Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition Newsletter

March 2018 | Volume 9, Issue 1

Check out the Spring 2018 edition of the Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition (TAMC) newsletter. In this edition, the TAMC speaks with Allegiant Air mechanics who filed for representation, the Airline Division's BA training, Teamster aviation mechanics who participated in this year's Aviation Safety Infoshare, and much more.

Airline Division Week in Review — March 30, 2018

Omni Pilots Ratify New Contract By Large Margin, High Turnout
Today over 95% of Omni International’s pilots voted by an overwhelming margin to ratify their new contract. With 190 of the 198 eligible members voting, 177 members voted in favor of the new agreement.
“I am very happy for the Omni pilots,” said Airline Division Director Captain David Bourne. “This new agreement represents a substantial improvement for the Omni pilots in wages, working conditions and quality of life. I commend their leadership and the leadership of Local 1224 for bringing this outstanding agreement to the membership and for its ratification.”

Approximately 150 Aircraft Workers at SeaTac Airport Vote to Join Teamsters Local 174
Nearly 150 aircraft fuelers, dispatchers and mechanics employed by Swissport have finally received word that they were successful in their effort to join Teamsters Local 174. The mostly-immigrant workgroup is based at SeaTac airport, and is responsible for fueling all commercial aircraft departing from that airport.
“These individuals perform technically difficult work that has a direct impact on public safety, yet Swissport pays them minimum wage without benefits. Turnover is sky-high as a result,” said Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “For the work they do, these people deserve far better treatment. The customers of Alaska Airlines and all the flying public deserves better. We are proud to see them standing together to tell their employer that they will not be taken advantage of anymore.” 
The fuelers will join their 13 fellow Swissport employees working at the SeaTac fuel farm as members of Teamsters Local 174.
The election victory comes after a difficult organizing campaign spearheaded by Local 174 Director of Organizing Meaza Ogbe.
“We faced numerous challenges, especially language and cultural barriers, but those were ultimately overcome by speaking a language we can all understand: the language of respect,” said Ogbe. “I am so proud of the courage these workers demonstrated in standing up to their employer and not falling prey to their manipulations. They are now in a great position to improve their wages, hours and working conditions, which will improve their entire standard of living.” 
The election results will be certified next week and the union will begin the process of negotiating a first contract by conducting a demands meeting and listening to the employees on what they wish to accomplish. 
“Welcome to our new sisters and brothers to the Teamsters Union, and welcome to a better way of life,” Hicks said. “We are happy to have you in our family.”

Crewmembers Cautioned On The Dangers Of Drinking Some Teas In South America
APA Teamsters Local 1224 Human Factors Coordinator Roy Liggett recently issued a warning to crewmembers operating into South America, regarding the consumption of some commercially available hot teas. In his email, he specifically referenced a tea made from Coca leaves.  He said:
“While this tea is legal and readily available in many of our South American destinations, its consumption (even accidental or unknowing) could have a catastrophic effect on your career.  
While on an overnight in these countries, please be extremely alert to this risk when consuming tea. 
In addition, this exact tea has been seen on our freighters as part of the regular catering.  If you do happen to see this tea, DO NOT consume it, discard it in the trash and immediately file an FCR with included pictures.” 
If you missed the original message, titled “Be Careful What You Eat and Drink”, you can view it by clicking here or copy/paste the following URL into your web browser (https://www.apa1224.org/all_unionnewsresults_mbr.aspx?NewsID=13134).

Butler Watch Company Salutes Russ Leighton As It’s “2017 Pillar of Aviation”
Russ Leighton, Aviation Safety Coordinator for the Teamsters Airline Division is the latest recipient of Butler Watch Company's Pillar of Aviation distinction.  Russ has devoted much of his career to the pursuit of higher safety standards in aviation.  He is focused, committed, and often times selflessly sacrifices personal time in order to complete tasks and responsibilities related to his safety work.
In a press release announcing the award; Corey Butler, President of Butler Watch Company remarked, "We are proud to honor Mr. Leighton with our Pillar of Aviation salute. Russ is driven to develop and expand aviation safety.  He deserves recognition for his commitment to improving procedures and conduct that impact all of us."
A Boeing 767 pilot for ABX and member of Local 1224, Mr. Leighton's influence is felt at numerous airline flight departments through his leadership on several industry Boards. He currently serves as the Director of Safety for the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) and also serves as the Aviation Safety Coordinator for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division. Russ is responsible for training and maintaining Aircraft Accident Go-Teams, which help the NTSB as parties to investigations.  Previously, he worked as an Air Safety Investigator for the NTSB, serving as Investigator-In-Charge on over 50 aircraft accidents.  He serves on FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committees (ARC) on behalf of CAPA, the FAA's Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), and Aviation Safety and Information Sharing Executive Board (ASIAS).  Previously, he served on the Flight/Duty time ARC which defined new regulations for pilot flight time and duty time limits.  The new regulations use fatigue science as a basis for the first time ever and were last updated 50 years ago.
As a memento and gift for Mr. Leighton, Corey Butler presented a Professional Series GMT watch with an inscription that includes Mr. Leighton's name and the words "Pillar of Aviation."

Airline Industry News

Governmental and Regulatory
The Federal Aviation Administration says the number of commercial drones and operators in the US will quadruple over the next four years. FAA data suggest that 300,000 new commercial drone pilots will be needed.
The newly released spending bill for the Federal Aviation Administration includes an authorization extension, giving lawmakers until Oct. 1 to craft a long-term FAA bill.
Airports get a new $1 billion federal grant program, but not a long-sought hike in ticket fees to pay for construction projects, under a broad spending bill released last Wednesday.

Airlines, Industry and Labor
Atlas Air Worldwide has built up its cargo fleet with six secondhand 747-400F aircraft. "We think that was a prudent thing to do, as we think about growing demand over the next couple of years and our ability to service that," Atlas Air CEO William Flynn said.
Brisk hiring by major US airlines has sparked interest among young people  in piloting careers. A pilot shortage has small airlines struggling to find pilots and Boeing predicts that 117,000 new pilots will be needed in the US by 2036.
Cargo shippers are looking to grow their air freight capacity as demand for cargo space, including blocked space agreements, continues to grow. Analysis shows that Atlas Air and ATSG are both benefitting from the boom in air cargo.

Airline Division Week in Review — March 10, 2018

Omni Pilots reach Tentative Agreement with 100% pay gains and highest starting salaries in the airline industry
Pilots at charter airline Omni Air International reached a new tentative agreement with the company on February 28th. The agreement includes major increases in pay that make Omni’s starting first officer salaries the highest in the U.S. airline industry. The pilots are represented by the Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224 and have been in negotiations with the company for almost two and a half years.
The contract addresses longstanding concerns about compensation; many Omni pilots operating under the agreement will see their pay more than double during its four-year term. The contract also includes major increases in issues related to travel, lodging and benefits, a major victory for pilots at Omni.
The Omni contract marks the latest victory for the union, which represents pilots at ten U.S.-based passenger and cargo airlines.
“Our union is committed to raising the bar for the piloting craft,” said Teamsters Local 1224 President Daniel C. Wells. “With the OMNI agreement — the latest in a string of contract victories after Allegiant and Kalitta — we have made these companies a respectable place for pilots to work. We are proud of forcing this evolution in the industry. The contract with Omni is the latest hard-fought victory for pilots in our union and throughout the trade. We are proud to be raising standards for America’s professional pilots that support decent, stable jobs for our members and their families, and we are proud to help OMNI attract and retain pilots who will keep the airline safe for its passengers.”
Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Omni is the nation’s largest all-passenger charter airline. The company operates domestic and international flights for corporations, sports teams, government agencies, and the U.S. armed forces, among others.
“A win for pilots is a win for Omni,” said Eric Wainscott, Omni Pilots Executive Council Chairman. “With precedent-setting pay and benefits for Omni pilots, we can attract and keep our best pilots – ensuring that our passengers arrive safely and comfortably at their destinations.”
Omni pilots are expected to vote on the proposed agreement at the end of March. Additional details of the agreement will first be disclosed to and discussed with the 250 Omni pilots who are based across the country.

Allegiant Mechanics and Related join Pilots and Dispatchers as Teamsters
The mechanics and related classifications at Allegiant Air voted overwhelmingly for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to become their collective bargaining representatives in an election with the National Mediation Board (NMB). The final vote count comes after a petition for representation was filed on December 13, 2017.
“Congratulations to all of our mechanics who voted to stand united so they can negotiate for better wages, benefits and safety standards under a Teamster contract,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “We’re excited to begin the negotiations process at Allegiant Air.”
Allegiant Air employs about 400 mechanics and related technicians, primarily in Las Vegas and in Sanford, Fla., but also in 10 other stations throughout the country. The Teamsters already represent pilots and flight dispatchers employed by Allegiant Air.
Colin Coffman has been working for Allegiant Air at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport for three years. He served on the organizing committee during the campaign to bring mechanics into the Teamsters Union.
“Before I worked at Allegiant, I was a Teamster for 19 years at UPS Air Cargo,” Coffman said. “They were a powerful voice for us. The solidarity was there, and it seemed like it was a family. I think workers here need that solidarity; we need that strength.”

Republic Pilots see substantial improvements in wages and benefits with new contract extension
Republic Airline pilots who are members of Teamsters Local 357 have ratified a contract extension of their 2015 collective bargaining agreement.
The extension includes immediate pay raises retroactive to January 1, 2018. Additional raises over the next 23 months provide for a total wage increase of 14 to 28 percent, dependent upon length of service. In addition to the wage increase, improvements were made to vacation accruals and company retirement contributions.
The agreement was reached well ahead of an October 2018 amendable date. The new amendable date is January 1, 2021.
“We’re pleased to have negotiated an extension that values the service Teamster pilots at Republic provide. Reaching an agreement well ahead of the original amendable date is consistent with the goal of shortened but more frequent negotiating cycles. The union leadership feels that incremental improvements have a more immediate effect, and also have the benefit that the aggregate increase will be larger than a single comprehensive agreement achieved over the same time period. This extension was ratified by 51 percent of those voting, with 85 percent participation. Those numbers suggest that this new approach will have to be proven successful to the membership through continuous improvements in the future,” said Josh LeBlanc, President of Local 357.
Teamsters Local 357, based in Plainfield, Indiana, represents over 2,000 pilots flying for Republic.

Airline Industry News
Governmental and Regulatory
Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines, expressed disappointment that Congress had failed to provide meaningful reforms to the nation's air traffic control system. "The status quo doesn't work," he said. "If our government wants to hold onto [ATC] and be in charge of this commercial process, we need to make it work."

Airlines, Industry and Labor
United Airlines is considering the Airbus A330-800neo and Boeing New Mid-market Airplane (NMA) among options to replace its fleet of aging Boeing 757s and 767s.
Hawaiian Airlines has ordered 10 Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" passenger jets, expected to arrive in 2021. "The Dreamliner combines excellent comfort for our guests with fantastic operational performance, and will allow us to continue modernizing our fleet into the next decade," said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian's president and CEO.
A report from the International Air Transport Association shows that the air cargo market is off to a strong start in 2018, with traffic up 8% year-over-year in January. "We expect demand for air cargo to taper to a more normal 4.5% growth rate for 2018," said Alexandre de Juniac, CEO and director general of IATA.

February 2018 Business Agents' Report

Teamsters License Protection Program

As aviation maintenance professionals, we all take safety very seriously. Unfortunately, there are times when, due to circumstances we sometimes cannot control, we might find ourselves in a position where we are accused of or have actually violated FAR’s. The Teamster License Protection Program is open to both licensed and unlicensed technicians at no cost to the employee and offers legal counsel for FAR violations.

A Letter of Investigation (LOI) is issued by the FAA in those cases where the FAA believes a technician may have violated one or more FAR’s. An LOI can be issued in cases where there has not yet been self-disclosure using a TSAP (TechOps Safety Awareness Program) report or where a TSAP report was rejected by the TSAP Event Review Committee (ERC). If a technician receives an LOI from the FAA, he or she should immediately contact the Business Agents. The Business Agents will then discuss the circumstances surrounding the LOI with the technician, contact the program administrator, then make a decision about contacting outside legal counsel to assist. If the case is to be referred to an attorney, the technician will need to draft a response, explanation, or justification for the work that the FAA is investigating which will be used by the attorney as a basis to answer the LOI.

The attorney may have questions or need additional information that may be requested by phone or email. A letter will be sent from the attorney to the technician explaining the arrangement of legal representation through the Union.

The attorney will then help the technician craft their response to the FAA to make sure the situation is clearly explained. In many cases, the LOI response ends the investigation. However, should the FAA decide to continue to an informal conference, the technician, Business Agents and the program administrator will discuss the next steps with the attorney.

If the decision is made by the program administrator to proceed to the informal conference step with the FAA, the attorney will help prepare the technician for the meeting and will be present in person or via conference call for the meeting.

If the matter cannot be resolved at the informal conference and the FAA proceeds with a certificate action before the NTSB, the technician, the program administrator, and the attorney will decide the best course of action. Should the parties decide to go in front of the administrative law judge for a hearing, the attorney will represent the technician at the proceedings.

Of course, we hope you never find yourselves on the receiving end of an LOI. But if you do, we will do our best to make sure your rights are protected throughout the process.

Teamsters Joint Council 7 Day at the Ballpark

The annual Teamsters JC7 Day at the Oakland Coliseum will occur on July 21st, between the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants. If you do not yet have tickets and are interested in attending, please contact your Chief Steward as soon as possible because they are selling out fast. Tickets are $35 and they include access to the Teamsters Joint Council 7 pre-game party and barbeque.

We will also be raffle off a pair of tickets at the June 21st Craft meeting at Local 856 with proceeds going to the TeamstersSFO Solidarity fund. The price for the raffle tickets is $10 or 3 tickets for $20. See your Shop Steward or Chief Steward for raffle tickets. We hope to see you there!

Pre-Retirement Seminar at the MOC

Thanks to all of you who attended the annual Pre-Retirement Seminar held at the MOC on Saturday, February 17th. Members received a wealth information from Member Assistance Representatives Steve Loone and Steve Crummey and listened to presentations from Kaiser Permanente and Fidelity Investments personnel. We received a ton of positive feedback from members who attended, and we look forward to keeping this going as an annual event. Thanks to all of our volunteers for their help making sure things went smoothly and special thanks to Steve Loone and Steve Crummey for putting it all together!

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 your local Girl Scout Troop’s website and look for the Gift of Caring Program information. Thanks again to Technician Lou Kostura for the info!

Labor History for the Month of February

February 19th, 1910 - The Philadelphia Rapid Transit trolley company fires 173 workers – all members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America – and replaces them with scabs from New York City. Street battles, demonstrations, and a general strike ensued in the city that lasted for 57 days.

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 the sugar industry had been aware of the risk of dust explosions since 1926.

We must never forget!

This Month’s Labor Quotes

In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining... We demand this fraud be stopped. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Strong, responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided. The parties to the labor contract must be nearly equal in strength if justice is to be worked out, and this means that the workers must be organized and that their organizations must be recognized by employers as a condition precedent to industrial peace. - Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

Stay Informed

The communication process is an extremely important part of what we do to represent our folks here at SFO, as we have outlined 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 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.

Additionally, the Chief Stewards hold weekly meetings 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 work area on every shift have Shop Steward representation and that the Shop Steward give, at a minimum, weekly briefings to his/her crew so all the information gets to our members and that our members have the opportunity to ask questions.

Most importantly, we urge you to also consider getting more involved. 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 the TSAP program. 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, and make it a point to stop by whenever you can.

As always, stay informed!

In Solidarity

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

Mechanics' Dispatch

2017 Profit Sharing Update

Brothers and Sisters,

There has been some frustration over the shrinking amount of profit sharing for this year, especially in light of the profit sharing announcement at Delta.

The reason the committee took this approach was simple. Based upon our goal of protecting your short and long range goals; we determined, based on the economic forecasts of consultant Dan Akins, that profits would drop leading to a substantial loss in your Profit Sharing. This has been borne out as we see that the pilots have taken a stunning 60% reduction in their Profit Sharing.

While the underlying premise of Profit Sharing is good; the sad reality is that it is tied to the company’s profits and is never a guarantee. Our goal was and will always be to ensure that you are recognized for your efforts.

Based upon these concerns, the committee determined that it would be far better to capture the highest hourly rate possible, rather than have annual earnings flex with the ability of the company to make a profit, especially during any future recession. We also recognized that other airlines might increase their respective profit sharing formulae or amounts. In order to capture any possible upward change, the committee included profit sharing at other carriers in the industry reset language in LOA #29.

With our concern that of protecting your finances; and our concerns that the profits would decline, having a negative impact on you, the negotiating committee agreed to the new formula that was based on protecting your hard earned money even in any decline. The reset will occur this December and will take into account the recent increase at Delta Airlines whose profit was much higher than United's. That increase will be applied towards your future raises, and will remain, regardless of the company's profits, for the duration of the agreement and beyond.

Our goal was then and will always remain; protecting the paychecks and financial futures of you and your family. By moving Profit Sharing percentages to hard dollars in your paycheck, we have insured that regardless of United’s profits or industry economic downturns that will come, your hard work will always be recognized and protected.

Fraternally,

Vincent Graziano
National Coordinator, Technician and Related International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division

January 2018 Business Agents' Report

Happy New Year
We hope that all of you had a fabulous Holiday Season!

Although 2017 posed many challenges, we are proud of what we were able to accomplish and that our members now enjoy the best contract in the industry.

As is normally the case, during the transition to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, there have been some implementation issues and also some areas where we disagree with the Company in terms of contract interpretation. We have been working to get those issues resolved and we will actively pursue the grievance process right on up to Arbitration in all areas where we believe that the Company is misinterpreting the CBA. In fact, in January we completed five System Board of Adjustment hearings for contract cases and are fully prepared to take those to Arbitration if we have to. Additionally, we are in constant dialogue with the Company in an effort to find resolution whenever possible on any outstanding issues or grievances. Eventually, we will get these issues resolved one way or another.

We would like to now point to the many gains that we have attained over the last decade. Think back to how it was back then. We all lived it together. No pension. Bottom of industry in wages. Four OT shifts max for a month. Not even an inkling of what a Trade Day consisted of nor what a HRA account was. No ability to bid to another crew or another shift even though you had the seniority because you had to wait for some magic opening to occur. Layoff after layoff. We remember very clearly the despair we all felt back then. It was like being stuck in quicksand.

But we have turned the corner. And we are thankful for where we are now and also gratified for the work your Grievance Committee, Safety Committee, Member Assistance, and TSAP representatives do every day on your behalf. Of course, there are those that like to sit in the corner and throw darts at the Union or, more specifically, throw darts at those of us that have dedicated our lives to fighting for the membership. All while they contribute nothing except bitterness, hypocrisy, and worse, outright lies. As we are both individuals who believe in Unions and who have both continuously served as a Shop Stewards through three Unions, we see this bunch as the worst and most cynical to ever to come along. They have willingly partnered with known Union Busters to advance their agenda and they have happily recruited dues objectors and other union-haters to their cause. Then, they want to assert that they are the keepers of true Unionism and that only they will fight on your behalf to get you that elusive perfect contract that you have always wanted if you would only put your trust in them. Despite their assertions, the Union does not write a Collective Bargaining Agreement. It is negotiated and, as such, there will never be any such thing as a perfect contract. But, that being said, there is no doubt as to what we have been able to attain. There is simply no better contract in the industry. Top of the industry in wages with a pension, an HRA, Day Trades, 20+ shifts of OT eligibility, to name just a few. Whether you want more time off or more opportunity to work overtime, you are covered. Like the saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding.” It is our understanding that the process of distributing the new contract books to the membership has begun. We hope that each of you will take the time to read your contract very carefully. Then take a moment to reflect on how things used to be.

New Craft Meeting Hours
As you may have seen posted, we have changed the hours at our monthly Craft Meetings to the following:

Midnight Shift Meeting – 0700
Swing Shift Meeting – 1130
Day Shift Meeting – 1500

This change will allow us to focus more on floor visits on all three shifts throughout Craft Day so that we can answer questions, address concerns, and also just say ‘hello’. Going forward, a group consisting of the Business Agents, Coordinator, Area Chief Steward, Area Safety Rep, Member Assistance Representative, and TSAP ERC member will be visiting each of the four primary work locations (Line, Backshops, Airframe, and Jet Shop) on a rotating basis. In January the group visited various crews out on the Line on all three shifts and had an opportunity to speak to many folks. Thanks to all for your feedback.

SFOTeamsters.com Transition is Complete
We have completed the transition to the new website. Please visit SFOTeamsters.com and take a look around. You will find information regarding your local committee personnel, communication updates and a variety of important member resources and forms.

BAQ 113 – Calibration Technician Matrix
We have still been receiving questions about ‘grandfathering’ rights regarding several BAQ’s for technicians on the Seniority list prior to 2011 ratification of the stand-alone agreement. In order to clarify the issue, we are going to explain the qualification process for the two most questioned BAQ’s. The first is BAQ 113 – Calibration Technician. Because it had been an established practice that a Trade test would be administered to qualify for this BAQ, the following matrix was discussed and implemented with respect to ‘grandfathering’ requests submitted through the eBids website for BAQ 113:

1)    The Technician has previous documented work experience in Bid Area 113; the BAQ request is approved with no further action required or,
2)    The Technician has previously documented work experience in Bid Area 116 – Tooling Repair Technician prior to June 1, 2017 (SFO - prior to 116/113 split); the BAQ request is approved with no further action required or,
3)    The Technician has previously documented experience in Bid Area 123 - Avionics Shop Technician; the BAQ request is improved with no further action required or,
4)    The Technician has previously documented work history as a Mechanic - Radio Shop with the associated job code 6030 – 24; the BAQ request is approved with no further action required or,
5)    When the Technician does not meet any of the requirements noted above for the 113 BAQ, ‘request a trade test’ function will be administered to determine qualifications

We hope that this information will help clear up any questions regarding BAQ 113 ‘grandfathering’.

BAQ 117 – Electric Harness Shop Technician
The other BAQ that we would like to address is BAQ 117 – Electric Harness Shop Technician. Again, because of a prior established trade test practice, an appropriate matrix was developed to address ‘grandfathering’ practices for technicians on the Seniority List prior to 2011. It is as follows:

1)    The Technician has previous documented work experience as a Bid Area 117 – Electric Harness Shop Technician; the BAQ request is approved with no further action required or,
2)    The Technician has previous documented work experience in the former SFOEC electrical shop; the BAQ request is approved with no further action required or,
3)    The Technician has previously documented work history has a Bid Area 104 - Avionics Technician (Airframe or Line Maintenance); the request is approved with no further action required or,
4)    The technician has previous documented work history as a Bid Area 123 - Avionics Shop Technician; the BAQ request is improved with no further action required or,
5)    When the Technician does not meet any of the requirements noted above for the BAQ 117, ‘request a trade test’ function would be administered to determine qualifications.

We want you to know again that the matrices above pertain to ‘grandfathering’ rights afforded to technicians who were on the Seniority List prior to 2011 ratification of the previous stand-alone agreement only. All Bid Area Qualifications outside of this ‘grandfathering’ will be administered according to Article 3 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

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 SFOTeamsters.com. 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 all 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 SFOTeamsters.com and click on the ‘email signup’ tab to get on the list. And, most importantly, we urge you to also consider getting more involved. 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 and make it a point to stop by.

As always, stay informed!

In Solidarity,

Javier Lectora
Business Agent
Local 856

Mark DesAngles                   
Business Agent                    
Local 986                               

Reaching out in our communities

Teamsters SFO — 856/986 is committed to community outreach. As part of our efforts, we sponsored the competitive gymnastics team of the daughter of fellow member, Anthony Borges in Manteca, Calif.

Great work, Teamsters!

Thanks!

Teamsters SFO — 856/986 has received another thank you letter! We donated food, toys, and six Kindle Fire 7s to the San Mateo County Union Community Alliance — Union Food, Toy and Hardship Fund. 

Thank you to everyone! Your generosity made this possible.

Click here to read our thank you letter from Working Partnerships USA.

Thinking of retirement?

Come to our Pre-Retirement Seminar.

Teamsters SFO is hosting a pre-retirement seminar for all active and retired Mechanics & Related members at United Airlines in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Saturday, February 17, 2018
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Employee Communication Center (old SAMC area)
UAL MOC — 800 S. Airport Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94128

Spouses/Domestic Partners and members on Extended Illness who wish to attend must check in at the Main Lobby between 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. to be escorted to the seminar.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Airline Division Week in Review — December 24, 2017

Allegiant Mechanics file for Teamster representation
On December 13th, Allegiant Airlines mechanics and related technicians filed a petition for representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters with the National Mediation Board (NMB).  

The petition is supported by an overwhelming majority of the eligible workers, more than meeting the 50 percent interest threshold established by the NMB. It is expected to trigger an election to determine the workers’ collective bargaining representative. Under the Railway Labor Act, it will be a secret ballot election.

Allegiant Airlines employs about 350 mechanics and related technicians, primarily in Las Vegas and in Sanford, Florida, but also in 10 other stations throughout the country. The Teamsters already represent pilots and flight dispatchers employed by Allegiant Airlines.  
“We’re expecting the National Mediation Board to set a date for the election sometime in the next two months,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “The mechanics at Allegiant Airlines recognize the power that Teamster representation brings to their co-workers as well as mechanics at companies like United Airlines and UPS Air Cargo, and they want in on the action.” 

Teamsters, ExpressJet ERJ Reach Tentative Agreement
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and ExpressJet ERJ have successfully concluded negotiations, resulting in a tentative agreement. The agreement covers approximately 500 mechanics, technicians and tool room attendants that are members of Teamster Locals 19, 210, 781, 783 and 964. 

The IBT negotiating team was comprised of Teamsters Airline Division representatives, representatives from each of the locals and rank and file committee members. It contains significant improvements in wages while maintaining current benefit levels. 
An agreement in principle was reached on December 6. The final contract language agreed upon by the union and ExpressJet ERJ will be put before the membership for a ratification vote beginning on Jan. 4, 2018, and the agreement will become amendable one year after the date of ratification. 

“I am pleased that the ExpressJet ERJ Negotiating Committee was able to reach an agreement with the company that improves standards while also being amenable to all parties involved,” said Captain David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. 

Teamster Mechanics and Related Employees Ratify Agreement with NetJets
NetJets aircraft technicians and related employees ratified a new six-year collective bargaining agreement with the Columbus-based business jet operator. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Teamsters Airline Division and Teamsters Local 284 represent 212 aircraft mechanics, maintenance controllers, stock clerks, aircraft fuelers and aircraft cleaners at the company. 

“After more than six years of negotiations, our members secured a new contract with major improvements, including an immediate 20 percent wage increase, additional pay increases every year of the contract, premium-free health insurance that can’t be cut or reduced, retirement improvements and many other benefits,” said Capt. David Bourne, Teamsters Airline Division Director. “The union and its members stand ready to work with NetJets to help ensure a successful company and the highest standards of air safety now and in the future.” 

More than 94 percent of the members voted on the proposed contract which goes into effect tomorrow. NetJets will pay signing bonuses of up to $30,000 by the end of the month. NetJets workers are also eligible for employer matching contributions if they direct some or all of their bonus into their 401(k) accounts. 

“The new labor agreement was made possible by membership solidarity and the support of unionized NetJets pilots, flight attendants and dispatchers, as well as the hard work and dedication of a long line of Teamsters representatives at every level of our union who pulled out all the stops for these men and women,” said Local 284 President Mark Vandak. “This contract demonstrates what strong unions can accomplish for working people across the United States.” 

The new contract runs through December 2023. NetJets has the right to extend the contract for an additional two years if it provides additional wage increases, hires additional aircraft technicians at its Columbus maintenance facility and satisfies other negotiated requirements. 
OneSky MCBA becomes effective

In a message to OneSky pilots, Executive Council Chairman John Barclay announced that agreement had finally been reached with management on the Merged Collective Bargaining Agreement (“MCBA”). Captain Barclay wrote: 
“We have reached agreement with OneSky management concerning the Merged Collective Bargaining Agreement (“MCBA”). Letters of Agreement between your Union and the Company make the MCBA effective October 10, 2017. Flexjet and Flight Options pilots now have the benefits and protections of a new legally enforceable contract. Negotiations for improvements to that contract will continue pursuant to Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act.  
Your Union representatives are happy to report that Pilot compensation will be adjusted to conform to the MCBA retroactive to October 10, 2017 and reimbursements made no later than the January 15, 2018, including but not limited to overtime payments, bonuses, and an additional year of longevity for Flexjet Pilots who upgraded to Captain.” 

Silver Airways Update
In their year end message to members the Silver Airways ExCo provided the following update on negotiations: 

“The Executive Council wrapped up another session of negotiations with the company last week.  This was our final negotiations session for 2017.  We have made great progress this year.  We currently only have two sections that we have not yet opened (01-Scope and 03-Compensation). 

While we cannot predict how long negotiations will take, we have made good progress thus far. The upcoming economic sections are often the most contentious and time consuming, but we are prepared, and with your support, should be able to proceed through them at a good pace.” 

TMC Negotiations Update
Mediation for the future Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) resumed on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters office in Washington D.C. 
The sessions, which are monitored by National Mediation Board (“NMB”) Mediator Jane Allen, began with CEO Scott Wise giving an update on the state of the Company. Mr. Wise stated that recent meetings with the TMC’s lenders had gone well and management was still looking at lease options on additional aircraft, including the possibility of leasing additional Nextants. VP of Operations Chip Schultz gave a pilot recruiting update.  He reported the Company had received 37 applications last week and there were seven new hires in class. However, the Company was still short of reaching management’s goal of 145 pilots by year’s end.  Mr. Schultz stated the Company is trying to reduce attrition to “around” 30% annually. 

Discussions then turned to the issue raised recently by the Union with management regarding upgrade bids and the Seniority Letter of Agreement (“LOA”) that was signed in January 2017. The Union’s position, as stated in the recent email to all pilots, was that management was not in compliance with the terms and spirit of the LOA, since they were not maintaining an extra Captain in the Hawker fleet and had restricted which pilots were eligible to bid open vacancies, based on their current Position.  

Additionally, it was pointed out that the upcoming schedule bid again required Check Airmen and Standards Captains to be in a separate group for bidding next year’s schedule and that it is wrong to penalize pilots who volunteer for these vital leadership roles. The Union stated that a pilot should be able to bid and be awarded schedules according to their overall seniority, just like every other line pilot.  

Management stated they would consider the seniority issues, but that schedule bidding would remain the same for Check Airmen and Standards Captains, because “it works” for them.  
Union negotiators presented the latest counter-proposals for Sections 16, 18 and 20. Following a discussion on the open paragraphs, agreement was reached on all but one of the open items in Section 7; furlough pay remained unresolved.  Management then presented their latest counter-proposal for Section 10—Sick Leave. Although some movement was evident, management held fast to their previous position that only three sick days per year was adequate for TMC pilots; an opinion that union representatives expressed their strong disagreement with. 

After a short caucus and a visit from Airline Division Director Captain David Bourne; bargaining resumed. Agreement was reached on furlough pay, which was the last remaining open item in Section 7. This tentatively agreed (“TA’d”) section will become an important part of the future CBA, since it contains industry-standard protections in the event of any down-sizing. 
Negotiators then presented management with counter-proposals for Section 10 and Section 29—Retirement Plans, which concluded bargaining for this session. 

Before everyone left, Mediator Allen thanked both sides for a productive meeting and reviewed the agenda for next month’s bargaining session, which will be held in Cincinnati OH, January 17th -19th, 2018. 
 
Airline Industry News
American Airlines and its pilots union have reached a pre-holiday tentative settlement agreement on three issues that had long divided them. 
The issues include duty rigs involving pilots who have not been getting paid for all the days they are away from home; seniority restoration for pilots who had not been credited for time they were on furlough – this particularly benefits former TWA pilots – and outstanding grievances regarding pilot scheduling. 

The settlements require approval from the APA board of directors. 
Southwest Airlines announced it will no longer accept smart bags with nonremovable lithium batteries starting Jan. 15. Travelers will be allowed to bring their bags into the cabin with the batteries installed, but must be able to remove the batteries if the bags need to be checked. 
Hawaiian Airlines is looking to buy Island Air's operating certificate, ground-service equipment, furniture and frequent-flier lists for $750,000. "If approved, the sale will allow 'Ohana by Hawaiian to assume oversight of operations. Those operations would include the hiring of pilots, flights attendants, and customer service and maintenance crews," said Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Alex Da Silva. "We believe that assuming the FAA certificate will greatly benefit our guests by improving the efficiency and reliability of 'Ohana by Hawaiian."

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said sweeping corporate tax cuts will allow the company to invest in more planes and expand its service. The tax reduction "takes us to a position where we can think about growing faster, and of modernizing our fleet faster," he said.  
Continued strong air freight demand and the resulting lack of capacity has been exacerbated by severe weather across Europe. 

Air freight forwarders have accused some airlines of exploiting the spot market by cancelling scheduled flights and not providing sufficient capacity.
 
 
 
Christmas 2017
 
As we gather with friends and family to celebrate the holiday season, we are thankful not just for the opportunity to be together, we are also grateful and thankful for those who during the holiday season are on the job. From the brothers and sisters keeping our aircraft safe and well maintained, to those who are in faraway places around the world, professionally and safely flying the skies; we of the Airline Division send you our warmest thoughts and best wishes. May we all keep them and their families in our thoughts as well, in anticipation of their safe return home to their loved ones as well.
 
On behalf of the Airline Division, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas. In commemoration of the Christmas holiday, the offices of the Airline Division will be CLOSED on Monday the 25thand Tuesday the 26th. We will reopen for regular business on Wednesday, December 27th. 
 

James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund

Applications are being accepted for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund. Access the application at www.jrhmsf.org. The deadline is March 31, 2018.

Your donations in action

Teamsters SFO — 856/986 recently received a thank you letter for our donation of six Amazon Kindles to Working Partnerships USA to benefit children in foster care.  
Thanks everyone for making it happen with your donations!

September/October 2017 Business Agents' Report

Northern California Wildfire Relief
The devastating wildfires in Northern California have taken lives, destroyed homes and businesses, and impacted many of the communities where our members live and work.
Our first priority is our members and their safety. If you have been evacuated from your home, please reply and let us know if you are safe. We are working with Joint Council 7 All Charities Fund, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters' Disaster Relief Fund, and our own Local 856 Solidarity Fund to try and provide assistance to members who have lost their homes. In addition, the JC7 truck has been traveling the area to bring supplies and assistance to evacuees.
To donate to the Solidarity Fund, please make checks payable to: Local 856
Solidarity Fund, and mail to our office – 453 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, CA,
94066.

If your family has been impacted by the fires or you are looking for local disaster relief organizations to donate to or volunteer with, go to:

http://www.teamsters856.org/california-fire-resources

Thanks to Local 856 Principal Officer Peter Finn and Local 986 Principal Officer Chris Griswold for their generous donations to the relief effort.

We would also like to send a special thanks to the many folks here at SFO who have brought in supplies and cash donations and also volunteered their time to aid in the effort help fire victims and their families. It is extremely gratifying to all of us to witness how consistently the membership steps up to support communities in need whenever there are tragic events such as these.

Teamsters & Union Workers from Across N. America fly to Puerto Rico
On October4th, a large contingent of Teamsters and other Union members from across North America flew to Puerto Rico to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The hurricane devastated the entire island, leaving its people without food, water, electricity, medical supplies, transportation, and shelter. The group flew on aircraft provided by United Airlines for a trip that lasted two weeks. The large contingent, which included over 70 Teamsters from a variety of Locals across the country, were on the island for two weeks aiding the cleanup, supply distribution, and in any other way they could.

Puerto Rico Se Levanta!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzQUKLmz0L0

Hurricane Harvey Relief Convoy
The Teamsters Union Sept. 8 sent a fleet of 6 of its big rig show trucks to Houston, Texas loaded to the gills with vitally needed supplies for Teamster Hurricane Harvey victims. Teamsters Joint Council 42 President Randy Cammack said "we collected everything from water to baby food to diapers to dog food and drove it from Local 63 in Fontana, California to Houston in 30 hours."

In Houston, Teamsters Local 988 warehoused the donations and began distribution to needy families.

Teamster Local Unions whose trucks made the Houston trip included Joint Council 42, Joint Council 7, Local Unions 63, 542, 630 and the truck jointly owned by Las Vegas Teamster Locals 14, 631 and 986.

Teamster members and retirees donated the lion's share of the needed supplies.
Teamster drivers volunteered to drive the trucks and had highway patrol escorts through California, Arizona and New Mexico.

https://quik.gopro.com/v/2Km0TCqghq/

SFOOV Safety Committeewoman Kasi Tkaczyk Receives Award

On September 22nd, 2017 at the National Safety Council Labor Division meeting in Indianapolis, IN, at the awards luncheon, Kasi Tkaczyk received the NSC Labor Division “Award of Merit” for outstanding service to safety. The award recognizes the individual’s meritorious service to safety, working to prevent accidents, promote safety, encourage and stimulate effective safety efforts within the Union and with management in the workplace.

Since Kasi joined the Teamsters SFO Ground Safety Committee in July 2010, she has worked tireless to ensure that United Airlines in OV provides a safe and healthful workplace. Kasi has dedicated many hours over the last seven years on projects such as full tank entry, proper use, setup and inspection of scaffolding used in the WiFi project, getting United to build various Aircraft access stands, working to ensure annual evacuations drills are scheduled in OV and relentlessly working to make sure that United provides annual hearing testing to workers in OV.
Kasi’s spirit, dedication and perseverance to safety and health exemplify her commitment to working and helping protect our Teamster Union Brothers and Sisters. Congrats Kasi!

Local 856 Thanksgiving Meetings

For members in the SF Bay Area Local, 856 will be having Thanksgiving meeting on November 2nd at 6pm. The meeting will be held at the Best Western Grosvenor Hotel located at 380 South Airport Blvd in South San Francisco. Kaiser Permanente will be on hand to provide free on-site flu shots starting at 5pm.

For members in the Sacramento area, the Thanksgiving meeting will be held on November 16th at 6pm at the International Association of Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 946 located at 2749 Sunrise in Rancho Cordova.

Please join us for giveaways, raffles, and prizes!

Additionally, we will be collecting unwrapped toys and non-perishable foods at both meetings to donate to the San Mateo Central Labor Council hardship fund to assist Union families in need this year.

All contributions are appreciated!

A Message from your TMAP Representatives
The Holiday Season is fast approaching. This time of year can bring all kinds of emotions and feelings that may be difficult to process. It may be that you have a Family function every year that tends to get out of control because of some underlying family tension or emotional distress. Or you have some memories of loved ones who have passed on that become especially hard to deal with at this time of year. Maybe it’s yours or a family members drinking problem that seems to get worse during the Holidays that is causing you concern. These are just a few of the things that may cause stress and fatigue at this time of year. If you need someone to confide in about different life events that may be affecting your duties at home or at work and would like to seek help with developing a plan to work through some life events, call one of our Member Assistance Professionals. We have helped a lot of technicians find appropriate resources to start the path of recovery from Grief and Loss, Alcohol/Drug Dependency, Relationship problems and many others. The Teamster Member Assistance Program is here to help 24/7/365.

If the Holidays have you down, give us a try before it has adverse effects that may be irreparable at work or at home.

SFOOV/MM/GQ/PV - Steve Loone 650-745-5864
SFOPD/RQ/LX/MP - Steve Crummey 650-745-5867

Labor History for the Month of October
October 28th, 1879 - Union organizer and anarchist Luisa Capetillo is born in
Ariecibo, Puerto Rico. She organized tobacco and other agricultural workers in Puerto Rico and later in New York and Florida. In 1916 she led a successful sugar cane strike of more than 40,000 workers on the island. She demanded that her union endorse voting rights for women. In 1919, three years before her death, she was arrested for wearing pants in public, the first woman in Puerto Rico to do so. The charges were later dropped. October 30th, 1912 - Little Falls, New York, mounted police attack striking textile workers – mostly immigrant women and girls – beating some of them unconscious. The police chased the fleeing workers to their strike headquarters, continuing their assault, ransacking the building, destroying their union charter, and arresting the entire strike committee. Despite this, the workers saw the strike through until January 1913, when they won an agreement that included reinstatements, wage increases, and other demands.

We must never forget!
Labor Quotes
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Every day, try to help someone who can't reciprocate your kindness - John
Wooden, college basketball coach

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 all 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. 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 and make it a point to stop by.
As always, stay informed!

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

Mechanics' Dispatch

Welcome to AFLAC

The Benefits Committee has been successful in obtaining voluntary ancillary benefits from AFLAC. These benefits are in addition to the benefits offered by United and have been made available by the contract language found in Article 16 J. The products that AFLAC will be offering are Whole Life, Critical Illness, Accident and Short-Term Disability. As a voluntary product you may choose any combination of the offered plans or none, the choice is yours.  

One of the many advantages of these AFLAC products is that they will be portable. That means that should you retire or decide to leave United Airlines at any time, you may take these products with you, with no change in benefits or cost for the rest of your life. 

AFLAC enrollment specialists have already started enrolling members in Hawaii, Guam, Cleveland and Denver and will be visiting stations across the system. Each Station will be given advanced notice of when the enrollment specialists will be attending your station, so stay tuned! Members will have the ability to learn about AFLAC's products and enroll with an AFLAC representative either by phone or in person at your respective stations. What's better is that the premiums will be paid through payroll deduction. 

You will have three weeks to sign up from the date visits start at your station to secure the guarantee issue, which comes with this initial sign up. After the enrollment period ends, members will have to wait until next year’s open enrollment period to participate. Guaranteed issue means “no medical questions will be asked.” We anticipate that enrolling our 10,000+ members will run through the first quarter of 2018, so please be patient. 

Attached is a description of the plans being offered. 

http://teamsterair.org/sites/teamsterair.org/files/uploads/teamstersproductbooklet2017.pdf 

Fraternally,

Your Benefits Committee:

Ken Meidnger International Representative

Vinny Graziano International Representative

Mike Moats CLE        James Johns DEN      John Pangelinan Guam

Moki Kim HNL                      Bob Clever IAH          Dominic Fierro IAH

Audery Scates LAX    Gary Kagel MCO      Larry Calhoun NYA

Mike Pecararo ORD   Steve Loone SFO  

Mechanics' Dispatch

VEBA !

What is it? 
It is money put into an Active HRA if you are enrolled in a company medical plan. If you do not have a company medical plan it is in a Retiree RHA. 

Where can I see these accounts? 
Sign on to Flying Together, click on "My Info," click on "Your Benefits Resource," click on the box that says "Active HRA" or "Retiree RHA" (this box may or may not have a dollar value in it depending on whether you have money in your account). There is your VEBA money! 

For those of you who use Flexible Spending Accounts, your HRA or RHA will be listed second on the page and may require you to scroll lower on the page. 

Want to see how much has been deposited each pay day? 
Click on the blue words that say, "View Contribution Details" (FYI... anything typed in blue on any of these pages is a link to more details) 

Want to see any activity on your account? 
Below the contribution details you will see any recent activity listed in one liners with a word shown in blue. That is a link to more details. This activity will show claims that are being paid to you (Active HRA only). A better place to view this information is to the right of where it says view contribution details ... click on "View Health Care Claims." 

Those claims could be things like co-pays, coinsurance, deductibles or prescription co-pays or premiums that you have paid out for yourself or eligible dependents. 

All employees on the Active HRA have been set up to receive most of your eligible medical expenses (not premiums) back automatically (either by check to your house or direct deposited to an account provided you give that information after clicking on the "Edit Your Profile" selection which is 2 selections below where you clicked to view health care claims earlier) then click on "Add" in the direct deposit box. Fill out your banking information and click “Save.” 

There are two ways to stop getting these eligible expenses (not premiums) returned to you automatically. Call the Benefits number at 1-800-651-1007 and select spending accounts.  Now you can simply request they stop automatically reimbursing you for co-pays, coinsurance, deductibles etc., or you can ask them to send you a debit card for your HRA account (if you currently have a debit card for Flexible Spending you can call and ask them to link your HRA account to it). The debit card allows you to choose when to pay these expenses out of your account by paying the doctor, hospital, dentist, pharmacy etc. directly with the debit card provided you have money in the account. This does not affect your premium reimbursement. 

How do I verify, receive or stop my premium reimbursements? 
After clicking on My Info, click on Your Benefits Resource. On the top left-hand side, just under the United globe you will see a box "Health and Insurance" click on that box. Just below the home box on the top left-hand side there is a box called "Take Action", click on the triangle in it.  Now select "Active HRA Reimbursement Change". 

If you want your premiums reimbursed automatically monthly then select "YES". 

If you do not want them reimbursed automatically then select "NO".  

Now click on "Submit." Then click on "OK." 

Do you want to receive text messages telling you how much money is in your account? 
Click on the "edit your profile" choice then click on change in the Text Message box. Fill in your information and select whether you want messages weekly, monthly or quarterly. 

Do you want to know what expenses may or may not be covered? 
Click on the box above edit your profile which is called "Check Eligible Health Care Expenses"

This is not meant to be a complete explanation of the program. Just some of the basics to help you monitor and/or receive your "VEBA" money. 

Many thanks to Larry Calhoun from Local 210 for putting this together. 

Fraternally, 

Vinny Graziano 

Teamsters Airline Division

August Business Agents' Report

Hurricane Harvey devastates Texas
The devastation that has been caused by Hurricane Harvey is hard to imagine. We want to take a minute to send out our thoughts and prayers to our Brothers and Sisters in Texas. We sincerely hope that they and their families are safe. We urge you all to take a moment to donate some money to the relief efforts if you can.

Labor Day
During our search for some thoughtful words to say about Labor Day we came across an article that we felt did a great job of conveying our sentiments about a day we feel has really started to lose its meaning for a lot of folks. We have decided to reprint the article in its entirety. It was first published in The Atlantic on September 1st, 2014 and was written by Chad Broughton:

When Labor Day Meant Something
Labor Day online specials at Walmart this year “celebrate hard work with big savings.” For brick-and-mortar shoppers near my home in Chicago, several Walmart stores are open all 24 hours of Labor Day. Remember, this is a company so famously anti-union that it shut down a Canadian store rather than countenance the union its workers had just voted in. The fact that Walmart “celebrates” Labor Day should draw laughter, derision, or at least a few eyerolls. But it doesn’t—or at least not many. Somewhere along the line, Labor Day lost its meaning. Today the holiday stands for little more than the end of summer and the start of school, weekend-long sales, and maybe a barbecue or parade. It is no longer political. Many politicians and commentators do their best to avoid any mention of organized labor when observing the holiday, maybe giving an obligatory nod to that abstract entity, “the American Worker.” Labor Day, though, was meant to honor not just the individual worker, but what workers accomplish together through activism and organizing. Indeed, Labor Day in the 1880s, its first decade, was in many cities more like a general strike—often with the waving red flag of socialism and radical speakers critiquing capitalism—than a leisurely day off. So to really talk about this holiday, we have to talk about those-which-must-not-be-named: unions and the labor movement. The labor movement fought for fair wages and to improve working conditions, as is well known, but it was its political efforts that did nothing less than transform American society. Organized labor was critical in the fight against child labor and for the eight-hour workday and the New Deal, which gave us Social Security and unemployment insurance. Union workers sacrificed in America’s historic production effort in World War II and pushed for Great Society legislation in the 1960s. Michael Patrick, a former local Machinists president from Galesburg, Illinois, where I’ve done research, cites his union’s support for Medicare and the Civil Rights Act, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, as among his local’s proudest moments. These were victories that went well beyond the bread-and-butter issues of union members. They were shared achievements worthy of a national holiday for all. As Samuel Gompers, the founder of the American Federation of Labor, wrote in the New York Times in 1910, Labor Day “glorifies no armed conflicts or battles of man’s prowess over man… no martial glory or warlike pomp signals Labor Day.” Rather, “Of all the days celebrated for one cause or another, there is not one which stands so conspicuously for social advancement of the common people as the first Monday in September.” Those shared victories came at a cost. Agitation for anti-trust legislation, shorter workdays and workweeks, and the right to organize was often portrayed as un- American and violently repressed. In 1914, John Kirby, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, called the trade union movement, “an un-American, illegal, and infamous conspiracy.” Anti-labor employers fought against what they saw as incipient communism with strikebreaking, blacklisting, vigilante violence, and by enlisting government force to their side. During the Red Scare of 1919-1921, many states passed blanket sedition laws against radical speech and banned the flying of the red flag. The fiery but pragmatic president of the United Mine Workers, John L. Lewis, spoke to the overwhelming patriotism of union men and women when he said to a Senate Committee in 1933, “American labor stand[s] between the rapacity of the robber barons of industry of America and the lustful rage of the communists, who would lay waste to our traditions and our institutions with fire and sword.” Labor Day began not as a national holiday but in the streets, when, on September 5, 1882, thousands of bricklayers, printers, blacksmiths, railroad men, cigar makers, and others took a day off and marched in New York City. “Eight Hours for Work, Eight Hours for Rest, Eight Hours for What We Will” read one sign. “Labor creates all wealth,” read another. A placard in the following year’s parade read, “We must Crush the Monopolies Lest they Crush Us.” The movement for the holiday grew city by city and eventually the state and federal authorities made it official. The national holiday emerged 12 years later in the face of a federal crackdown on labor. In 1894, at the behest of railroad companies and industrialists, President Grover Cleveland deployed more than 10,000 U.S. Army troops to break the Pullman strike in Chicago—the first truly nationwide strike, which involved more than 150,000 workers from coast to coast. Protesters were jailed, injured, and killed. Amid the turmoil that summer, and as an olive branch, Cleveland signed legislation to make Labor Day a national holiday. Eugene Debs, the leader of the Pullman strike, dismissed the corporate paternalism of industrialist George Pullman, who sought to take care of “our poor workingmen.” The real issue, Debs said, was “What can we do for ourselves?” This—the labor movement's foundational values of selfdetermination and self-reliance—is what makes Labor Day a quintessentially American celebration. Perhaps the main reason Labor Day’s meaning has been lost amid picnics and holiday sales is the decline of unions. Union membership across the country has shrunk to less than one in eight (35.3 percent among publicsector workers and just 6.7 percent among private-sector workers in 2013) from nearly one in four throughout the 1970s. As membership declined, so did public support. According to a just-released Gallup tracking poll, a slim majority of Americans approve of labor unions—down from as high as three out of four in the booming postwar years. In the global, post-industrial era, industrial unions have less clout, and publicsector unions face well-resourced attacks from the right. In some cases, unions have left themselves open to criticism by retreating to the bread-and-butter concerns of its membership like wages and benefits, and by not embracing change, continuous reform and accountability, and an expansive vision of shared progress. Important new campaigns, though, are underway in retail stores like Walmart, in the tobacco fields and slaughterhouses where immigrants toil, and in charter schools where idealistic young teachers soon enough realize that they need a collective voice in the workplace to be treated and paid like professionals. Shoppers this weekend could hardly be blamed for going to Walmart for the latest feather-light flat screen television from China or Mexico—I’ll admit I’m dazzled by the low prices and pixel counts too. Or, better, people could go to Costco, where workers make about twice the Walmart wage, and don’t have to rely on federal benefits like food stamps and Medicaid (which, according to Americans for Tax Fairness, cost taxpayers $6.2 billion a year). In addition, Costco lets its workers unionize while Walmart instructs managers to report union activity or grumblings about wages to the company’s “Labor Relations Hotline.” Holiday shoppers will have to wait until Tuesday, though, because Costco is closed on Labor Day. Its workers are where they should be—at the family barbecue or the parade, celebrating our national holiday.

SFO Grievance Committee Election Update
On July 27, 2017 the following nominations for the Grievance Committee positions were accepted at the class and craft meetings:

Grievance Committee Coordinator
Fred Wood
Harry Beier (Withdrew on Aug 1, 2017)

Grievance Committee Secretary
Mark Gabriel

Line Chief Steward
Greg Sullivan

Jet Shop Chief Steward
Deborah Ward-Crummey

Airframe Chief Steward
Dale Mitchell

MPA Chief Steward
Joanne Asing

Back Shop Chief Steward
John Laurin
Geoff Wik (Withdrew on Aug 2, 2017)

Because of the subsequent withdrawals by Harry Beier and Geoff Wik, the nominees for all positions were unopposed. Therefore, the sole nominees have been deemed elected by acclamation. The new 3-year terms will begin on September 5th. Congratulations to all the nominees. Thanks for all your dedication to the membership.

September Craft Meeting Canceled
Due to the TeamstersSFO Steward training which will occur at the end of September, the September Craft meeting has been canceled. Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to seeing all the Stewards in Tahoe for a great weekend of education and celebration of your efforts on behalf of the membership.

Article 5 Filling of Vacancies
The Company distributed a letter indicating that the provisions of Article 3.E.3.a. have been satisfied. That is, the 180-Day Period to submit for any BAQ for which you are ‘grandfathered’ has officially now come to a close. This means that the normal process for sorting Vacancy Bid Awards as described in Article 5.D.1.a. has begun. However, since the Company has not yet completed all ‘grandfathering’, we have been assured that any technician whose name appears on a Closed Bid list in the incorrect Sort Order because the Company has not yet correctly approved a BAQ to which he or she is entitled will have his Sort Order corrected. We have had several cases like this already and, to date, they have all been corrected. Please reach out to your Chief Steward if you find yourself in this predicament.

BAQ 113- Calibration Technician Correction
In the January 2017 BA Report we listed Bid Area 113 as one of the BAQ’s for which our folks were entitled. Subsequently, we realized that this Bid Area was one that always had required a Trade Test. Therefore, we must make the correction and remove BAQ 113 from the list. Sorry for any confusion that we caused.

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 all 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. 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 and make it a point to stop by.

As always, stay informed!

In Solidarity, 

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

June/July Business Agents' Report

Chief Steward Nominations and Elections
Nominations for Chief Steward positions for the Airframe, Jet Shop, Backshop, and Line Chief Steward positions will be accepted at the July Craft Meeting this week. The positions will run for a three-year term. The timeline for the election process is as follows: Thursday, July 27th – Nominations Friday August, 4th – Ballots mailed Monday, August 14th-Thursday, August 17th – Duplicate Ballot Request window Friday, September 1st – Ballots due by 6pm (US Mail only) Monday, September 5th – Ballot Count at 10:30am Please refer to your local Union Bulletin Boards for more information

Human Resource Meetings at Willis Tower
On Thursday, July 6th, all Business Agents from around the system met with the new HR team for United Airlines at Willis Tower in Chicago. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the Business Agents to the new HR structure and areas of responsibility and to provide contact information for the various HR personnel. In addition, the Business Agents engaged the Company as to several ongoing issues important to our members with the hope of arriving at resolution. There was a conversation about Article 5 – Filling of Vacancies with the Business Agents raising several issues that were occurring across the system. After our discussion on the topic, the Company suggested that it would be beneficial to form a process improvement team that would include the IBT in order to work out difficulties with the BAQ’s and the eBid System. The IBT will designate two Business Agents to assist this committee. Another issue discussed was in regards to the badging difficulties being experienced by members across the system and the reporting date delays that are occurring as a result. The Company agreed to put together a guideline for local administrative personnel to use for assisting our members who are successful bidders across the system in their efforts to obtain the necessary badging and so that there is a consistent application by administrative personnel at all United locations, which so far has not been the case. Another subject that was discussed was the Return-to-work process. The Business Agents raised concerns about some of the generic forms being used and some of the unnecessary delays that are occurring across the system and offered some suggestions on improving the process. No immediate solutions were reached but we expect this to be an ongoing topic of conversation with the Company going forward. After the HR meeting concluded, there was a follow-up meeting with Labor Relations representatives to discuss the existing contractual grievances across the system and to finalize plans to hold rotating SBA hearings in the West, Midwest and Eastern regions in an effort to adjudicate those existing grievances in a timely manner.

The Return to Work Process
As we touched on in our outline of the topics raised in the meeting with the new Human Resources team, the Return-to-Work process is one that is causing growing concern. While the Union continues to engage the Company with specific issues in an effort to make sure that its practices are both fair and consistent, we feel it is imperative for our members to take the necessary steps to protect their interests throughout the process. When returning from an illness, regardless of duration, it is important to make sure that doctors certificate shows that you are released to Full Duty with No Restrictions. Now, obviously, that must actually be the case. But is important to note that some of the generic forms do not include this verbiage and it can cause unnecessary delays in the process. Additionally, it is important to save copies of all Absence Certificates that you submit and Review of Medical Documentation forms that you receive from the Company throughout the process. And finally, it is important to save all emails and log all phone calls with OPCMD along with contact information and items discussed in order to properly lay out a timeline of events that can be crucial in determining whether you have been harmed by the process.

Labor History for the months of June and July
June 28th, 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. June 4th, 1975 - Governor Jerry Brown signs the landmark California Agricultural Relations Act, establishing collective bargaining rights for the state’s farmworkers. Agricultural workers’ collective bargaining rights were excluded from the federal National Industrial Recovery Act and the National Labor Relations Act and efforts throughout the years for inclusion had been unsuccessful. July 22nd, 1887 - Brewers and brewery workers in San Francisco sign their first collective bargaining agreement, bringing to a close a strike and successful boycott which had lasted several months. The agreement included a closed shop, sick leave, a 10-hour day, minimum wages, overtime pay, and “free beer in moderation while at work.” July 31st, 1999 - The Great Shipyard Strike of 1999 ends after steelworkers at Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. ratify a breakthrough agreement which nearly doubles pensions, increases security, ends inequality, and provides the highest wage increases in company and industry history to nearly 10,000 workers. The strike lasted over 16 weeks.

Labor Quotes
The quality of employees will be directly proportional to the quality of life you maintain for them. - Charles E. Bryan

It was working men and women who made the 20th century the American century. It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans. The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label – Barack Obama

TSAP ERC Member Mike Woltjen Retires
The IBT Representative for the TSAP (formerly MSAP) Event Review Committee, Mike Woltjen, retired on July 22nd. The new IBT Representative for the ERC is Tracy MacCorkell, who has been working as the Line Safety Representative here at SFO for a number of years and has also been serving as Mike’s alternate on the ERC. The new Line Safety Representative is Line Technician Paul Dodge, who has a ton of experience on the Line both as a technician and as a Shop Steward and is very knowledgeable and well acquainted with the challenges on the Line at SFO in terms of Safety. Paul will also be training as the backup ERC with Tracy. While we are all sad to see Mike leave the SFO Committee, we are very confident that Tracy and Paul will continue serving the membership with the same level of commitment and excellence that Mike did throughout his tenure. We would like to send congratulations to Mike for his hard work the last couple of years helping to keep our TSAP program one of the more robust programs in the industry and his long commitment to Safety throughout his career both in Airframe and on the Line. Please refer to the new SFO Committee Contact list for all updated contact information.

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 all 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. 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 and make it a point to stop by. As always, stay informed!

In Solidarity,

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

Mechanics' Dispatch

Retirement Benefits Update

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Benefits Committee at United Airlines has put together an informational and resource package to assist members in understanding retirement benefits. The goal of this guide is to provide a quick-reference guide to help UAL Teamster members with retirement concerns and questions.

Members who are actively planning or considering retirement should find this package useful. The information included in this report explain a wide variety of topics such as; eligibility, the process for requesting retirement benefits, an explanation of what to expect from retiree benefits, and other useful and resource contact information. 

The Benefits Committee is made up of members from across the system who work at a variety of stations.  Ken Meidnger- International Representative, Vinny Graziano- International Representative, Mike Moats- Cleveland , James Johns- Denver, John Pangelinan- Guam, Moki Kim -Hawaii Islands, Bob Clever- Houston, Dominic Fierro- Houston, Audery Scates- Los Angeles, Gary Kagel- Orlando, Larry Calhoun- New York, Mike Pecararo- Chicago and Steve Loone -San Francisco.

The document may be viewed or downloaded here

Mechanics' Dispatch

On Thursday July 6th, the company invited the Business Agents to Chicago for the purpose of meeting the new HR team for United Airlines. The meeting was primarily introductory and no specific station or member grievances were discussed. The main topic surrounded the new HR structure along with contact information and station assignments for the new team. This was followed by a conversation on the filing of vacancies.  

Article 3; regarding Bid Area Qualifications has been an open issue for many mechanics across the system. We made some time to discuss this pressing topic and the company has made a suggestion that a process improvement team could be implemented to work out the difficulties with the BAQ’s and Ebid systems. The IBT is in the process of delegating two BA’s to assist on this committee.  

As matter of record, the parties had a brief conversation regarding some open matters and items that are still ongoing in hopes of finding a mutual resolution. Additionally, the badging issue that our members are experiencing at many stations across the system was discussed. A final topic involving return to work generic forms which have become problematic and the need for a case manager was brought up but no solution was found at this meeting. 

Later in the day during a follow up meeting with Labor Relations representatives, the union once again s conveyed that contractual grievances throughout the system are building and have been on the docket for quite some time. It has been mutually understood that these cases must be heard. To help resolve this, both parties are in the process of creating a System Board of Adjustment pursuant to Article 19 that will be held over consecutive days in order to get as many grievances heard and properly adjudicated in a timely manner. Boards disputing contractual language violations will be held in the East, West and Midwest on a rotating basis. Termination cases will continue to be held at the home station per the agreement.  

Mechanics' Dispatch

Joint Communication on IBT Lump Sum Hold Back Allocation

As per LOA #28, the Company held back 3.0% of the $185M lump sum pool to correct any errors or omissions in the allocation, calculation and distribution of the lump sum, as determined in the challenge process. All disputed claims have now been finalized and the remaining contingency will be paid pro rata to eligible employees according to the allocation methodology. Hold back payments will be paid to employees in a separate check on June 7, 2017. Regular 401k election rules will apply for domestic US employees.

If you have additional questions please email IBTImplementation@united.com.