Dispatch Update
February 13, 2016
Airline Division Achieves Improvements for FST’s
Today the Airline Division is proud to announce that two MOU’s (Memorandum of Understanding) have been agreed to and finalized in regards to the FST (Flight Simulator Technician) group. Local 19 began this work during negotiations last year, but talks on these MOU’s stalled recently. Leadership from the Division reached out to leadership from the company to jumpstart these talks. In addition to finishing the MOU’s a verbal understanding was reached with the Division in regards to the FST move packages. If there is not a joint agreement in place when the simulators are consolidated into the Denver facility, the affected FST’s will use the move package in the Technician’s agreement. This is an improvement over the current move package in the standalone sCO FST CBA.
The first MOU allows for the continued operation of the training door shop crew in Houston. This MOU will protect members in IAH working on the Flight Attendant door training module. The second MOU protects those FST’s in IAH that have an A&P license. The company will carry an overage to allow these technicians to remain in Houston rather than relocate them to the Denver facility.
Fortunately, by pressing the company on these issues and continuing work into this weekend, the FST group was able to gain these improvements. Copies of these MOU’s will be distributed shortly to the affected members.
Members Invited to Participate in Watching Vote Tally
BallotPoint has made available to the members the ability to watch the tally live or listen to the results via telephone. The vote tally is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 16th at 12:00 P.M. EST.
Members must sign up at the following link to get the webinar invitation details. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7747485856510800897
The Front Line
A message from YOUR Negotiating Committee
March 1, 2016
On Monday February 29th, the full negotiating committee met for the first time since Mike Bond’s last best and final turd was overwhelmingly flushed down the toilet. The purpose of this meeting was to organize the next steps and how to best proceed moving forward.
The meeting opened with a short recap of the various station protests that have happened over the last two weeks. This topic was raised first as it is of paramount importance. This committee is only as strong as the support we are given by the membership. 93% of our membership voting NO was a huge message to the company, and it should be a sounding message to all of us. Our task is to keep that momentum moving in a positive direction. Our support at these rallies was generally good and many members turned out to protest, however, we are still very far from a 93% turn out at these rallies’.
Make no mistake about it: The Company declared war on this union and this membership with their close out proposal. The demands for concessions during a time of consistent record breaking profits shows a new level of contempt for those of us who keep this airline flying. The show of solidarity from our fellow Teamster members raised a great big middle finger at the company. We need to continue this and raise the other hand in defiance as well. We have just begun our struggle and will continue with an aggressive campaign against the company until they give us what we truly deserve: An Industry Leading Contract
We continued the first part of the day re-establishing our processes, strengthening our communications chain, and planning on how to best battle this company’s blatant lack
of good faith bargaining with this membership. We spent some time strategizing our upcoming demonstrations. When you hear of future rallies, do your part and show up. Its fun to direct our years of pent up frustration with this Company right back where it belongs.
The rules of engagement in our battle for decency have changed. We ended this first day with a conversation on how these changes would affect how the committee will proceed. We spoke about different ideas and general housekeeping efforts, all with the idea of maintaining the momentum YOU created.
The second day started with a conversation on the different thoughts and opinions from across the system. There were a variety of reasons for the “no” vote. Thoroughly vetting and understanding these reasons is the best place to begin building a new proposal. It is important that we take the time to weigh in with as many opinions as possible. What might not seem important to one group at the moment may prove invaluable at a later date.
A Principal Officers meeting was held at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Headquarters in Washington D.C on February 17th to discuss how to go forward. A brief description of the outcome was given to the negotiating committee. This will be shared with the membership in the coming days.
A 93% NO vote from this membership was a shocking blow to the companies’ fictitious view of an industry leading agreement. But this was just the first step. The company minions are hitting the ground at all stations gathering intel to try to continue their delusional fantasy of forcing another substandard agreement upon this membership.
NOW is the time for us to end their fantasy
A message from YOUR Negotiating Committee
March 1, 2016
On Monday February 29th, the full negotiating committee met for the first time since Mike Bond’s last best and final turd was overwhelmingly flushed down the toilet. The purpose of this meeting was to organize the next steps and how to best proceed moving forward.
The meeting opened with a short recap of the various station protests that have happened over the last two weeks. This topic was raised first as it is of paramount importance. This committee is only as strong as the support we are given by the membership. 93% of our membership voting NO was a huge message to the company, and it should be a sounding message to all of us. Our task is to keep that momentum moving in a positive direction. Our support at these rallies was generally good and many members turned out to protest, however, we are still very far from a 93% turn out at these rallies’.
Make no mistake about it: The Company declared war on this union and this membership with their close out proposal. The demands for concessions during a time of consistent record breaking profits shows a new level of contempt for those of us who keep this airline flying. The show of solidarity from our fellow Teamster members raised a great big middle finger at the company. We need to continue this and raise the other hand in defiance as well. We have just begun our struggle and will continue with an aggressive campaign against the company until they give us what we truly deserve: An Industry Leading Contract
We continued the first part of the day re-establishing our processes, strengthening our communications chain, and planning on how to best battle this company’s blatant lack
of good faith bargaining with this membership. We spent some time strategizing our upcoming demonstrations. When you hear of future rallies, do your part and show up. Its fun to direct our years of pent up frustration with this Company right back where it belongs.
The rules of engagement in our battle for decency have changed. We ended this first day with a conversation on how these changes would affect how the committee will proceed. We spoke about different ideas and general housekeeping efforts, all with the idea of maintaining the momentum YOU created.
The second day started with a conversation on the different thoughts and opinions from across the system. There were a variety of reasons for the “no” vote. Thoroughly vetting and understanding these reasons is the best place to begin building a new proposal. It is important that we take the time to weigh in with as many opinions as possible. What might not seem important to one group at the moment may prove invaluable at a later date.
A Principal Officers meeting was held at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Headquarters in Washington D.C on February 17th to discuss how to go forward. A brief description of the outcome was given to the negotiating committee. This will be shared with the membership in the coming days.
A 93% NO vote from this membership was a shocking blow to the companies’ fictitious view of an industry leading agreement. But this was just the first step. The company minions are hitting the ground at all stations gathering intel to try to continue their delusional fantasy of forcing another substandard agreement upon this membership.
NOW is the time for us to end their fantasy
Survey Information Update
March 22, 2016
Your Local Union Principal Officers have approved this survey of the UAL/CAL/CMI mechanics to be used for the benefit of your negotiating committee.
When you respond to the questions in the survey, we ask that you take the time to provide a well thought out, honest, and informed answer. Please make sure that you answer every question. If you do not finish the survey in one sitting, you can save your survey, return later and pick up where you left off.
Starting today, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, this survey will be available online and will remain available through 5pm Eastern Time, Friday, April 1, 2016. The survey consists of contract topics containing multiple-choice and fill in the blank questions. In addition, at the end of the survey, text boxes are available for additional comments that have not been addressed.
To access the survey simply follow these steps:
1. Go to https://BallotPoint.com/IBTADsurvey
2. Login with your Employee ID and PIN, Your initial PIN is the last four numbers of your SSN.
3. If this is the first time you logged in, you will be asked to change your PIN. Simply follow the prompts. Otherwise, you will skip this step.
4. Click on the "Take Survey Now" button to start your survey.
FAQs
Q: What if I don't have time to finish the survey all at once?
A: You can save a partially completed survey. To save, either click the "Save Partially Completed Survey" button in the lower-right corner of the browser window, or scroll to the bottom of the survey and click the “Save Partially Completed Survey” button.
To complete the survey at a later time, log in to the survey and select the Surveys... > Take/Resume menu item. Depending on the speed of your internet connection, it may take a moment for your previously saved responses to appear.
Q: If I have submitted my survey, can I change my answers?
A: Yes, you can log into the survey and retake it as often as you like, until the deadline.
Q: I want to change the answers to my previously submitted survey. But, when I log in, I don’t see my previous answers. Where are my responses?
A: If you completed the survey and clicked on the “Submit Survey Responses” button, rest assured that your answers are recorded in the system. However, the way the software works, it does not provide you with your responses should you take the survey again. At this point, you will need to re-take the entire survey. When you click on the “Submit Survey Responses” button, your new answers will replace your previous answers in the system (i.e., only your latest submittal will be counted).
You can avoid having to re-take the entire survey, if you want to change a response at a later time. Prior to clicking the “Submit Survey Responses” button, click the “Save Partially Completed Survey” button. In the pop-up box, select “OK.” You will then see a screen confirming that the survey has been saved (keep in mind that saving the survey does not submit it). Then, to submit the survey, click the resume survey link. When the survey is resumed, click the "Submit Survey Responses" button. Your survey is now submitted. Should you wish to change a response prior to the deadline, log in to the survey, select the “Surveys...>Take/Resume > Resume menu item, change any (or all) of your responses and re-submit the survey.
Q: Will the union know my individual responses to the questions?
A: IBT will receive a summary of how many people have taken the poll, as well as a summary of their collective answers. We will not know your individual responses.
Q: What if I choose not to participate?
A: IBT will not have the value of your input, and the results of the survey will be less reflective of the entire membership.
Q: What do I do if I need help?
A: If you have specific questions about how to login to the survey, please send an e-mail to: aallen@teamster.org.
March 22, 2016
Your Local Union Principal Officers have approved this survey of the UAL/CAL/CMI mechanics to be used for the benefit of your negotiating committee.
When you respond to the questions in the survey, we ask that you take the time to provide a well thought out, honest, and informed answer. Please make sure that you answer every question. If you do not finish the survey in one sitting, you can save your survey, return later and pick up where you left off.
Starting today, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, this survey will be available online and will remain available through 5pm Eastern Time, Friday, April 1, 2016. The survey consists of contract topics containing multiple-choice and fill in the blank questions. In addition, at the end of the survey, text boxes are available for additional comments that have not been addressed.
To access the survey simply follow these steps:
1. Go to https://BallotPoint.com/IBTADsurvey
2. Login with your Employee ID and PIN, Your initial PIN is the last four numbers of your SSN.
3. If this is the first time you logged in, you will be asked to change your PIN. Simply follow the prompts. Otherwise, you will skip this step.
4. Click on the "Take Survey Now" button to start your survey.
FAQs
Q: What if I don't have time to finish the survey all at once?
A: You can save a partially completed survey. To save, either click the "Save Partially Completed Survey" button in the lower-right corner of the browser window, or scroll to the bottom of the survey and click the “Save Partially Completed Survey” button.
To complete the survey at a later time, log in to the survey and select the Surveys... > Take/Resume menu item. Depending on the speed of your internet connection, it may take a moment for your previously saved responses to appear.
Q: If I have submitted my survey, can I change my answers?
A: Yes, you can log into the survey and retake it as often as you like, until the deadline.
Q: I want to change the answers to my previously submitted survey. But, when I log in, I don’t see my previous answers. Where are my responses?
A: If you completed the survey and clicked on the “Submit Survey Responses” button, rest assured that your answers are recorded in the system. However, the way the software works, it does not provide you with your responses should you take the survey again. At this point, you will need to re-take the entire survey. When you click on the “Submit Survey Responses” button, your new answers will replace your previous answers in the system (i.e., only your latest submittal will be counted).
You can avoid having to re-take the entire survey, if you want to change a response at a later time. Prior to clicking the “Submit Survey Responses” button, click the “Save Partially Completed Survey” button. In the pop-up box, select “OK.” You will then see a screen confirming that the survey has been saved (keep in mind that saving the survey does not submit it). Then, to submit the survey, click the resume survey link. When the survey is resumed, click the "Submit Survey Responses" button. Your survey is now submitted. Should you wish to change a response prior to the deadline, log in to the survey, select the “Surveys...>Take/Resume > Resume menu item, change any (or all) of your responses and re-submit the survey.
Q: Will the union know my individual responses to the questions?
A: IBT will receive a summary of how many people have taken the poll, as well as a summary of their collective answers. We will not know your individual responses.
Q: What if I choose not to participate?
A: IBT will not have the value of your input, and the results of the survey will be less reflective of the entire membership.
Q: What do I do if I need help?
A: If you have specific questions about how to login to the survey, please send an e-mail to: aallen@teamster.org.
TO: Local Unions 19, 25, 104, 120, 210, 391, 455, 769, 781, 856, 964, and 986
FROM: David Bourne, Director
Teamster Airline Division
DATE: January 5, 2016
RE: Teamcare Conference Calls for United Airlines Mechanic and Related
The second of two Teamcare conference calls for United Airlines mechanics and related will be this Thursday, January 7 at 6pm Pacific Time. This call will provide these members the opportunity to have the health care plan the company is proposing explained to them by TeamCare representatives, and to provide members with the opportunity to ask questions. After the Teamcare presentation, Representatives of the IBT Airline Division will also answer members’ questions regarding the Company’s proposal.
Yesterday TeamCare hosted its first tele town hall conference call. Thousands of participants dialed in at the same time which caused an overload of the switching system. As a result many members were dropped or denied access to the call.
A recording of that call can be accessed at:
http://ibt.io/UAL-TeamCare
Other information about the TeamCare plan is also now available on the TeamsterAir website at
http://teamsterair.org/node/2407
Please exercise every means at your disposal to forward this information on to your membership.
TEAMCARE CONFERENCE CALL for UNITED AIRLINES MECHANICS AND
RELATED:
Thursday, January 7, 6pm Pacific Time
Call-in number: 1-877-229-8493
ID Code: 114828
FROM: David Bourne, Director
Teamster Airline Division
DATE: January 5, 2016
RE: Teamcare Conference Calls for United Airlines Mechanic and Related
The second of two Teamcare conference calls for United Airlines mechanics and related will be this Thursday, January 7 at 6pm Pacific Time. This call will provide these members the opportunity to have the health care plan the company is proposing explained to them by TeamCare representatives, and to provide members with the opportunity to ask questions. After the Teamcare presentation, Representatives of the IBT Airline Division will also answer members’ questions regarding the Company’s proposal.
Yesterday TeamCare hosted its first tele town hall conference call. Thousands of participants dialed in at the same time which caused an overload of the switching system. As a result many members were dropped or denied access to the call.
A recording of that call can be accessed at:
http://ibt.io/UAL-TeamCare
Other information about the TeamCare plan is also now available on the TeamsterAir website at
http://teamsterair.org/node/2407
Please exercise every means at your disposal to forward this information on to your membership.
TEAMCARE CONFERENCE CALL for UNITED AIRLINES MECHANICS AND
RELATED:
Thursday, January 7, 6pm Pacific Time
Call-in number: 1-877-229-8493
ID Code: 114828
Update January 5th 2016
Due to the slow speed of delivery of the contract and voting instructions, the counting of the
ballots has been extended, and will now take place at noon est on February 1st. The reason for
the delayed delivery appears to be twofold. First the packages had to be sent as bulk mail
because of the weight of the documents and second the packages went out on December 23rd
which is in the middle of the holiday mailing season. In addition, several members expressed
concern that they would not have enough time to fully review the company’s closeout proposal
and the additional seven days should provide enough time to address those concerns. If you
have not received your ballot by Thursday, January 14th, contact your Local Union to request a
new or replacement ballot.
TeamCare Call
Yesterday TeamCare hosted it’s first tele town hall conference call. Thousands of participants
dialed in at the same time which caused an overload of the switching system. As a result many
members were dropped or denied access to the call. The recording of yesterday’s call is now
available at http://ibt.io/UAL-TeamCare.
There will be another TeamCare tele town hall conference call this Thursday, January 7, at
6pm Pacific Time. To participate call 1-877-229-8493, with ID code 114828.
Due to the slow speed of delivery of the contract and voting instructions, the counting of the
ballots has been extended, and will now take place at noon est on February 1st. The reason for
the delayed delivery appears to be twofold. First the packages had to be sent as bulk mail
because of the weight of the documents and second the packages went out on December 23rd
which is in the middle of the holiday mailing season. In addition, several members expressed
concern that they would not have enough time to fully review the company’s closeout proposal
and the additional seven days should provide enough time to address those concerns. If you
have not received your ballot by Thursday, January 14th, contact your Local Union to request a
new or replacement ballot.
TeamCare Call
Yesterday TeamCare hosted it’s first tele town hall conference call. Thousands of participants
dialed in at the same time which caused an overload of the switching system. As a result many
members were dropped or denied access to the call. The recording of yesterday’s call is now
available at http://ibt.io/UAL-TeamCare.
There will be another TeamCare tele town hall conference call this Thursday, January 7, at
6pm Pacific Time. To participate call 1-877-229-8493, with ID code 114828.
TO: Local Unions 19, 25, 104, 120, 210, 391, 455,
769, 781, 856, 964, and 986
FROM: David Bourne, Director
Teamster Airline Division
DATE: December 23,2015
RE: Teamcare Conference Calls for
United Airlines Mechanic and Related
There will be two Teamcare conference calls the first week of January for United Airlines mechanics and related. These calls are to provide these members the opportunity to have the health care plan the company is proposing explained to them by Teamcare representatives, and to provide members with the opportunity to ask questions. After the Teamcare presentation, Representatives of the IBT Airline Division will also answer members' questions regarding the Company's proposal.
The times and dates for these calls are listed on the cover letter in the ballot packages that were
mailed today, December 23. But due to the high volume of mail over the holidays, we anticipate that many members will not receive their ballot packets in time to plan to participate in the calls.
Attached is a flier for these calls for emailing and posting, and below is the call-in information.
Please exercise every means at your disposal to forward this information on to your membership.
TEAMCARE CONFERENCE CALLS for UNITED AIRLINES MECHANICS AND RELATED:
Monday, January 4, 3pm Pacific Time
Thursday, January 7, 6pm Pacific Time
Call-in number: 1-877-229-8523
ID Code: 314828
769, 781, 856, 964, and 986
FROM: David Bourne, Director
Teamster Airline Division
DATE: December 23,2015
RE: Teamcare Conference Calls for
United Airlines Mechanic and Related
There will be two Teamcare conference calls the first week of January for United Airlines mechanics and related. These calls are to provide these members the opportunity to have the health care plan the company is proposing explained to them by Teamcare representatives, and to provide members with the opportunity to ask questions. After the Teamcare presentation, Representatives of the IBT Airline Division will also answer members' questions regarding the Company's proposal.
The times and dates for these calls are listed on the cover letter in the ballot packages that were
mailed today, December 23. But due to the high volume of mail over the holidays, we anticipate that many members will not receive their ballot packets in time to plan to participate in the calls.
Attached is a flier for these calls for emailing and posting, and below is the call-in information.
Please exercise every means at your disposal to forward this information on to your membership.
TEAMCARE CONFERENCE CALLS for UNITED AIRLINES MECHANICS AND RELATED:
Monday, January 4, 3pm Pacific Time
Thursday, January 7, 6pm Pacific Time
Call-in number: 1-877-229-8523
ID Code: 314828
RUL Arbitration
As some of you may have heard we lost the RUL arbitration. The arbitrator ruled the RUL did not expire by it's on terms or upon the Company's request for mediation and remains in effect.
You can view the full opinion and award in the documents section of this blog. I'm at a loss for words this was supposed to be a slam dunk for the union.
As some of you may have heard we lost the RUL arbitration. The arbitrator ruled the RUL did not expire by it's on terms or upon the Company's request for mediation and remains in effect.
You can view the full opinion and award in the documents section of this blog. I'm at a loss for words this was supposed to be a slam dunk for the union.
Voting Instructions
The voting instructions along with the United company proposal will be mailed on or about December 24th, 2015. The packages should start arriving at your home around January 2nd 2016.
Ballotpoint will handle the adminastration of this election.
You can check them out at http://www.ballotpoint.com/.
The notice of referendum is available for review in the documents section of this blog.
Key dates to remember:
January 2nd 2016
packages will start to arrive
January 7th 2016
accepting request for replacements or new packages
January 22nd
challenges can be submitted by locals
January 25th
ballots must be cast by noon EST
January 25th
ballots counted at noon EST
If you have any questions contact your Chief Steward or Business Agent.
The voting instructions along with the United company proposal will be mailed on or about December 24th, 2015. The packages should start arriving at your home around January 2nd 2016.
Ballotpoint will handle the adminastration of this election.
You can check them out at http://www.ballotpoint.com/.
The notice of referendum is available for review in the documents section of this blog.
Key dates to remember:
January 2nd 2016
packages will start to arrive
January 7th 2016
accepting request for replacements or new packages
January 22nd
challenges can be submitted by locals
January 25th
ballots must be cast by noon EST
January 25th
ballots counted at noon EST
If you have any questions contact your Chief Steward or Business Agent.
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Ruling in the RUL Arbitration
December 23, 2015
The arbitrator has issued a ruling in the resource
utilization arbitration case. Unfortunately the arbitrator denied the
grievance. A copy of the award can be found here:
The post hearing briefs and transcripts will be posted right after the holidays.
You have received this email through your subscription to the Teamsters' email list. If you did not subscribe, or would no longer like to receive email updates, unsubscribe here.
Informational Meetings
We are planing our informational meetings for Monday January 11th. The notice will go out next week on the times and location of the meetings. This is a very important time and everyone should make an effort to attend the meetings. I'm sure all of you have lots of questions about the company proposal, seniority, Teamcare and VEBA. If you are unable to attend the meeting, get with me prior to the meeting and I can relay your questions at the meeting.
If we all stand together and speak as one voice we can and will get not only what we want but what we deserve.
My personal opinion!!!!!!
Vote NO on the company proposal!!!!!!
Vote YES on a strike vote!!!!!
Solidarity
not just a word we use but an action we take.....
Lets all stand together
We are planing our informational meetings for Monday January 11th. The notice will go out next week on the times and location of the meetings. This is a very important time and everyone should make an effort to attend the meetings. I'm sure all of you have lots of questions about the company proposal, seniority, Teamcare and VEBA. If you are unable to attend the meeting, get with me prior to the meeting and I can relay your questions at the meeting.
If we all stand together and speak as one voice we can and will get not only what we want but what we deserve.
My personal opinion!!!!!!
Vote NO on the company proposal!!!!!!
Vote YES on a strike vote!!!!!
Solidarity
not just a word we use but an action we take.....
Lets all stand together
Brothers and Sisters,
The UAL Proposal, which is available on our website at http://teamsterair.org/node/2400, is the complete close out proposal given to the union negotiating committee by the company. While it would certainly have been better if the parties were able to reach a tentative agreement, that did not happen in this step of negotiations. The Company passed what it characterized as a comprehensive close-out agreement to the union committee, and the union committee believed that the company’s close-out proposal met conditions of a “last best and final” offer that should be presented to the membership for a vote. It is now up to you to determine the next course of action. A yes vote on the proposal would mean that this proposal would become the new amalgamated agreement, and a no vote would send the parties back to mediated negotiations, following the process of the Railway Labor Act.
The ballot for ratification by electronic voting for the United Airlines Proposal will be mailed to your homes before December 25, 2015, and will be counted at noon (Eastern) on January 25, 2016.
There are significant changes in this proposal from the current three standalone Agreements covering the s-CAL, s-UAL and Air Micronesia mechanics. Some of those changes are positive, some neutral and some are negative.
To begin, the company’s proposal represents a total economic increase of approximately two hundred million dollars annually, which represents an improvement of over $22,000 to topped out members above current compensation in each year of the contract. This increase is offset somewhat by other economic work rules, however, as you will see in the paragraphs below.
The improvements include an initial 25% increase in wages on the date of signing; an average bonus check of $9000; furlough protection for everyone on the seniority list with facility protection for the SFO Maintenance Base and the Houston Maintenance Base; sUA restoration of two floating holidays and 100% pay for sick leave; sCO faster vacation accrual; a buy out of up to one hundred thousand dollars; and several less significant improvements that were bargained over the course of negotiations.
The offsets to the above improvements include mostly those things that were not finalized in bargaining. They include a longer scale for new hires; a 10-year recall right that eliminates the recall rights of a majority of those currently on furlough, all of whom today have lifetime recall rights; a reduction in the profit sharing formula down to 5% of pre-tax profit with a trigger for 10% of pre-tax profit in excess of a pre-tax margin of 6.9%; a change in the duty time limits; and several other matters that can be found in the attached package.
The company’s proposal also maintains the current CARP pension plan for existing s-CAL mechanics and gives the current s-UAL mechanics an opportunity to vote to become participants in the CARP (including current s-CAL 401k matching contributions) or to opt instead to retain s-UAL’s current 401k mandatory company contributions with increases of $100, $200, or $300 monthly, depending on years of service, in the company’s mandatory contribution. The company’s pension proposal would also eliminate new entrants into CARP if the sUA group elects not to enter, and all new hires would be covered only by a 401k plan.
The health and welfare benefits contained in this proposal would be an improvement for a slight majority of the group and an increased cost over the current plans for the rest of the group. The proposed plan is better, however, than the 2016 company offered health and welfare benefits, which was the company’s original benefits position, for a vast majority of the membership.
To be clear, the offsets to the improvements in this proposal are sizeable, and we urge you to please review the entire contract carefully to determine whether it is acceptable or not. Most Locals will be holding informational meetings in order for you to get a better understanding of the company’s proposal. It is now up to you to make the decision on how to proceed.
Fraternally,
David P. Bourne, Director
Clacy Griswold, Int’l Representative
Teamsters Airline Division
UAL Negotiating Committee Chairman
Robert C. Fisher, Int’l Representative
UAL Negotiating Committee Co-Chairman
The UAL Proposal, which is available on our website at http://teamsterair.org/node/2400, is the complete close out proposal given to the union negotiating committee by the company. While it would certainly have been better if the parties were able to reach a tentative agreement, that did not happen in this step of negotiations. The Company passed what it characterized as a comprehensive close-out agreement to the union committee, and the union committee believed that the company’s close-out proposal met conditions of a “last best and final” offer that should be presented to the membership for a vote. It is now up to you to determine the next course of action. A yes vote on the proposal would mean that this proposal would become the new amalgamated agreement, and a no vote would send the parties back to mediated negotiations, following the process of the Railway Labor Act.
The ballot for ratification by electronic voting for the United Airlines Proposal will be mailed to your homes before December 25, 2015, and will be counted at noon (Eastern) on January 25, 2016.
There are significant changes in this proposal from the current three standalone Agreements covering the s-CAL, s-UAL and Air Micronesia mechanics. Some of those changes are positive, some neutral and some are negative.
To begin, the company’s proposal represents a total economic increase of approximately two hundred million dollars annually, which represents an improvement of over $22,000 to topped out members above current compensation in each year of the contract. This increase is offset somewhat by other economic work rules, however, as you will see in the paragraphs below.
The improvements include an initial 25% increase in wages on the date of signing; an average bonus check of $9000; furlough protection for everyone on the seniority list with facility protection for the SFO Maintenance Base and the Houston Maintenance Base; sUA restoration of two floating holidays and 100% pay for sick leave; sCO faster vacation accrual; a buy out of up to one hundred thousand dollars; and several less significant improvements that were bargained over the course of negotiations.
The offsets to the above improvements include mostly those things that were not finalized in bargaining. They include a longer scale for new hires; a 10-year recall right that eliminates the recall rights of a majority of those currently on furlough, all of whom today have lifetime recall rights; a reduction in the profit sharing formula down to 5% of pre-tax profit with a trigger for 10% of pre-tax profit in excess of a pre-tax margin of 6.9%; a change in the duty time limits; and several other matters that can be found in the attached package.
The company’s proposal also maintains the current CARP pension plan for existing s-CAL mechanics and gives the current s-UAL mechanics an opportunity to vote to become participants in the CARP (including current s-CAL 401k matching contributions) or to opt instead to retain s-UAL’s current 401k mandatory company contributions with increases of $100, $200, or $300 monthly, depending on years of service, in the company’s mandatory contribution. The company’s pension proposal would also eliminate new entrants into CARP if the sUA group elects not to enter, and all new hires would be covered only by a 401k plan.
The health and welfare benefits contained in this proposal would be an improvement for a slight majority of the group and an increased cost over the current plans for the rest of the group. The proposed plan is better, however, than the 2016 company offered health and welfare benefits, which was the company’s original benefits position, for a vast majority of the membership.
To be clear, the offsets to the improvements in this proposal are sizeable, and we urge you to please review the entire contract carefully to determine whether it is acceptable or not. Most Locals will be holding informational meetings in order for you to get a better understanding of the company’s proposal. It is now up to you to make the decision on how to proceed.
Fraternally,
David P. Bourne, Director
Clacy Griswold, Int’l Representative
Teamsters Airline Division
UAL Negotiating Committee Chairman
Robert C. Fisher, Int’l Representative
UAL Negotiating Committee Co-Chairman
Negotiations Update
November28, 2015
The committee met in Houston this week to complete the process of vetting United’s final offer.
Various subcommittees worked through the previous week on individual articles and LoA’s, comparing the UA offer to previously TA’d articles, items agreed to in principal, and items not discussed/agreed to in an effort to gain a complete understanding of exactly what United has proposed. These findings were combined into a single list of inconsistencies that were delivered to the UA negotiators this week. Once this list is reviewed and the proposal finalized, a vote will be scheduled.
In order for the voting process to begin, the complete proposal must be sent to the printer, then mailed to each member’s home along with the instructions for the electronic ballot. Printing and mailing is expected to begin in early December, mailed shortly thereafter with a final ballot count to occur in early January.
The ballot will have two questions:
1. Accept or Reject United’s final offer
2. Yes or No to authorize a strike
There are incomplete and unvetted versions of the proposal that are floating around the system. Please be advised that these documents are not accurate. As soon as the full proposal is completed it will be posted electronically for everyone to review.
November28, 2015
The committee met in Houston this week to complete the process of vetting United’s final offer.
Various subcommittees worked through the previous week on individual articles and LoA’s, comparing the UA offer to previously TA’d articles, items agreed to in principal, and items not discussed/agreed to in an effort to gain a complete understanding of exactly what United has proposed. These findings were combined into a single list of inconsistencies that were delivered to the UA negotiators this week. Once this list is reviewed and the proposal finalized, a vote will be scheduled.
In order for the voting process to begin, the complete proposal must be sent to the printer, then mailed to each member’s home along with the instructions for the electronic ballot. Printing and mailing is expected to begin in early December, mailed shortly thereafter with a final ballot count to occur in early January.
The ballot will have two questions:
1. Accept or Reject United’s final offer
2. Yes or No to authorize a strike
There are incomplete and unvetted versions of the proposal that are floating around the system. Please be advised that these documents are not accurate. As soon as the full proposal is completed it will be posted electronically for everyone to review.
Negotiations Update
November 6, 2015
The Committee met in Houston on Thursday to review United’s Last, best, final offer to the membership. The committee was presented with an incomplete, inaccurate document that did not reflect some items previously agreed to in principal by the parties over the past 3 years. Because of the lack of attention to detail on United’s part in providing this committee with the information described above, we spent the evening identifying and cataloguing items that were inaccurate, not agreed upon, or simply missing. It was decided that we would forward this list of findings to the company along with a request that UA provide a complete, accurate document for our review. We hope to have that detailed information from the company in the next few weeks. The committee is committed to providing you with accurate, factual documents and information in order for you to make an informed decision and cast your ballot.
Because of inferred changes to parts of the CBA as presented by UA, namely recall rights, all members on layoff or EIS will be able to cast ballots in the coming vote. The vote will be scheduled as quickly as information is received from the company and disseminated to the membership. Ballots can typically be built in approximately 30 days from the time we have received a complete document describing what, exactly, will be voted on. As part of that ballot, a strike authorization vote will be taken. Authorizing a strike does not mean we will go on strike but sends a very strong message to the company that we will not allow them to dictate the terms of our contract and will strike, if necessary, to achieve a fair and equitable agreement.
On another front, United's management has been doing station visits and addressing the membership about their “Final Offer”. These briefings are rife with HALF-TRUTHS and MIS-INFORMATION designed to convince you that they have your best interests at heart. Don’t buy the sales pitch! When we have an actual document from the company describing what they intend to do, we will be able to provide accurate, up-to-date information. At this point, United will tell you only what you want to hear, NOT facts surrounding their actual proposed contract. Expect to hear only the highlights that would be interpreted as good for you. They won’t tell you the whole truth! Be well informed. There’s a reason we don’t yet have a complete, detailed proposal from this carrier.
From the Seniority Integration Committee:
The seniority list is complete. The last three days have been spent finalizing the programming, making slight modifications, and then re-testing.
The sort this morning appears to have all the changes we have created, and on preliminary inspection the order looks correct.
Our small team is going to review the entire document, then share it with the full seniority committee. Once the finalized list has been reviewed for accuracy, we will open the list to the negotiations committee for distribution to the membership. We anticipate having this task completed by late next week with no major discrepancies.
November 6, 2015
The Committee met in Houston on Thursday to review United’s Last, best, final offer to the membership. The committee was presented with an incomplete, inaccurate document that did not reflect some items previously agreed to in principal by the parties over the past 3 years. Because of the lack of attention to detail on United’s part in providing this committee with the information described above, we spent the evening identifying and cataloguing items that were inaccurate, not agreed upon, or simply missing. It was decided that we would forward this list of findings to the company along with a request that UA provide a complete, accurate document for our review. We hope to have that detailed information from the company in the next few weeks. The committee is committed to providing you with accurate, factual documents and information in order for you to make an informed decision and cast your ballot.
Because of inferred changes to parts of the CBA as presented by UA, namely recall rights, all members on layoff or EIS will be able to cast ballots in the coming vote. The vote will be scheduled as quickly as information is received from the company and disseminated to the membership. Ballots can typically be built in approximately 30 days from the time we have received a complete document describing what, exactly, will be voted on. As part of that ballot, a strike authorization vote will be taken. Authorizing a strike does not mean we will go on strike but sends a very strong message to the company that we will not allow them to dictate the terms of our contract and will strike, if necessary, to achieve a fair and equitable agreement.
On another front, United's management has been doing station visits and addressing the membership about their “Final Offer”. These briefings are rife with HALF-TRUTHS and MIS-INFORMATION designed to convince you that they have your best interests at heart. Don’t buy the sales pitch! When we have an actual document from the company describing what they intend to do, we will be able to provide accurate, up-to-date information. At this point, United will tell you only what you want to hear, NOT facts surrounding their actual proposed contract. Expect to hear only the highlights that would be interpreted as good for you. They won’t tell you the whole truth! Be well informed. There’s a reason we don’t yet have a complete, detailed proposal from this carrier.
From the Seniority Integration Committee:
The seniority list is complete. The last three days have been spent finalizing the programming, making slight modifications, and then re-testing.
The sort this morning appears to have all the changes we have created, and on preliminary inspection the order looks correct.
Our small team is going to review the entire document, then share it with the full seniority committee. Once the finalized list has been reviewed for accuracy, we will open the list to the negotiations committee for distribution to the membership. We anticipate having this task completed by late next week with no major discrepancies.
Process Update
October 29, 2015
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Teamster Airline Division Representatives Clacy Griswold and Bob Fisher, along with Rank and File committee member John Laurin who is acting as the committee scribe and historian, met with Company Reps Marcel Delhommeau, Kellee Allain, and Nate Kramer to receive the Company’s proposal. Most of the paper package was received over the two-day meeting. There are still some outstanding LoA’s that the Company is finalizing which we expect to have later this week or early next week.
The reason for the delay of the final documents is that the parties were working on language for much of the document, but there were several other items that were passed in term sheet format with language to be finalized after the concepts were agreed upon. Several items that were not agreed upon require the Company to finish the language prior to presenting the proposal to the membership. It is important that this paper package is received and archived for both historical purposes as well as for any future negotiations or arbitrations that may arise.
There will be a meeting of the Rank and File committee next Thursday in Houston to review the Company’s finalized proposal. Shortly after that meeting the document will be sent to the printer and released online for review by the membership.
October 29, 2015
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Teamster Airline Division Representatives Clacy Griswold and Bob Fisher, along with Rank and File committee member John Laurin who is acting as the committee scribe and historian, met with Company Reps Marcel Delhommeau, Kellee Allain, and Nate Kramer to receive the Company’s proposal. Most of the paper package was received over the two-day meeting. There are still some outstanding LoA’s that the Company is finalizing which we expect to have later this week or early next week.
The reason for the delay of the final documents is that the parties were working on language for much of the document, but there were several other items that were passed in term sheet format with language to be finalized after the concepts were agreed upon. Several items that were not agreed upon require the Company to finish the language prior to presenting the proposal to the membership. It is important that this paper package is received and archived for both historical purposes as well as for any future negotiations or arbitrations that may arise.
There will be a meeting of the Rank and File committee next Thursday in Houston to review the Company’s finalized proposal. Shortly after that meeting the document will be sent to the printer and released online for review by the membership.
Special Update October 26, 2015
It has been reported in several stations that supervisors are characterizing the proposal to be voted on as a “TA” or tentative agreement. This package is not a TA but rather what the Company termed as a closeout proposal. The reason the proposal is not a tentative agreement between the parties is because it contains some terms and conditions that were, either not fully negotiated, or were simply not agreed to by the rank and file Committee. The Committee acted on a request from the Company and voted to allow this proposal to come to a vote of the membership. This was considered by the Committee to be United’s final offer. The details of United’s closeout proposal will be made available to you for review and a vote will be scheduled to allow the membership the opportunity to vote on United’s offer. Further information will be published in the near future
It has been reported in several stations that supervisors are characterizing the proposal to be voted on as a “TA” or tentative agreement. This package is not a TA but rather what the Company termed as a closeout proposal. The reason the proposal is not a tentative agreement between the parties is because it contains some terms and conditions that were, either not fully negotiated, or were simply not agreed to by the rank and file Committee. The Committee acted on a request from the Company and voted to allow this proposal to come to a vote of the membership. This was considered by the Committee to be United’s final offer. The details of United’s closeout proposal will be made available to you for review and a vote will be scheduled to allow the membership the opportunity to vote on United’s offer. Further information will be published in the near future
Negotiations Update
October 5, 2015
UAL Medical Arbitration Update
Earlier this summer, a neutral arbitrator held that United violated the s-UAL Collective Bargaining Agreement by imposing a 90% co-insurance obligation on employees who participate in the HMOs, Aetna Select Plans and HMSA. The arbitrator directed the Company and the Union to negotiate an appropriate remedy, and she retained jurisdiction over the case in the event the parties were unable to reach an agreed-upon remedy. Recognizing the great length of time that it would take to secure an arbitration award if the parties had to go back to the arbitrator for a second hearing to determine the appropriate remedy, the Union entered into settlement negotiations with the Company. The Union’s objective was to ensure that: (1) the 100% co-insurance is restored; and (2) the employees who incurred costs on account of the Company’s violation of the CBA’s 100’s co-insurance obligation are fully reimbursed. After numerous meetings and discussions with the Company, the Union has secured both of those objectives.
The Company will soon be issuing a direct communication to the employees advising that the HMO/HMSA/Aetna Select 100% co-insurance obligation is being restored and that the employees who incurred costs having to pay 10% co-insurance will be fully reimbursed. The timing in which the various HMOs/HMSA/Aetna Select Plans restore the co-insurance, and the process by which the employees will be reimbursed does somewhat differ, however, depending on which Plan you were in.
Specifically: please note the following:
Aetna Select Participants
Beginning with claims for services incurred after October 1, 2015, the Aetna Select Plans’ 100% co-insurance will be reinstated. You will not be charged coinsurance for services received after October 1, 2015.
If you participated in an Aetna Select plan in 2014 or 2015 and paid coinsurance expenses to your medical provider, you will automatically receive a reimbursement for
coinsurance expenses paid in 2014 and/or 2015. You do not have to submit any receipts substantiating your coinsurance expenses. Initial reimbursements will be made within the next several weeks. You may receive multiple reimbursements as medical claims are processed and finalized.
Kaiser and Anthem HMO Colorado Participants
Beginning with claims for services incurred after January 1, 2016, the Kaiser and Anthem HMO Colorado 100% coinsurance will be reinstated. You will not be charged coinsurance for services received after January 1, 2016
If you participated in an Anthem HMO Colorado or Kaiser HMO plan in 2014 or 2015 and paid coinsurance expenses to your medical provider, you will automatically receive a reimbursement for coinsurance expenses paid in 2014 and/or 2015. You do not have to submit any receipts substantiating your coinsurance expenses. Initial reimbursements will be made within the next several weeks. You may receive multiple reimbursements as additional medical claims are processed and finalized.
Group Health Cooperative, HealthSpan Integrated Care and HMSA Participants
Beginning with claims for services incurred after January 1, 2016, the 100% coinsurance for these plans will be reinstated. You will not be charged coinsurance for services received after January 1, 2016
If you participated in one of the HMO plans mentioned above in 2014 or 2015 and paid coinsurance expenses to your medical provider, you must submit a reimbursement request to receive payment.
To process your reimbursement request, we will need the following:
1. A copy of your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your HMO showing the charges you were responsible for paying
2. Name
3. Employee ID
4. e-mail address
You will be asked to submit this information to:
United Airlines
Attn: H&W Finance – Willis Tower
233 S. Wacker Drive, 25th Floor – WHQHR
Chicago, Illinois 60606
You will also be advised that you can submit your reimbursement request via e-mail to HWFinance@united.com.
Please look for the Company’s direct communication for more details regarding this matter.
Resource Utilization Arbitration Update
Briefs from the IBT and the Company have been submitted to the Arbitrator. After the Arbitrator reviews the case he will set up an executive session of the tripartite panel. After the executive panel meets the Arbitrator will issue the ruling.
October 5, 2015
UAL Medical Arbitration Update
Earlier this summer, a neutral arbitrator held that United violated the s-UAL Collective Bargaining Agreement by imposing a 90% co-insurance obligation on employees who participate in the HMOs, Aetna Select Plans and HMSA. The arbitrator directed the Company and the Union to negotiate an appropriate remedy, and she retained jurisdiction over the case in the event the parties were unable to reach an agreed-upon remedy. Recognizing the great length of time that it would take to secure an arbitration award if the parties had to go back to the arbitrator for a second hearing to determine the appropriate remedy, the Union entered into settlement negotiations with the Company. The Union’s objective was to ensure that: (1) the 100% co-insurance is restored; and (2) the employees who incurred costs on account of the Company’s violation of the CBA’s 100’s co-insurance obligation are fully reimbursed. After numerous meetings and discussions with the Company, the Union has secured both of those objectives.
The Company will soon be issuing a direct communication to the employees advising that the HMO/HMSA/Aetna Select 100% co-insurance obligation is being restored and that the employees who incurred costs having to pay 10% co-insurance will be fully reimbursed. The timing in which the various HMOs/HMSA/Aetna Select Plans restore the co-insurance, and the process by which the employees will be reimbursed does somewhat differ, however, depending on which Plan you were in.
Specifically: please note the following:
Aetna Select Participants
Beginning with claims for services incurred after October 1, 2015, the Aetna Select Plans’ 100% co-insurance will be reinstated. You will not be charged coinsurance for services received after October 1, 2015.
If you participated in an Aetna Select plan in 2014 or 2015 and paid coinsurance expenses to your medical provider, you will automatically receive a reimbursement for
coinsurance expenses paid in 2014 and/or 2015. You do not have to submit any receipts substantiating your coinsurance expenses. Initial reimbursements will be made within the next several weeks. You may receive multiple reimbursements as medical claims are processed and finalized.
Kaiser and Anthem HMO Colorado Participants
Beginning with claims for services incurred after January 1, 2016, the Kaiser and Anthem HMO Colorado 100% coinsurance will be reinstated. You will not be charged coinsurance for services received after January 1, 2016
If you participated in an Anthem HMO Colorado or Kaiser HMO plan in 2014 or 2015 and paid coinsurance expenses to your medical provider, you will automatically receive a reimbursement for coinsurance expenses paid in 2014 and/or 2015. You do not have to submit any receipts substantiating your coinsurance expenses. Initial reimbursements will be made within the next several weeks. You may receive multiple reimbursements as additional medical claims are processed and finalized.
Group Health Cooperative, HealthSpan Integrated Care and HMSA Participants
Beginning with claims for services incurred after January 1, 2016, the 100% coinsurance for these plans will be reinstated. You will not be charged coinsurance for services received after January 1, 2016
If you participated in one of the HMO plans mentioned above in 2014 or 2015 and paid coinsurance expenses to your medical provider, you must submit a reimbursement request to receive payment.
To process your reimbursement request, we will need the following:
1. A copy of your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your HMO showing the charges you were responsible for paying
2. Name
3. Employee ID
4. e-mail address
You will be asked to submit this information to:
United Airlines
Attn: H&W Finance – Willis Tower
233 S. Wacker Drive, 25th Floor – WHQHR
Chicago, Illinois 60606
You will also be advised that you can submit your reimbursement request via e-mail to HWFinance@united.com.
Please look for the Company’s direct communication for more details regarding this matter.
Resource Utilization Arbitration Update
Briefs from the IBT and the Company have been submitted to the Arbitrator. After the Arbitrator reviews the case he will set up an executive session of the tripartite panel. After the executive panel meets the Arbitrator will issue the ruling.
UNITED AIRLINES FAILS TO REACH AGREEMENT
WITH TEAMSTER AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS
Technicians Call on Company to Stop Dragging its Feet on a Contract
(CHICAGO) – United Airlines’ [NYSE: UAL] labor woes continue as talks with International Brotherhood of Teamsters-represented aviation maintenance technicians and related workers stalled today.
“Delta and American are setting the pace and United is dragging its feet,” said Clacy Griswold, lead negotiator for the Teamsters. “Our hardworking aviation professionals deserve industry- leading pay and benefits and will settle for nothing less.”
The union has been in negotiations with the company since November 2012 and under the guidance of a federal mediator since November 2013.
The company continues to trail the industry standard in compensation after having the most profitable quarters in its history.
“We hoped to see a change in the airline’s attitude toward its workers under the new leadership of CEO Oscar Munoz, but that has yet to be seen,” Griswold said.
The Teamsters Airline Division represents 9,000 aircraft maintenance technicians and related workers at United Airlines, and over 80,000 workers in the aviation industry.
WITH TEAMSTER AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS
Technicians Call on Company to Stop Dragging its Feet on a Contract
(CHICAGO) – United Airlines’ [NYSE: UAL] labor woes continue as talks with International Brotherhood of Teamsters-represented aviation maintenance technicians and related workers stalled today.
“Delta and American are setting the pace and United is dragging its feet,” said Clacy Griswold, lead negotiator for the Teamsters. “Our hardworking aviation professionals deserve industry- leading pay and benefits and will settle for nothing less.”
The union has been in negotiations with the company since November 2012 and under the guidance of a federal mediator since November 2013.
The company continues to trail the industry standard in compensation after having the most profitable quarters in its history.
“We hoped to see a change in the airline’s attitude toward its workers under the new leadership of CEO Oscar Munoz, but that has yet to be seen,” Griswold said.
The Teamsters Airline Division represents 9,000 aircraft maintenance technicians and related workers at United Airlines, and over 80,000 workers in the aviation industry.
Negotiations Update Week 2 October 1, 2015
Meetings were held through the weekend (12 hour sessions) and into this week in an effort to conclude the bargaining and reach an equitable deal for the membership. United passed a comprehensive proposal to the union on Saturday. The committee at-large and various sub-committees spent Sunday in discussions to develop a comprehensive counter proposal.
We presented the counter on Monday and spent the next day’s waiting on response from the company. While waiting, sub-committees continued working out the final remaining open issues.
Both parties’ proposals included the “four corners” needed to achieve an agreement: wages, healthcare, scope, and pension, but the final vision of the two sides remains drastically different. We had hoped that the change in leadership at United would create a more realistic direction in finally fulfilling their long standing promise to technicians. We had also hoped that the new regime would recognize our sacrifices and hard work in helping to create the most profitable quarters ever enjoyed by this company. Unfortunately, the new direction that has been advertised to the public has not yet made its way down to the company negotiators and we are stuck with more of the same.
Although both parties worked long hours throughout the two weeks, it became clear that we would not conclude bargaining and come to an agreement in principal during this session. The direction of the company made it evident to us that they would need to expand their economic platform if they intend to come close to our member’s expectations.
With that realization, we suspended talks for this session. Our desire is that the company representatives go back to their leadership and discuss the current situation. We are prepared to continue towards reaching an agreement that will satisfy the membership or the union will move to the next step of bargaining process. Hopefully the company will recognize the opportunity that is now available to them and make some real efforts to create a fix.
Additional sessions have been scheduled in mid-October to continue towards our goal of an industry leading agreement.
Meetings were held through the weekend (12 hour sessions) and into this week in an effort to conclude the bargaining and reach an equitable deal for the membership. United passed a comprehensive proposal to the union on Saturday. The committee at-large and various sub-committees spent Sunday in discussions to develop a comprehensive counter proposal.
We presented the counter on Monday and spent the next day’s waiting on response from the company. While waiting, sub-committees continued working out the final remaining open issues.
Both parties’ proposals included the “four corners” needed to achieve an agreement: wages, healthcare, scope, and pension, but the final vision of the two sides remains drastically different. We had hoped that the change in leadership at United would create a more realistic direction in finally fulfilling their long standing promise to technicians. We had also hoped that the new regime would recognize our sacrifices and hard work in helping to create the most profitable quarters ever enjoyed by this company. Unfortunately, the new direction that has been advertised to the public has not yet made its way down to the company negotiators and we are stuck with more of the same.
Although both parties worked long hours throughout the two weeks, it became clear that we would not conclude bargaining and come to an agreement in principal during this session. The direction of the company made it evident to us that they would need to expand their economic platform if they intend to come close to our member’s expectations.
With that realization, we suspended talks for this session. Our desire is that the company representatives go back to their leadership and discuss the current situation. We are prepared to continue towards reaching an agreement that will satisfy the membership or the union will move to the next step of bargaining process. Hopefully the company will recognize the opportunity that is now available to them and make some real efforts to create a fix.
Additional sessions have been scheduled in mid-October to continue towards our goal of an industry leading agreement.
September 26,
2015
Negotiations
Update
The IBT and Company negotiating
committees are meeting through the weekend Las Vegas, Nevada in hopes of
getting closer to completing an amalgamated contract. The session, which began
on Tuesday, September 21st, continued discussions on areas
previously was discussed in small committees through the beginning of the
month. Sufficient progress was made through the week that the Company made a
comprehensive proposal on Friday.
The IBT rank and file committee had
several questions regarding the proposal, with small committees focused on
specific articles of the agreement. Work began on getting answers on Saturday;
and as of this time, that work continues.
A comprehensive counter from the
Union will follow when this work is finished.
Negotiations Update
September 12, 2015
Negotiations are scheduled to
reconvene in Las Vegas for two weeks beginning on September 21st.
Given the recent tone from the Company, we expect to continue making progress towards
a tentative agreement that can be presented to the membership for ratification.
The committee remains focused and dedicated to that end and so far have
received no indication that the company has changed directions towards this
goal as well.
The change in CEO should not affect
the negotiations process. The general consensus from analysts and the financial
community is that our new CEO needs to get the house in order at United, and
tantamount to that process is better labor relations and reaching agreements
with the IBT and AFA.
The proof will be at the negotiating
table, but we are cautiously optimistic that new leadership at UAL will want to
make further progress toward the promised “industry leading agreement” and
improved relations with the Technicians that make his planes fly day after day.
September
11, 2014
Once again, we take time to reflect on
the events of this day. It seems difficult to accept that a bright, sunny
fourteen years ago; a day that should have been like any other, would become a
tragic day for our generation that many will remember in the future with,
“where were you that day?”
The names, locations and images will
always be with us just as our memory of where and what we each were doing. As
we remember, let each of us re-commit to the memories of our fellow employees,
the families and friends of those who were lost that day. And let us live each
day as a celebration of their lives, refusing to surrender to those who
committed those senseless acts and never giving in to the fear they hoped to
instill in us.
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