February Business Agents' Report

Article 5 – Filling of Vacancies

As we discussed in last months report, there is a 180-day period from the Date of Ratification for folks to submit requests for the various Bid Area Qualifications (BAQ’s) for which they are entitled. This month we will first outline the eBid process during those 180 days and then describe how the process will proceed after the 180-day period ends. But first a few words on the 180-day process itself. We are well aware that the verification process is not functioning as it should be. There are many cases where BAQ requests are being rejected in error and the in those cases we want people to resubmit their requests. Additionally, we are speaking to the Company about several problems that are being encountered related to these BAQ requests such as the inability to submit supporting comments in the comment boxes and the lack of coherent processes in place at the local level to ‘confer and resolve’ matters that arise, as is specifically outlined in Article 3, Paragraph E.3.b. We want folks to continue to submit these BAQ requests until the Company gets it right. If you are repeatedly denied a BAQ that you are entitled without good reason, then please get with your Shop Steward so we can engage the Company as to why. If that is unsuccessful, then we are going to start filing grievances.

Now, during these 180 days, when a vacancy bid closes on eBid, you will see that the names are sorted according to Sort Groups. We will describe the Sort Groups in greater detail later but what is important for you to know is that for the duration of the 180-day period the Company will use a separate spreadsheet and sort all the bidders by their Craft Seniority, regardless of what Sort Group number is next to their names or what position they are on the list as a result of the Sort Group. Afterwards, the Company will start at the top of the list and work there way down. If the person is already sorted in Group 1 (G1), then that person is already BAQ’d for that particular Bid Area and they are a successful bidder. If the person is sorted as a G3, the Company will reach out to find out if the person should be BAQ’d so that none of our folks are inadvertently missed because the BAQ verification process is incomplete. We are following the process very closely to make sure the Company conducts the process accurately and we have been able so far to correct any issues that have come up.

After the 180-day period ends on June 19th, the eBid process will normalize so that all bidders for a vacancy are sorted by Sort Group priority according to Article 5.D.1 of the CBA. As mentioned before, Sort Group 1 (G1) indicates that a technician is fully qualified in that BAQ. Sort Group 2 (G2) indicates a fully qualified technician that is restricted from bidding, which is otherwise known as being in the ‘penalty box’. There are two circumstances in which a restriction from bidding will be imposed on a technician. The first occurs when a technician has turned down a previous bid offer. They will be restricted from bidding for a period of two years. And the second case is that once a technician has accepted a bid award and reported to a new location, they will only be able to bid for a vacancy once in a two-year period following notification of the first bid (please note that all restrictions are automatically lifted if the 

vacancy being bid is for a premium position such as Lead or Inspector). Sort Group 3 (G3) indicates IBT represented employees regardless of current craft who meet all the requirements of Article 3 except for the Experience requirement. If the vacancy is not filled through groups G1 and G2, than there is essentially a waiver on the experience requirement. This is where folks will be sorted who are not BAQ’d in the area being bid. What is essential to note is that this sort group also includes folks that are not currently technicians who have A&P licenses and are looking to transfer into the Technician Craft. For example, if a Utility Specialist who has his A&P wants to become a technician, he or she will not have to apply as an internal candidate AFTER a bid closes anymore. They can bid directly for an open vacancy and be considered for the position if it is not filled through Sort Groups 1 and 2. They would still have to take the written and practical tests to be offered the position but they would no longer have to ‘interview’ afterwards. If they pass the tests, they are offered the position. Period. This is important because it allows us to prioritize for vacancies folks who are currently in our book ahead of either management who hold Craft Seniority (Sort Group 4) or any other internal candidates from outside our CBA, who obviously have no Craft Seniority.

Something else that is worth mentioning relates to the issue of Trade Tests. After the 180-day period concludes, you will have hade to put in a request for a Trade Test prior to the bid opening in order to be allowed to take a Trade Test and be considered as a G1 for a particular vacancy. If you put in a Trade Test Request after the bid opens, you will be sorted only as a G3 so it is very important that all of you that are trying to get qualified in a BAQ that requires a Trade Test and that you have never worked (and are not ‘grandfathered’) to get the process going as soon as possible so that when a bid for that vacancy opens you can be considered with the first tier of bidders. We hope that this information helps.

2017 Scholarship Applications Being Accepted

Its that time of year again. We encourage those of you with kids that are in their last year of High School or in an accredited college or vocational program to apply for the various scholarships being offered both locally and nationally.

The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund offers an Academic Scholarship for High School Seniors as well as a Training and Vocational Programs Scholarship for those enrolled in vocational programs. The deadline for both scholarships is March 31st, 2017. For more information and to download an application, please go to the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund website at http://www.jrhmsf.org.

The Teamsters Local 856/986 UAL-SFO Scholarship Fund is also accepting applications until March 31st for High School Seniors who will be attending a University, College or Trade School. Please go to the TeamstersSFO Website at http://teamsterssfo.com and scroll down to the Available Scholarships box.

Also accessible through the TeamstersSFO website is the application for the California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Scholarship application. The application deadline for this Scholarship is Mat 31st.

Additionally members of Teamster Locals 856 and Teamster Local 986 should visit their respective Locals website to check the availability of additional scholarship opportunities particular to each Local. The Teamsters Local 856 website is located at http://teamsters856.org and the Teamsters Local 986 can be found at http://www.local986.org.

***Please note that, regardless of what Local you belong to, you must bring all of your applications to Local 856 so that they can verify that you are a member in good standing before forwarding your application to the appropriate address. So don’t wait until the last minute folks!

SFO Tech Ops Safety Toe Shoe Program

On February 9th, VP Base Maintenance informed SFO Ground Safety Chairman Ralph Ortiz that the Safety Toe Shoe Reimbursement Program would be continuing at the San Francisco Maintenance Base. The program provides a reimbursement allowance of up to $52.80 per employee per year on a rolling 12-month basis for shoes that comply with the standards outlined in the Ground Safety Manual, GSM Chapter 3, Section 23-2, Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2. The protective footwear must meet American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) Standard F2412-05 Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection” and F2413-05 “Standard Requirements for Protective Footwear”. The procedure for reimbursement is as follows:

• Purchase shoes meeting standard identified above
• Present receipt within 30 days to local management
• Complete uSource on-line training or station administrative staff applies as an employee surrogate for uSource Expense Report submissions
• Complete “All About Me” expense report Direct Deposit banking information (one-time only)
• Submit report with receipt via uSource
• Receive reimbursement via Direct Deposit

Please contact your local administrative staff for guidance through the process. It important to note that United has a general shoe policy in GSM Chapter 3, Sections 23-2, Paragraph 5.1 “Substantial Footwear Requirement”. You should familiarize yourself with the policy so that you can avoid any injury related to wearing improper footwear in the workplace.

Thanks to Ralph Ortiz for his work in assuring that this important program continues at the Maintenance Base!

Pre-Retirement Seminar Yields a Packed House

This years Pre-Retirement Seminar, held on February 4th in the Employee Communications Center had the participation of over 300 employees and family members. The packed house heard very informative presentations from our IBT Member Assistance Program Coordinators Steve Loone and Steve Crummey as well as presentations from Kaiser Permanante and Fidelity Investment representatives. We want to extend our thanks to all of you who participated in this year’s event. Special Thanks to Steve Loone and Steve Crummey for putting it all together. For those of you who were not able to make it, stop by the Union Office any time to receive a copy of our Retirement Information Guide along with other relevant materials that we have on-hand.

Labor History for the Month of February

February 7th, 2008 - A huge explosion and fire at the Imperial Sugar refinery northwest of Savannah, Georgia, kills 14 and injures 38 people. The explosion was fueled by massive accumulations of combustible sugar dust throughout the packaging building. An investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board stated that the explosion had been “entirely preventable,” noting that the sugar industry had been aware of the risk of dust explosions since 1926.

February 3rd, 1941 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously in United States v. Darby to uphold the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which banned certain types of child labor, established a minimum wage, and set a maximum workweek at 44 hours.

We must never forget!

Labor Quotes

“As Americans, we should be opposed to bigotry and racial discrimination at every turn, and to do everything possible to make the Bill of Rights a reality for every citizen. As members of the American labor movement, we support every tenet of Americanism. Equal opportunity is one of those tenets.”

-James R. Hoffa

Stay Informed

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. Additionally, there are weekly meetings held with the Shop Stewards to pass on any important informational items that may come up during the month. It is crucial to our process that every area on every shift have Shop Steward representation and that the Shop Steward give, at a minimum, weekly briefings to his/her crew so that the information gets to our members. 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 technicians to go to the TeamstersSFO website and click on the ‘email signup’ tab to get on the list. And, most importantly, we urge you to also consider getting more involved. Which brings us to our last point. Every month, on the last Thursday, we hold Craft Meetings at Local 856. At these meetings, the membership hears reports from the Business Agents and other members of the SFO Committee on Grievances, Safety, Member Assistance, and TSAP. Additionally, all members have an opportunity to ask questions and to bring up topics for discussion. Check your IBT Bulletin Board for dates and times.

As always, stay informed!

In Solidarity

Mark DesAngles                  Javier Lectora
Business Agent                    Business Agent
Local 986                               Local 856

Mechanics' Dispatch

Attendance Policy

March 1st 2017

Brothers and Sisters,

As most of you know, the Company is instituting a new attendance policy. It is being briefed that this policy will be implemented on March 15th. It was relayed to me that some supervisors across the system are briefing that the IBT has signed off or agreed to this policy. Let me be as clear as possible, that is outright lie. Just as in the working together guidelines, the Company makes policy.  It is our policy to fight them all the way through the grievance process to arbitration, if necessary, on rules and policies that we believe are unfair and harmful to the membership. We will attack this new policy in the same fashion. To be clear, this is a United Airlines policy and was not agreed to in any fashion by the IBT.

In solidarity,

Bob Fisher
International Representative
Airline Division
International Brotherhood of Teamsters

January 2017 Business Agents' Report

Bid Area Qualifications

Per Article 3 Paragraph E.3.a of the Collective Bargaining Agreement there is a 180-day window established for the purposes of allowing technicians to submit requests for all Bid Area Qualifications (BAQ’s) for which they are entitled. In addition to any BAQ’s that you have already worked, formerly sub-UAL technicians with A&P licenses are entitled to submit requests the following BAQ’s: 101, 102, 103, 105,106, 107, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116, 117, and 122. Basically, any BAQ that you could have bid to prior to the merger without taking a test is one for which you can submit. Additionally, non-licensed technicians are ‘grandfathered’ for all the same BAQ’s except for the 101 BAQ. If you are a non-licensed technician at SFO Maintenance Base, please refer to LOA 12 of the CBA for information on your bidding rights and restrictions. In order to submit for qualification in any of these listed BAQ’s, in addition to those they have previously worked, each technician must log into eBID, go to the ‘BAQ (IBT Seniority List)’ drop down menu, choose ‘Qualifications/Seniority List’, then click on his/her name to view their BAQ’s. Then, they need to click on the ‘yes’ button next to all BAQ’s for which they are qualified. Always make sure to hit the ‘Submit’ button when done and the Request Status column will change to Awaiting TOM Approval. Again, every technician should make sure that they have submitted for all the BAQ’s they have worked plus all those for which they are ‘grandfathered’. This is especially important for those who intend to bid any upcoming vacancies. If you have any questions, please contact your Shop Steward or your Chief Steward.

Early Out Submission Window Opens

For all of you who wish to take part in the Early Out Program, the window for submitting your applications opened on January 15th. In order to be considered eligible for the Early out you must be on ‘Active Status’ as of January 15th and remain on so until your release date. Additionally, you must have a minimum of 15 Years of Service and be at least 45 Years Old. The deadline to submit your application is February 28th. For more information please go to IBT Implementation on Tech Ops page in the Flying Together Website.

Seniority Challenge
By now, most of you should have verified that your Seniority Dates are correct. For those of you that have not please go to https://teamster.org/ual-2016/seniority-list to view your seniority dates. The Company and the Union have been working to correct any discrepancies and most of the initial problems, which were generally IT-related, have been resolved. But if you feel that your seniority is incorrect for any reason please fill out and submit the online Seniority Challenge Form immediately. To access the form go to Tech Ops website, click on IBT Contract Implementation link and then choose the Challenge Form under the heading Online Forms. 

Lump Sum Protest
You can find a copy of the Lump Sum LOA as well as the Lump Sum Dispute Form at https://teamster.org/ual-2016/pay-and-benefits. You will have to print the form, fill it out, and mail it to the IBT at the address listed on the form. It must be postmarked by February 28th, 2017.

Pre-Retirement Seminar
TeamstersSFO is hosting our annual pre-retirement seminar for all active and retired Mechanic And Related members at the Base on Saturday, February 4th from 9am until 1pm. There will be a wide range of valuable information provided and we strongly encourage any members who are planning to retire in the near future to attend. Attendees will be provided a Retirement Guide and a Retirement Information Booklet to use as a reference during the transition to retirement. Spouses/Domestic Partners and members on Extended Illness who wish to attend must check in at the Main Lobby between 8:30am and 8:45am to be escorted to the seminar, which will be held at the Employee Communications Center (Old SAMC).

Please check your local IBT Bulletin Boards for more information.

Employee Hearing Loss Determinations
The Teamsters SFO Ground Safety Committee was informed by the Base Safety Department that 22 out of 23 SFO maintenance base employee’s tested in 2016 who showed shifts/losses in their hearing were determined to have undergone non-work related hearing loss. HCI, the Health Conservation/Testing vendor United uses, reviewed each employees hearing test results and the corresponding work determinations questionnaires to make these assessments. 

The Base Safety Department has informed us that they will be sending letters to the 22 employees to explain why their hearing shift/loss was classified as not to being work-related.  Due to medical privacy, United cannot provide the Teamster Safety Committee with a copy of the letter nor inform us which employees will receive a letter. 

 We recommend that if you received this letter and have questions or concerns that your hearing shift/loss was ruled to be non-work related, visit your Teamsters SFO Ground Safety Committee representative. We can provide you with information on what options you may have.

Did You Know: Girl Scouts Gift of Caring Program

The Girl Scouts Gift of Caring Program is a great way to support military personnel and Girl Scouts at the same time!

During the cookie program, customers can donate money directly to Girl Scouts, which will then be used to purchase cookies that are sent to organizations that bring comfort to the women and men serving in the armed forces. There are several ways to donate but we recommend talking to your local Girl Scout cookie salesperson and asking how you can help support our troops deployed overseas. For those of you who want to make larger donations visit you local Girl Scout Troops website and look for the Gift of Caring Program information. Thanks to Technician Lou Kostura for the info!

Labor History for the Month of January
January 19th, 1915 - Deputy sheriffs open fire on striking workers who had assembled to meet a train believed to be bringing in scabs for the American Agricultural Chemical Company in Roosevelt, New Jersey.  Two workers were killed and many more wounded.  Twenty-eight deputies were arrested on murder charges; nine of those were convicted of manslaughter.

January 4th, 1965 - Eight thousand social workers represented by two different unions in New York City go on strike over workload and wages. Mayor Robert Wagner fired all of the strikers and threw nineteen leaders in jail for two weeks, but the workers won the strike within a month. Supported by organized labor, the civil rights movement, and a community coalition, it was the longest labor action by public employees in the history of New York City.

January 16th, 2006 - An underground explosion traps thirteen miners in a coalmine in Sago, West Virginia.  Twelve of the miners died, most by asphyxiation.  The mine had been cited more than 270 times for safety violations over the preceding two years.

We must never forget!

Labor Quotes

Management doesn't seem to understand the importance of the human factor - Charles, Prince of Wales

We should measure the success of our economy by the breadth of our Middle Class and the scope of opportunity offered to the poorest child to climb into that Middle Class - John Sweeney

Stay Informed
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. Additionally, we have weekly meetings with all of our Shop Stewards to make sure that we can get any items of importance out to the floor in a prompt manner. The SFO Committee feels that it is essential for all of our members to be engaged and informed at all times. There are a few self-serving individuals out there who seek to capitalize on our memberships lack of engagement by spreading rumors and falsehoods at every turn. Therefore, we encourage all of you to spread the word to your fellow technicians to go to the site and click on the ‘email signup’ tab to get on the list and to also make sure that your area has Shop Steward representation. Our goal is to reach as many members as possible here at SFO to make sure our folks always have the latest communication available. As always, stay informed!

In Solidarity

Mark DesAngles                    Javier Lectora
Business Agent                     Business Agent
Local 986                              Local 856

Mechanics' Dispatch

Transition Items 

Monday the 9th there was a call with all the Business Agents around the system and the Division to discuss transition items. The BAs were notified that the company has hired a printer to manufacture the new JCBA for distribution, but that the timeframe for completion is unknown at this time.  

New members of the Joint Board of Adjustment were added and announced on the call. These new members are Vincent Graziano from Local 210, Thomas Esposito from Local 769, Javier Lectora from Local 856, and Dave Saucedo from Local 986. A system wide Joint Board is tentatively scheduled for the week of March 9th in Los Angeles. This Board is scheduled to last all week with the purpose of adjudicating the grievances that still remain from the prior CBAs. 

Operationally it was discussed that the company is not changing to the new duty times until they can train those that will administer the language. Until that time the status quo from the old language remains in place. The twenty-year premium in GSE/Facilities and Bid Area 128 has not been applied to leads with less than twenty years. An et al grievance has been filed on the matter.  An et al grievance has also been filed for the former sCO mechanics that had their company seniority adjusted for time spent on layoff. Those members have a different accrual for vacation and lower seniority date for pass travel than those from the former sUA subsidiary. The Division views this as a matter of basic fairness that needs to be addressed. There were several other issues discussed on the call and they are all being addressed with the company. As resolutions are achieved they will be reported. 

A meeting is being worked on for the BAs to meet with Don Wright and his team to further discuss transition items. This meeting should take place in the next couple of weeks. Another BA call is scheduled for the 23rd.  

Seniority Challenges 

Many members have asked which list to use to base their appeals. Use the list posted at https://teamster.org/ual-2016/seniority-list 

Luis Morel Chief Steward in MCO caught a typo in the second sentence on the third page. The description talks about breaks in ties and said “where the lowest number is junior.” That should have read highest and is now corrected. 

LOA 28 Challenges

This is a reminder that challenges to the lump sum amounts described in LOA 28 must be postmarked by February 28th. The explanation and form can be found at https://teamster.org/ual-2016/pay-and-benefits

Management Changes 

As many of you already know Kris Bauer has replaced Charles Duncan as the SVP of Tech Ops. Kris comes from Allegiant Air. A move in LR now has Tech Ops Dealing with Managing Director Tom Reardon. Tom started his career with United as an Aircraft Technician. 

GSE/Facilities Call 

A conference call was held on 1/6/2017 between representatives of the Union and the Company concerning Facility and Ground Equipment issues. On the call for the Company were Ray Ames, Gary Dyer, Jesse Jandura and Paul Gniadecki. For the Union were Clacy Griswald, Bob Fisher, Ken Meidinger and Allen Cosides. The parties discussed the opening of MCO. A joint team of Union and Company representatives will visit MCO to determine the scope of work in late January or early February. The issue of bringing Chelsea Mechanics into the IBT continues to be discussed. Under Article 1 F 2 the system review committee will be broken up into separate facilities and ground equipment teams consisting of six members each. A committee is being established to address the utility specialist scope of work as per LOA #6. Local Facility review committees under LOA # 7 will continue to review local issues