Mechanics Dispatch January 25, 2012

Negotiations Continue at Continental Micronesia

Negotiators were at the table from Monday through Wednesday last week with significant progress reported towards achieving the goals that would provide the membership with an acceptable agreement.
The meetings concluded with the parties focused on the intent of concluding negotiations for the sub Continental Micronesia mechanics agreement. The parties discussed the remaining open economic items including; health care, retirement, wages and job protection provisions.
The Negotiating Committee remains determined to put the CMI membership in a position of equity with the agreements previously reached with both the sub Continental and sub United mechanics. Future negotiation dates are yet to be determined, but the parties are committed to completing this process in the most expeditious manner possible.

UAL CAL Safety Representatives Discuss Future

The Teamsters Flight Safety Committee is dictated to the continued protection of the aircraft mechanics and the flying public through and aggressive safety program.
Sub-UAL Flight Safety Committee Chairman John Fischbach hosted a conference call on Thursday January 19th for the Union Flight Safety Committee members from United and Continental. A vibrant conversation ensued around Sub-UAL CBA LOA 21and what the safety structure of the combined Airline might look like. Also discussed was the company’s SMS program which include LOSA and MSAP/ASAP.
The Safety Representatives attending all agreed that the call was productive and a good start. The group is also is going to continue meeting via regular conference calls and is looking at ways to facilitate face to face meetings as they develop a safety culture for the combined work group.
Participating in the call were: Mike Elberhart CAL (MCO), P.T. Thomas UAL (Local FSC Chair-ORD), John Gensinger (Local FSC Chair-JFK), Vic Austin UAL (Local FSC Chair-DEN), Robert Gubran LAX (Local FSC Chair-LAX), Chris Moore IBT-AD Safety Coordinator (CAL), Rich Petrovsky (Business Agent- Local 986-UAL), Bill Grader UAL (Local FSC Chair-PDX), Jock Creach UAL (Local FSC Chair-SEA) and John Fischbach, IBT (System and SFO FSC Chair)

EAP Committee meets with Airline Division

On January 24th members of the national sub UA EAP committee met with representatives of the Airline Division to discuss strategy moving forward to protect this program for the membership. This program provides a valuable service to the membership as an avenue to seek help for a multitude of problems the membership faces in their everyday lives, from help with various addictions to family issues and everything in between.
In attendance were EAP Reps Caleb Good, Mike Brooks, Steve Loone, and Joe Schwirian as well as Division Director David Bourne, Deputy Director Steve Nagrotsky and International Representative Bob Fisher.

Furloughed Members Urged to Keep In Touch

Members on furlough are advised to keep their addresses current with the company while on layoff. It is predicted that there will be many movements this year and there have been several members that have been removed from the seniority list because old addresses were on file when notices were sent.
Updates may be emailed to: ESC@united.com

Mechanics Dispatch January 18, 2012

1. Steward Training


2. Insurance Updates


3. Transition Update


4. Information for Members on Furlough

To Read the "Mechanics Dispatch" Click Here

OSHA Orders AirTran to Rehire Whistleblower, Pay $1 Million

"Retaliating against a pilot for reporting mechanical malfunctions is not consistent with a company that values the safety of its workers and customers," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.Jan 18, 2012OSHA has ordered AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co., to reinstate a former pilot who was fired after reporting numerous mechanical concerns. The agency also has ordered that the pilot be paid more than $1 million in back wages plus interest and compensatory damages. An investigation by OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program found reasonable cause to believe that the termination was an act of retaliation in violation of the whistleblower provision of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, known as AIR21.

Source

Mechanics Dispatch

1. Moving Forward.. What Comes Next
2. Sub UA Transition Items
3. 401(k) Contributions
4. Benefits Committee Meets
5. Continuing Compliance Issues
6. Sub UA Physicians Choice Forms
7. Future Dispatch Columns
8. Useful Links

To Read the "Mechanics Dispatch" Click Here.

Flight Attendant Union Reaches Tentative Agreement With United Airlines

Washington, DC - United Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), successfully reached a tentative agreement with management today for 15,000 pre-merger United Flight Attendants. The agreement was reached with oversight from the National Mediation Board (NMB) through expedited mediation with airline management.

The United Master Executive Council (MEC) is still in session to conduct its full review of the Tentative Agreement. A summary of the improvements achieved is posted here and additional information will be posted as soon as the MEC concludes its review and pending approval.

Source: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA)

Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition Newsletter

The latest edition of the TAMC Newsletter is available and ready to read. Learn how the Teamsters are fighting for us in the workplace and on Capitol Hill and learn what you can do to get involved! To read more, click here.

401(k) Options

There have been many questions about the ability to deposit the entire amount (100%) of the signing bonus into the 401(k) plan. The thought was this could be accomplished but unfortunately it was learned that the subsidiary UAL plan will not allow for 100% deposit of this check.

There is an ability to increase the contribution amount to 30% but this selection needs to happen now if you desire that amount to be deposited in your account. There are two ways to do this. You can sign in to netbenefits at www.401k.com and select the Savings and Retirement tab. Once there on the left side under ACT select Contribution Amount and you can change the amount there. Or the deduction can be increased by calling Fidelity directly at 1-800-245-9034.

Keep in mind that if you elect to make this change there will not be enough time to change your election back to the regular percentage before the second check in January since they will come very close to the same time. This means that you will need to remember to reverse the process immediately after receiving the bonus if your desire is to keep the same deductions you currently exercise.

Ratification Update

The agreement will become effective January 1st 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.