President’s Corner

Section 6 Openers for all Association Agreements

September 12, 2018 Admin 0

09/12/2018

Brothers and Sisters,

Today, September 12, 2018, American Airlines delivered Section 6 notices for all open TWU-IAM Association collective bargaining agreements. Simply stated, a Section 6 notice officially opens contracts under the Railway Labor Act. The TWU-IAM Association welcomes this gesture by the Company as a sign they will now get serious about reaching the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreements our members deserve.

Included in the Company’s communication to the Association is a notice of their intent to file for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB). This move is also welcomed by the Association. The NMB has previously been … Read More...

Giving with One Hand, Taking with the Other

April 2, 2018 Admin 0

04/02/2018

Brothers and Sisters,

Job security is the most important part of any collective bargaining agreement. And your negotiating committee is fighting to make sure it’s something you never have to worry about. But when we finally see a tentative agreement, we all know the first thing many of us will do is flip back to the wage schedule or look for a bonus. We’ll want to know if it will be any easier to make our rent or mortgage payment, to pay our kids’ tuition, or to put food on the table.

But wage increases mean nothing if that … Read More...

Association Bulletin

March 30, 2018 Admin 0

03/30/2018

Brothers and Sisters,

The full M&R and Fleet Association Negotiating Committees met this week with the Association Executive Committee in Washington, D.C. Your Committees were fully briefed by the Executive Committee on the negotiation sessions that were held over the last month.

As you have seen in our communications over the last week, the company’s position at the bargaining table has been concessionary, woefully inadequate and, quite frankly, insulting.

Their desperate attempt to steer negotiations away from the negotiating table by releasing twisted half-truths and lame videos are sad ploys to try tricking the membership into believing their garbage. … Read More...

American’s Risky Retirement Proposal

March 29, 2018 Admin 0

03/29/2018

The TWU-IAM Association bargaining committee is committed to fighting for industry-best retirement security. Aside from frozen pension and PBGC benefits that apply to pre-merger employees, today’s retirement benefits for Legacy American Airlines Association members come in the form of a 401(k) with company matching contributions while Legacy U.S. Airways Association members have a Defined Benefit Plan and a 401(k) with no matching contributions. Both retirement plans now lag behind industry standards and require improvement. The company’s proposal, however, fails to provide the retirement security that we deserve.

Steve Johnsen’s proposal falls short of industry-leading and even fails to reach … Read More...

American’s Profit HOARDING Plan

March 28, 2018 Admin 0

03/28/2018

Brothers and Sisters,

The TWU-IAM Association is fighting for the industry’s best profit sharing plan. The current American Airlines profit sharing plan is simply inadequate. Even American’s CEO admitted that other airlines have better profit sharing plans. He recognized that those better plans have created a “compensation differential” for Association members that would be addressed in contract negotiations stating, “we’ll [American] need to close that [compensation differential].”

Did Steve Johnsen get the memo from his boss? Or is he freelancing, undercutting what his CEO has publicly stated?

Steve refuses to improve your profit sharing plan. He also demanded in … Read More...

75th Anniversary Week Celebrations!

March 28, 2018 Admin 0

Victory Lodge 1725 Members, did you know that June 2nd, 2018 will mark the 75th Anniversary of our Local! That’s right, 75 years! Local Lodge 1725 has been part of the Charlotte community since it was first chartered on June 2nd, 1943 after workers at Brown Equipment and Manufacturing voted to be represented by the Union. Representation in the airline industry started with Eastern Airlines in the early 1950’s.

We’re Celebrating our 75 years all week long and we want you to join the party!

Get more information and get your tickets Here.

Space is limited for these events so … Read More...

The Truth About American’s Medical Proposal

March 27, 2018 Admin 0

03/27/2018

Brothers and Sisters,

Your bargaining committee has chosen to fight for affordable health care.  Therefore, we have demanded that American Airlines, the largest and most profitable airline in the world, offer the richer Legacy U.S. Airways plans to all Association members.

Under the Association proposal, the company may offer other plans at their discretion.  If the company plans are as “competitive” as the company says they are, Association members will choose them.  However, we won’t let the company eliminate the LUS plans that for years members have fought and sacrificed for.

In yet another assault on this membership, … Read More...

The Truth About American’s FAKE SCOPE Proposal

March 26, 2018 Admin 0

03/26/2018

Brothers and Sisters,

The TWU/IAM Association seeks to protect your jobs and the WORK you do. Without protecting your work, your job is at risk; and without a job, every other benefit in a contract is meaningless.

Steve Johnsen and American are proposing FAKE SCOPE. In their most recent and insulting offer Steve and company want to outsource at least 5,000 (a whopping 17 percent) Association jobs, across all classifications. This is not our number, it’s theirs, and it’s wholly unacceptable.

American Airlines should be ashamed of their cowardly attempt to bypass the negotiating committee by trying to … Read More...

American Derails Negotiations

March 22, 2018 Admin 0

03/22/2018

In this period between scheduled negotiating sessions, the Association leadership met with American Airlines management principals in the hope of better understanding each other’s position on the outstanding issues that need to be resolved in order to conclude negotiations.  Significant issues, including wages, job scope protection, pensions and medical benefits remain open.

The Association entered these meetings expecting to set the stage to conclude negotiations in our next full negotiating session.  If American management had that same goal, a tentative agreement to present to you for your consideration and vote would have been close.  Unfortunately, American management had a … Read More...

JetBlue Ground Workers to Vote for Machinists Union

November 29, 2022 Louis Gilmore 0

Justice at JetBlue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 29,2022,WASHINGTON DC—The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today announced that the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that conducts union representation elections in the airline industry, has determined that an election for almost 3,000 JetBlue ground operations workers will take place. The voting period will be scheduled shortly by the NMB.

“I congratulate all JetBlue Ground Operations workers on their upcoming vote,” said IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “JetBlue Ground Ops workers have spoken loudly that they want a voice and a vote … Read More...

Machinists Union Open Letter to JetBlue CEO

November 17, 2022 Louis Gilmore 0

Organizing
16 November 2022

Via U.S. Mail and Email

Robin Hayes, CEO, JetBlue Airways Inc.
27-01 Queens Plaza North
Long Island City, NY 11101

Dear CEO Hayes:

On September 23, 2022, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO (“IAM”), submitted an application to represent the JetBlue Fleet Service employees. The National Mediation Board (“NMB”) has docketed that matter as case number R-7602.

On September 26, 2022, the NMB provided JetBlue with the notices that must be posted in all stations. According to the information we have received, JetBlue has failed to post the notice in at least three locations in a timely manner, … Read More...

IAM/Southwest Airlines Tentative Agreement Station Visits Schedule

November 1, 2022 Louis Gilmore 0

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

The schedule for station visits has now been set for the new tentative agreement between the IAM and Southwest Airlines. Over the course of the next few weeks, your IAM District Lodge 142 Representatives will be visiting each location to explain the changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and give you, the membership, the opportunity to have your questions answered. Customer Representatives who work from home will have the opportunity to participate in a Zoom call on November 21 or 22, 2022.

Only members in good standing will be allowed to participate … Read More...

Volunteers Needed !!

October 18, 2022 Louis Gilmore 0

Victory Lodge 1725 is teaming up with the Charlotte Metrolina Labor Council and hosting a Get Out The Union Vote Day. We will be participating in phone banking and canvasing neighborhoods to get union members of the charlotte area informed about the importance of the upcoming elections in November. We are seeking as many volunteers as possible to make this event a success and to show that the Machinists of Nc have influence and make an impact in our communities. We are asking that all who can attend arrive at the location as early as 9:00am for instructions and to … Read More...

Vice President Election Results

October 13, 2022 Louis Gilmore 0

The officers and staff of Victory Lodge 1725 would like to thank all the members that came out to cast their vote and let their voices be heard in this election.

Congratulations to Brother Yusuf Baskin from our MLS/ Stores department on being voted in as our new Local Lodge Vice President for the remainder of the term.

Brother Yusuf comes with a wealth of knowledge on unionism and strategic organizing. The rest of the current executive board looks forward to working with Brother Yusuf to continue to help service our members.

We would also like to thank the other … Read More...

District 142 Endorsement Nominations And Sample Ballot

October 10, 2022 Louis Gilmore 0

Dear Officers and Members of Local Lodge 1725

The District 142 Election Tellers have completed the certification of all 42 Local Lodges and the Endorsement Sample Ballot is on the District Lodge 142 website. Your Local Lodge has been identified as being required to hold an Endorsement (Runoff) Election for District Lodge Officers. 

This endorsement runoff election will take place at the local lodge 3727 Rose Lake Drive Charlotte, NC 28217 on Friday October 28th 2022 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm.

Your Endorsement Sample Ballot is attached. Please post this Endorsement Sample Ballot on every bulletin board and every website affiliated with … Read More...