Pressures Mount in America’s Airports
If you think traveling through airports
is tough, try working in one.
June 2017
ThisisourfifthissueoftheCWAAgentsConnectednewsletter.CWArepresentsmorethan20,000agentsatAmerican,Piedmont,andEnvoy.Inthisnewsletterwecoverstoriesofinteresttoagentsatallthreeairlines.Ifyou'dliketosuggestastoryorshareapictureofyouandyourcoworkerstakingactiontobuildourunion,[email protected].
Agentsreportthatit’sneverbeenthisbad.SusanneSkowronski,anEnvoyagentatORDforthepastfiveyears,saysthatrecentlyunrulypassengersseemtohavemultiplied,andshefeelsmanagementisnotrespondingtoworkers’concerns.“Itjustdoesn’tseemlikethecompanybacksitsemployees,”saysSusanne.“Itwouldmakeadifferenceifmanagementweremorepresentinsteadofleavingagentsalonetodealwitheveryproblem.Theyjustsayweshoulddiffusethesituationusingourbestjudgment.Weneedhelp.”
TroyPickett,anEnvoyagentatORDforthepastsixyears,isaCWAStewardandActingLeadAgent.Troysaysthatit’simportanttotrackabusivepassengerbehavior.“Ifpeoplearethreateningusrepeatedly,wehavetoreviewtheirfilesandmakesurethatabusiveincidentsarerecordedsowecanknowwhentotakeaction.”Readmore:http://bit.ly/2tMDDlM
“Wewanttoelevatethecustomerexperienceasmuchasmanagementdoes,butwhattheairlinefailstorealizeisthatit’spassengerswhoareescalatingthesituations,andwedon’thaveenoughtoolsforhandlingthingsrightnow.”
—EnvoyAgentSusanneSkowronski,ORD
InApriltheviralvideoofDr.DavidDaobeingdraggedfromaUnitedAirlinesflightunleashedanewfirestormofpassengerfear,anger,andprovocationthatisnowtakingatollonairlineemployeesacrossthenation.Withthearrivalofthesummertravelseason,planesarenowmorecrowded,weatherismoreunpredictable,andpassengersaretakingouttheirfrustrationsonagents.
A Newsletter to Connect CWA Passenger Service Professionals
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WhenAmericanAirlinesworkersinPuertoRicorealizedthatanessentialaspectoftheircontractwasinjeopardyasaresultofoutdatedlaws,CWALocal3140joinedwithTransportationWorkersUnion(TWU)Local501tomakesurethelegislatureaddressedtheproblem.Local3140VicePresidentGeorginaFelixexplainsthattheLocalprotectedtheflexible“swap”systemthathelpssomanyworkersmaintainthebalancebetweendedicationtotheirjobsandfamilyresponsibilities.“Withouttheswapsystem,”saysGeorgina,“alotofworkersjustcouldnotkeeptheirjobs.”Throughoutmostofhercareer,GeorginaandotheragentsinPuertoRicoworkedforUSAirways,whichalwaysallowedshiftswaps.Thisvaluedpartofthecontractmeantthatifanagentwereneededathometocareforchildrenorsickorelderlyfamilymembers,heorshecouldworkfewerdaysforlongerhours.Unfortunately,whenUSAirwaysandAmericanmergedtobecomethenewAmericanAirlines,thecompanydeclareditcouldnothonorswapsbecausethenewcompanywasnotexempt(asUSAirwayshadbeen)froma1948overtimelaw.Georgina,Local3140PresidentEllisRyan,AreaRepresentativeHeydaDelgado,andtheotherofficersknewthatmanyoftheirmembersdependedontheswapsystem.Members
American Agents Win in Puerto Rico’s Legislature
“They shut one door, and we found another.”
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ofCWAandTWUinitiallybroughtacomplainttotheU.S.DepartmentofLabor,firstmeetingwithofficialsoutinthestreetbecauseanotherunionwasprotestingadifferentissue,andhadblockadedthebuilding.Astheyworkedtochangethelaw,Georginasaysthatsheandothersweretoldto“sitdownandbequiet,becausethingsarenotgoingtochange,andweshouldn’tgivepeoplefalsehope.”Buttheypersisted.“Theyshutonedoor,”saysGeorgina,“butwefoundanother.Itoldthemthatonedaythisfatlady’sgoingtosing‘hallelujah,’andthat’swhathappened.”Readmore:http://bit.ly/2s9O1qt
Taking Action for Agent Safety
Earlierthisyear,CWApassengerserviceagentsapplaudedthemoveoftheDepartmentofJusticeandDepartmentofTransportationconfirmingthattheAviationandTransportationSecurityActdid,infact,considerassaultsonagentstobefederalcrimes.Thelaw,49U.S.C.46503,setsfederalpenaltiesforinterferingwithairportandairlinepersonnelwhohavesecurityduties.
Thiswasanimportantstepinprotectingagentsonthejob,butwehavemoreworktodotoensurethatDOT,TSA,airlines,airports,andlawenforcementdotheirparttoenforcethelaw.
CWAisprovidingrecommendationsandguidancetoensurethateveryonewithastakeinprotectingagentshastheinformationandtoolsneededtodojustthat.Thisincludesprovidingcriticalinformationaboutwhattodoifassaulted.Youcandownloadawallet-sizecardhere:https://www.cwa-union.org/sites/default/files/cwa-passenger-service-assault-card.pdfThiscardcitestherelevantlawandthestepsanagentshouldtakewhenassaulted.Youcanalsofindinformationinadownloadableleafletdesignedtopostonunionbulletinboards.Downloadtheleaflethere:https://www.cwa-union.org/sites/default/files/cwa-passenger-service-assault-poster.pdf
Local3140LocalAreaRepHeydaDelgado,lawyerFranciscoVargas-López,andVPGeorginaFelixcelebrateteamwork.
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TheCWABargainingCommitteemetwiththeEnvoyBargainingCommitteeinMaytopresentacomprehensiveproposaltotheCompany.ThismeansthattheunionhasnowpresentedanentirepackagetotheCompany,andwewillnotbeabletoaddanynewitemstothepackage.ThemeetingbeganwithCWApresentingbothnewproposalsandaresponsetosomeoftheexistingproposals.ThecommitteegavethecompanyproposalsonGeneralArticles,ShiftDifferentials,PremiumPay,MealsandBreaks,LeavesofAbsence,Classifications,Definitions,Benefits,andWages.OurproposalcontainsawagescalebasedonseniorityandconsistentwithourinvolvementwiththeFightforFifteen.BargainingcontinuedinJune,withCWAandEnvoyreachingagreementonHoursofServiceandPreamble.AfullupdateforJuneisavailablehere:http://bit.ly/2sTBPHKandforMayhere:http://bit.ly/2sToYVR
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TheCWA-PiedmontBargainingTeammetwiththeairline’steaminMarch,April,andMaytocontinueworkingtowardafairandequitablecontract.Sofar,theteammembershavecometoagreementonArticle6,HoursofService;Article14,LeavesofAbsence;Article18,SafetyandHealth;Article19,GrievanceProcedure;Article20,SystemBoardofAdjustment;Article21,NoStrike,NoLockout;Article22,UnionRepresentation;Article23,UnionSecurity;Article25,PoliticalActionFund;Article26,Non-discrimination;andanewarticleonMedicalExaminations.
OnApril19,theCWAbargainingteamheldaTownHallCalltodiscussprogressmadeandtheimportanceofmobilization.Ifyoumissedthecallandwouldliketohearthequestionsandanswers,youcanfindtherecordinghere:http://bit.ly/2trKGTE
AnthonyBarden,PresidentofCWALocal3645inCharlotte,NorthCarolina,said,“Althoughwe’repleasedwiththeagreementstheTeamhasreachedsofar,westillhaveawaystogo.Somuchisatstakeandmemberengagementintheprocessiskey.OurbargainingteamwillhavemoreTownHallCallsandshareinformationwithmembersinavarietyofwaysaswecontinuetopushforrealimprovementsatthebargainingtable.”
AnthonyrecentlytooktheplaceofDoniellePropheteontheBargainingCommitteewhenDoniellesteppeddownforpersonalreasons.AnthonysaidthateveryoneatLocal3645appreciatesDonielle’stirelesseffortsonbehalfofhercoworkers,“Thefightwillcontinue,butwewillmissher!”
Formoredetailsoneachbargainingsession,takealookatthebargainingreportsonournewwebsite:
http://www.piedmontagent.org/piedmont-airlines/bargaining-updates
CWA’s Envoy Bargaining Team Reports Progress
YourBargainingTeam(LefttoRight):JamesMcKnight(MIA),DeAnnaDavis(BPT),JanetPadgett(LAX),ChrisHaight(TVC).
Piedmont Bargaining Springs Forward
Dates to Remember
Piedmont Bargaining: July 18-20
Envoy Bargaining: July 25-27
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InMay,fourCWAmembersfromAmericanAirlinesattendedatwo-daytrainingsessioninDallasforinternalorganizers.ThetrainingsessionincludedmorethanthreedozenunionmembersfromAmerican,AT&T,andothercompanies.TherepresentativesfromAmericanAirlinesincludedDeborahJohnson,DebbieAmaro,ChrisKress,andReneedelaGarza.
DeborahJohnson,a26-yearAmericanAirlinesveteranwhoisareservationsrepresentative,saysshewasinspiredandenergizedbytheexperience.“I’vebeeninterestedinorganizingaunionatAmericanfor20years,andnowamsoproudtosaythatI’maunionmember.Thetraininghelpedmethinkoutsidemylittleworldandtoseehowmanypeopleinthiscountryhavenopower.I’vegotagoodjobnow,withgoodpay,butIknowitcanbetakenawaysoquickly.Ifwedon’tgeteveryoneelseunionized,itwillenduphurtingus.”
Readmore:http://bit.ly/2s9vJpp
“Boot Camp” Training in Dallas Inspires
American Organizers
“If we don’t get everyone else unionized, it will end up hurting us.”
CWAAgents5013rdStreet,NWWashington,[email protected]
Forallthelatestnews,followandlikeusonFacebook:Facebook.com/AmericanAgentsConnectedFacebook.com/PiedmontAgentsConnectedFacebook.com/EnvoyAgents
Update: Call Center Legislation Gains
In April and May, the CWA-backed U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act saw positive momentum as a result of our collective efforts. In May, two more Senators—Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin of Illinois—signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. To date, we’ve collected more than 26,000 petition signatures in person and online. If you haven’t signed your name yet, you can still add it here: http://bit.ly/2sTC8lF
In April, CWA members in more than 60 locations across the country participated in actions to support the bipartisan legislation designed to keep good jobs in the United States in the airline, telecommunications, healthcare, and other sectors. We’re working hard to pass this legislation. Read more: http://bit.ly/2tNuMR0
Newly Minted Stewards at Envoy
CWA-EnvoyStewardtrainingswereheldonApril19andMay24,adding12morelocationstothelistofstationswithtrainedstewards.ParticipantscamefromlocationsrangingfromSanDiegotoBuffalo.Thestewardtrainingincludedinformationaboutnewlynegotiatedimprovementstothegrievanceprocedure,suchasa“justcause”requirementfordisciplineanda30-daymaximumtimelimitafteranincidentoccursforissuingdiscipline.
BackattheirLocals,severalofthenewstewardshavealreadybeguntheirwork,whichincludessigningupcoworkersasCWAmembersandexplainingexactlywhatitmeanstobeamember.Readmore:http://bit.ly/2tMSPzc
EnvoystewardspreparetofightforfairnessatMaytraining.
DiscussingstrategiesatDallastrainingfororganizers.
