IAM-Boeing Negotiations Draw Near
With 11 days before the June 25 start of negotiations; IAM members at Boeing are itching to confront the aerospace giant across the bargaining table. Layoffs in Seattle and Wichita and the company's strategy of shifting work overseas is stiffening the union’s resolve to focus the upcoming contract talks on job security.

"Cyclical layoffs in the face of declining aircraft orders are one thing, but Boeing's strategy of dismantling production facilities and shipping them overseas will damage U.S. employment opportunities and our national industrial and defense base for years to come," said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Dick Schneider who will lead the talks with Boeing.

IAM members can follow the progress of negotiations with Boeing at  http://www.goiam.org and on local and district lodge websites at: District 70 (Wichita), http://iamdl24.org (Portland), Local Lodge 834 (Wichita) and http://www.iam751.org/ (Seattle and Puget Sound).

Machinists Say “No Thanks” 
to United Airlines Offer
United Airlines (UAL) CEO Jack Creighton told a roomful of industry analysts this week that UAL’s finances are improving and the carrier’s survival is not in doubt. At that same meeting, Creighton also stated he expects "to see substantial participation by United's employees” in the carriers recovery plan. United has proposed across-the-board 10 percent wage reductions for IAM represented employees.

In response to United’s proposal, District 141 and 141-M Presidents Randy Canale and Scotty Ford said, “We feel the company has overstated the need for employee participation in such a recovery program. Additionally, UAL has not provided any documentation or communication to its employees demonstrating such a need.” Both presidents have said they will not endorse United’s proposal.

IAM Backs Union Rights
for Federal Workers
Unionized federal employees who become part of the new Department of Homeland Security could lose certain collective bargaining rights, if a White House proposal calling for hiring and firing ‘flexibility’ is adopted.

“It’s not hard to see where the administration is headed with this proposal,” said Frank Carelli, IAM Director of Government Employees, who, along with Rick Brown and John Paolino, met this week with staff members of the Government Reform Committee. “We’re going to make sure our members’ representational and collective bargaining rights are fully protected.”

Federal employees with direct national security duties, including FBI, CIA and the military, are excluded from union membership. Currently, about 55 percent of the 1.8 million federal employees are covered by union contracts.

According to newspaper reports, a spokesperson for the administration’s homeland security office said it was possible that a new department would seek ‘flexibility’ in its personnel matters.

Airline Worker Rights at Risk
A legislative campaign currently underway and orchestrated by the nation’s major air carriers is designed to severely undermine the collective bargaining process and weaken the rights of all airline employees. 

Spearheaded by the Air Transport Association (ATA), an industry trade association made up of 22 U.S. member airlines and four foreign-flag associate members, airline CEO’s are urging Congress to amend the Railway Labor Act to include mandatory binding arbitration in labor negotiations. This would effectively take away an airline employee’s right to vote on collective bargaining agreements.

GVP Robert Roach, Jr. sent a letter this week to Carol Hallet, President and CEO of the ATA, outlining the IAM’s stern opposition to such a scheme. “Baseball arbitration would take the employees out of the process and certainly lead to unnecessary disruptions in service,” said Roach. The full text of GVP Roach’s letter to the ATA can be viewed at http://www.goiam.org/territories.asp?c=3163