Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FLIGHT LINE
Merger Talks Instill Fear
What you need to know and how you can stay informed
(Excerpted from Merger Matters, a publication of the IAMAW) IN THIS ISSUE
Pensions—The IAM believes that all employees deserve traditional Merger Talks 1
defined benefit pension plans. But if the Continental-United merger is
completed, the IAM has serious concerns about the ability of the President’s Message
Continental Airlines Retirement Plan (CARP) to survive with flight 2
attendants continuing to accrue benefits.
Outside of bankruptcy, a company sponsoring a pension plan Congressional
cannot simply terminate and walk away from the plan. All vested benefits Hearing 3
must still be paid. However, the plan could be frozen, meaning
participants will no longer earn additional benefits, but vested benefits Committee Reports 4
would be paid upon retirement in accordance with the plan’s provisions.
Legislature
CARP currently allows flight attendants the option to take their pension
Communication
benefits in a lump sum. If CARP is frozen, the lump sum option will
Good & Welfare
remain for vested benefits.
If CARP is frozen, your IAM contract requires Continental to
automatically begin contributing to the IAM National Pension Plan (NPP) Monthly Business 5
on your behalf going forward. However, control of CARP and the
responsibility to pay your previously vested CARP benefits will remain
Flight Line
with the company. A Monthly Publication
Since both United and the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty President-Joey Guider
Corporation (PBGC) have approved the NPP for United’s current IAM V.P. – Mike Becerra
members, the NPP can be Editor-Michael Zirulnik
put in place if the IAM All Content ! of IAM Local
remains your post-merger Lodge 2339N
collective bargaining 2010, All Rights Reserved
representative, even if www.LL23394u.org
CARP is frozen after the merger. (continued on page 3)
GAAP toWalk
AIDS Non-GAAP
New York
Your Local Lodge recently participated in the AIDS Walk New York. The
Reconciliations
25-member IAM flight attendant team was proud to advocate for the 33
million people around the world living with HIV. The 5Kwalk had 46,000
participants and generated more than $5,000,000 in charitable donations to
support the many organizations that need this funding. The $2,300 our
team raised will promote education and awareness on the HIV epidemic
and help GMHC with health care related costs. We would like to thank
everyone who joined us in this very important event.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS, LL2339N JUNE, 2010
President’s Message
Dear Members:
Today you hold in your hands, yet another way we are reaching out to you
with factual and timely information related to your career and work life. In
polls and informal interviews, you have said that dialogue between you and
the union leadership is a key point you wanted addressed and improved
upon. In response, we have launched a new local lodge website
(www.LL23394u.org), crafted personal, content rich, weekly emails to
members who signup and now we are happy to publish our lodge newsletter. I ask that you
take time to peruse the first issue from cover-to-cover, allowing you to see what the lodge
newsletter has to offer. We will continue building ways to deliver information that is relevant
to your needs.
There are industry changes going on all around us. The newly announced merger with UAL
continues to be at the forefront of concern. The EWR executive-board has committed itself
to working side-by-side with the IAH, CLE and GUM lodges, our District Lodge, and the
Grand Lodge to ensure cohesiveness, unity and strong presence of representation for our
members.
I encourage you to attend the monthly business meeting, held the second Tuesday of every
month. Meetings allow you to interact with friends and coworkers and see that you are not
alone in this fight for a better work life. If you would like to get involved in a committee,
send an email to www.working4u@LL23394u.org for information or stop by the
communications desk. For those of you who do not have the time for deeper involvement,
we will continue developing a network of communication tools that will keep you informed
about your union, the merger and other pressing issues.
In Solidarity,
Joey Guider
President
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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS, LL2339N JUNE, 2010
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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS, LL2339N JUNE, 2010
Committee Reports
We continue to lobby for REAL health and safety
Descent on Congress: protections that will significantly reduce hazards in
Mergers, FAA & OSHA our workplace, just as they have for millions of
Americans in other work environments.
By Christopher Boelens
Questions or concerns, contact:
Your legislative team is hard at work
tackling the issues directly impacting flight Chris Boelens
attendants. Everyday our elected leaders vote on Legislative Committee Chair
bills that they believe are best for you and your Chris.Boelens@LL23394u.org
family. By holding those leaders accountable for
their actions, the committee works to secure a better
future for our flight attendants. Communications
Recently, our team traveled to Washington By Sara Gonzalez
D.C. for the yearly Legislative Conference. We
lobbied key members of Congress and the Senate on Your Local Lodge communications team has
issues that will provide you a better work been very busy the last few months. We have put
environment as well as promote job growth. together a strong committee focused on delivering
Currently, the committee’s main focus is on information with focused efficiency. Besides our
the proposed Continental/United merger. We recently published newsletter, email alert campaign,
continue to voice our concerns in every meeting we increased presence in the crew room and on the
have with Congressional and Senate members, concourse, we have also started communicating on
making our apprehension of integration apparent. Facebook. Make sure you friend request 'Newark
Local.' You can find us by searching the e-mail
Concerns that were addressed include: address facebook@LL23394u.org.
- Elimination of hubs We encourage you to sign up for e-mail alerts
- Jobs loss at LL23394u.org. Stop by the communications table
- Pension obligations being jeopardized in the crew room and we can help! While you're
- Employee involvement there, make sure to fill out a Merger Watch card or
signup online at www.faMergerMatters.org. It is the
In the coming months there will be Senate best way to get accurate information as soon as it
hearings that will shed more light on many of the becomes available directly from your union!
questions you have regarding the merger. The
legislative committee, as well as some members of
your executive board will be present at these Good and Welfare
hearings so that we can weigh in on the progress and By Brandon Maberry
pass that information on to our members.
Another issue we lobbied on was the FAA The Good and Welfare Committee was established
Re-authorization act. This Bill includes OSHA to acknowledge and comfort local lodge dues paying
protection for flight attendants, significant studies on members at times of happiness or sorrow. The
flight crew fatigue and mandatory inspections of committee is to send acknowledgements to comfort
foreign aircraft repair stations to name a few. Year members and their families when there is an illness,
after year we have fought for OSHA protection. injury or bereavement, to congratulate members who
Health standards for cabin air, running water and retire, and to direct members to organizations for
drinking water do not exist. The FAA doesn't even assistance if necessary. (continued on page 6)
consider the aircraft cabin as a work environment.
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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS, LL2339N JUNE, 2010
1. Vote to approve to up to $4000 for office supplies, equipment, furniture and candy for the grievance
committees of CAL and XJT.
2. Vote to approve up to $3,800 for the DL142 Election. This is to include payment of three (3) Tellers at
75% of their pay rate plus meals for two days (8Jun10 and 14Jun10). This will also include payment for
a secure storage facility for voted ballots/absentee ballots (8Jun10 through 14Jun10) and meeting room
for two days (8Jun10 for walk in voting and 14Jun10 for ballot count/final tally).
3. Vote to approve $2,850 per month from Aug 2010 through Aug 2012 for office rent with renewal of a
2 (two) year lease.
4. Vote to approve $650 per month for the months of July, August and September for the monthly
meeting refreshments for our members.
5. Vote to approve to spend up to $4700 per month for the Communications committee for the month of
August, September and October.
7. Vote to approve up to $1000 per month for the XJT Hotel Committee for the months of July, August
and September.
8. Vote to approve up to $2000 per month for CAL Hotel Committee inspections for the months of July,
August and September.
9. Vote to approve up to $6000 total for the newsletter. Total to include payment of up to $50 per hour
for 15 hours per month for June through December 2010
10. Vote to approve up to $8,400 for each month for a period of 18 months for up to two (2)
communication committee members to educate members on the CAL/UA merger. This will be a full
time position paid as per the local lodge bylaws.
11. Vote to approve up to $5000 to send the primary officers, the communicators and all the grievance
reps of CAL and XJT to a merger meeting/training on July 6-9 held at Winpisinger. Cost to include 3
nights hotel and per diem rates for the travel dates.
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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS, LL2339N JUNE, 2010
In Solidarity…Union Strong
IAMAW—LL2339N
One Gateway Center, Suite 2600
Newark, New Jersey 07105