Talks,Merger in brief
Talks stalled with the “new” United.
After a disappointing week of contract negotiations with United Airlines we have determined that no productive result would come from continuing to meet. | Full Negotiations Brief
what’s next in united Airlines negotiations
We have decided not to meet this week, as originally scheduled, and allow both sides to reevaluate their positions on specific issues, and determine if resuming talks in the near future will produce the agreements we need to reach a comprehensive tentative agreement. .
wHere we’ve been in united negotiations
iam141.org/archives
- United negotiations enter first full week of talks with “the new” United, although company introduces no new negotiators from their side.
- Talks stalled over the old United’s insistence on mediocre wages for employees who helped position United as the world’s leading airline.
- Both sides of the table struggle to agree on value of individual cost items, including wages, vacation time, and sick time.
- Tentative agreement reached on long standing issues; Talks narrow to wages and benefits.
- Five full weeks of talks were scheduled (and in progress as of July 4), aimed at resolving outstanding issues
- Major headway on non-pay, non-job security issues of mandatory overtime, vacation accrual and scheduling, part time percentages and usage, holidays, Service Director classification, work assignment bidding, and the company’s desire for more flexible scheduling
- United and Continental announce merger. Negotiation talks continue with United.
- Follow up survey concluded; Results being tabulated and forwarded to negotiating team
- Follow up survey posted until March 19; Continuing review of company health care proposal
- Review of company proposals; Member survey in development, aimed at detecting any shift in Member priorities that may have occurred since United Airlines negotiations began ten months ago.
- Grievance, seniority issues near settlement; Overtime issues introduced; Company hatched national HMO scheme required mandatory review — Delaney notes that agreement does not necessarily follow review.
- Grievance, seniority talks, prior to year end holidays
- Company presents comprehensive health care wish list — Also, Mediator meets Members at work.
- Talks resume in Chicago after review period — Job security provisions of use to our contract were reviewed in contracts of other airlines and unions.
- Talks resumed after district convention — Federal mediators observed both sides in United negotiations this past week.
- Point System — This policy was first negotiated by the negotiating team; it then went to the executive board for review; IAM Legal reviewed the point system to determine if its policy and contractual components. After that, grievance committee people were briefed, and then Members were advised.
- Talks focusing on multiple issues related to money — This is a shift in process from an earlier phase of United negotiations in which individual Articles within the contract were discussed.
- Individual Articles within the contract have been the subject of United negotiations up until this point. United negotiations will change to include multiple, intertwined topics related to money. The aim is for both sides in United negotiations to avoid back tracking over money issues that will have been discussed fully.
- Job security has been the focus of United negotiations over the past 2 weekly sessions (June 8 and June 15, 2009). We expect that United negotiations will start to take on a more financial based focus beginning this week. With the help of our Grand Lodge Strategic Resources, the District 141 United negotiations team will meet with United’s financial department to review and agree on how future calculations of the value of each proposal will be made in United negotiations.
- The past several weeks have focused on non-cost issues within the contract: Seniority and vacation flexibility proposals have been discussed at length, with ample exchange of opinion. Tentative understandings may be reached on seniority and vacation issues in United negotiations. With that, we can move to other aspects of United negotiations, which include the cost items of job security, pay and benefits.
- Direct negotiations: When the Union talks directly with the company, without the presence of a mediator, those United negotiation talks are called “direct negotiations.” United negotiations began on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, in Chicago. You can read exactly what was proposed to the company on opening day. You can also read a concept letter presented by the company to District 141.
- Exchange “Section Six” notices with the Company: This happened on April 7, 2009. Under the Railway Labor Act, Section 156, notices are exchanged between the Union and company regarding intent to change contract language. To confuse the innocent, Section 156 is called “Section Six.” You can read exactly what was given to the company by District 141, and what was given to District 141 by the company during this opening phase of United negotiations.
- Tabulated Survey Results: District 141 read each contract proposal and studied survey results, thereby establishing a road map of Member’s desires during the course of United negotiations.
- Official Call For Contract Proposals: Member surveys were concluded on March 13, 2009. The parallel surveys were designed to rank issues, associate specific issues with work locations and work groups, allow unrestricted access, and sort out irregularities resulting from free access with algorithmic methods.
- Negotiating Team Preparation: United negotiation classes focused on both fundamental and sophisticated aspects of the bargaining process. About the Negotiating Team
- Chairperson’s Conference In New Orleans: Participants’ primary task was to develop strategies for upcoming United negotiations.
- Communication Overhaul: New web site, new quarterly newsletter coming, new 141nfo bulletins, delivered to Committee Persons for distribution to Shop Stewards and Members. Ongoing solicitation of Members for e-mail updates from District 141.
existing contracts–United
These contracts are the result of previous United negotiations.
PCE–Customer Service | Ramp & Stores| Fleet Technical Instructors | Food Service
Maintenance Instructors | Security Officers
Download pdf files applicable to your United Airlines work group. You can also get contract information from
- Shop Stewards
- Copies of the contract located in stations and at Union halls system wide
- Phone / fax / email inquiries to an Assistant General Chair (AGC). If you do not know the name of your AGC, the district office administrator can forward your request. Finally, you can send a general inquiry by contacting the district.