PDF - American Agents

Issue VI
Passenger Service Post
Apr. 2014
Front Page News for Frontline Employees at the New American Airlines
www.american-agents.org
April 17th
Solidarity Action!
Agents and Representatives across the country took action by wearing their union pins and wristbands to work. Standing together is the key to winning our election and voice at work!
Top L to R: Chicago, San Diego, Miami, Raleigh-Durham. Middle L to R: New York, Indianapolis, Providence, Chicago, Salt Lake City. Bottom L to R: Winston-Salem, Dallas, Boston, New York.
Representation Matters Regardless of Station Size
By: Bonnie Brisky
US Airways
Airport Agent, ELP
When and where were you
hired by America West?
1990. El Paso, Texas.
What happened during the
America West Bankruptcy?
We took a 10% pay cut, had
our pay frozen for a while and we
were already among the lowest
paid in the industry.
rumors and what the company put
out. When we voiced our concerns
about outsourcing, inconsistent
rules and the possibility of
closing, they explained to us that
those were some of the things
union contracts covered. Even
though we couldn’t stop some
things from happening, we could
have consistent procedures that
stated how they would be handled
instead of constantly changing.
What is the best thing your
contract has done for you?
Did you support the 2004
Well, the company decided
organizing at America West?
to change us from mainline
We were a small station and aircraft to regional aircraft in El
most agents, including myself, Paso. Our contract states when a
were against the union. Lots of mainline station changes over to
work was outsourced during regional, customer service agents
bankruptcy, but we were not can remain US Airways with
our contract, pay protection and
seniority protection. If not for
our contract we would have been
furloughed, transferred, or had a
huge pay cut.
Are union dues an issue?
Not then and not now. The
Why did you get involved
benefits of having a real contract
with this campaign?
far outweigh the dues.
Most often agents want to sit
What advice do you have
back and watch what happens. I
for agents at American now?
used to be a supervisor and know
Don’t close your eyes, go out what could happen if we lose this
and get the facts. Nobody is safe vote and remember the past. The
no matter the size of your station. only way to ensure our futures
The writing is on the wall and to have a real voice is to get
all over American. Even here involved. I don’t want to lose my
in El Paso, we look over at union. I don’t have many years
the American agents and see to work before retirement and I
outsourced employees doing their don’t want those behind me to be
work at check in and baggage without a voice either.
affected here and weren’t that
familiar with unions so we
thought we were safe...
Anything else to add?
Why were you against it?
With the pay cut and pay
freezes we had taken in the past,
I didn’t want to pay union dues.
Did you vote for the union?
Yes, I ended up voting for
it. It took a lot of convincing. I
and many other agents finally sat
down with a union rep and asked
questions instead of listening to
service. At US Airways, our
work is protected by our contract
and seeing what happened at
American has only cemented
the fact that we need to keep
representation. Look around and
see what’s happened.
Representation matters everywhere, from hubs to res offices and HBR to small stations like El Paso.
US Airways, ELP L to R: Bonnie Brisky, Olga Zapien, Rosie Ortega, Nellie Aguilar
People are scared, especially
after coming out of bankruptcy.
We understand that but we have
to be able to work together. Which
airline bought the other doesn’t
matter here, let’s remember that
soon we will be one carrier.
Meshing personalities will be the
hardest, but the sooner we unite
and work together for this cause,
the stronger we will be. Division
amongst the two carriers will
leave us weak.
Passenger Service Post
It’s Time to Win Our Election and Move Forward Together
After seeing the same behavior
year in and year out I knew something had to change, I knew we
needed help.
By: Carroll Locklear
American Airlines
Reservations, SRO-HBR
After almost two decades with
What I didn’t realize at the
American Airlines, I’m ready for a
time was that we’re the only ones
voice at work.
who can help ourselves, and that’s
This is a good company to what unions are all about.
work for, and I love working from
I’ve talked with coworkers
home. But over the past few years
who complain about pay and benit has been a constant give and
efits, increased workload, the lack
take, with the company doing all
of security and profit sharing, even
the taking and agents and reps doabout the problems they think a
ing all the giving. The only way
union might bring.
things can change is if we stand
If you’re worried about these
together, which is why I’m voting
for representation with the CWA- issues, now is the time to get involved, now is the time to take acIBT Association.
tion, we can’t sit on the fence and
Years ago when I first heard
wait to see what happens any lonabout our organizing effort I was
ger.
interested, but was more concerned
For me, one of the top issues to
with keeping my job so didn’t get
involved. Then, management kept negotiate is increased training for
asking us to sacrifice for the good new HBR hires.
I spent 17 years working at the
of the company without making
SRO, so I had the opportunity to
any sacrifices themselves.
Steps to Election 2014
American Airlines agreed
with our filing that US Airways and American Airlines
are a single transportation
system.
#1
NMB
certifies
new American
Airlines as single
transportation
system for us
#2
#3
it out for themselves, which is part
of why there’s such high turnover.
2011
But with representation, we
can change all of that.
Since HBRs work at home, organizing has been an extra, but not
insurmountable, challenge. We’ve
started holding meet and greets at
restaurants near the airport, and the
response is great. Multiple people who voted no last time have
changed their minds after taking
the time to get informed, which
everyone should do.
2012
2013
Let’s
Have a
Voice in
Our Next
Steps
Having CWA-IBT Association
representation could change the
course of your career for the better, it’s worth getting the facts and
listening to more than rumors.
learn from my coworkers and understand the system before switching to HBR. Today, new HBR
hires are given four weeks of training in the office, two on the phone
and then are largely left to figure
Together, we can make sure
we’re moving forward with our
career instead of backwards. Together, we can have a unified voice
at work and build a strong combined carrier.
We show
Update
support by
our address
signing cards and with company so
wearing union
we get voting
pins
instructions
#4
NMB
schedules
our election,
expected this
summer
#5
We
get voting
instructions
from NMB. Vote
online or over
the phone!
#6
Run
surveys
to decide what
issues matter
then bargain a
new contract
together
Now it’s up to the NMB.
We Can Accomplish More if We Work Together
There is a lot of respect between our union leaders and local management, and that allows
Unions and management are us to work together to improve
not enemies. Representation isn’t things for everyone.
about fighting us versus them,
Here’s the catch though, manit’s about a system of checks and agement is human too. They can
balances.
make mistakes, misunderstand
By: Lisa Zeiset
US Airways
Reservations, INT
Lovely ladies from the Winston-Salem US Airways
reservations office showing their union pride with
wristbands, red and pins. Top L to R Susan DeGruyl
and Mickey Watkins, Bottom L to R Linda Slate, Jerri
Johnson and Vergie Hart
and most went home.
the unknown, who think representation will put a target on their
back, but that’s the total opposite
of our experience. Because we
have representation, just like the
other workgroups, we have a seat
at the table and a real contract.
As I waited in the parking
lot to find out what management
wanted us to do, a reporter asked
why I was still there. I told them
I didn’t want to be charged a sick
day for going home and then the
next day I get a call saying that
Doug Parker seems like a nice
the rules and miss facts, which is I’d been suspended.
guy, and clearly he knows how to
why we need a voice at work.
Because of our union, I was run a business, but we have to reAs a Local Vice-President able to file a grievance and have member that fundamentally his
and long-time steward I’ve got- the incident overturned and re- goal is making money for shareten to know the local managers moved from my record, some- holders, not looking out for our
and developed working relation- thing I never could have accom- welfare.
ships with them. But that wasn’t plished trying to navigate the
always the case.
disciplinary system on my own.
Years back I was at the res- And now, I’m part of our execuervations center, just another day tive board team where members
on the job, when there was an are the top priority and people
emergency chemical spill. Em- can call us for help 24/7.
The CWA-IBT Association is
here to be that advocate for our
interests, because it is us.
If we stand together in this
upcoming election we can win
real job security and a strong uniployees were evacuated from the
I’ve talked with folks at fied voice at work. Together, we
building due to severe fumes, American who are nervous about can accomplish more.