This is not a pleasant update. The company has determined there are currently no openings in MM until possibly December 5th. As a result we are losing 5 mechanics effective 10-19-08. At this point due to the severe economic conditions it would not surprise me to see some if not all of the potential openings to disappear for the next round. Please prepare for this possibility if you are lower on the seniority list. Hopefully I am just being an alarmist, but this seems to be the way things are going.
In MM this week the survey I have been working on is taking longer to put together than I thought. Today's announcement caught me by surprise. I have talked with everyone I can think of to resolve this but to no avail.
In GQ I have been given no new information on the ten hour day schedule.
In PV Tom has been working with the group on several safety issues primarily in the bag room. The company has listened to the mechanics and the union and found it is cheaper to paint lines on the ramp in house.
Nothing new to report in BAL.
This week has been a roller coaster in the financial world. We have witnessed first hand that deregulation does not work in the airline industry. Now we know it doesn't work for trucking steel ,financial, or insurance industries either. The unfortunate part of this story is that you and I pay for this. Catfish in MM brought up a good analogy. A football game has rules to follow and referees to make sure the teams follow those rules.This keeps the outcome as fair as possible. If you take the referees out of the game it becomes chaotic with everyone trying to do whatever they can to succeed. Take the rules away as well and it is no longer even a game. Greed and might rule the day. That's exactly what we are witnessing now.
That's all for this week
Bob
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Weekly update 9-22-08
Sorry for the delay in this report. As many of you know I had two retinal surgeries over the last couple of weeks so I was a little behind on the reports. As a personal note if you are seeing black spots that do not move or bright flashes please see an eye doctor sooner rather than later. If they catch this early it can be repaired with lasers, if not it is a big deal with a long recovery time.
So far it appears we have several new people coming to IAD as of the 6th of October. Right now that number looks to be much less than the number needed here. When I get firm numbers I will pass them on.
In talking to Bob Luciano today he brought up a very good point regarding the upcoming elections. Bob pointed out that the President appoints members to the NMB. This is especially important to us as negotiations are right around the bend. Bob is writing an article for the Local 210 newsletter on this matter. Please remember that Senator McCain has previously said airline workers were overpaid, and one of his big issues was "Baseball Style Arbitration". He was the sponsoring member on the Airline Labor Dispute Act, S.1327 in 2002. If Senator McCain wins we can expect more of the same and potentially worse decisions from the Board.
As for the C-19 restroom two weeks ago Jim Dymond informed me that the only things remaining to be done were a couple of urinals and a sink to be repaired. When I questioned him on the dividers he said it had not been budgeted. I asked him to please look at the restroom and see if he found this acceptable. Jim told me late last week he had looked at the facility and got approval for the dividers.
I met with Michael Carr from L3 Communications last week. L3 is currently in charge of the C-130 project in Hagerstown MD. He has many positions that need filled there. Also he has jobs around the country and the world. If anyone is interested I will give you his e-mail.
In MM the vacancy grievance has become a moot point since the company did decide to close the hangar in BOS, and layoffs have begun in that station. There was a first step filed for two RDO bypasses and those were upheld. For this grievance the member did everything possible to correct this before it became an issue, but the company failed to correct the problem before it became a bypass situation. The member also kept a detailed paper trail which helped greatly. I am working on a survey regarding overtime issues such as charging for opportunities and averaging hours. This will be sent to the MM group first. If I do not have your personal e-mail it will go to corporate webmail.
In GQ the ten hour day is in the process of expansion after the trial period was successful. The management team is working on how this will look in regards to the schedule. There was a question regarding the daily OT sheet. According to Greg Pinelli the hours are available for everyone to see in his office. Another issue was whether the company had changed the policy of Doctors notes regarding absences. After researching this no change had been implemented.
In PV the ten hour day is being considered but I have no details at this point.
For BAL I called Sean Ryan District 142 AGC to report your issue with USAir mechanics. Tom also brought this to the attention of the Safety Committee on the national conference call.
The first step fill out grievance form is now permanently posted on the blog in the links section.
That's all for now,
Bob
So far it appears we have several new people coming to IAD as of the 6th of October. Right now that number looks to be much less than the number needed here. When I get firm numbers I will pass them on.
In talking to Bob Luciano today he brought up a very good point regarding the upcoming elections. Bob pointed out that the President appoints members to the NMB. This is especially important to us as negotiations are right around the bend. Bob is writing an article for the Local 210 newsletter on this matter. Please remember that Senator McCain has previously said airline workers were overpaid, and one of his big issues was "Baseball Style Arbitration". He was the sponsoring member on the Airline Labor Dispute Act, S.1327 in 2002. If Senator McCain wins we can expect more of the same and potentially worse decisions from the Board.
As for the C-19 restroom two weeks ago Jim Dymond informed me that the only things remaining to be done were a couple of urinals and a sink to be repaired. When I questioned him on the dividers he said it had not been budgeted. I asked him to please look at the restroom and see if he found this acceptable. Jim told me late last week he had looked at the facility and got approval for the dividers.
I met with Michael Carr from L3 Communications last week. L3 is currently in charge of the C-130 project in Hagerstown MD. He has many positions that need filled there. Also he has jobs around the country and the world. If anyone is interested I will give you his e-mail.
In MM the vacancy grievance has become a moot point since the company did decide to close the hangar in BOS, and layoffs have begun in that station. There was a first step filed for two RDO bypasses and those were upheld. For this grievance the member did everything possible to correct this before it became an issue, but the company failed to correct the problem before it became a bypass situation. The member also kept a detailed paper trail which helped greatly. I am working on a survey regarding overtime issues such as charging for opportunities and averaging hours. This will be sent to the MM group first. If I do not have your personal e-mail it will go to corporate webmail.
In GQ the ten hour day is in the process of expansion after the trial period was successful. The management team is working on how this will look in regards to the schedule. There was a question regarding the daily OT sheet. According to Greg Pinelli the hours are available for everyone to see in his office. Another issue was whether the company had changed the policy of Doctors notes regarding absences. After researching this no change had been implemented.
In PV the ten hour day is being considered but I have no details at this point.
For BAL I called Sean Ryan District 142 AGC to report your issue with USAir mechanics. Tom also brought this to the attention of the Safety Committee on the national conference call.
The first step fill out grievance form is now permanently posted on the blog in the links section.
That's all for now,
Bob
Friday, September 5, 2008
Weekly update 9-5-08
This week I was able to finish some of the work from BWI. Through some investigation I was able to find the IAM AGC for US Airways Mechanics and I contacted him about the issue the guys in the shop brought to light. He told me he would look at it and speak to the individuals involved in this problem. Another issue was brought up involving lead bumping and qualifications. After talking to Bob Luciano we both agree seniority plus the ability to do the work in question would govern how point bumps were handled between mechanic job groups, including the premium classifications, as spelled out in the Agreement. Also an online copy of the grievance forms were sent to each individual in BWI.
In GQ Tom and I met with Mark and discussed the ten hour day. Mark told us things appeared to be going well and that he has a meeting scheduled with Sherri next week to discuss the matter. When I know the results of that meeting I will pass the information on.
In PV Tom and I met with Mark regarding vacation rules this fall. I asked that Bruce Wade be included in future discussions as he was involved last year. We also talked about some safety issues both at the line and in the bag room. In addition we brought some concerns about people issues not being handled in the best manner and Mark agreed to look at these items. In MM some discipline items were discussed and no resolution has been agreed to on those. At this point the company seems unwilling to move from their previous positions. I am still waiting on paperwork for an upcoming IRH. Also I received an answer to the second step vacancy grievance. I am waiting to review this grievance with Bob next week before deciding which course of action to take.
Paul Bradley has volunteered to take the reins on the Horsemen project. If anyone rides a motorcycle and would like to join please see Paul on afternoon shift in MM or e-mail him at oldtowndoggie@aol.com.com. On Wednesday I met Bob Fahnestock, President of Local 992 in Hagerstown MD., and asked him to pass this information on to his members as well.
The August Business Agents report is out for the San Francisco Locals. It can be found at Teamsters SFO. One of the items discussed was the withdrawal of the flight pass "me-too" grievance. According to the report after further investigation it was found that improvement in the FA's contract was before we got the "me-too" clause in our agreement.
That's all for this week,
Bob
In GQ Tom and I met with Mark and discussed the ten hour day. Mark told us things appeared to be going well and that he has a meeting scheduled with Sherri next week to discuss the matter. When I know the results of that meeting I will pass the information on.
In PV Tom and I met with Mark regarding vacation rules this fall. I asked that Bruce Wade be included in future discussions as he was involved last year. We also talked about some safety issues both at the line and in the bag room. In addition we brought some concerns about people issues not being handled in the best manner and Mark agreed to look at these items. In MM some discipline items were discussed and no resolution has been agreed to on those. At this point the company seems unwilling to move from their previous positions. I am still waiting on paperwork for an upcoming IRH. Also I received an answer to the second step vacancy grievance. I am waiting to review this grievance with Bob next week before deciding which course of action to take.
Paul Bradley has volunteered to take the reins on the Horsemen project. If anyone rides a motorcycle and would like to join please see Paul on afternoon shift in MM or e-mail him at oldtowndoggie@aol.com.com. On Wednesday I met Bob Fahnestock, President of Local 992 in Hagerstown MD., and asked him to pass this information on to his members as well.
The August Business Agents report is out for the San Francisco Locals. It can be found at Teamsters SFO. One of the items discussed was the withdrawal of the flight pass "me-too" grievance. According to the report after further investigation it was found that improvement in the FA's contract was before we got the "me-too" clause in our agreement.
That's all for this week,
Bob
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Teamster Privilege
An overview of benefits of belonging to the Teamsters can be found here Teamster Privilege. Of particular note is the Legal Services towards the bottom of the pamphlet. If you do use any of these services they will need to know you are a member of Local 210.
Kathleen G. Walsh
As many of you know I have recommended Kathleen for Workman's Comp issues for several years. She is a passionate attorney that will do a very professional job of representing you if you are injured on the job. If you do get hurt she should be the first person you call. Her website is now at the top of the link section and it includes all of her contact information.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Experience
I was surfing today and came across an interesting site that had an article dealing with experince and past Presidents. The site was alligatorreport.wordpress.com
The article was titled,
Presidential Candidates: Is “experience” a real issue? Just look at Abraham Lincoln December 17, 2007
Here is an exerpt;
"To get an idea of whether experience is something to consider, lets take a look back at some of the past presidents in the US history:
James Buchanan: 29 years
Gerald Ford: 25 years
George H.W. Bush: 17 years
Richard Nixon: 14 years
Bill Clinton: 12 years
Ronald Reagan: 8 years
George W. Bush: 7 years
Abraham Lincoln: 2 years
George Washington: 0 years
Dwight Eisenhower: 0 years
The former president with the most experience, James Buchanan, who had 29 years of service as a representative, senator, ambassador and Secretary of State, is arguably the worst president in the US history. While Abraham Lincoln with only 2 years experience in the federal government is considered a national icon and, with George Washington, one of the most venerated leaders in our nation’s history. Going by this list, it is difficult to say that more experience is better.
Haven’t we learned in the past 7 years that you really don’t need experience to become president? I don’t think Bush is a disastrous president because he has little experience compared to other previous presidents… he’s just awfully stupid, unwilling to accept different viewpoints and ignorant of reality.
It’s more than experience that matters."
Well said in my opinion.
The article was titled,
Presidential Candidates: Is “experience” a real issue? Just look at Abraham Lincoln December 17, 2007
Here is an exerpt;
"To get an idea of whether experience is something to consider, lets take a look back at some of the past presidents in the US history:
James Buchanan: 29 years
Gerald Ford: 25 years
George H.W. Bush: 17 years
Richard Nixon: 14 years
Bill Clinton: 12 years
Ronald Reagan: 8 years
George W. Bush: 7 years
Abraham Lincoln: 2 years
George Washington: 0 years
Dwight Eisenhower: 0 years
The former president with the most experience, James Buchanan, who had 29 years of service as a representative, senator, ambassador and Secretary of State, is arguably the worst president in the US history. While Abraham Lincoln with only 2 years experience in the federal government is considered a national icon and, with George Washington, one of the most venerated leaders in our nation’s history. Going by this list, it is difficult to say that more experience is better.
Haven’t we learned in the past 7 years that you really don’t need experience to become president? I don’t think Bush is a disastrous president because he has little experience compared to other previous presidents… he’s just awfully stupid, unwilling to accept different viewpoints and ignorant of reality.
It’s more than experience that matters."
Well said in my opinion.
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