THIS MIGHT BE THE REASON FOR THE IAM BEGGING. The letters were posted on the AA side so here they are.. LOL.....
Letter #1:
October 10, 2014
Dear Brother Pantoja,
During the past few months we have had numerous discussions regarding our concerns with several issues in the TWU/IAM Association Agreement.
While we will not be attending negotiations preparation sessions at the W3- Placid Harbor Training Center, we will continue meetings regarding Seniority List Integration, as specified in the Agreement dated April 24, 2013. Furthermore, the following Association items remain unresolved and require immediate attention:
1. System Ratio problems;
2. Boston Representation; and
3. Strike vote (which as written violates the TWU Constitution).
In accord with the spirit and intent of our Association agreements, I am asking that a meeting be scheduled between the Presidents of each union, or their designees, to resolve these issues, prior to their being submitted to arbitration for resolution. Once these issues are resolved, we can proceed to devote full attention to preparations for collective bargaining with the company. Please let me know as soon as possible IAM’s availability--both as to time and place -- for a final effort to resolve outstanding issues through discussion.
Fraternally,
Garry Drummond
Director Air Transport Division
Letter #2 (response to letter 1)
October 24, 2014
Dear Brother Drummond,
In response to your recent communication regarding our TWU/IAM Association
implementation, the lAM is in full agreement that your pursuit of the issues you cite have
caused an unreasonable delay in our forward-moving preparation for representation on the
new American Airlines. The lAM and TWU have had no dispute that the Association documents
are clear and unambiguous regarding those issues. It is unfortunate that the entire process is
still held up over the undisputed plain language of those documents; documents that were
agreed to by the TWU and signed by the highest authority within your organization, the
International President and as approved by your lAC.
The lAM simply has no appetite to undo our agreement, horse-trade members in Boston to
satisfy an internal TWU promise or cause any further delay in the important business of
preparing for negotiations that will result in the best airline contracts in the industry with the
most secure pension available. To that end, we agree to meet as soon as possible. We can
adjust schedules as necessary for the remainder of this month. Please supply immediate dates
you are available for coordinating a meeting.
Inasmuch as TWU had committed to joint contract negotiations preparations at the lAM Placid
Harbor Training Center and scheduling of guests, trainers and speakers (including the NMB}
have been accomplished, the Association will proceed with the meetings and preparation at the
Training Center. There, the Association will develop negotiating goals, a communications
strategy and surveys for proposals from all members represented by the Association.
It is our understanding from discussions with you that TWU locals have a certain level of
autonomy within your organization and your negotiators will likely include TWU local
Presidents. Therefore, while you indicate you will not attend the preparation sessions, the
Association extends an invitation to all TWU local Presidents representing American Airlines
workers covered by the Association.
Responses to that invitation should be made without delay to the undersigned at
tklima@iam Participants should be aware that the lAM will provide room, boarding and
transportation to and from the airport are provided with travel days November 15 and
November 20.
Brother Garry, we are poised to be the biggest and the best in the airline industry. The lAM is
committed to achieving everything possible for our collective members. We would be doing a
disservice to our members by not properly and expeditiously preparing for negotiations.
Fraternally,
Tim Klima
Airline Coordinator
Letter #3 (response to letter 2)
October 27, 2014
Dear President Buffenbarger:
I have read the letter of October 24, 2014 from Tim Klima, Airline Coordinator for IAM, to Garry Drummond, Air Transport Division Director for TWU. I must begin this letter by informing you that the letter filled me with disappointment, alarm, and even anger. I believe that, as I will detail below, it strikes a blow at the fundamental relationship that should exist between the IAM and TWU in the Joint Associations that have been established to represent classes and crafts of the new single carrier American Airlines employees. Mr. Klima’s appeal to TWU Local Presidents undermines the basic structure of these agreements, by appealing to local officers of TWU to undermine a decision made by the International leadership of TWU regarding meeting with IAM regarding joint activities of the two unions; in doing so, it raises the very disturbing prospect that such appeals to local officers and even members of TWU may characterize our ongoing relationship, and be applied to a range of differences of opinion between the two International unions regarding relations with AA and other matters. I strongly believe that the ability of the Joint Associations to productively represent the classes or crafts of employees involved at AA requires that action be taken as soon as humanly possible to correct the fundamentally subversive thrust of Mr. Klima’s letter: this can best be accomplished, in accord with the spirit and the letter of the Joint Association agreements, by a meeting between me and you; but our lawyers should be instructed, pending such a meeting, to set up an arbitration date as provided for by the Joint Associations Agreements, to resolve this fundamental dispute should we be unable to.
The nature of the dispute should not require a lot of explanation. Our agreements are agreements between TWU and IAM; they do not provide for any sharing of members;they do not set up any sort of new labor organization with an existence independent of that of the two International Unions; and the structure of the Associations at all points looks to joint action between the two unions as embodied entirely by their International Presidents or their designees. There is no room in the agreement for politicking by one union among the other’s officers and members; particularly when designed to undermine the wishes of the International leadership of the other union. Undeniably, everything about the structure and the relationship set up by the Agreements is entirely antithetical to the appeal that Mr. Klima has made to TWU local Presidents to take action with the IAM independent of and contrary to the expressed policy and wishes of TWU.
The violation of our Agreement by Mr. Klima’s letter is so basic that it takes precedence over all the disputes set forth in Mr. Drummond’s letter of October 10, 2014 to Mr. Pantoja. Those disputes deal with important questions regarding the Agreements; but they cannot be said to go to the heart of it the way this one does. Indeed, Mr. Drummond’s suggestion that the specified issues be dealt with by you and me prior to going to arbitration is precisely how all disputes between the unions are to be resolved under the Agreement; not, as Mr. Klima would have it, by an appeal to the officers of the local unions who are part of TWU, accompanied by a general ridiculing of TWU’s position on issues whose resolution is supposed to be the realm of an arbitrator, not that of one side or the other exercising its self-interested judgment.
As I said above, the issue raised in Mr. Klima’s letter must be tackled directly, and as soon as possible before any other issue can be properly approached, since it implicates the entire way in which relations between our unions must be handled under our Joint Association Agreements. I look forward to hearing from you promptly on setting up a meeting between us to set this right, and to make certain that the violations embodied in Mr. Klima’s letter are not repeated. Absent resolution of the issue between us, which I believe should require neither a lot of time nor a lot of difficult thought- let us have our lawyers set up an arbitration to resolve the issue. Following that, we can again clear up the other issues between us, and set up joint efforts to deal with the company in a way that maximizes our collective strength without compromising our institutional integrity.
Fraternally,
Harry Lombardo
International President
And of course.....
October 27, 2014
Dear Brother Klima:
I am in receipt of your letter dated October 24, 2014, via your email. I will address the primary topic of your letter first, before proceeding into your embellishing account of the association’s very existence and your inclusion of me in your email.
I can certainly understand, from your perspective, the need and urgency for negotiations training, by IAM, based on the recently ratified agreement with the “New American” for your M&R group. As I also recall, IAM made it clear they would not participate in pre-merger talks with US Airways management because they were in negotiations and the former TWU International President chose to go it alone with them. What we have since found out is that was a critical mistake by the IAM and former TWU representatives, because other represented groups were able to negotiate substantial gains during that time for all their members. This came at a time when US Airways management was ripe for negotiating, because they knew they needed support from the unions in getting their deal to lead the “New American” approved. And then finally, after several years of fruitless negotiations with US Airways, IAM had the opportunity of a lifetime dropped into its lap at the bargaining table when the merger with American created the world’s largest airline. Even as the “New American” announced record setting profits and management once again awarded themselves with millions of dollars in incentive pay, the IAM M&R negotiating committee fumbled away the opportunity for an industry leading pay-rate by agreeing to a paltry pay raise that only equaled what Legacy American management achieved through the 1113 bankruptcy process. While Local 591 provided written support for IAM to use as leverage in negotiations and Local 591 members refused to work US Airways metal, outside of Scope the IAM Agreement, my membership watched in horror as IAM endorsed the M&R Agreement to its members. That new Agreement gave “any” American Airlines employee, not TWU member, the opportunity to do IAM work - in exchange for a layoff clause. That language alone has provided the “New American” with significant synergies needed by management that they promised to shareholders and work to be done by non-union and union members, outside the Scope of the M&R Agreement, on US Airways metal. At best, what I saw from the endorsement for ratification, of the M&R Agreement, was a willingness by IAM to accept the “trust us” mantra of the “New American” management team. In my world, actions speak louder than words and after nearly of year working under the “New American” management structure and seeing the IAM’s ratified Agreement with them, I expect nothing less than a significant battle with management when the time comes to negotiate a combined airline Agreement.
As for your requested attendance at the IAM facility, I will not be attending because: (A.) the “Association” has not been approved by the NMB, (B.) nor has an affirmation vote in support of the “Association” by the respective TWU & IAM membership groups taken place. Furthermore, I am not interested in learning how IAM has historically bargained. I have read the last two IAM negotiated Agreements with US Airways, cover-to-cover, and the results speak for themselves. I can also promise you that the IAM cannot properly prepare a negotiating team with a curriculum that includes “guests, trainers, and speakers” while also planning to “develop negotiating goals, a communications strategy, and surveys for proposals” all in one week. To believe that such a shortsighted strategy could work is both naive and a disservice to the dues paying members. As a TWU President, before any effective “joint” negotiating plan can materialize, the NMB must first accept the “Association,” and an affirmation vote of both the TWU and IAM membership’s groups must then take place, and then and only then can a bargaining strategy of the “Association” be developed.
I did notice one item of truth in your letter; TWU does provide their Local’s with “a certain level of autonomy.” While still bureaucratic, the TWU International Constitution does allow for a Local to not only question, but also properly challenge the organization at times. I have read and do not see where the IAM Constitution, nor the Association Agreement, allows for the same. President Lombardo has been clear that he intends to allow locally elected leaders, to represent the TWU membership (with support from TWU International) and not be a top down dictatorship that tells the membership what is in their best interest. As you are also aware, President Lombardo continues to work on overcoming the past TWU leaders and International Representative’s shortcomings. Another benefit of the autonomy TWU organizationally provides it Local’s, is our ability to communicate openly with our members. Do locally elected IAM Presidents enjoy the same freedom of speech when representing their members criticizing and challenging the IAM District or International Lodge? During the Local 591 membership meetings throughout the country the Local 591 Executive Board and myself have yet to find any current TWU represented station interested in being transitioned to IAM. Members are vocal in expressing their apprehension, based on personal accounts and discussions with IAM members in these “joint represented” cities. What I have heard from them is the noticeable difference on the availability of fact-based information from locally elected representatives and how TWU takes a “hands-on” grievance handling in the station from start to finish. Based on my member’s observations in these “joint” cities, I cannot, in good conscious, support or agree that any Local 591 member should be forced to give up their TWU membership, for the IAM, in the “Association.” I have also recently been told that in several of these cities, IAM representatives have told members that if they leave the IAM or vote against the Association, they will lose their pension. This is simply not a true statement, it seems that someone within IAM has created a campaign of fear and intimidation regarding the IAM pension; which is a classic management diversion strategy. I believe very strongly that IAM has an immediate responsibility to correct this falsehood to the IAM membership in writing.
Finally, with regard to your comment in your email which states the following: “I have tried to include all of the TWU presidents in the copy line. I would appreciate your help in assuring all of them get a copy. I don't know most of them except Gary Peterson and I want to be sure he gets his invitation since he played such a big role as an architect and early supporter of the Alliance Associations.”
You clearly knew that my role, while I was President of TWU Local 565, during the briefings at the IAM facility in Maryland, was to learn about the history of IAM, receive a brief overview of the IAM pension fund that included an explanation on why TWU may want to participate, and finally to participate in a discussion on what “an alliance between TWU and IAM might look like.” At the time of the meeting, I was there to do nothing more than collect the data on IAM and report back on the information provided and any items discussed to the AA TWU President Council. It is absolutely a fib to say that I “played such a big role as an architect and early supporter of the Alliance Associations” simply because I was authorized to attend the briefings at the IAM facility, by the AA TWU Presidents Council. Furthermore, and for the IAM’s clarity of facts, former TWU International President Little consummated the “Association Agreement,” which was another tyrannical mistake that lead to his groups demise, without any vote of support for its approval by the AA TWU Presidents Council.
That said, I can only take your above comment as an attempt to smear my name, due to my Local’s objection to the “Association” currently before the NMB. Clearly, you have no idea of the relationship that exists between myself and the other TWU Presidents listed in the email, all of them have already been debriefed on the facts of how the “Association” came to be. The problem with a tactic like this is that it comes with an inherent flaw; you do not know the audience you wrote to. Up until now, the objections before the NMB came from Local 591 and through thousands of signed petitions by TWU members, but by trying to use my name in an effort to move the IAM’s organizational agenda forward, veiled in training for the “Association,” by inviting the TWU Presidents is weak at best. You need to remember that while IAM may be a bigger organization overall than TWU, that on the American property IAM is much smaller than TWU. I am also not sure why you believe that IAM can speak from a position of power when IAM is clearly in the minority, and by a sizeable margin in Maintenance and Related. So although you may be under the impression, from your previous encounters with former TWU representatives, that you can somehow invoke a sense of fear or intimidation, within Local 591 no such fear exists.
In closing, while IAM International President Buffenbarger and former TWU International President Little may have entered in the “Association Agreement,” the current TWU leadership and membership did not. If the NMB actually allows the “Association” to be on a ballot, and if the “Association” were to be successful in winning the election for representation, you can rest assured that I am fully prepared to enter negotiations, for a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement, on behalf of the members I am elected to represent.
Fraternally,
Gary G. Peterson
President
TIME TO PUT THEM AMFA CARDS IN !
