United Negotiations; Week In Review

Rich Delaney, May 8, 2009 — United negotiations between District 141 and the company continued last week. The subjects discussed in United negotiations remained the same as in the previous meetings. There is little left to talk about that hasn’t already been brought forward, regarding the Seniority Article and the Vacation flexibility proposals the Union has presented.

It does appear that enough exchanging of each side’s opinion has happened now to see that tentative understandings may be reached. With that, we can move to other aspects of United negotiations.

United Negotiations In Greater Detail

District 141 and the company have been meeting every week since the opening of United negotiations on April 7. We will not be meeting in United negotiations during the coming week. Instead we will spend that time doing necessary research and preparation for our return to direct talks in the following week. The expectation is that new topics will cross the table. We also intend to use this time away from United negotiations to talk directly with our Members, Stewards, and Committees. The aim is to insure that we are reflecting their goals and concerns when talks resume.

Our Job Security;
The Company’s Tactical Use of Outsourcing Language

Job security was the most important issue among our Members, before United negotiations began. Job security is the Union’s main focus.

During the past week, the Union met with company representatives regarding its plan to put the United Express operation at Chicago O’Hare out for vendor bid. We have met to obtain an understanding of the scope of the work that will be subject to bid. We now know that the scope includes all ground handling currently performed by IAM-represented Customer Service Representatives and Ramp Service, or any part of that work an outsider chooses to bid on.

In addition to getting that information, we have also been a party to meetings between the company and potential vendors. The purpose of our involvement with the company, in this aspect of United negotiations, is to understand, as completely as we can, what we are dealing with and who we are competing against, in an effort to retain this work for IAM represented employees. We do not want to have decisions made that impact our futures and then try to have them changed. We intend to work hard, at the beginning of this process, to put job security of Members at the front of everyone’s mind — before decisions are made.