Unemployment

Here is an interesting article which describes the formula basis for the amount of GDP growth needed to decrease the unemployment rate by one percent and further. According to the article it will be until the middle of this decade until we reach a more normal 5 to 6 percent range. While, according to the article, this formula is not described as a hard and fast rule, it can be used as a good rule of thumb for job recovery.

Incorrect NY point recall rumor

I have been getting repeated requests to substantiate a rumor in regards to Newark and Philly re-opening. I have been told this rumor was coming from the Washington management team. Yesterday I spoke with Don Burbank and he informed me that this rumor is not correct. Don further went on to tell me that as he has operational oversight of those two cities, it was his intention not to re-open them.

Merger with USAir?

This article is close to two months old but it's something that is worth a quick read. Reportedly Doug Parker bought a house in Chicago and speculated a merger could be announced as soon as April. Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune from the 21^st where Glenn Tilton speculates that there will be more mergers over the next two years. This would be an interesting twist.

Where’s my pension?

I've been receiving many e-mails asking when the Company is going to agree to allow us into the Western Conference of Teamsters pension plan. All I can say at this point is that I appreciate your feedback, and also to tell you the whole Negotiating Committee understands this is a very high priority of the membership. Rest assured we are working hard to negotiate this plan. I will try to keep you updated as the talks progress.

Local 210 website

If you haven't seen the re-designed Local 210 website you should give it a look. It is a great new look with improved functionality.

Weekly report 1-10-10

General Information

As you know, I've been busy with negotiations, and because of this there has been very little to report locally. I would like to thank all of the Shop Stewards for stepping up and doing a great job.

There is one thing I would like to touch on, and that is Workman's Comp. There have been several recent work related injuries spread among all departments. It is important to note that, especially here in Virginia, Workers Comp law is very complicated. In fact, it is so complicated nationwide, that several years ago the Company hired an outside consultant to manage their claims. For those that don't know, the name of that company is Gallagher Bassett. Knowing the complications involved with these ever changing laws, it is imperative that if injured, you also seek outside help. We have used attorney Kathleen Walsh here for a number of years with great success. Because of the seriousness of this issue a link to her website will remain at the top of the useful links on the blog. In addition, her information is posted on every union bulletin board. The key to protecting your rights is to contact an Attorney prior to making any statements, especially a recorded statement, to Gallagher Bassett. If you are required to make a written statement at work before you are able to reach an attorney, then it would be in your best interest to engage a Shop Steward in the process. Please don't get caught in the trap of believing the supervisor is your buddy and will help you out.

The jackets that were ordered in November have still not arrived. I will not be doing another order until March at the earliest.

Even though I have not been sending weekly reports, I have been updating the blog, including a piece on scope which is about to take center stage in negotiations. There have been some changes made to make the blog a little easier for you to use, as well as the addition of my Twitter account, and a scrolling newsreel to provide timely information. If you have any ideas that you would like to share regarding the dissemination of information, I would appreciate your feedback.

That's all for now,

Bob

Negotiations Update

Please follow the link at the top of the page for the latest update released Thursday the 7^th.

Changes

I'm sure some of you have noticed the Twitter feed on the right hand side. It was taken down for a while because of a bug with the Blogger code. This bug appears to occur from time to time according to the FAQ's. Fortunately Twitter provides their own code so I was able to restore this feature. The good thing about Twitter is that I can add articles, or short updates, without having to create a new post.

Teamsters Online has been added to the useful links section. I joined this forum a little while ago and the people on the board are friendly and make you feel welcome.

A search bar has been added at the top of the blog. This feature searches all posts on the blog as well as from the useful links and the web.

There is also a newsreel added at the top of the page. So far articles regarding United Airlines, Continental, and the IBT are displayed. If you would like another company or group added let me know.

I would appreciate your feedback regarding anything that would make the blog easier for you to use.

That's all for now,
Bob

Forum

It appears the Airline Division forum has gone down over the last couple of weeks. Fortunately there is another Teamsters forum located here. This site requires a free registration and is very easy to use. I hope to see you there.