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TWU Mechanics Reach Deal with American—and More Bargaining News
Some 11,000 Transport Workers (TWU) reach a tentative contract with American Airlines, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,200 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
NEGOTIATIONS
TWU, American Airlines: After years of bargaining, more than 11,000 mechanics and related workers at American Airlines reached a tentative three-year contract with the airline. The agreement came two months after the Transport Workers (TWU) requested the National Mediation Board (NMB) declare an impasse, but federal mediators denied the request and directed the two sides to continue bargaining. Some highlights of the pact include a 6 percent wage increase over the term, preserved medical benefits for current retirees and workers older than 50 and a move to a defined-benefit contribution 401(k) plan for new hires. TWU reached two more similar tentative agreements with the airline: one covering nearly 3,000 workers in the Materials Logistics Specialist work group and another covering about 90 workers in the maintenance control technician work group.
MNA-NNU, 14 Twin Cities hospitals: 12,000 nurses in Minnesota are contemplating a strike, which would be the largest nurses strike in U.S. history. The Minnesota Nurses Association-National Nurses United (MNA-NNU) has been in talks with 14 Twin Cities hospitals for months, but the union says the hospitals are using the weak economy as an excuse to make cuts that would ultimately hurt patients. The nurses will vote on May 19 whether to strike.
Multiple, State of New York: Today, leaders of the New York State Legislature will likely approve Gov. David Paterson’s emergency spending bill, which includes the furlough of 100,000 state workers to begin May 17. Lawmakers do not have the authority to amend emergency budget bills, and a rejection of the bill would result in a government shutdown. However, AFSCME is prepared to sue the state and argue the furloughs are illegal; a position supported by both the state Senate conference leader and Assembly speaker.
AFSCME, Jackson Memorial Hospital: The 5,000 AFSCME members at Miami’s cash-strapped Jackson Memorial Hospital re-ratified pay cuts of 5 percent, after some members said they were uninformed during the first vote.
Multiple, State of New Jersey: Union leaders in New Jersey are slamming Gov. Chris Christie’s latest attack on public-sector workers for pushing legislation that would impose a permanent 2.5 percent cap on annual raises, increase the retirement age and allow municipalities to opt out of the civil service system. The largest public-sector union in New Jersey, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), said the ability to opt out of the civil service system will promote “political patronage and corruption.”
WORK STOPPAGES
IAM, Delta: The NMB is investigating a complaint filed by the Machinists (IAM) District 143 that Delta Air Lines illegally interfered in a representation election of 91 flight simulator technicians, held after Delta and Northwest merged. The complaint comes as other Delta workers await the decision of the NMB to change the union election rules to make the system fairer for workers.
ILWU, Rio Tinto: The nearly 600 borax miners locked out by Rio Tinto in Boron, Calif., remain united despite the lockout entering its 15th week. The members of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 30 have lost paychecks and health insurance but continue to demand a fair contract and good jobs. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor is accepting donations in support of the locked-out miners and their families.
Ironworkers, Central Illinois Builders Association: 350 members of Ironworkers Local 46 in Illinois returned to work Friday after a weeklong strike over wage increases. Local 46 and the Central Illinois Builders Association will resume negotiations today.
UNITEHERE!, Castlewood Country Club: Five locked-out country club workers in Pleasanton, Calif., began a three-day hunger strike outside the Castlewood Country Club on Friday, hoping to draw attention to their fight as families celebrated Mother’s Day over the weekend. The country club locked out 61 members of UNITEHERE! Local 2850 on Feb. 25.
UFCW, Shaw’s Supermarkets: Striking warehouse workers at Shaw’s Supermarkets in Methuen, Mass., were outraged last week after the company rejected their latest offer and instead proposed a more regressive contract than its previous two offers. The 310 workers are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 791, which has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the company is bargaining in bad faith.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided for your information only. As it is compiled from published news reports, not from individual unions, we cannot vouch for either its completeness or accuracy; readers who desire further information should directly contact the union involved.
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2 Comments
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It is truely heroic that organized working people are fighting back under the most dire economic and political conditions imaginable. But organized trade union workers are forever fighting with one hand tied behind their back. That is, trade unions can only struggle on the economic front, without effectively waging a massive political struggle that could involve all working people.
The “leadership” of organized labor has sacrificed the political power of working people by supporting Obama and the Democratic Party. The time is now to establish and organize a new socialist political, that refuses corporate bribes and corruption, and build a party that represents the economic and social interests of all working people. A new party to massively create millions of new jobs, defend the public education, support “medicare for all”, end the wars for profit and take back the corrupt bailouts” to Wall Street billionaires, to transition away from from a capitalist economy to a socialist economy.
By creating a new socialist party, organized labor forcefully answers the organizational question never answered by simple trade unionsism: How to unite the power of organized and unorganized working people into an effective political struggle?
Most importantly, a new socialist political party organizes the millions of unemployed millions of working people being impoverished by Obama and the Democratic Party.
This article posted today from the World Socialist Web Site reveals the crisis of long term unemployment, which the organized labor movement has done little about except lament and whine through symbolic “conferences” and demonstrations with “wish lists” that working people need “good jobs, green jobs”, are a pathetic joke. They show the political powerless of working people today, now forced into impoverishment without any voice of opposition and without any political strategy from the “leadership” of organized labor.
The full article is linked here:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/may2010/pers-m11.shtml
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Record levels of long-term unemployment in US
Jerry White
11 May 2010
Despite the pronouncements by the Obama administration and the news media of a supposed economic recovery, unemployment, and particularly long-term joblessness, continues to inflict immense suffering on tens of millions of workers and their families in the US. At present some 15 million workers are officially unemployed, including one out of every five men between the ages of 25 and 54.
…
If workers are to avoid a relentless descent into pauperism they must initiate a struggle to defend the right to jobs and a decent standard of living for all. This requires a struggle to mobilize the entire working class against the Obama administration and both big business parties, and to advance a socialist alternative to the capitalist profit system they defend.
The Socialist Equality Party calls for an emergency program of public works to provide every unemployed worker with a good-paying job within six months. Trillions of dollars must be made available to rebuild the decaying social infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, public housing, roads, water and sewage systems and other public facilities.
This should be combined with measures to alleviate the hardships brought on by the world capitalist crisis, including an end to foreclosures, evictions and utility shutoffs, an increase in the minimum wage to $20 an hour, and a reduction in the workweek to 30 hours at 40 hours’ pay.
We reject the claim that there is “no money” to provide for the needs of the population. The trillions expended on war and the bailout of the wealthy must be redirected to meet social needs. The fantastic wealth accumulated by the corporate and financial elite—often through fraud and criminality—must be reclaimed.
The subordination of economic life to the capitalist principle of private profit must be abolished. The major banks and corporations must be transformed into public utilities, democratically controlled by the population and dedicated to meeting social needs.
I’m in 100% agreement with you Jerry.
On the American Airlines thing: I’m conflicted. Although they are the only major airline doing maintainece on U.S. soil with union workers, they’re also totally screwing 300 lifelong employees at the overhaul base here in Kansas City. I know a former employee who was forced into early retirement (it’s their loss, the guy’s a total super genius.) And I’ll feel the same way when/if Folgers leaves KCMO. Whether the New Orleans plant is UAW or not we would lose a business thats been here for more than 100 years and employment for 700 people. Although admitadly Kansas City is lucky that are unemployment is lower, and we still produce high quality union made (high domestic content) cars and other industry, it is unacceptable to lose these community institutions. I’m not YET a union worker yet sometimes I think this stuff angers me more than others.