We`re on yet another long, difficult road to a contract

We’re on yet another long, difficult road
to a contract with UAL’s corporation.
We’ll get there, as one. Page 5
MEMBERS
Official Publication of District 141, International Association
of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Editor-in-Chief – Rich Delaney
Executive Editor – Dave Atkinson
Managing Editor – Mike Mancini
– Larry Bostwick – LL 1826, Omaha
Send Address Changes To: District Lodge 141, P.O. Box 1149,
Redwood City, CA 94064-1149 Main Phone: (847) 640-2222
Member-friendly businesses
Interline Cruise Connections: A true interline agency; no
fees; unheard of low rates; airline-savvy, knowledgable staff.
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Inaugural edition – Spring 2009
Pg 4.Treasurer Wall Street executives’ marriage of greed
standards; Negotiating as “one”
8. EFCA “Myth Vs. Fact”
9. Go Lilly Obama’s first
signature is pro-worker
7. SOSAP Zapping guilt
out of safety
10.A Thousand Bucks The Stutz Scholarship
11.Putting On A Pirate’s Face
How a 141 Member helps kids
12.History Randolph: Worker’s rights are civil rights
13.Revisting the Wreckage Shirtwaist Factory fire
14.Remember Recent Retirees, Obituaries
15.Community Service, Wellness
IAM141.ORG Management’s inability to follow the contract. We’re
battling with them and trying to get them to interpret the
contract according to IAM standards.
– Mike Maiorino – LL 845, Las Vegas
Attendance control system. We believe it is a violation of
the contract and we are fighting it.
– Chris Lenzi – LL 2559, Phoenix
CONTENTS
Lack of respect from managers. We’re trying to do our
jobs, but it’s frustrating when they don’t respect the grievances that have been filed. This needs to be resolved.
– John Stefanich – LL 1886, Denver
Fairview Manor: Guest House in redwood tree-studded
Santa Cruz mountains, minutes from beach. Gael Abayon,
141 Retiree, Innkeeper. (831) 336-3355 fairviewmanor.com
5. President Business’ double
Outsourcing. It’s our life. We hope we can all maintain our
status in Omaha. Our guys are worried about their future —
we want to stay here, not be outsourced to some second-rate
outfit with inferior service.
District 141 Communicator – Mike Mancini
District Communicator, US Airways – Dave Lehive
Design & Art – Mike Mancini
and stupidity; Dues adjustment at United
‘What’s the biggest issue
facing our Members?’
The biggest issue we face is that Members see the EAP
only as a drug and alcohol recovery program, when we have
a wide variety of functions. Especially in these hard economic
times, we have financial assistance we can offer.
– Rudy Ascuncion – District 141, EAP
Our main concern is the possibility of station closures.
– Paul Haro – LL 2444, Raleigh-Durham
Like most stations, we’re nervous that we’re on the chopping block and concerned for our job security.
– Jeff Carlson – LL 2210, San Antonio
Get everyone on the same page for negotiations. We
have to educate Members about the Railway Labor Act, promote solidarity and unity, and work together.
– Terri Stansbury – LL 1932, Los Angeles
The anxiety of not knowing if you will have a job. Also,
the point system is unfair.
– Alice Potter – LL 1287, Salt Lake City
Restrictions on shift swapping. A lot of young Members
need help on their paychecks and it’s becoming harder to get
overtime with swaps being rejected and limits on swapping.
– Alex Hradil – LL 731, Jacksonville
Spring 2009 2
Threat of furloughs. Every day is a challenge — people are on the edge. Job security
will be a big part of upcoming negotiations.
– Kevin Fredrickson – LL 2765, San Diego
Seniority and layoffs. Having to explain the
seniority changes to the guys is difficult.
– Shannon Robello – LL 1979, Honolulu
Education, getting the young Shop Stewards trained. They want the opportunity to
learn and we need to get them to feel involved,
to put an arm around them. We need to get
ourselves on track and focus on the future.
– Gil Simmons – LL 1776, Philadelphia
The biggest issue is the need to communicate to Members about the successes and failures of our Union and build the solidarity that
will be crucial in negotiations. The executive
board is now much more visible to Members —
we’re moving in the right direction.
– James Carlson – LL 1322, New York City
Work rules – how they are applied and
what we are allowed to do and what we are not
allowed to do – has been changing from month
to month, making them hard to follow.
– Tony Gibson – LL 141, Detroit
How does your negotiating team answer the same question?
Find out on iam141.org > News > Contract > Negotiating Team
The biggest issue is that some Members
feel the need to take shortcuts and end up injuring themselves or others and damaging property. Hopefully SOSAP
[Station Operations Safety Operations Program] will help and
enable Members to tell their sides of the story and create a
safer work environment for everyone.
– Bill Salo – District 141, Ground Safety
The attendance control program. It wasn’t negotiated.
It’s a violation of the collective bargaining agreement and
I’m sure that our leadership will take care of this problem.
Management is setting us up to fail; We’re human beings,
not machines.
– Vince Capitani – LL 2319, Tampa
The biggest issue facing us is consolidation. We’re concerned about the upcoming representational elections — if
there is a decertification at Delta, it will put pressure on the
entire industry. Also, another issue is the increased use of
regional jets, resulting in station closures and the threat of
more closures.
Part-time/full-time ratio. It’s affecting our livelihoods.
– Rich Robinson – LL 1886, Denver
Just staying open. We hope we’ll have enough business
so they’ll see the importance of having United in Charlotte.
– Tracy Russo – LL 1725, Charlotte
Fear of outsourcing. We have lost a lot of brothers and sisters already, and we are constantly facing the fear of getting
laid off and having to move our families to new cities.
– Mary Reed – LL 561, Kansas City
Deregulation. It has gotten worse since 1978 and it
will continue to get worse unless President Obama takes
a hard look at greed in America. There needs to be some
checks and balances.
– John Burgwinkle – LL 1979, Honolulu
– Verne Luxenburg – District 141, AGC
I don’t think US Airways has enough AGCs to represent its
Members. That’s the general consensus.
– Patrick Sullivan – LL 2444, Raleigh-Durham
3
Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG
TREASURER
A marriage on Wall Street
By Dave Atkinson, District 141 Secretary-Treasurer
The financial meltdown in this country came from
a marriage of greed and stupidity. It is time for a divorce.
Radio and television are full of fiscal experts, spewing
buzzwords of blame. It is entertaining, but unproductive.
This is what happens when people confuse activity with
achievement.
In the last ten years, financial companies spent $1.7 billion in campaign contributions and another $3.4 billion on
lobbyists. The investment paid off.
The Senate Banking Committee removed critical protection for smaller banks. In the old days, a local banker knew
the people to whom they loaned money. They wouldn’t give
the town drunk a million dollar loan. Now a mega-bank would
write that loan and sell it to some fool in another country.
Collateral Debt Obligations (CDOs) are the new financial
instruments of greed.
The idea behind a CDO is there will always be at least
some money coming in, regardless of how insane the loans
are. If you package a couple of bad mortgages with some
credit card debt, auto loans, corporate loans and aircraft loans,
you can be sure someone will pay. Banks were turning bad
mortgages and financial trash into investment-grade paper
and selling it to insurance companies and pension plans.
It’s up to you to decide if these people were greedy,
stupid, or both.
“You can put lipstick on a pig,” says Atkinson, “but it’s still
a pig. No offense to farm animals.”
Christopher Cox was the Chairman of the SEC (Securities
and Exchange Commission). He gave the market a free ride
and hatched a “voluntary regulation” scheme in 2004. Chris
was the champion of small government and less regulation.
Joe Cassano was the Chief of AIG Financial Products who
destroyed AIG, but now he’s off enjoying his $280 million in
profits. The taxpayers are bailing out Joey’s greed.
Dick Fueld was the CEO of Lehman Brothers. Dick earned
$22 million the year the firm went bust and he created the
largest bankruptcy in United States history. That moved UAL
Corporation’s bankruptcy to second place. Thanks, Dick.
Alan Greenspan was the chairman of the Federal Reserve. He had pushed for sweeping power to regulate Wall
Street. Then he failed to use it. He called CDOs extraordinarily
useful, saying that regulating CDOs would be a mistake.
Angelo Mozilo was the head of Countrywide Financial,
the largest provider of sub prime mortgages. Angelo was a
specialist in predatory loans that put poor people in mansions. Now he says the plea from homeowners facing foreclosure is disgusting.
Now, Alan Greenspan admits the mistake was on his part.
Oversight should have been imposed.
The list of greed and stupidity goes on and on. It’s the gift
that keeps on giving.
Phil Gramm was the Senate Banking Committee Chairman. Phil co-sponsored a bill that repealed key aspects of the
Glass-Steagall Act, leading to the rise of mega-banks. That’s
right, the very same mega-banks that became too big to fail.
Phil now claims that the country is in a “mental recession.“
A customer service agent, a ramper, and a mortgage
broker were all caught in a shipwreck. Sharks were soon
circling around. The sharks eat the agent. The ramper
starts swimming, but to no avail, as the sharks eat him
as well. The mortgage broker is really getting worried,
as a shark is coming for him. But instead the shark puts
him on its back, carries him to shore, and lets him off.
The mortgage broker asks, “How come you didn’t eat me
too?” And the shark replied, “Professional Courtesy!”
IAM141.ORG IAM dues adjustment at UAL
The Delegates at the 2008 Grand Lodge Convention voted to increase the Grand Lodge per capita in 2009 and again
in 2010. The Delegates from Transportation debated against
the increase but lost a two-day battle over the increase. The
increase was too large for many Local Lodges to absorb and
over time will be forced to increase their dues.
In January 2009, the Grand Lodge dues increase was
not deducted from Members’ pay checks at United Airlines.
In February 2009, Chicago and San Francisco continued to
have dues issues. United payroll is attempting to have a dues
adjustment in April to make up for the difference; for most
people it will be about $6.00.
Spring 2009 4
PRESIDENT
the Union’s position of addressing the lost wages, benefits,
and concessions demanded in bankruptcy. The company is
equally determined to continue reducing its employee costs.
Both sides are going to look for a “bailout.”
Businesses’ double standard
Negotiating as ‘one’
By Rich Delaney, President & Directing General Chair
The Union’s “bailout” is the strength and support of Members. History shows us that we cannot and should not expect
help from outside forces, such as the government. Our help
is within every one of us. Our strength and bargaining power
come from our right and ability to seek self-help during negotiations. By staying together and sharing information, we will
come through these negotiations as one.
Bailouts are the issue of the day. Banks, insurance companies, and automakers are lining up in Washington. They’re asking for —and getting— billions of dollars in taxpayer money.
It’s needed, we are told. Needed to save our economy;
needed to prevent further devastation; needed to prevent
bankruptcy of, God forbid, some fine institutions. As we are
seeing, using AIG for example, taking bailout money has no requirement that money be used for shoring up the failing company. Instead, it could —and was— used to bankroll obscene
bonuses to corporate bosses, whose bad decisions caused the crisis in the first place.
Corporations and governments both have
the same explanation: Executive pay insanity
is guaranteed by contract. It’s a “rule of law.”
Rules, we’re told, must be honored.
Somewhere between Wall Street and Motown, rules start to bend. Government takes a
different approach to carmakers and the United Auto Workers. The existing contracts of a
worker must be adjusted or terminated, before
any bailout money will be given.
With logic that only Wall Street speculators could understand (or perhaps an airline CEO), banks have stopped lending
money to people. So people quit buying things — like new
cars. Downsizing, liquidation and unemployment follows.
Who is blamed? The people who build the cars!
Who has ever heard of such a two-faced, rigged system that
rewards idiots at the top, while blaming and punishing workers?
We have. Those of us who have worked in the airline
industry in the last 10 years are very familiar with this schizophrenic approach to “bailouts.” Especially those of us who
have worked at airlines within District 141.
Who can forget the original airline “bailout” after September 11, 2001? The Air Transportation Safety and Stabilization
Act was implemented within a month of the terrorist attacks
to shore up an essential sector of our economy — interstate
transportation. All airlines were entitled to share in the $10 billion in guaranteed loans (not taxpayer money). Nevertheless,
the government insisted that employee contracts —Union
contracts— be changed or terminated before any loans were
awarded.
Now is the time for you, as a Member of the IAM and a
concerned employee of United Airlines, to ensure that you are
aware of issues and understand the importance of unity. Take
advantage of all the information you can get
from District 141. Read Negotiating bulletins;
Visit our web site at iam141.org; Attend Union
meetings, and always ask questions.
Our legal right to negotiate on your behalf
is becoming unique among American workers.
Less than ten percent of working Americans
belong to a Union and can bargain collectively
for wages and benefits. Nine out of ten workers
rely on the kindness of their employers to have
basic working conditions of decent wages,
insurance benefits, or a guaranteed pension.
Collective bargaining is a right we need to protect and to extend to other working people. If more workers
negotiate for improved wages and benefits, then —instead of
competing with each other over who can be the lowest paid—
all workers positively benefit.
Currently, there is legislation proposed in Congress to
give non-Union workers a better chance of being able to join
a Union. EFCA (The Employee Free Choice Act) would reduce
obstacles to organizing that now exist within America’s Labor
laws. The EFCA would limit employers’ abilities to influence,
coerce, and in many instances fire employees who try to form
a Union. Polling has shown that nearly two thirds of Americans agree with the proposed legislation. However, powerful
lobbies of the Chamber of Commerce, the National Manufacturers Association, and others are fighting extremely hard to
prevent its passage.
Good-bye pensions, good-bye wages, good-bye job security. Hello bonus payments for Tilton and Parker.
Our own experience shows us that CEOs and upper
managers do not act in the best interest of employees — unless they are forced to do so. We need to support the EFCA
to help other airline employees gain the right to bargain. We
strengthen our own bargaining ability by doing so. When the
EFCA becomes law and the non-Union carriers become organized, we will compete with them to see who has the best
contract — not who has the worse working conditions.
We have begun negotiations with United on the terms of
a new Contract. This is our first chance to talk about our issues
since 2002. Proposals from our Members have clearly defined
Take a minute to visit our International’s web site, goiam.
org, and send a message to Congress to pass the EFCA. This
would truly be one “bailout” that would help working people.
5
Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG
EDUCATION
program will help us greatly with the membership. We need
to move forward.”
US Airways Members get Steward
training with 141 boost
Rich Howell, 1776 Vice President, is a 30-year airline
veteran. “District 141 plays an instrumental part in training
classes,” he states. “Through the assistance of AGC Frank
O’Donnell and PDGC Rich Delaney, we were successful in giving guidance and support to Members in Philadelphia.”
District 141 Members at other airlines and cities can look
forward to education classes like the one in Philadelphia.
O’Donnell says the ongoing goal is to enable and ensure
quality Steward leadership for Members.
Congratulations to the new US Airways Shop Steward Class.
Sharif Abdullah, Teddy Allen, Jack Beairsto, Kenny Belgrabe,
Steward class in session in Essington, Penn., at Local 1776
Mike Bosco, Randy Brathwaite, Flavio Carlini, Tony Connor,
Mike Del Rossi, James Everett, Warren Faulkner, Bob Fitzgerald, Ed Giovengo, Manny Hall, Ray Hovanec, Anthony Hudson,
Fifty-five Members in Philadelphia received Steward
training at Local Lodge 1776, in Essington, Penn. “Members
are asking for a trained Shop Steward group,” says District 141
AGC Frank O’Donnell. “Thanks to a huge effort and investment from Local 1776, we are on the way with this first round
of training.“
Manny Hall, a ten-year Fleet Service Agent from West
Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, now works in Philadelphia.
Hall notes many senior Stewards are no longer here to teach
new Members. He observes: “We have new, upcoming Union
Stewards. They need classroom knowledge, as well as day-today Steward experience.”
One of those up-and-coming new Stewards is Michael
Ostermann who says “I want to protect Members from unjust
decisions affecting my co-workers.”
Terrance Ingram, Rowland Johnson, Dajuan Kirkland, Adam
Kramer, Shadek Lacy, Dave Lehive, Ed Longwell, Dan MacMinn, Josh Martinez, Dave Messer, Derrick Monk, Sultan Muhammad, Mike Ostermann, Huey Nicholson, Michele Ozoroski,
Joe Pinto, Bennie Phillips, Chauncey Phillips, Anthony Pugh,
Rich Radford, Bruce Raneo, Larry Reeves, Eddie Reyes, John
Santoro, Gil Simmons, Dennis Spencer, Martin Sterling, Jackie
Thomas, Rashika Thomas, Sonny Thornton, Rick Weaver, Dave
Wheat, Maria Wiley, Bill Wilson, Greg White, Bill Zebley, and
Sam Zingo
UA Stewards train in San Francisco
Members like 13-year US Airways Lead Fleet Service
Agent Dave Messer are participants in past training. Messer
says the training he recieved has “helped me with basic
understanding. I feel this recent training is the right step in a
new direction.”
Jack Beairsto, Philadelphia Grievance Committee, looks
broadly at district assistance saying, “I think this educational
Stewards at Local 1782 represent district’s only all-PCE local
Local 1782 in the San Francisco Bay Area is unique within
District 141. It is the only all-Customer Service local, and it’s
a big one. 1782 encompasses Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento
and Reno, in addition to San Francisco. District 141 Trustee
Greg Brown was president of Local 1782 from 2006 – 2009.
Local 1782 partnered with its sister Local 1781 (representing ramp & stores) in hosting this instructor-led training. Educator Terry Stansbury, AGC Shawn Humpherys and VP Sandy
Olmos also participated.
Continued, next page ...
IAM141.ORG Spring 2009 6
SAFETY
141 names US Airways director
President & Directing General Chairman Rich Delaney recently announced the appointment of Tony D’Aloiso, Ground
Safety Director – US Airways.
Steward class in session in the San Francisco Bay Area
Continued from previous page – Mary Nesel, newly elected
Sacramento Grievance Chair with 24 years seniority says, “I’m
glad the district was here. I hope they can do more.”
Akie Paea, a new
Steward from Oakland with 18 years
seniority added, “I’m
excited to have an opportunity to attend.”
Committeepersons confer informally during steward training
Marichu Menrige
has been with United for 13 years. She
says, “I learned tools
I need to represent my fellow employees.”
Justin Jones, newly elected Committee Person from SJC,
agrees. “It’s making me more competent in doing my job.”
SOSAP: Remove the guilty-untilproven-innocent assumption
Safety Coordinator Bill Salo joined representatives from
United and the Federal Aviation Administration at the Chairperson’s Conference in New Orleans to talk about the Station
Operations Safety Awareness Program (SOSAP). A joint effort
by the three organizations, SOSAP’s goal is to improve safety
by encouraging Members to report safety-related incidents
without fear of disciplinary action.
“We’re finding solutions to safety problems by emphasizing that we just want information about safety issues,” Salo
says. “The centralized reporting process mirrors similar programs in place for pilots and mechanics. It focuses on the how
and why of an incident, rather than the who and what.”
“SOSAP is designed to remove the guilty-until-proveninnocent assumption, and to change the perception that
‘nothing ever happens when I give input on a safety issue,’”
Salo says. However, he emphasized that SOSAP does not
replace vigilance on the job or remove all accountability for
safety violations.
7
“Tony D” brings 28 years experience, with a passion for
safety at the forefront. Tony has been an activist in the locals
he has worked. In PIT, he served as Recording Secretary and
now, in CLT he is Local 1725’s Safety Chair. Hailing from a
Union ship builder Machinist’s family, Tony understands the
need to organize and is active as a Union organizer. Tony
earned his Bachelor degree in criminology. He is naturally
attracted to investigation, research and psychology. Along
with his recent district safety appointment, D’Aloiso is a newly
appointed member of the Air Transportation Safety Committee – a national organization of Union safety chairs.
Tony affirms, “I can assure Members of District 141 that
safety is not a negotiable item. A quality safety and health
program requires diligent fact finding, suitable solutions,
communication, and corrective action plans. That’s what
will best serve our district, Members, management and our
customers. My goal is creating a better, safer environment for
District 141 Members.” That goal is supported by a full safety
and health agenda.
•
Restructure safety committees where needed
•
Safety and health risk assessment
•
Ground equipment evaluation
•
Corrective plan for identified safety and health issues
•
Recurrent training
•
OJI (On-the-Job Injury) tracking and equipment tracking
•
Self-awareness programs
•
Safety bulletin boards
•
Safety alerts
•
Ground Safety Reports
•
Monthly hazard sweep
•
Preliminary OSHA findings
•
Defibrillator and CPR training
•
Updated personal protective equipment
•
Updated safety briefings
•
Safety banners shared by IAM Ground Services
Safety is number one for District 141 and Ground Services
at US Airways. “Working together, we will better serve Members, protect passengers, and maintain aircraft,” says Tony D.
Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG
Corporations are amassing millions of dollars, and lobbying lawmakers to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. Unions and
pro-worker groups unanimously endorse it. Passage of the EFCA is likely to be the battle of the year.
MYTH VS. FACT
The Employee Free Choice Act
•
It is illegal for private companies to tell their employees
how to vote in a public election. In Union elections, supervisors routinely fire, demote, or reassign workers who
support the Union.
•
There are limits to how much money candidates can raise
and spend in public elections. In Union representation
elections there are no limits to how much companies can
spend on anti-Union lawyers and consultants.
•
In democratic elections, the winning candidates usually
take office just two months after Election Day. In Union
elections, employers can appeal the result to five different levels for several years.
MYTH: The Employee Free Choice Act takes away the
secret ballot.
FACT: The Act provides that if a majority of employees
sign Union authorization cards, the company must recognize and bargain with the Union.
Majority sign-up is a fairer process than the current one,
where employers can coerce workers. But, if a majority of
employees prefer instead to hold an election, they will have
that right.
MYTH: Union elections are just like elections for public office.
FACT: Union representation elections have almost nothing in common with elections for public office.
•
In public elections, candidates have free speech. In Union
elections, managers can require employees to attend
“captive audience” anti-Union meetings. Union supporters can be forced to attend—but denied the opportunity
to speak out.
IAM141.ORG MYTH: Passing the Employee Free Choice Act will hurt
economic recovery.
FACT: The best stimulus package for workers is a Union job.
Union jobs pay, on average, 35 percent more than nonUnion jobs. The National Labor Relations Act was first passed
during dire economic times to encourage unionization so
workers would have more buying power to fuel economic
recovery.
MYTH: Intimidation by employers during organizing drives
is exaggerated.
FACT: A study compiled from NLRB reports for 2007
Spring 2009 8
reveals that during that year, more than 29,000 people—one
worker every 18 minutes—were disciplined or even fired for
Union activity.
Thirty-two percent of employers fire pro-Union workers
and 50 percent threaten to close down their workplaces.
MYTH: Majority sign-up doesn’t work.
FACT: Majority sign-up is not a new process. In fact, directly after passage of the NLRA, almost one-third of all Union
certifications took place as a result of majority sign-up.
Since 2003, more than half a million American workers
formed Unions through majority sign-up. They include UPS
freight workers, reporters, hotel and casino workers and
nuclear engineers.
MYTH: If the Employee Free Choice Act passes, workers will
be pressured to join unions.
FACT: Studies show that, with majority sign-up as compared to NLRB election campaigns, employees report less
pressure from co-workers to support the Union and less pressure from employers to oppose the Union.
In the first 70 years of the NLRA, only 42 cases found fraud
or coercion by Unions in the submittal of authorization cards.
By contrast, there were 29,000 documented cases of intimidation or coercion by employers in 2007 alone.
MYTH: The Union representation election process can be
fixed without the Employee Free Choice Act.
FACT: It is impossible to enforce regulations that prevent
employers from threatening workers for organizing Unions
without increasing penalties and allowing workers to choose
Unions by majority sign-up.
There are strict rules that govern some employeeemployer relationships. For example, if a supervisor were to
make a pass at an employee (a verbal expression of sexual intent), strict rules would be enforced in the workplace. Outside
of the workplace, similar verbal expressions might be considered a type of freedom of speech.
But when employees are voting in the workplace for a
Union, employers can —and do— engage in coercion and
threats, defending that conduct as “free speech.”
A supervisor can speculate that a facility would close if
a Union wins an election. That is both an opinion and also a
threat. Under current law, that supervisor would not be held
accountable for making a threat. The Employee Free Choice
Act is aimed at the elimination of this kind of unbalanced and
unfair power relationship.
Source: Economic Policy Institute
9
LEGISLATIVE
Obama signs Lilly Ledbetter Act
The first piece of legislation that President Barack Obama
signed into law was pro-Labor. Less than ten days after taking office, Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act.
“Every working man and woman of this country should
find this assuring,” says District 141 President Rich Delaney.“ It
indicates that pro-Labor forces in Congress have the majorities they need to pass other bills we support.”
The new law reverses the effect of a Supreme Court ruling
that upheld severe time limits on lawsuits alleging illegal pay
discrimination.
Ledbetter had worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for
almost 20 years before she learned she hadn’t been paid as
much as male employees with similar jobs. She sued the company for the difference
in back pay.
Ledbetter won the
case, but an appeals
court ruled she had to
act within 120 days of
each discriminatory paycheck in order to collect.
Ledbetter appealed
the decision, objecting
that she didn’t know
about the discrimination because the company kept it a secret. The
Supreme Court voted
5–4 to reject her appeal.
The new law amends
the federal statute of
limitations to give workers like Ledbetter the ability to collect damages in such cases.
The House of Representatives passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act last year, but Republicans used a
political maneuver to prevent a vote in the Senate. This year,
Democrats used their new, larger majority to overcome the
maneuver. The Senate approved the bill with a 61–36 vote.
“This victory should be considered a trial run for passage
of the Employee Free Choice Act later this year,” Delaney says.
“That bill is our top priority in Congress.”
President Obama has says he would sign the EFCA bill
when it reaches his desk. Businesses and anti-Union organizations are lobbying to defeat the legislation, which would
remove obstacles that prevent working Americans from joining Unions.
Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG
SCHOLARSHIP
The title must be placed on the top of the paper. The entrant’s name or identification must appear on each page of the
essay paper.
District 141-sponsored scholarship
open for applicants
2009 Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship
Rules And Regulations
ELIGIBILITY: This essay competition is open to children,
spouses and dependent grandchildren (as defined by I.R.S.) of
Members (as of June 1, 2008) with one year or more of good
standing in District Lodge 141 who are graduating seniors, or
who are currently enrolled full time and/or commencing college full time. The competition is also open to any Members
(as of June 1, 2008) with one year or more of good standing of
District Lodge 141 who are currently enrolled in college with a
minimum of six units per semester. District Lodge 141 officers
and their families are not eligible. Only one award per family
is allowed per year.
Applications must be signed by your Local Lodge President
or Recording Secretary.
A bibliography of sources for essay material must be
included. The essay must be the work of the entrant or the
entrant will be disqualified. The winners may be interviewed
by the Scholarship Chairperson.
The application must be filled out completely or the entrant
will be disqualified.
ESSAY RULES: The subject of the 2009 Essay competition
is “What should President Obama and Congress do to restore
America’s Economy?” All essays must be typewritten on 8 1/2”
x 11” white bond paper with a minimum of 700 words and a
maximum of 1,000 words. Please include a recent photograph
of the applicant.
ENTRANT INFORMATION (PRINT OR TYPE):
Mail this portion with your essay.
Check one:
o Member Essay
AWARDS: One each – $2,000 overall winner
Six each – $1,000 placement winners
Awards will be presented at winners’ Local Lodges after
confirmation of student enrollment at an accredited college
or university (copy of valid registration or class schedule confirmation).
TIMETABLE: The Essay Competition will be opened February 1, 2009, and will end at midnight, July 1, 2009. Winners
will be announced by August 1, 2009.
JUDGING: Judging will be done by the impartial Scholarship Chairperson who is not a Member of District Lodge 141.
The decisions of the judge will be final.
DISQUALIFICATION: Previous winners and all entrants
not conforming to the contest rules will be disqualified.
Disqualification decisions of the Committee are final.
HANDLING: All essays received become the property of
District Lodge 141 and may be published in the future using
the contestant’s name.
MAILING: All entry forms must be mailed and postmarked, U.S. regular mail only, no later than midnight, July
1, 2009. Entry form and essay will be placed in an envelope
and mailed to the Scholarship Committee Chairperson at
the address shown below. The word (SCHOLARSHIP) must
be written in the lower left hand corner of the envelope. If
entrants want receipt of their entry acknowledged, enclose a
self-addressed stamped envelope.
Scholarship Advisory Committee: Daniel Brin, Chairperson; DL 141 Secretary-Treasurer Dave Atkinson; Frank Casciato,
Vice Chairperson; and Mike Delano, Vice Chairperson.
IAM141.ORG > MEMBER SERVICES > SCHOLARSHIPS
MEMBER/PARENT INFORMATION (PRINT OR TYPE):
Name __________________________________________
o Student Essay
Address ________________________________________
Name __________________________________________
City ________________________________ State ______
Address ________________________________________
ZIP Code ______________ Phone ( _____ ) ____________
City ________________________________ State ______
Book Number __________ Local Lodge Number _ ________
ZIP Code ______________ Phone ( _____ ) ____________
College of Choice (or attending) ______________________
Employer __________ Classification__________________
VERIFICATION STATEMENT:
Title of Essay _ ____________________________________
The above Member of this Lodge is in good standing and a
Member of District Lodge 141.
DEPENDENTS ONLY MUST COMPLETE BELOW:
Signature and Title: _ _______________________________
High School Presently Attending______________________
Date: __________________________________________
Address and City _ _________________________________
SEND ESSAY AND APPLICATION TO:
Graduation Date__________________________________
Daniel Brin, c/o B.C.I., P.O. Box 8160, Calabasas, CA 91372 - 8160
IAM141.ORG (Signature of LL President or Signature of LL Recording Secretary)
Spring 2009 10
MEMBER SITE
“It felt great knowing that I could bring such joy into the
lives of these sick and disabled kids. I could see that my visit
helped them forget what they were going through, at least
for a while.”
For years, people told Paul Haro that he looked like Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, but
he brushed it off.
He knows his celebrity status won’t last forever, but he’s
having a ball in his role as one of the most revered pirates in
movie lore.
When he heard it from his young daughters, Jocelyn and
Kelsey, while the family was visiting Disneyland, he finally
took notice.
“As long as I have this face, I’ll dress up like and become
Cap’n Jack,” he says.
Paul Haro puts on pirate face
for the kids
“I never told them that I heard about the resemblance over
the years,” Haro says. “So when the kids said it too, it hit home.”
Haro works as a Customer Service Representative for
United in Raleigh-Durham. He is a Steward and a committee
Member for Local Lodge 2444.
Haro’s kids persuaded him to make a beeline to a Disneyland gift shop where they purchased a Cap’n Jack souvenir
wig and hat, which he promptly donned.
When he walked around the resort in the hat and wig,
other visitors to the park asked if they could take Haro’s picture.
“It was almost as if there was a look-alike contest,” he
says. “People told me I should take my head and put it on the
professional Cap’n Jack look-alike who was performing at the
park that day. I was flattered and decided I was going to make
the most of it.”
He began to assemble everything needed to portray the
character, from the silk black vest to a custom-made pirate
shirt and pants.
“I even bought several pieces of
pirate jewelry, which I found mainly
on eBay,” he says.
In all, he has spent more than
$800 on the outfit and makeup.
“It usually takes me two hours
to transform myself into Cap’n Jack,”
Haro says. “I don’t have the authentic gold-capped teeth yet. I have to
put gold paint on them.
“I also want to get a tattoo, but
my wife is kicking and screaming
about that,” he says with a laugh.
Three years ago, at the suggestion of a friend, he visited the
Shriner’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
“It was amazing to see the look
on the children’s faces when they
saw me,” Haro says. “It’s like Santa
Claus visiting them in the summer.
11
He now visits hospitals in the Raleigh-Durham area and
the word is spreading. Haro is frequently asked to make
special appearances for co-workers at birthday parties and at
local elementary schools.
Haro has been a CSR for 24 years. He began his career in
Ontario in Southern California and has been at Raleigh-Durham since April 2008.
“It’s good here,” he says. “But it’s a different environment.
I’m not used to the snow.”
The Raleigh-Durham station had been closed for five
years prior to Haro’s arrival. “Because everyone was new, we
basically started from scratch,” he recalled. “That’s why it was
important that everyone knew about the Union. It was crucial
to putting our lodge on solid ground.
“We put our Union strength and solidarity to work,” he
says. “We put the station back on its feet.”
When he’s not working or dressing up as Jack Sparrow,
Haro uses a metal-bender plasma cutter and a mig welder to
make home-decor items out of wrought iron.
His creations range from outdoor sun sculptures to
candlesticks. An iron waterfall took two and a half weeks to
construct, and a plate stand only took a day.
Haro goes to an art show once a year to sell his creations.
He also posts on Craig’s List. “It’s a relaxing and creative outlet.”
LABOR HISTORY
‘Measure our achievements
against the needs of our time’
A. Philip Randolph – At the banquet table of nature, there
are no reserved seats. You get what you can take, and you keep
what you can hold. If you can’t take anything, you won’t get
anything, and if you can’t hold anything, you won’t keep anything. And you can’t take anything without organization.
As a towering figure in the civil rights movement and a
powerful voice on behalf of Labor, A. Philip Randolph understood what men and women could accomplish when they
stood united.
Born Asa Philip Randolph in Crescent City, Florida, in 1889,
he initially aspired to become an actor, prompting him to
move to Harlem in his early twenties. While studying at the
City College of New York, he became interested in politics
and economics, which ignited his lifelong association with
social activism.
We can approach corporate executives as better-than-equals,
“not as trembling, bowing slaves.” – Asa Philip Randolph
NEWS
Union membership up in 2008
Union membership in the United States increased by
428,000 to 16.1 million in 2008, according to new figures released by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The numbers reflect the first statistically significant increase in the 25 years of reporting.
“This is good news for American workers,” President Rich
Delaney says. “It confirms what many working people already
know: Given the chance, American workers will choose to
affiliate with a Union. They know that people who belong to
Unions have better pay, better health care and a pension.”
The improvement in Union representation indicates a
long period of decline has ended and that intensified efforts
at Union organizing are paying off, Delaney says.
“With the passage of The Employee Free Choice Act
(EFCA), which Congress will consider this year, we would see
an even greater increase in our ranks in all sectors of the
economy. It would allow the workers – not the company – to
decide how to form their Union.”
Research conducted by Peter D. Hart and Associates
found that 78 percent of the public supports legislation like
the EFCA that would make it easier for workers to organize
and bargain with their employers.
IAM141.ORG In 1925, he began to organize the predominantly AfricanAmerican work force at the Pullman Company, a manufacturer of railroad cars. After a grueling 12-year struggle in which
the company employed spies and violence in its attempt to
stamp out organizing campaigns, Pullman began negotiations with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, led by
Randolph. They eventually became part of the TCU-IAM.
He also fought against discrimination in the military, for
school integration and for federal funding to reduce poverty.
Ensuring equality for all workers inside the Labor Movement was another of Randolph’s goals, which led to the
formation of the Negro American Labor Council in 1959.
He was instrumental in coordinating the 1963 March on
Washington. It mobilized hundreds of thousands to hear Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Randolph urged African-Americans to take control of
their destinies through Union membership.
“With a Union, they can approach their employers as
proud and upright equals, not as trembling and bowing
slaves,” he says. “Indeed, a solid Union contract is, in a very
real sense, another Emancipation Proclamation.”
Randolph was relentless in his quest to grow and
strengthen the Labor Movement. He was steadfast in his
belief that workers could not simply rest on the accomplishments of their forefathers.
A. Philip Randolph died in 1979.
“In assessing Labor’s contribution to civil rights, it is not
enough to measure how far we have come,” he says. “It is not
enough to compare ourselves favorably with government or
management. We must measure our achievements against
the needs of our time.”
Spring 2009 12
Two doors and an elevator provided the only exit on the
ninth floor. One door was open, but fire was already blazing
up the stairwell. The other door was kept locked, apparently
to keep the workers from stealing material or taking unauthorized breaks.
With stairways burning and the elevator malfunctioning, hundreds of panicked seamstresses flooded to the flimsy
fire escape on the outside of the building. Unfortunately, the
escape was not built to evacuate hundreds of people at a
time. It buckled and collapsed under the weight, sending the
workers upon it to their deaths eight floors below.
From the moment they arrived, firefighters knew it was
a losing battle. The open gas lines and store closets of dry
textiles were spreading the fire quickly and their ladders only
reached to the sixth floor.
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Revisiting the Wreckage
It was 1911 and the Industrial Age was in full swing. Political tensions in Europe were building to the breaking point,
a new fad called flying was sweeping the world, and innovations in technology such as radio, centralized electricity and
the automobile were changing everyday life so fast that many
struggled to keep pace.
Without hope of escape, many workers on the ninth
floor broke out the windows and jumped to their deaths on
the street below. Several people jumped down the elevator
shaft to a similar fate. A few lucky jumpers survived the fall
and were taken to hospitals, but most of the workers stayed
put amid the flames and waited for a rescue that never came.
Greed cost one hundred and forty-six workers their lives in
that fire.
Until 9-11, this was the worst
workplace disaster in American history
In New York City, the sweatshop was still the cornerstone
of the textile industry. Immigrant workers – mostly women
between the ages of 13 and 20 – worked from 60 to 72 hours
a week. Their weekly pay was less than ten dollars.
The company’s owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, managed to escape to the roof and wait out the fire with most of
the top-floor employees. They stood trial for fire-safety violations later that year, but their lawyer managed to discredit
several of the witnesses and won their acquittal.
Sweatshop managers kept production costs down by
keeping the workplaces unfurnished and low-tech. Dry
textiles were stacked between the rows of sewing machines.
Advances in electric lighting were ignored in favor of cheaper
gas systems that had open flames and sooty fumes. Some
workers were allowed to smoke in dangerous circumstances.
As a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, state and national workplace safety standards were signed into law that
still remain in effect. The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union gained remarkable strength and helped to reform
the sweatshop conditions of the textile industry.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Company was no exception to
these poor standards. Taking up the top three floors of the
Asch Building just east of Washington Square, the factory
employed 500 workers.
The Triangle Company was already infamous for its antiUnion stance. Following a citywide, four-month strike for better wages and working conditions by the International Ladies’
Garment Workers’ Union in 1909, the Triangle Company was
the only factory that refused to sign a collective bargaining
agreement granting strike back-pay for its workers.
On March 25, 1911, the closing bell for the work day
sounded at 4:45 p.m. Women had already stowed their supplies
and were retrieving their coats to leave when someone on the
eighth floor screamed, “Fire!” Among the rows of dyed textiles, a fire had started and was spreading rapidly. Acrid smoke
began to flood the air. Runners were sent to sound the alarm
to the floors above. Most of the eighth and tenth floors were
evacuated, but the alarm did not reach the ninth floor in time.
13
At the Metropolitan Opera, Rose Schneiderman says
these words during a memorial rally for the Triangle Shirtwaist workers: “I can’t talk fellowship to you who are gathered
here. Too much blood has been spilled. I know from my experience it is up to the working people to save themselves. The
only way they can save themselves is by a strong workingclass movement.”
Three months after the fire, New York Gov. John Alden Dix
signed a law creating the Factory Investigating Commission.
Their job was to investigate specific aspects of the disaster and use the findings to improve the general workplace.
Robert Wagner was one of the men in charge. Later, Wagner
would be at the head of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Labor
reform during the New Deal, including penning the National
Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act). Frances
Perkins, who witnessed the fire in 1911, aided in the act’s creation and served as Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor.
She became the first woman Cabinet member in history.
Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG
REMEMBER
Recent retirees
United Airlines
Alexander, Beverly B., DTWRR, 36 Yrs 8 Mos
Almeida, Thomas S., HNLCG, 16 Yrs 5 Mos
Anderson, Leialoha F., HNLRR, 22 Yrs 8 Mos
Barajas, Juanita, DENJL, 10 Yrs 3 Mos
Bode, Lynn A., EWRCS, 31 Yrs 0 Mos
Boi, Teresa L., CHIRR, 35 Yrs 8 Mos
Britton, Alessandra J., CHIRR, 18 Yrs11 Mos
Burkhart, Jean D., DENCS, 24 Yrs 1 Mos
Cafferky, Judith L., ORDCS, 19 Yrs 5 Mos
Carson, Gregory L., DCACG, 20 Yrs 0 Mos
Christofferson, William G., DENCS, 22 Yrs 4 Mo
Crooks, Wayne C., DFWOZ, 22 Yrs 6 Mos
Custodio, Julia M., SFOJE, 20 Yrs 7 Mos
Davis, Steven W., IADCG, 11 Yrs 8 Mos
De Malteris, Carolyn, SNAOZ, 24 Yrs 9 Mos
Djordjevic, Nadezda, ORDJL, 16 Yrs 7 Mos
Docter, Tom C., MSPCG, 17 Yrs 8 Mos
Domaracki, Rose A., CHIRR, 40 Yrs11 Mos
Eiteneier, Oscar, DENCG, 17 Yrs 10 Mos
English-Nowak, Kathleen A., CLECS, 40 Yrs 9 M
Espiritu, Nestor K., SFOCG, 12 Yrs 4 Mos
Faung Jr, Albert J., SFOCG, 39 Yrs 5 Mos
Fettig, Joseph M., PDXJL, 36 Yrs 4 Mos
Fishell, Deborah L., CHIRR, 23 Yrs 7 Mos
Flieger, Joanne M., EWRCS,30 Yrs10 Mos
Obituaries
United Airlines
Adams, Paul, retiree, CLEFH 12/05/08
Akana Jr, Lincoln K, KOAOZ, 11/14/08
Armstrong, Lori L., IADRR, 01/06/09
Arnold, Alvin N., retiree, HNLCS 11/10/08
Baker, Alma R., retiree, DCARR 01/28/09
Ballentine, Edwin L., retiree, DENCG 11/11/08
Barnes, Karl M., retiree, ORDCS 12/28/08
Beers, Ronald L., DTWRR, 01/30/09
Bowie, Ralph L., retiree, SEACG 11/06/08
Bradley, Thomas E., retiree, DTWCG 12/01/08
Brainer, David W., retiree, ORDFF 12/18/08
Brion, Larry S., retiree, BDLFF 11/30/08
Burford, John B., retiree, LASOZ 01/12/09
Cahill, Elaine, retiree, SEAFF 11/17/08
Chapman, Linda M., DENCS, 01/26/09
Church, James L., retiree, BWICG 01/02/09
Clarke, James P., MIAOZ, 11/29/08
Clifford, A. B. B., retiree, DCARR 01/03/09
Crimmins, Velma M., retiree, SEAHH 01/03/09
De Ford, Daniel C., retiree, SFOCG 11/22/08
IAM141.ORG Flood, Kathleen T., LAXCS,
18 Yrs 7 Mos
Forster, Elizabeth J., SEACS,
30 Yrs 10 Mos
Frykland, Mary Teresa, PDXJL,
13 Yrs 7 Mos
Garibaldi, Gino F., SFOCG,
14 Yrs 4 Mos
Gawrych, Patricia A., DTWRR, 20 Yrs 0 Mos
Gimino, Sheila A., CHIRR, 23 Yrs10 Mos
Gordius, William N., SEACG, 42 Yrs 6 Mos
Grant, Eugene A., DTWRR, 11 Yrs 7 Mos
Gray, Lloyd, LASOZ, 13 Yrs 9 Mos
Green, Geraldine E., BWICS, 33 Yrs 4 Mos
Griffith, Stephen B., DENCG, 33 Yrs 7 Mos
Guillory, Sherrie I., HNLRR, 21 Yrs 8 Mos
Haag, Judy L., DTWRR, 21 Yrs 3 Mos
Hesseltine, Allan L., DENCG, 24 Yrs 8 Mos
Highley, Karen A., IADCG, 20 Yrs 3 Mos
Holder, Christine E., ORDJL, 34 Yrs 5 Mos
Holmgren, Sara L., SEACS, 20 Yrs 2 Mos
Howard, Mae E., CHIRR, 30 Yrs 6 Mos
Hutchison, Judith L., IADCG, 20 Yrs 4 Mos
Imamura, Mie, SFOCS, 34 Yrs 9 Mos
Johnson Jr, Dennis, LAXCS, 11 Yrs 5 Mos
Johnson, Linda A., CHIRR, 35 Yrs 6 Mos
Johnson, Marianne E., SFOCS, 13 Yrs 3 Mos
Johnson, Steven D., PDXCS, 36 Yrs 7 Mos
Johnston, Edith A., HNLRR, 10 Yrs 9 Mos
Kappeler, Anita M., DENCS, 10 Yrs10 Mos
Kincannon, Pamela D., DENCS, 21 Yrs 1 Mos
Kirkendoll Ogletree, Gail Y., DTWRR, 30 Yrs11 M
Lavillotti, Aldo, BOSCG, 40 Yrs10 Mos
Lemee, Earl B., SANCG, 24 Yrs 8 Mos
Lipford, Kinuko M., HNLCS, 20 Yrs 7 Mos
Lombardi, Dominic J., DENCG, 24 Yrs11 Mos
Lutze, Carl W., DENCS, 21 Yrs 7 Mos
Maddamma, Franco, CLECG, 34 Yrs10 Mos
Marlin, John M., TPACG, 39 Yrs 5 Mos
Martin, Kevin A., ORDCG, 32 Yrs 8 Mos
Martinez, Helen J., ORDHF, 21 Yrs 10 Mos
Maszczak, Robert F., CHIRR, 17 Yrs 1 Mos
Matonti, Suzanne T., SEACS, 25 Yrs 7 Mos
Matsumoto, Kenneth, SNAOZ, 10 Yrs 3 Mos
Mc Bride, Charla M., PITCS, 23 Yrs 5 Mos
Mitchell, Junei, SEACS, 18 Yrs 0 Mos
Monteleone, Mary, ORDCS, 19 Yrs 10 Mos
Muhammad, Abdur R. S., SFOJE, 20 Yrs 9 Mos
Mullins, Eleanor B., ORDCG, 21 Yrs 6 Mos
Nader, Monina T., DCACS, 15 Yrs 7 Mos
Nash, Domelynne K. Y., HNLRR, 29 Yrs 6 Mos
Nelson, Anne Karin, LAXCS, 15 Yrs 8 Mos
O Brien, Laureen M., SEACS, 32 Yrs 10 Mos
Olsen, Keith A., SMFCG, 30 Yrs 9 Mos
Orr, Robert C., DTWRR, 18 Yrs 2 Mos
Peppers, Patricia J., CHIRR, 32 Yrs 1 Mos
Perdue, Martin, MIAOZ, 19 Yrs 4 Mos
Peters, Carol W., HNLRR, 30 Yrs 3 Mos
Plumberg, Debra L., DENCS, 21 Yrs 6 Mos
Reynolds, Jane M., CHIRR, 30 Yrs 8 Mos
Rodrigo, Rolando S., SFOJJ, 19 Yrs 9 Mos
Rokicki, Debra L., BWICS, 34 Yrs 11 Mos
Root, Elizabeth, ORDCS, 10 Yrs 2 Mos
Salim, Ildefonsa, SFOCG, 12 Yrs 4 Mos
Sanai, Shahram, DENCG, 16 Yrs10 Mos
Sandles, Tyiame J., DTWRR, 22 Yrs 8 Mos
Schuping, Mary J., IADCS, 10 Yrs 2 Mos
Smith, Lilia, LAXCG, 10 Yrs 11 Mos
Smith, Mildred A., ORDHF, 21 Yrs 7 Mos
Straub, Thomas A., SEACG, 35 Yrs 9 Mos
Dean, George W., retiree, DENCS 01/09/09
Dunne, Frances E., retiree, CHIRR 10/22/08
Ehmke, Gary D., retiree, DENFF 12/20/08
Eitel, Van E., retiree, IADCG 11/25/08
Faustin, Jean Pierre G., ATLCG, 11/21/08
Fidler, Jay L., retiree, SEARR 12/26/08
Fink, Leeroy W., retiree, IADCG 12/16/08
Fink, Russell A., retiree, JFKCG 01/06/09
Folta, Paul A., retiree, ORDCG 01/05/09
Gallagher, Charlotte E., PHLHH 11/30/08
Gonzalez, Maximo E., LGACG, 11/29/08
Gray, Mary E., retiree, CHIRR 12/26/08
Greenlee, Mack J., retiree, EWRCG 12/19/08
Griffith, Jack E., retiree, PDXFF 12/28/08
Hall, Leroy E., retiree, LAXFF 11/24/08
Hartman, Donald L., retiree, SEARR 12/17/08
Kline, Herman R., retiree, CLECG 01/22/09
Marolt, Arthur A., retiree, ORDFF 12/23/08
Matute, Joseph E., retiree, ORDCS 12/29/08
Meadows, Irene, retiree, ORDHN 12/14/08
Mikami, Kiyoto, retiree, SEAFF 12/20/08
Miyahara, Kazuo K., retiree, DENCG 11/11/08
Moore, James G., retiree, FATOZ 01/17/09
Murrell Jr, James M., retiree, TPACG 01/29/09
Noll, Bruce L., DENCG, 11/02/08
Norcop, John H., retiree, SFORR 10/03/08
O Neil, Eleanor I., retiree, LAXRR 12/22/08
Peter, George H., retiree, JFKFF 01/15/09
Pezo, Alcibiades L., retiree, SFOJE 12/28/08
Prybys, Jerome A., retiree, DTWCG 01/20/09
Punche, M J., retiree, LAXCS 01/19/09
Rodrigues, Henry R., retiree, SEAJL 12/07/08
Roy, Malcom B., retiree, IADRR 12/08/08
Saxton, Ray A., retiree, DENJL 12/31/08
Seikaly, Simon M., retiree, SLCCG 01/07/09
Silinsky Jr, John, retiree, CLECG 11/23/08
Strieby, Jerry, FSDOZ, 10 Yrs11 Mos
Suh, Kyung Hye, ORDCS, 21 Yrs11 Mos
Sweeny, Janet M., DFWOZ, 33 Yrs 6 Mos
Tactikos, Dennis, ORDCS, 21 Yrs 9 Mos
Thorsby, Denice K., DTWRR, 15 Yrs 9 Mos
Tudman, James D., IAHOZ, 30 Yrs 3 Mos
Urli, Oliver L., DTWRR, 40 Yrs 0 Mos
Vann, Grady L., DCACG, 37 Yrs 7 Mos
Von Boeckmann, William, SANCG, 30 Yrs 8 M
Whipple, Anthony B., DENJL, 11 Yrs 8 Mos
White, Felix, retiree, ORDFF 01/30/09
Williams, Charles M., ATLCS, 37 Yrs 5 Mos
Williams, Eltesia, CHIRR, 11 Yrs 2 Mos
Winter, Carol A., DCACS, 24 Yrs 3 Mos
Wright, Sharon A., IADCS, 40 Yrs 4 Mos
Ziesemer, Thomas N., DTWRR, 39 Yrs 8 Mos
Simpson, Lucille M., retiree, CHIRR 10/29/08
Snyder, Randy D., DENCG, 01/03/09
Speedy, Yvonne W., retiree, ORDHN 11/27/08
Tennyson, Gregory N., retiree, BURRR 12/07/08
Van Brocklin, Richard E., SFOCG 12/06/08
Vande Wetering, Hendrix, LAXHH 12/09/08
Vannoy, Glenn B., retiree, CLERR 01/23/09
Waldorf, Roger D., retiree, PDXCS 01/03/09
Walunas, George H., retiree, DENFF 10/18/08
Wamser, Yoko, retiree, SFOCS 01/24/09
Whelden, Lillian E., retiree, DTWRR 01/27/09
Williams, Herbert H., retiree, ORDCG 09/29/08
US Airways retirees and obituaries
US Airways was unable to meet press deadline for supplying the names of Members who have retired or passed on.
The Messenger will continue to solicit this information from
the company for future publications. If US Airways supplies
information on a timely basis, you’ll see it here.
Web listing retirees and obituaries
Beginning this summer, iam141.org will list retirees and
obituaries under iam141.org > Member Services > Retirees.
Spring 2009 14
COMMUNITY
WELLNESS
Food drive aids record numbers
If your loved one is an
alcoholic ...
... there are things that you can do to help.
Remember that alcoholism is an illness. It’s not a disgrace.
Recovery can happen, just as in any other illness.
It is important not to nag. Chances are that your loved
one already knows everything you could say. They’ll take just
so much, and tune out. You do not want to pressure an alcoholic into a lie or forced promises that cannot be kept.
Never assume a “holier than thou,” martyr attitude. It
is possible to create this impression without saying a word.
An alcoholic’s sensitivity is such that he or she judges other
people’s attitudes more by small things than by words.
Alcoholic drinking is compulsive and cannot be controlled by will power, so it is important that you do not use
the “if you loved me” appeal. It only increases guilt. It’s like
saying, “If you loved me, you would not have cancer.”
Never make threats unless you think them through carefully and intend to follow through. There may be times when
action is necessary, i.e. to protect children. Idle threats only
make the alcoholic feel you don’t mean what you say.
There is often a temptation to hide or dispose of liquor.
This is not effective. An alcoholic will find new sources.
Employee Assistance Program West Coast Coordinator
Roberto Mendez plans food distribution for Members in
need with peer Francie Patchel.
Reflecting hard economic times, a monthly food drive
program jointly sponsored at Locals 1781 and 1782 in San
Francisco has never been busier.
“We are happy to help families and Members,” says
Roberto Mendez, EAP Coordinator. At the same time, he feels
sad when looking at the long lines of Members who are in
need of help.
Local 1782 Member Francie Patchel, who organizes trucking, volunteers, packaging, and food pick up, manages to
greet Members with a smile. Some 13,000 pounds of food is
distributed each month.
People think of EAP as a drug and alcohol program, but
Patchel points out it is that and much more, “This part of the
EAP program helps Members stretch out meals for several
more days on a tight budget.”
The number of EAP coordinators who have joined the
EAP program —in San Francisco PCE alone— has quadrupled
over a three year period, from 2006 to 2009.
iam141.org/eap
An alcoholic will sometimes attempt to persuade you
to drink with him or her on the grounds that it will make the
alcoholic drink less. It rarely does. Besides, when you condone
drinking, an alcoholic will usually delay getting help.
Don’t be jealous of recovery methods. The tendency is to
think that love of home and family is enough. Frequently, the
motivation of regaining self-respect is more compelling for
the alcoholic than resumption of family responsibilities.
Avoid feeling left out when the alcoholic turns to other
people for help in staying sober. You wouldn’t be jealous of
the doctor if someone needs medical care.
Keep your expectations realistic. There may be relapses
and times of tension and resentment. Don’t expect an immediate 100 percent recovery.
One of the quickest ways to push a recovering alcoholic
into a relapse is to try to protect them from drinking situations. It can stir up old feelings of resentment and inadequacy.
Saying “no” gracefully is something a recovering alcoholic
must learn for himself or herself. Don’t remove a problem before the alcoholic can face it, solve it, or suffer consequences.
Rudy Asuncion – EAP Director, District 141, (773) 601-4977
Jeffrey E. Randolph – Chairperson, US Airways, 904-556-1110
Al Abromitis – Chairperson, United Airlines, (703) 331-0818
iam141.org > Member Services > Employee Assistance
15
Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG
USPS
000-993
INSIDE
What is the biggest issue for
Members? – Your answers
MAILING LABEL
President: Business’ double
standard; Negotiations – Delaney
ADDRESS ONE
Treasurer: Greed marries stupidity;
Dues adjustment at United – Atkinson
ADDRESS TWO
Welcome to the new
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