And we agreed to concessions, just using a different formula than the other organized groups.
During negotiations, we didnt refuse concessions.
Dont let the facts get in your way.
http://www.goiam.org/index.php/headquarters/departments/hpwo-partnerships/hpwo-information/6237-high-performance-work-organization-partnerships
here you go guys and gals the IAM offering for givebacks
“We like to think that, as a union, we are smart enough to recognize the need for change, and to make change work for us,” stated IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger in describing the IAM’s proactive response to globalization—the High Performance Work Organization (HPWO) Partnerships process.
The global market place affects the way companies, nations, and entire blocks of nations engage in international trade. These pressures also affect the way we work. That is why the IAM has developed an alternative process to traditional labor-management practices to help save and create jobs and grow workplaces where IAM members are employed.
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http://www.goiam.org/index.php/headquarters/departments/hpwo-partnerships/hpwo-information/6133-the-duty-of-fair-representation-and-hpwo-partnerships
When the union, in partnership with management, jointly designs and implements new work systems, union leaders need to be sure that the union is fairly representing the members of the bargaining unit. This long-standing union obligation is known as the
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duty of fair representation.
The duty of fair representation is not only mandated by good trade union principles, it is also the law. As the exclusive representative, the union has the legal duty to fairly represent all bargaining unit members. This legal duty is enforceable in court as well as by the appropriate government agency (i.e., National Labor Relations Board, Canada Labour Relations Board, state or provincial agencies). Therefore, as in all other aspects of union responsibility, when union leaders initiate HPWO partnerships, they must fulfill their legal duty of fair representation.
Duty of Fair Representation Standards
The union''s duty of fair representation is violated when union leaders act in an "arbitrary, discriminatory, or bad faith manner." The heart of the duty is the requirement that the union act in the employees' interest, and that such action does not negatively impact the members of the bargaining unit. Honest mistakes generally are not a violation of the duty, and the courts have made clear that union leaders are allowed a "wide range of reasonableness" in their actions.
Perhaps the easiest way to flesh out the "arbitrary, discriminatory, or bad faith" standard is to provide some examples of conduct explaining the duty of fair representation:
Union leaders are not required to take every grievance to arbitration, even if the grievant/grievor wants to arbitrate the issue, but the union steward or representative dealing with the problem, issue, or difference that arises should:
perform a thorough investigation;
follow contractual time limits;
keep an employee informed as to the status of his or her grievance; • decide whether to pursue the grievance based on a judgment of the merits of the grievance rather than on personal bias;
advise the grievant/grievor of the decision and the reasons therefore.
Although it is not strictly required by the duty of fair representation, it makes sense to keep a written record to prove that these things have been done properly.
Violations of the duty of representation may result from the following actions:
Treating employees differently because of their gender, race, religion, political considerations, or sexual preference.
Acting in a completely arbitrary manner; for example, pulling a grievance for no reason whatsoever.
Acting in bad faith, lying to a grievant/grievor, or going out of the way not to help someone out of any personal feelings or reasons.
Discriminating on the basis of membership status.
In particular issues like seniority, job placement, availability of training, and appointment to union positions, there are often winners and losers. In contract negotiations, some proposals may help some employees more than others. Making tough choices, for example, the situation where whatever the union decides, one group of employees will benefit more than others does not violate the duty so long as the union is using its best judgment and not acting specifically to hurt one group of employees. Simply put, as long as union leaders are protecting the interests of the bargaining unit as a whole, no violation of the duty of fair representation will occur.
