October 18, 2005
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
US Airways’ second bankruptcy is behind us and the integration with America West Airlines (AWA) lies ahead. The merger provides both challenges and opportunities for the IAM and our members, but I know we are up to the task.
We will be facing complicated operational and integration issues in the months ahead. The IAM is committed to resolving all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
On September 30, 2005, the IAM filed a petition asking the National Mediation Board (NMB) to declare the merged carrier a single transportation system. The Machinists Union did not want the newly merged company whipsawing employees of one carrier against the other. When the NMB declares the newly merged entity to be a single carrier, the IAM expects to be certified the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the entire class and craft of Mechanic & Related employees of the merged carrier.
The Machinists Union is negotiating a transition agreement to bridge any inequities between the IAM-US Airways and Teamster-AWA agreements. Since the US Airways agreement will be the surviving agreement following integration of the airlines, America West employees will be brought up to the level of wages, benefits and job security contained in the IAM agreement.
The Teamsters are misinforming both America West and US Airways employees by saying that if they are successful in forcing a representation election and win certification for the Mechanic & Related employees at the newly merged carrier that the current IAM agreement with US Airways would not survive. This is false.
The consistent and unshaken policy of the NMB since 1934 has been “when there is an agreement in effect between a carrier and its employees signed by one set of representatives and the employees choose new representatives who are certified by the Board, the Board has taken the position that a change in representation does not alter or cancel any existing agreement made in behalf of the employees by their previous representatives.â€
This policy has been uniformly applied by the NMB and upheld by the courts. Therefore, even if the Teamsters manage to obtain a showing of interest from 35% of the combined unit, and even if they managed to win an election that secured votes in favor of representation by 50% plus one of the total unit (including furloughed employees with recall rights and employees on a leave of absence), the IAM contract would still survive a change in representation.
Don't be misled by Teamster representatives who are making promises to US Airways employees that they couldn’t deliver at America West. Even after two bankruptcies, your IAM-US Airways agreement is far superior to the Teamster agreement with the financially healthy America West.
For example, the Teamster’s weak scope clause has allowed America West to outsource its heavy maintenance work to El Salvador. Under the US Airways-IAM contract, that work will be brought in-house and create hundreds of additional job opportunities.
If the Teamsters force an election and less than 50 percent of all eligible voters participate, including employees on leaves of absence or furlough at either carrier, there will be no union representation for the Mechanic & Related craft on the merged carrier, no contract to enforce and no limit to the employment terms the company can impose.
The IAM has represented the US Airways membership since 1949. We know that US Airways is the cumulative product of many airline mergers and the integration of numerous collective bargaining agreements into a strong single agreement for all of the single carrier's employees. While achieving these integration agreements was difficult, in the end the membership benefited and saw positive results.
In the Piedmont Airlines Merger, the IAM Mechanic & Related employees were transitioned into the US Airways agreement. As a result, they received an increase in pay and benefits along with the hiring of many new mechanics to accomplish the work that their scope did not cover.
In the PSA Merger, the former Teamster Mechanic & Related employees received a major increase in pay and benefits after transitioning into the IAM agreement, which also included credited service with PSA from date of entering the classification regardless of whether or not they were vested in the Teamster Pension Plan.
Remember, as we said in our letter of September 26, 2005, the IAM's policy is for integration of seniority based on date of hire into the classification. It is now, and has always been, the fairest way to treat workers.
Sincerely,
William O'Driscoll
PRESIDENT-DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIRPERSON
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
US Airways’ second bankruptcy is behind us and the integration with America West Airlines (AWA) lies ahead. The merger provides both challenges and opportunities for the IAM and our members, but I know we are up to the task.
We will be facing complicated operational and integration issues in the months ahead. The IAM is committed to resolving all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
On September 30, 2005, the IAM filed a petition asking the National Mediation Board (NMB) to declare the merged carrier a single transportation system. The Machinists Union did not want the newly merged company whipsawing employees of one carrier against the other. When the NMB declares the newly merged entity to be a single carrier, the IAM expects to be certified the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the entire class and craft of Mechanic & Related employees of the merged carrier.
The Machinists Union is negotiating a transition agreement to bridge any inequities between the IAM-US Airways and Teamster-AWA agreements. Since the US Airways agreement will be the surviving agreement following integration of the airlines, America West employees will be brought up to the level of wages, benefits and job security contained in the IAM agreement.
The Teamsters are misinforming both America West and US Airways employees by saying that if they are successful in forcing a representation election and win certification for the Mechanic & Related employees at the newly merged carrier that the current IAM agreement with US Airways would not survive. This is false.
The consistent and unshaken policy of the NMB since 1934 has been “when there is an agreement in effect between a carrier and its employees signed by one set of representatives and the employees choose new representatives who are certified by the Board, the Board has taken the position that a change in representation does not alter or cancel any existing agreement made in behalf of the employees by their previous representatives.â€
This policy has been uniformly applied by the NMB and upheld by the courts. Therefore, even if the Teamsters manage to obtain a showing of interest from 35% of the combined unit, and even if they managed to win an election that secured votes in favor of representation by 50% plus one of the total unit (including furloughed employees with recall rights and employees on a leave of absence), the IAM contract would still survive a change in representation.
Don't be misled by Teamster representatives who are making promises to US Airways employees that they couldn’t deliver at America West. Even after two bankruptcies, your IAM-US Airways agreement is far superior to the Teamster agreement with the financially healthy America West.
For example, the Teamster’s weak scope clause has allowed America West to outsource its heavy maintenance work to El Salvador. Under the US Airways-IAM contract, that work will be brought in-house and create hundreds of additional job opportunities.
If the Teamsters force an election and less than 50 percent of all eligible voters participate, including employees on leaves of absence or furlough at either carrier, there will be no union representation for the Mechanic & Related craft on the merged carrier, no contract to enforce and no limit to the employment terms the company can impose.
The IAM has represented the US Airways membership since 1949. We know that US Airways is the cumulative product of many airline mergers and the integration of numerous collective bargaining agreements into a strong single agreement for all of the single carrier's employees. While achieving these integration agreements was difficult, in the end the membership benefited and saw positive results.
In the Piedmont Airlines Merger, the IAM Mechanic & Related employees were transitioned into the US Airways agreement. As a result, they received an increase in pay and benefits along with the hiring of many new mechanics to accomplish the work that their scope did not cover.
In the PSA Merger, the former Teamster Mechanic & Related employees received a major increase in pay and benefits after transitioning into the IAM agreement, which also included credited service with PSA from date of entering the classification regardless of whether or not they were vested in the Teamster Pension Plan.
Remember, as we said in our letter of September 26, 2005, the IAM's policy is for integration of seniority based on date of hire into the classification. It is now, and has always been, the fairest way to treat workers.
Sincerely,
William O'Driscoll
PRESIDENT-DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIRPERSON
