officials on the Board, thanks to the election of President Obama.  Board member Linda Puchala is a former President of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and fellow member Harry Hoglander is a former Vice President of ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association).  Two former Union members and officers are in position to play a key role in this and future negotiations.

 

Both members spoke at the Conference.  Puchala said that all nominees of President Obama all over government want to level the playing field for Labor and Management that has been so lopsided in the past eight years.  Hoglander promised that we will get a fair, equitable and honest hearing for anything that comes before the NMB.  With two of three members understanding the plight of Labor, it seems so.

 

Major Union Battle at NW/DL – What Could It Mean for UA/CO?

 

IAM Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr. stated, “We are confronted with a fight where 12,500 people stand to lose union representation at the hands of anti-union carrier Delta Air Lines.”  Those former Northwest employees are in a battle to keep their representation. 

What does it mean to be without a contract or representation?  Here’s one example:  Delta cabin cleaners used to be paid similar to ramp workers.  Delta eliminated that job and fired all the cabin cleaners so that they could hire new cleaners at $9.00/hour.  Then they decided that was not enough and fired those cleaners so they could hire ones at $7.25/hour.  No recall, no severance, no rights.  Many people wondered what United might have done to us in bankruptcy without Union representation.  Bingo.

IAM Transportation Coordinator Jay Cronk went into more detail:

Determination of new Delta will determine the fate of the industry for decades to come.  If we win this battle, we ALL win…..if we lose, we ALL lose!  “Industry-leading” used to be the goal in a Union negotiation, but Delta is selling “industry-standard” to their employees, conveniently leaving industry-leader Southwest out of their figures.  If the largest airline in the industry is non-Union, then the employer sets that industry standard.

 

Several of the speakers at the Conference spoke about a potential United/Continental merger.  They spoke in terms of when, not if.  I had not believed we would see additional mergers under this Administration, but the tone of some of the remarks certainly gave me reason to think.  One thing has become clear:  If the new Delta is successful at eliminating Union representation for its members, it is going to give United a LOT of incentive to try the same tactics.  This is something we should all be concerned about.

 

Health Care Debate

 

Many speakers talked about how vital it is to reform our national health care system.  Congressman Anthony Weiner (NY) spoke eloquently on the topic.  He began by saying that the IAM has been advocating for years the exact things that we need to pull out of these economic problems: Health care for all workers and funding pension plans.  Then he made some stronger points.

We pay $2 trillion for health care in this country, and what do insurance companies do?

-          They take our money and give it to doctors and patients….grudgingly

-          They also take 30% of our money and put it in their pockets

 

IAM Transportation Department

2001 – 125,000 members

2009 –   75,000 members

 

Dave Ritchie, GVP – Canada

Under regulation, everyone in the industry made money

Under deregulation, airlines are raping workers and governments are allowing it to happen

Small carriers destabilize routes and carriers

-          Even though they eventually go out of business, the damage is already done

We must push for some sort of re-regulation

U.S. must have Universal Health Care

      -     No plan is perfect, but in Canada at least everyone has coverage

Tell your Congresspeople that we want they health care they have

-          “If we can afford to give it to you, then you can afford to give it to us!”

 

http://library.findlaw.com/1988/Sep/1/129304.html  What Prompted Deregulation
 

 

IAM International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger

We are where we are because of the legacy of the Union members and leaders that preceded us

It is our responsibility to protect and serve our members

It is our obligation to lead this Union forward

 

We are witnessing the failures of deregulation

UA/CO may not want to merge but may be forced into that position by the status of the industry

 

If we get President Obama’s health care package:

-          would end discrimination for pre-existing conditions

-          ends dropping coverage for the seriously ill

-          ends annual/lifetime cap on coverage

-          extends coverage for young adults

-          guarantees insurance renewal

Stop listening to rhetoric – consider the source!

-          Major media outlets have a HUGE financial stake in the current health care industry/pharmaceuticals

-          Go to the government website and read the actual bill

 

Matt McKinnon, IAM Director of Legislative and Political Action

20-30,000 workers are fired every year for trying to organize a Union

Son of Justice Scalia is the mouthpiece against EFCA

Opponents allege would lead to intimidation by unions

Since 1935, there has only been about 1 case every 2 years of intimidation by unions

Wages stayed consistent with productivity until 1970

-          During the Bush years, 2/3 of productivity gains went to the top 1% of the population

 

Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)

IAM member

Congress is currently focused on big-ticket items, not what is going to help individuals

Settling to get something done just for the sake of getting it done

-          It is not about change, it is about the *right* change

Members of Congress make decisions based on self-preservation (getting re-elected)

-          we need to shame them into action

-          we need to push our representatives or we will end up with second-best

Warren Mart, General Secretary-Treasurer

IAM is losing approximately 3000 members per month

Biggest thing we can do to keep Union financially viable is to increase membership

-          EFCA

-          NW/DL

 

Robert Scardelletti, International President IAM-TCU

All the people against universal health care conveniently have their own health insurance

-          Entire argument is simply about Politics

-          People want Obama to fail, want this country to fail under his leadership

50% of all bankruptcies are caused by health care

Labor Unions created/fought for the health care workers have today

-          “If you want health care, join a Union!”

 

Norm Mineta, Former Secretary of Transportation

4638 planes over the U.S. when the plane crashed into the Pentagon

      -     was able to get them all grounded within 2 hours, 20 minutes

      -     All aircraft from Europe and Asia were diverted to Canada

            City of Halifax took 53 aircraft – town population swelled from 15K to 60K

We have decreased the Fatal Accident Rate to 1 in every 11 million takeoffs

 

Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend, Former Lt. Governor of Maryland

Need Solidarity when facing a tough fight

We are facing an incredibly tough fight in Transportation

Need to pass EFCA

-          many do not want employees to have Free Choice to choose leaders or bargain collectively

All progress in Worker’s Rights have come from Labor Unions

We need a strong Labor Movement to advance further progress

Republicans have become a faith-based party

-          don’t believe in facts

-          60% of Republicans believe Obama was NOT born in the U.S.

-          Limbaugh wants Obama and our country to fail

-          Political parties are supposed to foster debate

o       NOT to root for our country to fail

 

Tony Chapman, IAM Employment Services Director

Federally-Funded Health Care Centers

-          Obama put $2 billion into this program

-          http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.org

see Health brochure or website: http://www.goiam.org/employment

-          resume template

-          budget worksheets

 

Peter Greenberg, Research Economist (CO flight attendant)

The “Wal-martization” of the Airline Industry:

-          Airlines are trying to push us into a race to the bottom: low-wage jobs with no benefits

Union members earn 28% more than non-union on average

-          Transportation Workers – 43.5% more

-          Women/Hispanics – 40% more

77% of Union members have a defined benefit plan (only 20% of non-union)

-          nearly half of workers have no employer-sponsored retirement plan whatsoever

IAM Contracts:

-          lower insurance premiums than other unionized groups

-          access to IAMNPP

-          85% of members have both pension and 401(k) plan

 

Jay Cronk, Transportation Coordinator

Expecting major struggles ahead in the Airline Industry

We intend to make the new Delta a Union Delta

DL141 working on campaign at AirTran (LCC)

Many difficulties at Continental – initial campaign there in ‘94

-          airline campaigns never easy – the bigger the airline, the tougher the campaign

Determination of new Delta will determine the fate of the industry for decades to come

If we win, we ALL win…..if we lose, we ALL lose

“Industry-leading” used to be the goal in a Union negotiation

Delta is selling “industry-standard” to their employees, conveniently leaving Southwest out

If the largest airline in the industry is non-Union, then the employer sets that industry standard

 

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (R) – video

High-speed rail is a very high priority for the Administration - $8 billion dedicated thus far

American workers will be intimately involved in building the infrastructure

If two airlines can form an alliance, that may be a lifeline for airlines to survive in a lousy economy

DOT supports alliances – mergers are adjudicated by the DOJ

Number one consideration is keeping airlines in business

-          they cannot provide services or possibly stay in business without forming alliances

-          Continental may not be able to survive without allowing these alliances

 

Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Your only guarantee is your Union Contract, except when it can be undone in the Legislature

American Airlines is the only major carrier doing their maintenance in-house

-          Almost everything else is contracted out

-          We have no idea who is doing the work

-          Nearly 75% of all heavy maintenance is outsourced – one-third overseas

Deregulation caused first expansion, then contraction and now consolidation

Within 5 years, 20 new entrants in the market – 8 years later only 1 of 20 left (America West)

Example: NW/KL alliance – then AF buys KL and DL buys NW – 3 competitors become one

Now three global mega-carriers

1990 – top 3 carriers carried 30% of passengers

now – top 3 carry 87% of passengers, and they are not flying the same markets

Are there any public benefits from alliances?

Anti-trust alliances allow the control and decision-making of U.S. airlines to go overseas

 

District 141 Breakout Session

How can we help Organizing drives across the industry?

AirTran Campaign status

-          customer service, reservation, ramp – 3200 people

-          2-year campaign – solid base at hubs – ATL, BWI, MCO, MKE

NW/DL Election

United Negotiations

-          Assigned mediator Terri Brown by NMB

-          Negotiating team meeting with NMB this week

-          Mediator will not take an active role in negotiations right now

-          Negotiations resume next week until just before DL141 Convention

-          Job security, increased use of UAX, station closings, seniority, furlough process

-          UAX now larger system than mainline – more flights in every hub except SFO

-          Have protected work in TUS, MIA – unable to do so in latest stations: STL, MHT

-          Not close to a settlement by any means, but talks with company so far are productive

-          Talking about language and structural issues of contract, with finances looming

-          Finances: return of what was taken away in bankruptcy, member proposals

 

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman – Homeland Security

First Democrat to chair this committee

Got elected with Labor’s help – 100% Labor voting record

Will talk with Labor on any new legislation

People who work in the industry know safety and security – “we are the experts”

Gave TSA the right to pick a bargaining unit

Deserve a decent day’s pay for a decent day of work, with good health care and retirement

-          Those people that don’t want us to have it, have all that themselves

 

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Chairman – Labor (video)

Need to ensure all workers share in the prosperity they help create

-          must pass EFCA – closer now than we have ever been

Must have affordable health care for all – must deliver reform this year

 

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) (video)

First bill co-sponsored was EFCA

-          workers need to be able to organize without intimidation

Wants to continue to put pressure on Delta to preserve workers’ rights

 

Linda Puchala, National Mediation Board

Former President, AFA (1979-1986)

All nominees by Obama all over government want to level the playing field for Labor and Management

Those newly confirmed have a history of activism, history of standing against the status quo

Message:  You don’t have to be a lawyer to have a voice, to move the world

“We in Washington are listening for your voice”

 

Harry Hoglander, National Mediation Board

First job was a union job

Former Vice President, ALPA

Promise that we will get a fair, equitable and honest hearing for anything that comes before the NMB

 

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

All these things that we need to pull out of these economic problems are things that the IAM has been advocating over the last 10 years

Perhaps more people should be listening to the IAM

-          Health care for all workers

-          Funding pension plans

We pay $2 trillion for health care in this country

What do insurance companies do?

-          They take our money and give it to doctors and patients….grudgingly

-          They also take 30% and put it in their pockets

Health care is not a commodity – when you need it you have to go get it

Everyone has a single-payer health plan now – either insurance company, Medicare, or your pocket

Every day 15,000 American families lose their health insurance

Insurance companies don’t voluntarily decide to take less profit and give more money to people

Some ask why we need a public option

Real question is why we need a private option!?

 

Rich Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer and President-elect, AFL-CIO

What matters are not the things we accomplished in last year’s elections,

But the battles that we have ahead this year and forward

Broader challenge we face is to take advantage of this very moment to create the America that we want 

Working people today are being crushed – 6 times as many people looking for jobs as # of jobs avail

It was not Organized Labor or workers that screwed up Wall Street or ran Big Auto into the ground

It can be we who will lead America out of this mess that Big Business led us into

Higher wages are the only thing that can move the economy forward, not hold it back
We will work with employers who treat us with respect, as partners

- Work force is an asset to be invested in, not a cost to be counted

To Congress:  If Labor helped elect you, and you stab us in the back on health care, don’t you dare ever come back to us again for support; you may forget how you got there, but we will never forget

 

Erin Moriarty, CBS News Correspondent – 48 Hours

Union member for over 30 years – did not join willingly

Didn’t understand why she had to be a member, saw her dues as a contribution to others only

When Westinghouse bought CBS, there was no pension anymore from the employer

-          Then realized that still had a pension from AFTRA

-          When CBS wanted to eliminate severance, the union protections were better

-          When times are tough, companies think about stockholders

-          Layoffs are good for companies because they improve the bottom line for stockholders

 

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) – Transportation Committee

This is not a standard recession – this is a full-blown consumption crisis

Consumption Crises have occurred regularly approx every 20 years in our history

Since 1973, the productivity rate and the economy have doubled

-          Wages have been stagnant

-          Mean wage is less than in 1973

-          Full amount of gains have gone to top 4%

-          People work longer hours

-          Women added to the workforce

-          Credit cards maxed out

-          Home Equity Loans

This is how we continued to buy things even though wages have been stagnant

Unions created the middle class in this country

Historically, wages increased with productivity

-          in 1970s, businesses waged war on unions

-          in 1980s, government began waging war on unions

In most periods, Supreme Court has been very reactionary, misinterpreting the will of Congress

Historically, great empires fall when manufacturing ceases – need to add value to society

Free Trade Agreements are not FREE

-          they protect the rights of American corporations to invest abroad

-          which means they are allowed to send our jobs overseas

Point of a stimulus is to get people working and get money flowing in the economy

-          What the money is being spent on is less important

-          The bill passed was about half of what was needed, but more politically not likely

Current Transportation Bill expires September 30 – pass one every six years

-          Administration suggested putting this off for 18 months because of other priorities and funding

-          Need a fully-loaded bill now for the stimulus

We got to this point because political power and wealth have been inequitably distributed in this country

 

Ed Wytkind, President – AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department

Too much politicizing by politicians of both parties for years

Politicians have ignored the signs of decay in our nation’s infrastructure

-          allowed a disaster to happen to one of our nation’s great cities along with other problems

-          experimented with deregulation of the airline industry

-          today’s airline industry is now failing and in shambles – it has been decades since we have seen anything resembling healthy industry

Trade agreements have helped no one except multi-national corporations

-          have destroyed manufacturing jobs in this country

-          we will not allow that to happen to the airline industry

Flight attendants are Safety Officers

-          “They are there to save our asses, not kiss them!”

-          going to start applying OSHA standards to aircraft

“DL is one of the most lawless companies I have ever seen in my lifetime”

We are not going to get there by hoping – we will get there by hard work

We cannot allow Delta to accomplish their goal of a Union-free workplace

 

Rep. Yvette Clark (D-NY)

How do we handle Union representation issues fairly in a NW/DL merger?

12,000 NW members face the possibility of losing their representation and their pensions

Status-quo is no longer acceptable

-          Health care, education, in the workplace

EFCA is critical legislation and “I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill”

-          this is only the first step: need to work on more legislation for airline/railway representation

Value of Labor Unions was taught in my household

-          there is value in people coming together recognizing common goals, values and purpose

-          cannot forget the history of what Unions have provided to the people of this country

“I will be your echo chamber.  I will be on the Hill in their faces!”

 

Beth Almeida, Executive Director – National Institute on Retirement Security

Many people in Washington think that no one in the airline industry has a pension anymore

-          Only the IAM has been able to preserve a pension of any Transportation Union

50 million Americans don’t have health care, but…

80 million workers don’t have a defined-benefit pension plan

Union members are 5 times more likely to have a defined-benefit plan

55 million are not covered by *any* employee-sponsored retirement plan whatsoever

Average 401(k) account had $40,000 before the current recession

-          How long will that last in retirement?

-          In a 401(k) plan, you are on your own

People without pensions are about 6 times more likely to struggle in retirement

-          keeps about 1.3 million people off of public assistance, saving billions of taxpayer dollars

Dr. Christian Weller, Professor of Public Policy – UMass

This is the first real crisis of America’s Middle Class since the Great Depression

-          recession in the 1980s does not compare

-          people who are out of work are jobless *much longer* than ever before

-          lost $16 trillion of wealth, larger than the entire U.S. economy

-          1 in 8 mortgages either delinquent or in foreclosure, and still getting worse

Never had combination of massive losses in wealth, record unemployment, and length of unemployment

First step to slow down recession by focusing on jobs

-          need to create 10.5 million jobs by 2012 – good jobs, not any jobs

Must tie the fortunes of the middle class to the U.S. economy

-          strong Labor Movement helps to accomplish this: pass EFCA

-          Strong Labor Movement is the only sustainable way we know to rebuild the middle class

Enormous profits in 2002 recession recovery NOT shared with middle class

 

Strategies for Meeting the Challenges of Global Restructuring

Owen Herrnstadt, IAM Director of Trade Globalization

Transportation policies are failing the world’s workers

-          Deregulation

-          Corporate Greed

-          Corporate Irresponsibility

o       Alliances

o       Global Reach

o       Government Influence

o       Reducing Labor Costs by any means available

No Fundamental Human Rights overseas

Meeting the Challenges

-          International Labor Standards

-          Re-Regulation of the Transportation Industry

-          Buy North American

-          International Solidarity among workers

 

John Delloro, President – Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance

Unions are one of only two types of organizations to refer to each other as Brothers and Sisters (religious)

-          Means to show that we work together as a family; “We are not alone”

 

Ted Reed, Reporter – Street.com

Covers Airline Industry – one of the few labor reporters

-          talking to reporters is part of the job – employers are doing it

-          way to reach out to the public and get our story across

 

Bill Lucy, International Secretary-Treasurer – AFSCME

Our side won the election because we had the better ideas

It is time to stop letting the losing side dictating the agenda to us

 

Alison Beck, IAM General Counsel (Legal Panel)

Elections matter

-          Obama appointees are Labor-friendly

-          Former flight attendant (Puchala) is now serving on the NMB

We don’t have one second to waste sitting back and enjoying our accomplishments

 

David Neigus, IAM Associate General Counsel

Richard Anderson, Delta CEO, says that they don’t need a Union because they are a family

-          He has a legally binding contract that guarantees his salary, severance, pension

-          If Delta is such a great family, why does he need that?

-          He needs a contract because everyone needs one – all employees

 

Carmen Parcelli, Guerrieri Edmond Clayman & Bartos

Delta attempted to rush through the merger process under the prior Administration

IAM legal efforts prevented that from happening

Currently having legal fight over Delta seniority integration

-          Completely premature

-          No sense to combine seniority when employee groups have not yet been established

-          Delta attempting to drive two employee groups apart using the Seniority issue

 

Ira “Buddy” Gottlieb, Bush Gottlieb Singer Lopez Kohanski Adelstein & Dickinson

United is using family relationship terms to talk about working with Continental

Currently in a code-sharing arrangement, but jobs are definitely on the line moving forward

Recent ruling by California Supreme Court protected rights by workers to litigate under state law even though our right to bargain collectively is protected by Federal law

- United attempted to claim that individual states should not have jurisdiction

 

Governor Jon Corzine (D-NJ)

Impossible to have people in office who don’t believe that people should have the right to join a Union

Rising of the Far Right going on in this country:

-          Groups who believe Organized Labor is the problem

-          People who start “Death Panels” misinformation

People who run Big Business have given themselves incomes going to 500 or 600x that of workers

-          First thing they do is try and layoff workers to save money

We must stand up and fight for the people who are fighting for us

Because of the state of the economy, people are still rightfully upset and have great anxiety

-          We don’t want to turn over the State Houses to the people who created this problem

-          2009-2010 will be a dramatic electoral season

-          We cannot have a return to 1993-94

 

Randy Babbitt, FAA Administrator

Former ALPA member

IAM stands for America, and stands for safety

FAA rule:  If it is not safe, it doesn’t fly.

There will be 70,000 planes that fly today

-          7-12,000 planes will be in the air at any one time

-          Industry gets no credit for their accomplishments, but if one thing goes wrong, it is news

Fatigue affects everyone in the workplace, does not discriminate between craft and class

Unions need to step up our efforts to transfer our experience to new members

-          need to create profession standards

-          information is 8-10 times more likely to be retained coming from colleagues than management

 

Dave Supplee, District 142 Secretary-Treasurer

Joint Air Transport Safety Committee

-          Developed a selection of “ideal” safety and health contract language to assist negotiating committees

-          Membership Safety Survey to gather data about current H&S issues affecting our members

-          Mission involves both employee safety and the safety of flight

Injuries per 100 Workers per year (2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics)

-          2.3 Rail Transportation

-          4.2 Average of Private Sector

-          4.7 Coal Mining

-          5.9 Highway Construction

-          9.9 Air Transportation

 

Tom Brickner, Airline Coordinator

Report to be distributed via DL Presidents

 

Rich Delaney, District 141

Hawaiian Airlines in negotiations for about 1 ½ years – Tentative Agreement rejected

Hundreds of grievances at USAirways regarding new attendance control policy

-          believed to be a violation of contract

Attempting to organize 8000 CO Ramp Service

-          concern over increasing relationship with UA

UA employees encouraged to talk with DL/NW about representation

-          Result of that vote could have huge implications for UA/CO and representation issues

 

Tom Higginbotham, District 142

Campaign for organizing Southwest skycaps – 10 cities – 5 months

-          Goal to file for representation election by end of September

Discussed the importance of internal organizing with CO Flight Attendants

-          Preparation for eventual merger between CO and UA – not if, but when

-          Would be huge step down for members if UA contract resulted from a merger

 

Steve Gordon, District 143

Always need to be sure first to have our own house in order

-          make sure our own members understand what is going on and implications

-          If we have to ask our own members to support us, there is an issue

We need to short-term sacrifice for our long-term gain

NW/DL is a fight for all of us – industry-wide implications

 

Robert Roach, GVP – Transportation

We need to see ourselves as the highest common denominator

-          IAM members, not labeled by classification

-          We can no longer afford the divisions of the past

-          Our Solidarity is what makes us powerful

-          Average member does not understand who we are – just come to work and leave

-          We have to find ways to educate our membership to understand

o       As a group, powerful people came from across the country and world to speak with us

People don’t care much about their Union until times get tough (Moriarty) like they are now

-          Delta continues to preach family – for your family, you will work for less

o       Delta fired $9/hour cabin cleaners to hire new ones at $7.25/hour

Winning the election doesn’t solve our problems

-          It opens the door and gives us access to work on them

-          Powerful people came here and showed they care about us, so we need to care about ourselves