Shareholder Blessing Likely

United and Continental have scheduled shareholder votes regarding the proposed merger for September 17th. Both airlines will vote separately but on the same day so that neither vote influences the other. All signs point to the acceptance of the merger by shareholders.

Nonetheless, the IAM continues to try to make our case on behalf of the employees. On August 18th GVP Roach, District 142 President Tom Higginbotham, myself, and members of GVP Roach’s staff met with Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney and staff members of the Department of Justice Anti-trust Division to impress on them the concerns we have of potential impact to employees of both airlines after a merger.  Read More

Negotiations resumed this week with Federal Mediator Iannone present. Our discussions were again focused on the economic proposals important to our members – wages, holidays, vacation, sick time, etc.

This week’s time was spent reviewing and challenging financial information provided by United in response to some of our proposals. This information is crucial to reaching an agreement because both sides must be able to agree on the cost or value of a proposal in order to realistically negotiate.

Our discussions were intended to outline specific line items within the documents presented by the Company that we believed were either incorrect or unclear.  Read More

The National Mediation Board (NMB) today issued a single carrier ruling for the Fleet Service (Ramp) classification at Delta Air Lines. This important ruling sets in motion a 14-day countdown that will determine if the workers in the combined Delta/Northwest Fleet Service classification at Delta will have a secret ballot election.

This 14-day period, which concludes on September 8, 2010, is the last opportunity for pre-merger Delta Fleet Service workers to submit signed election request cards. The NMB requires evidence of “sufficient interest” among employees before it will authorize a union representation election.

There is much riding in the election’s outcome. Delta has said that pre-merger Northwest employees will lose IAM-negotiated contractual benefits, such as pre-age 65 retiree medical benefits and healthcare premiums for active employees that are lower than what pre-merger Delta employees are required to pay. Also at risk is the only active guaranteed pension plan at the airline, paid sick time, occupational injury payments, and more vacation accrual than pre-merger Delta employees.   Read More

Negotiations continued this week on August 16, 17, 18 and 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada under the auspices of NMB Mediator Victoria Gray. The atmosphere in this round of negotiations was tense though the parties still remained cordial. Some progress was made at this round of talks with respect to growth provisions the Company insists it needs to grow the airline and secure additional flying. When looking forward to 2015 and beyond, the Union sees value in ensuring that Air Wisconsin remains viable. However, we do not see it at the expense of the current IAM members working under a profitable flying contract with mainline partner US Airways.  Read More

IAM organizers cite involvement by Flight Simulator Technicians at Delta Air Lines for the government’s decision to order a new round of voting after the group fell short in a representation election held earlier this year. Union elections for air and rail workers are conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB), which also investigates allegations of interference, but rarely overturns election results.

With evidence collected by Sim Techs in Minneapolis and Atlanta, the IAM filed an appeal with the NMB, claiming that Delta violated election rules by promising pay raises for non-union employees and holding coercive one-on-one meetings with employees. NMB rules specifically state: “No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees . . .”   Read More