Tuesday, October 5, 2004 |
IAM Wins US Airways Airbus Arbitration “This decision reaffirms 55 years of contract language,” said William O’Driscoll, President of IAM District 142. “US Airways illegally outsourced Airbus work just months after IAM members provided $1.5 billion in savings to rescue the airline and allow it to emerge from its first bankruptcy.” The legal fight to defend the IAM Mechanic & Related contract at US Airways began in October 2003, when the airline subcontracted Airbus Heavy Maintenance Visits to Singapore Technologies Mobile Aerospace Engineering located in Mobile, Alabama. The IAM won an immediate injunction in Federal District Court to halt the subcontracting, but an appeals court ruled the dispute should be resolved through arbitration. “US Airways wasted countless dollars on attorneys to fight their employees, and is now financially liable to our members for their corporate arrogance,” said Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr. “I urge US Airways to begin embracing their employees as valuable assets and listen to our ideas for addressing the substantial challenges facing the airline. “The IAM will use every legal venue necessary to enforce this award,” said Roach. (for the text of the decision, go to: http://transportation.goiam.org)
Voter Registration Soars, Early Voting Begins The growing use of absentee ballots and the availability of early voting are radically transforming election year campaign strategies to accommodate a 30-day election period, rather than the traditional 24-hour voting period that begins and ends on Election Day. Voter registration across the country surged to record levels in recent weeks, with local election boards adding staff and working overtime to process the wave of new applications. The deadline to register, however, is fast approaching in many key states. In Illinois and Missouri, the last day to register is Oct. 6. It’s Oct. 8 in North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma and Idaho. Some states, including Minnesota, Maine and the District of Columbia allow registration right up until Election Day. To find out the registration deadlines in your state, go to:
Debating the Debates President Bush appeared visibly uncomfortable throughout much of the 90-minute contest, alternately scowling, blinking and squirming. By contrast, Kerry delivered a much more television-friendly appearance, leading news commentators to declare him the unofficial winner in the “who looked more presidential” category. “The debate could prove be a turning point,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger, who watched the debate with union members in Lewiston, Maine. “Undecided voters are just beginning to tune into this election, and the President’s poor performance made a stark impression.” The initial 90-minute debate, which failed to provide a knockout punch for either campaign, now joins a long line of presidential debates. In the first televised debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960, Kennedy was given high marks for appearing calm and confident, while Nixon drew criticism for his visibly uncomfortable performance on camera. That election was ultimately decided by the narrowest of margins and confirmed the importance of televised debates in presidential elections. The next presidential debates will take place on Oct. 8 and Oct.13. The first and only vice presidential debate will take place today, Oct. 5, at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Workers at Two Wisconsin Locations Go IAM “The technicians at Material Handling really stuck together to make this possible,” said Local 701 Business Representative Sam Cicinelli. The cost of healthcare insurance, a good pension, a guaranteed wage structure and the desire for a collective bargaining agreement were all issues in the win, according to Cicinelli. IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President James E. Brown welcomed the new members and praised Cicinelli saying, “We would like to thank BR Sam Cicinelli for his hard work and we wish him continued success in the future.”
Card Check Recognition Under Attack For years, card check recognition has leveled the playing field by averting the delaying tactics employers commonly use during the NLRB election process. The Employee Free Choice Act (S. 1925, H.R. 3619), which has gained bipartisan support from 245 members of Congress, would ensure when a majority of employees in a workplace decides to form a union, they can do so without the debilitating obstacles employers now use to block them.
Reserve Now for Guide Dogs Charity Events The annual Guide Dogs of America banquet will take place on November 20th. Contact Rose Bricker at 702-245-5691 for more information about the Hawgs for Dawgs run on Nov. 18 th. Be sure to make hotel reservations by October 15th to take advantage of a discounted room rate. Contact Gloria Bormann at 818-822-6041 for additional information.
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