smoke, and no slotting.

You see slipnut, what we have here is a failure to communicate. :blink:

Dexter is the type that doesn't even know or understand his current contract, so he has to automatically say vote no to what he can not comprehend. He says it is all gray, which really means he is not smart enough to ask about what he doesn't understand, or couldn't understand if you explained it slooowly over and over and over.

But secretly he is hoping it passes, and he can still whine and say I didn't vote for this. But he will be the 1st guy calling his local lodge, GC ,local Pres, or shop steward crying about what he was going to do next. :down:

Hey, I have been very very upset and disappointed with some of the past IAM performance (REVOTE) and have been very disgruntled towards the union. But, we under Usair in the 90's had the BEST contact in the whole industry. So when it got stripped thru 2 bankruptcies, it has been a long and bitter pill for 6 straight years.

Am I doing back flips over this TA, NO, but do I think its a giant step in the right direction. YES

Its only extended by 2 years past are current bad deal with over 21% wage increases when you count the A&P increases. I mean it was better than what I even expected. I even hear the guys from Tampa saying they are voting YES, some said they would vote YES twice if need be, and if you don't know the history of the Tampa guys, there a great bunch, but hard core all the way, with common sense to.

So, everyone do what the hell they want, but I'm predicting a 70% + Yes vote.

 

[MerlinMagician]

Hey but here is the good news.. No place in the TA does it say that PIT is a protected station.

With a protection clause of 675 in base that protects CLT.. 50% farm out of all work regardless I would say the two lines of Mtc in PIT are doomed..

No Line Mtc Protection for PIT either.. None..

Please tell me exactly where it says the 675 jobs are to be in CLT base Only? If you saw the highlight sheet it is only the changes to the existing CBA not the complete rewrite of it. Make sure you are correctly informed and not preaching as a $h1t house lawyer.

 

[AluminumEnemaTime]

Please tell me exactly where it says the 675 jobs are to be in CLT base Only? If you saw the highlight sheet it is only the changes to the existing CBA not the complete rewrite of it. Make sure you are correctly informed and not preaching as a $h1t house lawyer.

There will still be base maint. in clt AND pit per the contract. The only change is that the company can't let the headcount drop below the 675. They could run either one with more or less employees. Right now the interim agreemnet had a no lay off clause but the contract had no minimum staffing levels for base EVER.

My guess is that CLT will stay and always be the much higher staffed base station. The company needs well over the minimum to work the heavy a/c than the minimum.

 

[320tech]

I have not heard 1 guy in PHX that will vote for this POS. 1st of all being put on the east Health ins and loosing short and long term will cost us alot we have not been able to accrue sick time sense day 1 like the east. and what is your cost a month for a family ins we heard its aver $150 a month more then we pay and ours is hmo not a 90-10 and what are your cost for drugs ours is a $10 co pay. and they can shove that so called sick time we earned it they need to pay it! we need to all say no and shove it up Parker's A** they will come running back because something is on the back burner!

 

[mike33]

and they can shove that so called sick time we earned it they need to pay it! we need to all say no and shove it up Parker's A** they will come running back because something is on the back burner!

Amen. If it's not on the back burner it's in the oven......

 

[allstrike]

I commute and live in the parking lot in PHL,Im not washing no uniforms..........vote no.Parker doesnt wash his Im not washing mine.The more I read the more I laugh.

Wait till ya see the Tempe math on the holidays.....if you have 10 your giving up 5,then youll earn em back like everyone else. I already gave back that 5th week vacation. It sucks.......

 

[AP Tech]

Sorry Boys and Girls, but I believe this one is going to pass. Previous contracts all you heard was how they were POS(which they were) and how nobody was voting for them. Somehow they all passed. Well this one I'm hearing "its not as bad as we figured" which equates "yes" vote. The company seems to throw just enough in the pot to entice just enough of the voters groups to vote yes.

Hate to predict results, but I bet it will pass but a margin of 57%(seems to be the IAM standard #), if it should fail, well then in typical IAM fashion the IAM can hold a Re-Vote as the membership was clearly confused!!!!

As for myself if I did happen to be an employee of Usair, I would still be weighing the issues..... :blink:

 

[1lcc]

Here is what the company is telling the management of the WEST, DOn't worry the Union will sell it!!! VOTE NO!!!!!

 

[1lcc]

Here's the basic pension info, do you have 30 years to work or even 20, remeber this is time that you are signed up all past years do not count!

A guaranteed benefit after 5 years of vesting service
An unreduced retirement benefit available at any age after 30 years of service
An unreduced pension benefit at age 62, with 20 years of service
A monthly pension based on your employers' contribution rates and your length of service
Spouse protection in the event of your death

https://www.iamnpf.org/npf/pages/main_page/index.jhtml


Don't let the union sell us something we will never get. 3% 401K is better than nothing.

VOTE NO!!!!!!!!!

 

[skinvalve]

When the IAM rep visits your station to sell this TA what's it going to be "coffee and donuts" or "tar and feathers"? This is only a metaphor and in no way suggests any specific act. Send the IAM prophet back with a clear message NO IAM PENSION PLAN. Vote NO let's see revision A of the TA.

 

[AluminumEnemaTime]

When the IAM rep visits your station to sell this TA what's it going to be "coffee and donuts" or "tar and feathers"? This is only a metaphor and in no way suggests any specific act. Send the IAM prophet back with a clear message NO IAM PENSION PLAN. Vote NO let's see revision A of the TA.

Look, I don't really like wasting my "free" time away from work posting here. We (the Members) were asked twice in 2 different online surveys what was most important in the transistion talks. The 4th highest item was the pension plan. #1 being wages of course.

And the way I see it, an A&P mechanic on 2nd or 3rd shift is getting a 25% raise over the next 3.5 years. You don't even need a calculator for this one guys. A 1st shifter is getting 23% raise. Thats not even counting the holidays coming back finally.

You can still see the results here: http://www.iamdl142.org/us_airways.htm
Go to this date

December 15, 2006
US Airways Mechanic Transition Survey Results
Chart Legend for Chart

Did you think the company was going to restart our single employer pension plan again that went bankrupt? The IAM pension plan is a multi-employer plan, just like the IBT, and longershoremen are in. The IAM plan is funded way way above the IBT plan. So maybe we should ask for that teamster pension again? Do we need to ask Andy to rescue us? I went to one of his Usairways organizing meetings, and he lied to me about what was in my own contract about 6 times.

Go get yourself a calculator and do the simple math on how much the raises alone are going to add to your income over the life of the offer? Its just the simple numbers and symbols + - x = and maybe division. You can do it. So am I going to throw away future earnings because I want to stay out of a pension fund that is 100% funded? I don't think so. One of the big pushes of the teamsters was to get in their pension plan, and it is not even in the same ballpark as being as secure as this one.

You do what the hell you want, but I hear only a small minority whining.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Look, I don't really like wasting my "free" time away from work posting here. We (the Members) were asked twice in 2 different online surveys what was most important in the transistion talks. The 4th highest item was the pension plan. #1 being wages of course.

And the way I see it, an A&P mechanic on 2nd or 3rd shift is getting a 25% raise over the next 3.5 years. You don't even need a calculator for this one guys. A 1st shifter is getting 23% raise. Thats not even counting the holidays coming back finally.

You can still see the results here: http://www.iamdl142.org/us_airways.htm
Go to this date

December 15, 2006
US Airways Mechanic Transition Survey Results
Chart Legend for Chart

Did you think the company was going to restart our single employer pension plan again that went bankrupt? The IAM pension plan is a multi-employer plan, just like the IBT, and longershoremen are in. The IAM plan is funded way way above the IBT plan. So maybe we should ask for that teamster pension again? Do we need to ask Andy to rescue us? I went to one of his Usairways organizing meetings, and he lied to me about what was in my own contract about 6 times.

Go get yourself a calculator and do the simple math on how much the raises alone are going to add to your income over the life of the offer? Its just the simple numbers and symbols + - x = and maybe division. You can do it. So am I going to throw away future earnings because I want to stay out of a pension fund that is 100% funded? I don't think so. One of the big pushes of the teamsters was to get in their pension plan, and it is not even in the same ballpark as being as secure as this one.

You do what the hell you want, but I hear only a small minority whining.

online surveys by unions are profane, lazy representation, and who really knows the accuracy of them. Some guys wife or kid could be filling them out. Also, rating things of importance is a misguided system since the things rated aren't of equal value. I'm a proponent of bringing back the relevance of going to the Local hall.
I'm not a proponent of a closed retirement system with restrictions, however, looking over the IAM mechanic contract, I would have to say that the company contributions to the IAM pension plan is certainly better than what the mechanics have now. And unlike the fleet service plan, there isn't any 40 hour cap in the mechanic plan. A definate improvement.

Also, some readers above seem to think that if they only work a few years that they won't be able to participate in the IAM pension since real vesting starts at 5 years. I believe that to be inaccurate as I believe all new plans have immediate vesting for those employed. That's how the fleet service IAM pension worked. Before some make judgements, check with TR, BF, BW, etc.
Certainly, no mechanic is going to be having his company contributions going to waste if he is of retirement age in 3 years.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, 1487, Chicago