Mechanics Update November 1, 2017

Welcome to AFLAC

The Benefits Committee has been successful in obtaining voluntary ancillary benefits from AFLAC. These benefits are in addition to the benefits offered by United and have been made available by the contract language found in Article 16 J. The products that AFLAC will be offering are Whole Life, Critical Illness, Accident and Short-Term Disability. As a voluntary product you may choose any combination of the offered plans or none, the choice is yours.  

One of the many advantages of these AFLAC products is that they will be portable. That means that should you retire or decide to leave United Airlines at any time, you may take these products with you, with no change in benefits or cost for the rest of your life. 

AFLAC enrollment specialists have already started enrolling members in Hawaii, Guam, Cleveland and Denver and will be visiting stations across the system. Each Station will be given advanced notice of when the enrollment specialists will be attending your station, so stay tuned! Members will have the ability to learn about AFLAC's products and enroll with an AFLAC representative either by phone or in person at your respective stations. What's better is that the premiums will be paid through payroll deduction. 

You will have three weeks to sign up from the date visits start at your station to secure the guarantee issue, which comes with this initial sign up. After the enrollment period ends, members will have to wait until next year’s open enrollment period to participate. Guaranteed issue means “no medical questions will be asked.” We anticipate that enrolling our 10,000+ members will run through the first quarter of 2018, so please be patient. 

Attached is a description of the plans being offered. 

http://teamsterair.org/sites/teamsterair.org/files/uploads/teamstersproductbooklet2017.pdf 

Fraternally,

Your Benefits Committee:

Ken Meidnger International Representative

Vinny Graziano International Representative

Mike Moats CLE         James Johns DEN    John Pangelinan Guam

Moki Kim HNL            Bob Clever IAH            Dominic Fierro IAH

Audery Scates LAX    Gary Kagel MCO         Larry Calhoun NYA

Mike Pecararo ORD   Steve Loone SFO 

Walk for "iPods for Wounded Veterans" Approaches 

As the date fast approaches for Airline Division Director David Bourne, Dr. Jim Kimball, Director of Economics and Research and others to leave for their trek, raising awareness and support our nations wounded veterans, many have asked how they can contribute. 

For those who have the ability to donate the gift of time spent volunteering, you will make a big impact on a wounded warrior's recovery. For more information on how you can participate or donate, contact Local 769 Business Agent David Renshaw at: drenshaw@teamsterslocal769.org .  

If you are unable to volunteer, and would like to contribute, you may also do so at: http://ipodsforvets.org/ . 100% of the donations made to iPods for Wounded Veterans; an all-volunteer 501(c) (3) organization, go directly to the wounded veterans. 

Southwest Material Specialists Balloting Begins 

Electronic voting will commence via Ballot Point will begin this week. Ballots will be mailed on or about Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Each member will receive voting instructions and credentials required for voting via mail, along with paper copies of the tentative agreement’s highlights, the tentative agreement, and a copy of the seniority list. Voting will close on or about June 14^th and ballots will be counted on June 21st.  

Management Gives Final Closeout Proposal to Expressjet/CRJ Mechanics 

The IBT and Atlanta Committee Negotiating members, Geoff Maloney and Chris Rogers have been negotiating with Company management since 2010. Despite years of attempts, management has refused to recognize the mechanics for the dedication and skill they bring to ensuring the safety of the Expressjet CRJ fleet. 

The Company has presented their final, closeout proposal on wages. Neither the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division, the Business Agents of Local 210 and Local 19, nor the rank-and-file committee members have recommended the proposal be ratified.  

A detailed letter from the ExpressJet CRJ Negotiating Committee can be found here.  

A copy of the company’s last, best and final offer can be found here. 

As soon as opening and closing dates for voting have been confirmed, the membership will be notified.

Horizon LoA Ratified 

The voting period for the Horizon Air First Officer Wage Scales and New Hire Ratification Bonus Payments Letter of Agreement (LOA) closed May 23^rd. With a total of 531 members and 468 members voting; 371 voted in favor, 97 against. 88.14% of the membership voted and the LoA was ratified with a 79.3% margin. 

AMT Day recognizes those who “Keep Them Flying” 

They are the faces seldom seen by the traveling public. Some work in heated hangars, others outside in the elements. Skinned knuckles, early deafness, working in cramped spaces not designed to work in; possessing a wealth of knowledge and skill, they are the men and women who are the backbone of the industry, the ones who “Keep Them Flying.” 

May 24^th, Aviation Maintenance Technician Day recognizes the efforts of aviation maintenance professionals for the work they do making our skies safe. The day, named in honor of Charles Edward Taylor, the man who built the engine used to power the airplane of the Wright Brothers, celebrates the outstanding dedication and hard work of these professionals. The date May 24 was selected to honor the birth date of Taylor.   

We honor the men and women of the Airline Division of the Teamsters who are members of this hallowed profession. You truly do “Keep Them Flying,” and we are all better for your integrity and service.

Attendance Policy

Brothers and Sisters,

As most of you know, the Company is instituting a new attendance policy. It is being briefed that this policy will be implemented on March 15^th. It was relayed to me that some supervisors across the system are briefing that the IBT has signed off or agreed to this policy. Let me be as clear as possible, that is outright lie. Just as in the working together guidelines, the Company makes policy. It is our policy to fight them all the way through the grievance process to arbitration, if necessary, on rules and policies that we believe are unfair and harmful to the membership. We will attack this new policy in the same fashion. To be clear, this is a United Airlines policy and was not agreed to in any fashion by the IBT.

In solidarity,

Bob Fisher

International Representative

Airline Division

International Brotherhood of Teamsters