March Business Agents' Report
COVID-19 Update
The last few months have been historic in terms of the impact the COVID-19 Pandemic has had on all of our lives. Things have changed dramatically for all of us and we are all now living with a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety. We all have seen the modeling which predicts that things will get much worse before they get better. Therefore, it is extremely important that everyone take seriously the CDC guidelines being circulated in order to help slow the spread of this virus.
First and foremost, this means that if you are sick, you need to stay home. Your health and that of your family needs to be the primary focus and not superficial collateral issues like the attendance policy, etc. Additionally, if you are compromised in any way in terms of potential exposure to COVID-19 it is essential that you take any time off necessary to mitigate the risk. If you have any issues arranging for time off or returning from time off, please reach out to your local Union Representative.
The IBT Safety and Health Department has published Fact Sheet for Airline Workers that is a must read for all. You can access it by going to the TeamstersSFO website and clicking on Coronavirus Updates. This page also has a direct link to the IBT Safety and Health COVID-19 Resource page as well as various links to web pages related to the CDC best practices concerning personal hygiene, hand washing, respiratory etiquette and social distancing.
The TeamstersSFO Committee remains engaged with the Company at various levels in order to determine the requirements under the law that UAL has in terms of notification to employees regarding any potential COVID-19 exposure in the workplace. We understand that this a major concern for our folks and we are working diligently to address those concerns. However, please be careful not to spread rumors and innuendo. That does nothing but increase stress on yourselves and your coworkers. Please remember that it is ultimately the CDC that is calling the shots on these response-related issues and we have to trust that these professionals know what they are doing.
One last word about stress. If you find yourself having a hard time dealing with anxiety, stress, depression or other related issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to your local TMAP representative for a confidential conversation. Steve Loone (MM/Airframe) can be reached at Cell: (650) 745-5864 Work: 650-874-2619 and Steve Crummey (Back Shops/Jet Shop) can be reached at Cell: (650) 745-5867 Work: 650-874-3006
Going forward, we will be sure to send out any new information we receive as we get it so be sure to get signed up on the TeamstersSFO website for email updates.
John Johnson Appointed TeamstersSFO Grievance Secretary
Longtime Shop Steward John Johnson has been appointed interim Grievance Secretary to replace Mark Gabriel, who retired as of April 1st. Anyone who has worked with John knows that has a reputation for leadership, tenacity and attention to detail. We are grateful that he accepted this new challenge and we are certain that his superb skill set will serve the membership well. We look forward to working with him.
We would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the retiring Grievance Secretary Mark Gabriel for his many years of service to the membership. Our first memories of working with Mark date back to the Oakland days in the early 90's where Mark first developed his reputation as someone who had expert knowledge of the contract and who could always be counted to serve it up straight with no BS. Mark also never hesitated when it was time to take on the company and over the years many of our members have benefitted from the resolve and diligence he showed when working an issue or grievance.
We are privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him and we hope that he enjoys a long and joyful retirement.
Congratulations Mark! You earned it, Brother!
California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarship
The window is now open to apply for the 2020 California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarship. This scholarship is open to deserving High School Seniors graduating this year who are a daughter/son of an active Teamster whose dues are current with his/her Local Union and are attending or have been accepted by an accredited University, College, or Trade School. For more information or to apply please go to the TeamstersSFO website and click on the Scholarship tab under the Member Resources header. The application deadline is Friday, June 5th, 2020.
New IBT Airline Division Grievance Tracking System is Live
The IBT Airline Division Grievance Tracking System is an automated, internet-based and complete solution for storing, printing, processing and tracking of all Airline Division grievances as well as providing automatic e-mail notifications and comprehensive but secure search capability of the entire grievance database. It is designed to enable the Union to capture every piece of information about each grievance, so that all records will be complete and organized and so that anyone else involved with the grievance process will need no other source of information. The old paper grievances will now no longer be used. Please see your Shop Steward for more information.
This Month's Quote
“We will come out of this storm. In the coming days, we have to stay calm and confident. And for sure, we will overcome this moment of despair. How long this will last cannot be ascertained. But the one thing that we can be sure of is that we will not be the same anymore. Hopefully, we would have changed for the better. This is the way of life. This is how life teaches us its lessons." - Avijeet Das
Please Stay Safe Folks!
Mark DesAngles Javier Lectora
Business Agent Business Agent
Local 986 Local 856