Nominations for Seattle Grievance Committee.

Nominations for the local Grievance Committee will begin on August 31, 2011 and last through September 9, 2011. Nominees must sign the nomination form at the Union office, or provide a letter of acceptance to the Union office in person or via an email addressed toTeamsters986@Gmail.com

Ballots and voting will be at the Union office located at the Maintenance Facility September 20th thru September 27th.

Positions:

1. Grievance Committee Coordinator
2. Chief Steward SEAMM
3. Chief Steward SEAPV-GQ


Teller Committee Volunteers

If you are interested in volunteering to be one of the teller committee members to run the election, maintain custody of the ballot box and count the votes, stop by the Union off and sign up. There will be three members on the board. Anyone running for a position is not eligible to be on the teller committee.

Airline Division, UAL Management to Meet On Company Hangar Plans

Leadership of the Airline Division and leadership from both Teamster units at UAL and CAL will meet on September 1st with the leadership of United Airlines to discuss the company's hangar plan as they come closer to achieving their single operating certificate. The company has expressed a desire to have the ability to cross utilize aircraft and facilities to take advantage of merger synergies.

The Airline Division has made clear its position that in order for the company to do this they need to complete an amalgamated agreement, and the first step to achieving that goal is to finalize a stand alone agreement for the United mechanics and related. To that end, the Division intends to press the point at this meeting and insist that the company return to the table prior to the upcoming mediated talks to finish the United mechanics agreement.

Survey For United Airlines Mechanics

Please take a moment and take a survey regarding are current negotiations with United Airlines. This will take a few minutes and will be valuable for our Negotiations Committee. The survey will be active until September 30th 2011.

Click Here to take the Survey.

United puts iPads in cockpits for 'paperless flight deck

United Airlines is joining the “paperless flight deck” revolution, announcing Tuesday that it is distributing 11,000 iPads to United and Continental pilots to replace bulky paper navigation charts in the cockpit.

The announcement gives further momentum to a movement underway since spring, when the Federal Aviation Administration authorized pilots to use iPads running the Jeppesen Mobile TC navigation app instead of paper maps. FAA spokesman Les Dorr told Macworld on Tuesday that about a dozen airlines—including, perhaps most famously, Alaska Airlines—have made the switch to iPad-based charts.

United and Continental will use a different app—the new Jeppesen Mobile FD application. United said that pilots typically carry 12,000 sheets of paper to chart their course during flights; the introduction of the iPad should save the airline 16 million sheets of paper and, thanks to the reduction in weight, 326,000 gallons of jet fuel per year.

Source:

Dog 'Totaled' After Hit By Minivan In Crosswalk

If a car gets "totaled" by an insurance company, that means the cost to repair the car exceeds the value of the car itself. Insurance companies typically then cut the car's owner a check for the value of the car and call it good.

But what if a dog gets "totaled?" That's the question a Parker, Colorado, woman had to ask late last week after her dog Sasha was hit in a crosswalk by a minivan. "She didn't see us and she hit Sasha, very, very hard," Marcia Pinkstaff, Sasha's owner told The Denver Channel.

According to ABC11, the driver's insurance company offered to pay for one or two trips to the vet, after which the dog would be 'totaled.' The company offered to buy Pinkstaff a replacement puppy.

source:

This one is for you Tom (PDX)

14,100 United Airlines Ramp/Fleet Workers Win IAM Union Representation

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) emerged as the winner today in an election to determine union representation for more than 14,100 Fleet/Ramp workers at the carrier formed by the merger of United Airlines, Continental Airlines and Continental Micronesia.

The election, which was conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB), was between the IAM, which represented 6,800 United Airlines Ramp/Fleet employees and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) which represented 7,300 Flight Ramp/Fleet workers at Continental Airlines and Continental Micronesia.

Reuters

Teamsters President Condemns Republicans For Hostage Taking

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today praised the Senate and administration officials for acting responsibly and ending the impasse over Federal Aviation Administration spending.

According to news reports, the Senate has agreed to a compromise with House Republicans. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood agreed to waive cuts to Essential Air Service, a sticking point in the standoff. A vote is expected tomorrow.

“I applaud the Senate and Secretary LaHood for their willingness to put the public interest first,” Hoffa said. “But this hostage-taking has to stop. House Republicans can’t continue to threaten the well-being of our country for petty partisan advantage. Our elected officials should not be forcing Americans out of work to settle political scores.”

The dispute between the House and Senate over air service for small communities masked the real reason lawmakers couldn’t agree on funding the FAA. Republicans want to repeal a commonsense change in the union election rule implemented by the National Mediation Board last year. The rule no longer counts absent voters as “no” votes. As a result, union elections are now just like every other election in a democracy. But because Republican leaders oppose workers’ rights, safety and modernization projects are halted and people are losing their jobs.

“I’m also pleased that the Senate is standing firm on the basic democratic principle that the majority rules in a union election for airline workers,” Hoffa said. “If House members were elected by the same system they want to impose on airline workers, none of them would be in office today.”

An estimated 74,000 construction and agency workers were idled because of the partial FAA shutdown.

"Stop Work Orders"

Last week, contractors across the country were told to stop work on critical airport modernization projects after Congress failed to pass legislation giving the FAA the authority necessary for work to continue. Dozens of “stop work orders” were issued for major projects designed to build and modernize control towers and other aviation infrastructure from coast to coast. Construction workers, engineers and planners were told not to come to worksites across the country after the FAA was forced to issue stop work orders on projects ranging from the construction of new air traffic control towers to the rehabilitation and modernization of air traffic facilities. Nearly 4,000 FAA personnel, many needed to oversee various aspects of these projects, were furloughed beginning on July 23. The Association of General Contractors estimates that as many as 70,000 construction workers are unable to work because of Congress’ inaction. Stopping work on these projects could significantly increase the ultimate costs of construction for taxpayers.

“Since 2007, lawmakers have been unable to reach agreement on a broad measure to finance the Federal Aviation Administration, so they have passed 20 temporary ‘extensions.’ Yes, you read that correctly. Twenty. But, as of 10 days ago, Congress couldn't even agree on another extension. Compromise […] can't come soon enough. Like spoiled children, members of Congress have stamped their feet and scored their points while other people pay for their inaction. If the lawmakers were back in school, they'd deserve to be in the time-out corner.”
--USA Today, August 2, 2011