http://www.iam141.org/
Mike Klemm, PDGC, 17 December 2015: Download
District 141 Meets with United, Secures Wage Increase for Members Working Under Modified Contracts IAM District 141 and United Airlines met this week and began the process of determining which provisions of the current IAM-United collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) will be the subjects of collective bargaining in the upcoming expedited, limited issue contract negotiations. The parties also agreed upon a wage increase for IAM-represented employees working under modified contracts.
As you may know, IAM District 141 and United agreed in November to enter expedited, limited issue negotiations to modify the current IAM-United CBAs, which become amendable on January 1, 2017, to take advantage of favorable industry conditions. While these negotiations are not traditional Railway Labor Act (RLA), Section 6 collective bar-gaining, they may nonetheless present the unique opportunity to provide IAM members at United meaningful wage gains and enhance already improved job security in an expe-dited timeframe (IAM District 141 demanded and achieved, as a condition to enter expe-dited, limited issue negotiations, that United be prohibited from outsourcing work currently performed by IAM members at United Airlines until 1/1/2019 or one year follow-ing any subsequent agreement). Our intent is to make further scope and work protection improvements in any agreement that may be reached.
Your negotiating committee’s positions regarding which issues require improvement this week were guided by the survey results and local representative and member input. Participation in the contract survey was widespread among the different classifications and extremely encouraging. Participants by far rated the top issues as wage increases, strengthened job security (scope) and enhanced pension benefits.
Your negotiating committee requested United show a sign of good faith by including IAM-represented workers at locations working under modified CBAs to receive the same percentage wage increase as all other IAM-represented, similarly classified workers re-ceive on January 1, 2016. United agreed. This is a positive sign and a good start.
It is because of your hard work and past sacrifices that United Airlines is posting record profits and you deserve a bigger share of those profits and the security of knowing that your job will not be contracted out to the lowest bidder. You shouldn’t have to wait years for these improvements, as is often the case under RLA, Section 6 bargaining. As your union representatives, we have an obligation to ensure that you receive a fair deal for your labor. The upcoming expedited, limited issue negotiations provide us with that opportunity and to achieve further deserved equity.
IAM District 141 and United have agreed to meet the weeks of January 4th, January 18th, February 1st and February 15th. When both parties finalize the list issues that will be sub-ject to bargaining in these expedited, limited issue negotiations, they will immediately be communicated to the membership.
Sincerely and fraternally,
Mike Klemm, PDGC