Negotiation Update 12-30-11

Yesterday the tentative agreement reached in November was ratified by a majority of the membership. The agreement will become effective January 1^st 2012, but will require some work to implement transition items as described in LOA #27. There have been many questions about the transition to the new agreement including; when do the pay rates take effect, when will the overtime balances be zeroed and when will the bid areas become active?

The parties recognized that this agreement would require much work to implement and that not all items would be effective day 1. LOA #27 states “As the parties discussed and agreed during the negotiations resulting in the 2010-2013 United-IBT Technicians and Related Agreement (also referred to in this Letter as “the New Agreement”), there will be technical and logistical impediments to fully implementing and migrating to the New Agreement as soon as the parties would like.” However migration to the new agreement is not an open ended process and should occur quickly. It is expected that completion of all the transition items will occur within the first several months of the year.

PAY

The pay rates take effect 1-1-12. This includes the double time and a half for New Years Day, the double time rate for overtime and the time and three quarters rate for field services. The signing bonus is anticipated to be paid around the same time as the second pay check in the month of January.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

The first item that will not take place immediately will be the holiday move provision for New Years Day. Zeroing of the overtime hours requires changes to the various manpower computer programs and the establishment of new bid areas that are required in the agreement. This provision may happen at different times for different bid areas. For example line stations that only have a few bid areas may be able to transition quicker because there will not be a need to establish new bid areas. Field service is a provision tied to the establishment of bid areas and overtime so the selection process will continue as is until these items are addressed. However international trips will now be selected in the same manner as domestic trips.

MOVING FORWARD

Transition information will be made available as soon as possible to each station’s Business Agents and Chief Stewards and posted on the respective Local and International websites along with email blasts to the membership. The systemwide Chief Steward’s weekly Thursday call and the Friday Business Agent’s calls will be an integral part of discussing these changes and the expected target date for implementation. Look for more information beginning next week on expected timelines for the implementation of the various transition items.

TA passed!

TA passed 69% to 31%

Recap

It's been a very busy year for all of us. Some of it was good and some not so much. As I write this the TA from 11-11 is being voted on by the membership. Whatever the decision of the membership, next year will also be a busy one for everyone.

If the TA passes we will move quickly to merge three agreements and seniority lists into one and we will also have many trials as new language is implemented. This agreement is as close to a first agreement as you could possibly come given the broad rewrite of the language. Two years ago I would not have thought it possible to achieve what has happened. Our contract was old and broken. We all know why, it started first with the concessions of the ESOP and then went through two hearings in the 1113c process that further gutted any protections we had. Now we stand on the verge of attaining that which would not be possible outside a merger situation. We may get a fresh start. In this last round of negotiations one of the negotiators said to me "we certainly know what doesn't work, its time to try something new". I couldn't agree more.

Of course the TA could fail. If that happens the work of trying to achieve a standalone agreement will continue. Either way it will be a busy year.

There will most likely be an update on the blog after the vote count on the 29th. In the mean time watch for updates in the Mechanics Dispatch. Speaking of which if you have a story you would like to see in the dispatch please forward it and I'll try to get it in.

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Duplicate ballot requests

You can request a duplicate or new ballot by contacting your Business Agent or Chief Steward. If you haven't received a ballot you have until Friday the 16th to request one.

Ballots will be collected from the post office on December 29, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., with the ballot count to commence immediately thereafter.