Thoughts?
The IAM negotiators were able to (temporarily) secure station staffing for 1 flight per day to keep a city open. The language basically reads "Until a JCBA is reached" That tells me something about intent. It doesn't appear that the company intended to agree to that being a permanent fixture for the total collective. Now what I'm wondering is are some negotiators maybe shy about getting into the room against the company because they know the company will want to modify that staffing language? Are they afraid of the ghost of the UAL deal? Would they feel their own Political positions could be in jeopardy if a deal was struck with the company that reduced some of those stations (Maybe opening others at the same time though)?
My thoughts are that stringing this along and not making plans to sit down with the company is unfair to the around 15000 clerks waiting for that movement. Is it fair to leave 15000 people high and dry so a few hundred can stay in the cities they want to be in? No, it isn't. I also think if we strike a deal the station staffing language that we have over on the TWU side will be modified and open up opportunities for cities that have been closed for a long time and maybe some of those old timers can get to go HOME as well?
Now this is not meant to be a knock but this is pointing out the facts as I believe I understand them.
The IAM AGC's (Negotiators) are paid by both the District and their International. They make a flat rate (Salary) that doesn't change if their members get a raise I'm sure there is a way they can get raises but again it's not predicated on any salary increases for the members.
The possibility of some type of reduction in station staffing language may be a hard pill to swallow because again that specter of the UAL deal? Could some individuals want to avoid any risk to their Political (Paid) positions through that possible change?
Now the TWU Presidents make a salary (Stipend) paid directly from the members of their Local. I'm going to take one President I know who's on the negotiating committee currently from what I saw on the LM2's for his position. He makes a stipend of $500.00 per month for his position. That's an extra $6000.00 per year (Yes I'm talking about money so sue me) I can make more than that with OT and CS's easy. That $5.00 per hour thought lingering out there would increase EVERY TWU Presidents salary by $10,000 per year. (Those people have a motivation for wanting to strike a deal with the company)
The other item is out station staffing on the TWU side (Bankruptcy driven) If there is a modification to our language it most assuredly will open stations that were lost to us in the past. There was a list of stations that Parker said he wouldn't close if the merger had happened before the Judge ruled. That was quite a substantial number of cities as I remember. I have a feeling that all of those will be brought back home creating multiple opportunities for ALL?
30 cities to be exact.
And yes I know that many of them are already currently IAM staffed but there were more lost in the past too.
http://blogs.star-telegram.com/files/usair-fleet-sheet-v.2.pdf
So what I see from my perspective is that at least one Union may have more of an emphasis to get the talks started then perhaps another one does personally? I hope that I'm wrong and we hear something soon, but I'm not getting that indication just yet.
