October 2003 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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Airline Roundup Never a Dull Moment at Continental Ongoing Activities with Mechanics Keeps Representation Strong Representation for mechanics and related workers at Continental Airlines is a microcosm of Teamster Representation. In the past few months, members have received continuing education and training, there has been ongoing political action, shareholder accomplishments, and ongoing contract enforcement and improvements. Contract Activities: The Teamsters Airline Division is currently surveying the mechanic and related worker bargaining unit at Continental for the contract reopener. During their last contract negotiations, the workers kept open their right to press for better pay when the company and the industry is doing better. The contract will be reopened in October, 2003. Training: Over the past several months, rank-and-file stewards and activists at Continental and ExpressJet, also called Continental Express, have been receiving training in contract negotiations and the roles of the steward. The latter training focuses on leadership, communication, roles and responsibilities of the steward and a primer on the Railway Labor Act. “These trainings taught our rank-andfile how unions really work,” said Lori Frascone, business agent for the ExpressJet members of Local 19 in Texas. “The seminars helped the members to understand the importance of having a union and to show system-wide solidarity throughout the collective bargaining process and during the term of the contract.” Shareholder Activity: At the Continental shareholder meeting in June, Teamster members were there to question potential conflicts of interest from Board members, especially those of Director David Bonderman. Bonderman is the President of the Texas Pacific Group, which once was the principal shareowner of Continental and now controls competitor America West Airlines. Continental mechanic shareholders, represented by the Teamsters, led the shareholder outcry. “What we asked for were assurances that our Board was not aiding competitor airlines,” said Robert Rausch, Continental mechanic shareholder and Teamsters Local 19 representative. “We are on the front lines every day working to protect our airline in a flailing economy. I don’t believe saving our competition helps Continental workers or shareholders.” A Watchful Eye on G.E. Local 19 Nabs Three Important Victories Local 19 has been relentless in their pursuit of arbitrations and the results have been showing up all over the local. One of the bargaining units that has benefited most from these victories has been the workers at the General Electric Engine Systems plant in Dallas. “We’ve had some huge victories lately,” said Chris Goewey, business agent with Local 19. “The three we recently had at G.E. Engine Systems have been important ones.” Phil Vaughan, an airline engine mechanic, was unfairly fired and the Teamsters, through arbitration, got him his job back and had the company pay his back wages and benefits to the tune of almost $50,000. The company unfairly suspended John Bushong, another Teamster with G.E. Engine Systems. Through arbitration, his employer had to make him whole for the lost pay as well. “Local 19 took on General Electric, fought hard for us and won,” Vaughan said. “When management does something wrong, the Teamsters don’t sit by and let them get away with it.” 2 Teamsters Airline Journal November 2003
And they’re still at it. Recently, the local settled 16 grievances for G.E. Engine Systems workers. “Management was doing their job for them so we filed grievances,” Goewey said. “We settled it and all 16 members are getting paid for 36 hours of work because of what management did. It comes to more than $10,000 for the group.” There are more than 200 members in the bargaining unit who are mechanics, machinists and quality control personnel. The aircraft engines they rebuild are key to the safe transit of passengers, crew and cargo all over the world. Allied Arbitration Achievement Arbitrator Sides with Local 618 Workers Fuel workers with Allied Aviation won an arbitration victory that resulted in an award of more than $3,000 in back pay in May, 2003. The 24 workers affected are members of Local 618 in St. Louis and work at the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The dispute arose from contract interpretation and how holiday pay works. The matter was turned over to an arbitrator who ruled in favor of the workers. “The workers were pleased with the ruling because it was a clear-cut case where Allied was wrong,” said Dan Heumann, Vice President and Business Agent of Local 618. US Air Workers Reach Tentative Agreement Teamsters to Vote on Six-Year Contract by End of October After a protracted bargaining process, the Teamsters at a US Airways subsidiary, P.S.A., have reached a six-year tentative agreement with their employer. The negotiations took 20 months but the results were worth the wait for the nearly 1,000 fleet and service workers that include baggage handlers, ticket and gate agents. “It’s a very good contract. We didn’t accept any concessions,” said Charlie Byrnes, Chairman of the Teamsters P.S.A. Negotiating Committee and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 926 in Pittsburgh. “The tentative agreement will provide some of the highest wages in the express airline industry.” In the tentative agreement, the bargaining committee managed to work out many issues that part-time workers had with their employer, as well as getting double-time for workers doing anything in excess of 56 hours. “We got just about everything we wanted in the contract, including extra vacation for some of the Teamsters,” Byrnes said. “For an airline that just came out of bankruptcy, this is an amazing contract.” Hawaiian Teamsters Ratify Airline Contract Local 996 Delivers for Aloha Island Air Workers “Aloha” may mean both hello and goodbye in Hawaii, but for a group of Teamsters at Local 996, it now also means “great contract.” An overwhelming majority of Teamsters at Aloha Island Air voted to ratify a tentative agreement with their employer. The 83 members of the bargaining unit work as customer service agents, flight attendants, fuelers and ramp workers. The four-year agreement was ratified by 85 percent of those voting on Friday, July 25. “The members stayed unified during the negotiations for this contract and it shows,” said Ron Kozuma, Secretary- Treasurer of Local 996 in Honolulu, Hawaii. “There are plenty of positive facets to this agreement.” Highlights of the contract include: ✶ Pay increases every year of the contract; ✶ ✶ ✶ A legitimate grievance procedure; More sick leave with an increased vacation incentive; and Full medical benefits. November 2003 Teamsters Airline Journal 3
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Page 3: Joining Forces A Message from Teams
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Page 9 and 10: help in securing government funding
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October 2003 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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