General Items
As reported last week I will be doing a jacket order soon. If you are interested please e-mail me with the name you would like embroidered on it, your size and then I will need a check for $35 made out to IBT Local 210. I will also do a t-shirt order if anyone is interested.
Oil continued its upward climb last week with no fundamentals to support it. I have become increasingly worried that a bubble in oil similar to last summer is brewing. Apparently the OPEC's Secretary General feels the same way and here is an article on the issue. Last year we saw lobbying efforts from many different groups trying to regulate the speculation of commodities and I believe it is time we get active again. Please write your members of Congress asking for help with the regulation of commodities speculation or I fear we will see the same detrimental effects on the airline industry.
On Friday the IBT filed for an election on the Continental Fleet Service group. This group is unrepresented and a couple of Unions have attempted to organize them in the past several years.
One of our members had his badge deactivated in a dispute with a local security officer. This member is still out waiting for resolution. Tom Reid made a call to a friend we have in MWAA but that call has not been returned as of the writing of this report. A ramp person in the same circumstance was recently fined $100 and made to report to SIDA training after being out of work for several weeks. My advice would be anytime you are flying on a pass to get TSA initials on it showing you've been through security. I understand after talking to the midnight shift that the TSA will not validate your pass even if it's within 24 hours if it is the next calendar day. I would recommend in this case getting a ride back to the main terminal and going through security again prior to your flight to ensure that you are legal. I do not recommend going upstairs without having initials on your pass. I understand this is an inconvenience but it is better than being held out of service for several weeks or more while the TSA and MWAA sort out if what you did was proper.
The Company made changes to its procedure regarding harassment and discrimination. You will now be required to call the hotline as local management has been taken out of the process. A quick word of caution here as I've seen this process play out before. If you are going to make a claim like this make sure you have proof as filing false claims led to one discharge that I am aware of. The Union was not successful in getting this member returned to work afterwards. Also please be aware that these types of charges generally lead to others being caught up as people begin to turn on each other in an effort to either save themselves or to justify their actions. By no means am I telling you not to avail yourself of your rights but please if you go this route have your facts in order.
The next report will likely be short as I leave Tuesday morning for continued negotiations with the Company. As I've stated previously I believe this process will be extended, perhaps as long as two years from the beginning, based on previous sessions. The big reason for this is the Railway Labor Act. Here is a detailed description of how the Act affects us.
Dan Johnston SFO Coordinator sent me several old Arbitration cases regarding dependability which I am in the process of reviewing. We are slowly reclaiming our historical record. In addition the local IAM committee allowed us to scan their old cases onto disk. I appreciate this very much as past cases help determine future presentations in the grievance process.
MM
There was one RDO change that occurred this week as result of the Company missing a bid. The bid was in before the move and the Company fixed it without a grievance.
There is a question regarding the Leads on the midnight shift as to whether they are a special shift or simply another start time covered by the hours of service provisions of the agreement. I am researching this through our records and in addition I will also meet with Labor Relations to discuss the situation this week. If this is a special shift it will require a bid as a premium shift which could cause some forced changing of lead assignments.
Local management has agreed to tentatively have second steps the first week of November. There are four grievances waiting to be heard at this point.
GQ
One issue of equipment demarcation was resolved last week. The Company agreed that ramp personnel will no longer paint markings on equipment.
PV
There was much discussion within the shop as to whether last year's vacation rules should be renewed or a new set of rules negotiated. A Steward started a petition to change the rules but this is not needed. If a majority of the shop feels the rules should be changed they need to let the vacation committee know. The Committee consists of Bruce Wade, Brian Jensen, and John Jenkins.
That's all for this week,
Bob
