Update Iam And Us

[700UW]

March 15, 2004

US Airways Meets with IAM on Cost Savings

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

In response to the demonstrations by IAM members at US Airways’ airport terminals in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Boston, the airline agreed to meet with the Machinists Union to discuss items IAM members have identified that, if enacted by the company, would provide US Airways with significant cost savings.

The initial meeting took place in Philadelphia on March 10, 2004 when US Airways Corporate Officers, local management and finance personnel met with IAM representatives from Districts 141 and 141-M, local committees and our economic advisor.

Both Districts presented significant cost savings proposals. District 141 identified more than a dozen items that would save the company money. District 141-M explained the significant cost savings the company could realize by repairing certain aircraft components in-house with IAM members instead of shipping the components to vendors. IAM and US Airways financial experts are currently working on the valuation of the IAM’s proposal.

US Airways has committed to continue working with the IAM to identify ways to reduce the carrier’s costs. Additional meetings between District 141 and US Airways are already scheduled for the week of March 22 in Philadelphia to continue evaluating and refining our ideas. District 141-M representatives will be meeting with the Senior VP of Maintenance this week in Pittsburgh to further discuss the IAM’s cost saving ideas.

We thank all members that participated in the March 5 demonstrations. Your support and solidarity is what forced US Airways to listen to our ideas.

Sincerely and fraternally,


Scotty Ford
President
IAM District 141M

Randy Canale
President
IAM District 141

 

[wings396]

Let's hope the Brothers keep the 30k and under folks from getting hit again. Even Seth and company were gentle enough to do that when we had NO Union on our side. Since Express and MDA will no doubt make up more than 1/2 the stations 1 year from now.

 

[cavalier]

Even Seth and company were gentle enough to do that when we had NO Union on our side.

These people on the property are anything BUT gentle, don't delude yourself, it's a false illusion.

 

[wings396]

I agree, but one can only hope that their union will look out for their best interests.
As evident by the Mainline Express wages, they didn't on the last go around. Paying a monthly fee to have your wages cut 3 times is highway robbery at it's best. We could have gone thru this and had $40+ bucks still in our wallets. The IAM has shown us nothing thus far that makes them worth one cent in dues. Oh, I forgot that monthly newspaper that is full of United employess with US on the back page!!!

 

[morepower]

Wings:

The IAM is in a tough spot. It's a business trying to sell a products to US (utility, heavy maint, etc...) that US isn't willing (or able) to pay the current cost for. The easiest thing for the IAM to do would be to stand fast and let the airline go under. It would probably benefit the Union at the international level by giving other airlines some additional time to react to the new reality where people are willing to pay a bus fare for riding an airline.

With the current job market in PIT, MAA wages still look pretty good. You're right about the dues.
With the continuing hits to the W-2, 50 bucks a month is too much. We should be seeing dues cuts on a par with the wage reductions. Union management should also be taking cuts.

 

[delldude]

Let's hope the Brothers keep the 30k and under folks from getting hit again. Even Seth and company were gentle enough to do that when we had NO Union on our side. Since Express and MDA will no doubt make up more than 1/2 the stations 1 year from now.

whoa...what did you say?
hows about in your peers moments of indecision...didn't the company stick part time jobs where the sun didn't shine?

 

[D M G]

Even Seth and company were gentle enough to do that when we had NO Union on our side.

Seth may not have given the 8% cut to the B-scalers, but a ton of them were bumped to part time. Going from 8 hours a day to 6 hours a day works out to be a 25% loss in base pay. On top of that add the $400 per month these same people with families had to shell out for medical benefits. And lets not forget the loss of holidays, the wonderful vacation system that included having to put your first 5 vacation days in your 'reserve sick' bank, loss of OI days, and on, and on, and on.

Yeah, Seth was gentle.

 

[wings396]

I am not praising Seth, only stating that his regime left the low end pay alone to an extent. Did he do everthing as we would have liked it? NO, but now that I pay dues to the IAM, I and my fellow workers are much worse off than ever with wages. Let's not forget that the Mainline Express wages along with the prior W2 cuts and benefit costs, are in the 40% range. My point here is that when we had no contract the company did less harm to us than they now have with the "Protection" of a union contract. Let's face it the IAM has and will cave to the companies wants all of the time while we pay them to do it. At least with the W2 cuts an 92, we got it back plus some with the stock that we got for $15 that equaled our concesions. A
Non-Union carrier (CO-EXP) now earns $4 more an hour than our Express wage.
Not many are phased by this yet, but when Express comes to a station near you it will be a different story. By the way, MDA wages for the CSA and Fleet group are a whopping $1 an hour more than Express. Also you can bet that MDA will be spun off in the future and the Employees will no longer be affiliated with the Mainline.