April/May 2013 IAM Fleet Discussions

[necigrad]

I was asking if the people CURRENTLY DRAWING their pensions have had to take cuts along with the rest of us .....

No Freedom. I've said this several times before, maybe you'll listen this time. A Defined Benefit Program is where you pay in at a specified amount for a specified return. The company was paying $1.05/hour for a return of somthing around $78/month/year of contribution. For the years that you have been credited for that contribution IT WILL NOT CHANGE. EVERYONE that contributed will get that rate, whether retired or active. You'll get (I'm guessing) at least five years of credit to give you $390/month for those five years when you retire. That's yours and, unless the plan goes to PBGC it's yours to keep. Harry is getting that now, you'll get that when you retire.

That rate continues until we get a new contract or the end of 2013 or 2014 (I can't remember which). The new scale affects FUTURE contributions and will change to about $47/month/year of contribution. Let's say you have five year at the $78 rate (and can't get any more) and another three at the $47 rate. You'll get $531/month ($390 for the $78/month rate and $141/month for the $47/month rate). That's assuming that things aren't changed to increase that (or forgo IAMNPF) in negotiations, and I have no clue what the NC is trying for. You've been earning at $78/month since the begining of 2009 and THAT WON'T CHANGE RETROACTIVLY. When our scale does change (with the exception of the year of change and I dunno what will happen there) it will affect FUTURE years of credit. Those first several years aren't going to change at all; you paid for $78/month and you'll get $78/month. Harry is getting that now and will continue to get it. The only thing that will change is that, unless contributions are increased to the $78/month level on the new scale, FUTURE earned benefits will change.

 

[freedom]

Ok I'm a bit of a drama queen sometimes , your explination is correct.

 

[ograc]

I agree 100% ... thanks for your reply. You made my point exactly... people like Freedom are few and far between. The majority of America knows how we got to where we are today-- Plutocracy!

I don't know how anyone could not see the obvious. Our government has developed into a plutocractic system. The wealthy class controlling the government. Subsequently, our country and it's citizens suffer the consequences. It is not the fault of labor organizations or immigrants. It is the result of years of disengaged, uneducated and apathetic citizens of the country. Those who take their freedom and their right to make an educated vote for their leadership for granted. IMO... a practice I find insulting to the men and women who have fought and made the ultimate sacrifice to insure this right. I respectfully disagree with your opinion that the majority of America knows how we got to where we are today. I see no evidence of this. What I see is voter participation, in non presidential elections, below 30%. What I see is voter participation, in presidential elections, hovering around 40%. Apathetic, disengaged, narrow minded, and uninformed voters continue to be the root of the problem. Wheather it be where our country is at; or where we are at as labor represented employees. This practice leads to defeat and the demise of the masses.

 

[ograc]

I said the 90's... your Big Picture days! There would be no reference to it here on this site since it was prior to 03!. I was at the local meeting at the 1725 when you and Pruitt drilled AGC Gerry Moore during his F/S address on how sorry it was for MTC to have a pension, and not fleet! Actually... those efforts lead to enough membership concern that we ended up with the pension plan we have now!

You are partially responsible for the pension we have now!

Roa,
LL 1725 minutes and sign in sheets should be able to confirm the alleged attendance by Pruitt and Tim at the said meeting. The Local should have this informtion on file. In the meantime... Tim claims to have never attended a LL 1725 meeting in the 90s and never advocated for the IAM pension. Let's have the facts lead the accusation and investigation.

 

[700UW]

I think I was RS at the time or not too long after that.

And I made a database and computerized attendance records.

 

[ograc]

I think I was RS at the time or not too long after that.

And I made a database and computerized attendance records.

Let the investigation to seek the truth proceed.

 

[Jester]

I have a feeling if FSAs ever went on strike, this would our results.... http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-hotel-workers-end-strike-223724229.html

 

[roabilly]

Roa,
LL 1725 minutes and sign in sheets should be able to confirm the alleged attendance by Pruitt and Tim at the said meeting. The Local should have this informtion on file. In the meantime... Tim claims to have never attended a LL 1725 meeting in the 90s and never advocated for the IAM pension. Let's have the facts lead the accusation and investigation.

Tim is telling the truth about not advocating for an "IAM" pension... he just advocated for "A" pension of some type. This argument was because at the time we had joined the IAM because we felt that the same union as MTC would be beneficial to us, and they had pension at the time!

In fact... the just about every time we spoke as a group to IAM officers after that-- the absence of a pension came up!

I'll ask the 1725 about the minutes... I think i can narrow it down to the approx year...

 

[700UW]

It has to be towards the end of 95 to 99, thats when negotiations took place.

 

[roabilly]

It has to be towards the end of 95 to 99, thats when negotiations took place.

I heard that this comming Monday will usher in an all new era of “Myth Busting”!

 

[roabilly]

I think I was RS at the time or not too long after that.

And I made a database and computerized attendance records.

I just remember it was another one of Nelson’s “The IAM sucks” campaigns, and the issue was they did not... or were not proposing a Defined Pension Plan for Fleet at the time. I personally fought for a pension, and we finally got one with the IAMNPF!

Everyone was pissed at Gerry Moore, Bonar, and everyone else with the IAM, because we did NOT have a pension, nor was one even proposed. Nelson and Pruitt were all over this, and made it a major anti-IAM talking point! I was there... I lived it!

 

[Tim Nelson]

Roa, actually the iam has sucked fairly bad. The first contract they got for our members was a wage cut in '96 saying we had to give up pay to keep the company afloat. Thankfully the stews voted against the cuts so our ta was null and void since it was conditioned on all ta passing. I still have it and it slashed pay from 17.88 down to $16 buck and change. Then in 1998, frieberger and that goof from clt brought a contract with $19 something along with no protections for 90% of the stations nor catering. So i had to battle again against this iam. The big picture played a key part in shooting it down as john chioffi admitted. Enter the '99 agreement where catering became protected (thankfully!), but i still was against since it still only protected 10% of the stations. Why did i oppose it? Because wn, nw, ua, amr all had most if not all stations protected including cargo as well. The '99 contract passed because it got overtime bypass payment and $20.08 which was a big increase from $17.88. Along the way, we scratched off over 60 stations from the list of 82 in the back of the book.
Then came bankruptcy and again i felt that the iam treated fleet jobs differently than how other unions treated the work of their members. No labor union should have ever agreed to seniority cleansing. Ur got a few in catering that still are affected with that. And then the 2008 agreement was another half arse agreement that wasnt favorable when comparing against other unions. So, yes, i dont think the iam has done our members too well. Along the way i just didnt grip but i got involved being a local chairman from 1999-2003, and again in 2008-2009. And was a part in making leadership changes along with taking employment at the iam to clean up its terrible organizing.
Nonetheless, the iam slashed future benefits of the pension, and the new leadership hosed over hawaaiian and then blasted united/continental. So, it would be a mistake for anyone to even slightly think that i trust this eboard.
We gave these guys a shot and it didnt work out.
Moving forward, i will be coming to clt or phl and if nh mf fo or mb think they are going to walk into a breakroom and blow smoke up everyones arse how they could only get a 'mini contract' and not even get what the twu got in bankruptcy, and get away with it if im in that breakroom then they are fooling themselves.
Any dopey talk about transition talks and "now isnt the time" will be met by me at least. Any ta that doesnt bring back enhanced scope that protects our last remaining stations, without drop dead dates, and doesnt bring back a spike in wages should be rejected and the entire negotiation team replaced.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Oh, and roabilly, what is the penalty for the crime and accusation of going to a union meeting in clt demanding a defined benefit?
Btw, i left clt in january 94 and never attended any local meeting there until the nominations last year when the local endorsed my nomination. Its a nice place and if i end up in clt next year i would plan on attending them. Will Cashion has always been a good union guy with an independent mind so i hope he is still involved. Presuming of course the iam still represents the mx. regards,

 

[700UW]

I heard that this comming Monday will usher in an all new era of “Myth Busting”!

Thats what I hear, starting Monday.

 

[700UW]

Funny your first ratified CBA wasnt till 1999.

When we went into 141M, Frieberger and the rest of the M&R AGCs had nothing to do with your negotiations.

Will is still ST of 1725.