Memorial Day 2020
With the COVID-19 pandemic now having claimed more than 100,000 lives in the United States, Memorial Day took on a historically somber tone this year. It is truly astonishing that, in a few short months, this disease has claimed more U.S. lives than the Vietnam and Korean Wars combined. Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods yet. It is pretty safe to say that we are all holding our collective breath as our desire to start opening up and getting out battle our inherent fear of a second wave and the potential to catch this terrible disease. Especially so in the absence of a truly validated and proven treatment or the creation and wide distribution of a safe and successful vaccine.
Additionally, we should not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. The sacrifice that members of this and past generations have made for our country makes it necessary that all of us take at least a moment to pay tribute to them. In the absence of a direct consequence, it is sometimes hard to truly grasp and appreciate what they have given, what their families have had to endure, or what we as a society have gained because of their sacrifice. We simply cannot afford to forget that on this day, it does not matter which battle or war, whether we individually agree or not that it was necessary, whether we believe it was a success or a failure, whether you are on one side of the political spectrum or the other, this day, Memorial Day, is to honor them for fulfilling their duty to country at immense cost.
That being said, we hope that all of you were able to have a safe holiday this Memorial Day 2020.
Aviation Maintenance Technician Day
AMT Day was observed on May 24th. With all of the madness and uncertainty (yet again!) around us, it is an easy day to overlook. But the skill and integrity with which most folks accomplish their work every day needs to be celebrated. Never more than during difficult times like these when there is so much to be fearful about and we must exist surrounded by constant uncertainty. We salute you all for the professionalism you exhibit on a daily basis. Your dedication to your craft and unwavering commitment to safety is truly appreciated.
COVID-19 Cases at the San Francisco Maintenance Base
As you all know by now, there were two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Jet Shop several weeks ago. Contact tracing protocols were initiated, and affected areas were deep cleaned. Members on all three shifts in the affected area were also briefed by company representatives. At this point, there have been no further developments.
The Furlough Question
Ever since this COVID-19 pandemic hit and decimated the economy and the travel industry, everyone has been preoccupied with the question of furloughs from our ranks. We have been asked repeatedly what the impact to our folks will be and it is frustrating as heck to have to say that we simply do not know. This is an extremely dynamic situation and the Company has not indicated precisely their intent except to acknowledge what we already know, which is that there will indeed be layoffs. Beyond that, it would be a disservice to the membership for us to speculate how many because there are simply too many unknowns at this point.
Both of us have over thirty years at this airline and we have both had to deal with the uncertainty of pending layoffs several times throughout our careers. And we definitely understand that this furlough question will be a constant topic of conversation on the floor. And rightfully so. But we do not believe that it is a given that the Company can just do whatever they want in this circumstance. They must follow the CBA. From where we sit, the primary legal question as to whether or not the Company can simply layoff our members at their discretion beyond the CBA's furlough protection date has not been answered. That and many other questions remain before we have a real indication of what to expect on October 1st. So patience is a must right now.
Another question that has come up has to do with concessions. A few folks have indicated that they believe that the Union should engage with the Company in negotiating contract concessions. We strongly disagree. We have all been through too much to just be handing back hard-fought contract language to the Company. The overwhelming majority of our members agree with us that this is not a feasible approach to take. Due to the number of folks that have reached out to us recently about this topic, we felt that this needed to be said so that there is no confusion on this issue.
We have taken the time to put together some pdf's of various contract language regarding furlough protection, furloughs, and seniority. We think that all of our members should take the time to review and become familiar with the language. This is your contract and you should know it, especially in times like these. This contract language has been distributed to all of the Shop Stewards so please be sure to reach out to your Steward for copies. Or you can email us directly if you like and we will get them out to you. Afterwards, please reach out to your Shop Steward or Chief Steward with questions or come on up to the office and we will be sure to get them answered.
UAL's Voluntary Separation Program 2
Last week, United rolled out its second Voluntary Separation Program. To be clear, this was not a negotiated agreement and the Airline Division believes that this program lacks sufficient financial incentives. In a statement released this weekend, Airline Division Representative Vinny Graziano stated that "...this package falls short of what we believe will be needed for a majority of the members who are close to retirement but not ready to make that decision." Nevertheless, each of you will have to make your own determination as to the viability of this program based on your own personal situation. Please be sure to review all details thoroughly before making your decision.
Union History
May 31st, 1997 - Rose Will Monroe, who became known as “Rosie the Riveter” dies at the age of 77. Rose worked at an aircraft parts factory during World War II and was “discovered” by filmmakers producing a film promoting war bonds. The song and the iconic poster were already well known and a real-life Rosie who was a riveter “proved too good for the film’s producers to resist,” said Monroe’s daughter.
May 30th, 1937 - In what would become known as the Memorial Day Massacre, police open fire on striking steelworkers, their families, and supporters who were marching to the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago to set up a picket line. The police killed ten people and pursued those fleeing the attack, wounding many more; no one was ever prosecuted.
June 25th, 1938 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) into law. The FLSA applied to industries whose combined employment represented only about one-fifth of the labor force. In these industries, it banned certain types of child labor, established a minimum wage, and set a maximum workweek at 44 hours.
Union Quotes
True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things out of each day as it goes by - E.S. Bouton
History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives - Abba Eban
Tomorrow's justice does not justify today's injustice - Jeffrey Nall
Our Commitment to Communication
The communication process is an extremely important part of what we do to represent our folks here at SFO and, as we have been outlining for quite some time, we have been blasting out the BA Report along with any other communication we get from the Airline Division or the International to anyone who registers at the TeamstersSFO website. We feel that it is essential for all of our members to be engaged and informed at all times. Therefore, we encourage all of you to spread the word to your fellow members to go to the TeamstersSFO website and click on the ‘email signup’ tab to get on the list.
The Chief Stewards are in constant communication with your Shop Stewards in order to pass on any important informational items that may come up. It is crucial to our process that every work area on every shift have Shop Steward representation so that you can be assured of getting information in a timely manner. Also, be sure to check the bulletin boards in your area for the latest information.
Get involved and stay informed.
Please Stay Safe Folks!
Mark DesAngles Javier Lectora
Business Agent Business Agent
Local 986 Local 856
Click here for a printable version of this report