Working people need relief now and airline workers are facing a Wednesday, September 30 deadline before hundreds of thousands of airline employees lose their jobs.
Here’s how you can take action now:
Call your Senators and Representative at 866-829-3298and urge them to pass a clean extension of the airline Payroll Support Program through March 31, 2021, and to save hundreds of thousands of frontline airline workers’ jobs.
Help is needed across the country due to the toll of the pandemic, and the IAM strongly believes these needs must be addressed. Action is needed immediately for airline workers, since airlines will be forced to make business decisions that can’t be reversed after mass layoffs.
“We just need to make sure that people understand that we’re people,” IAM member Andrea’ Myers, a United Airlines Reservations Agent in Detroit, told the Washington Post. “We’re not just a number at United Airlines. We have families. We have things we have to get done.”
Lengthy and expensive training requirements for airline workers will hold up the nation’s recovery even longer once America is ready to fly again.
“The Machinists Union stands shoulder to shoulder with Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer in their effort to get a coronavirus relief package passed for all Americans,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It is an outrage that working families have already waited more than four months since the House passed the HEROES Act. The Machinists Union will do anything to support our membership and the tens of thousands of our airline members who will be laid off on Oct. 1.”
“With only one day remaining before the PSP expires, it is more important than ever that we turn up the heat in Congress,” said IAM Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “We must band together, use our collective voice and protect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Machinists.”
The IAM supports stand-alone PSP extension bills and urges House and Senate leadership to pass the bipartisan Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act, led by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-VI).
Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden, on Friday visited IAM Local 207 members in Blue Hill, ME. During her stop, she spoke with several lobstermen and toured a boat to celebrate National Lobster Day.
“I had a chance to speak to Dr. Biden about why we fish, that it’s not just what we do to feed our families, but it’s a way of life,” said Julie Eaton, a lobsterman in Deer Isle and Stonington.
Dr. Biden, who is a lifelong educator with a doctorate in education, has been traveling to battleground states across the country on a “Back to School” tour, which is focusing on labor and small businesses.
“Not very often, a lobster fisherman from Maine gets to have a potential first lady come aboard their boat,” said Phil Black, a lobsterman in Blue Hill.
“The IAM was honored that Dr. Biden celebrated National Lobster Day with our great lobstermen and women of Local 207,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President Jimmy Conigliaro Sr. “We appreciate the time she took to speak and listen to many of our members. Her sincerity and heartfelt message provided much-needed inspiration to our members who feel betrayed by the Trump Administration.”
Grand Lodge Representative Dave Sullivan recently wrote an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News about how the lobster industry has suffered under the Trump Administration.
“As the Maine Lobster Union representative who works with fellow lobstermen every day, I’m deeply concerned about the impact President Donald Trump’s failed leadership has had on our industry,” wrote Sullivan. “The year before Trump was sworn in as president, Maine’s lobster industry was flourishing.”
Lobster 207 is the only union-based cooperative in the lobster industry, owned and operated by the folks who know Maine lobster best—the Lobstermen of IAM Local 207.
With the airline Paycheck Support Program (PSP) contained in the CARES Act set to expire next Wednesday, September 30, we are urging all members to continue imploring Congress to pass a clean extension of the PSP through March 2021. Adding to the urgency is the possibility of the Republican-majority Senate going on another vacation beginning Friday, September 25.
The IAM has led the fight on Capitol Hill from the onset and with only six days remaining, we must increase the pressure.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
1- Call your Senators and Representative at 866-829-3298 to urge them to pass a clean extension of the PSP through March 31, 2021, and to save hundreds of thousands of frontline airline workers’ jobs.
“The Machinists Union stands shoulder to shoulder with Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer in their effort to get a coronavirus relief package passed for all Americans,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It is an outrage that working families have already waited more than four months since the House passed the HEROES Act. The Machinists Union will do anything to support our membership and the tens of thousands of our airline members who will be laid off on Oct. 1.”
“With only six days remaining before the PSP expires, it is more important than ever that we turn up the heat in Congress,” said Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “We must band together, use our collective voice and protect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Machinists.”
Recently, the IAM supported the Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020, a standalone clean extension bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Susan Collins. The IAM also supports a standalone extension in the House, introduced by Reps. Stacey Plaskett and John Joyce.
Understandably there has been a tremendous amount of frustration surrounding discipline, vacation time, PB time, and more. The Union has been actively engaged throughout the last few weeks with the Company, desperately trying to resolve these issues. When members ask a question, an answer should be able to be provided, simple as that. Unfortunately, for several reasons out of the Unions control, many of us have been in limbo, and with many questions going unanswered. By working with the FMCS Mediator, both parties successfully worked through the following that will be effective immediately.
June WILL count towards perfect attendance.
217 members affected by this will be purged and achieve perfect attendance.
91 members affected by this will have their discipline removed.
If you returned September 8th, 2020, you WILL still be able to accrue perfect attendance for September.
All discipline issued before strike will remain on your record for 12 months, which is and has been consistent as stated in the contract. Additionally, the months we were on strike will not affect that timeframe as previously stated by BIW. Therefore, if you were written up in March of 2020, you would come off your pink slip in April 2021. Anyone who has been told differently before today, your date will be adjusted.
Anyone who received a 5-day letter during the strike where BIW utilized the time frames through the strike to administer additional discipline, including discharge, are being dealt with through our legal department. Whereas BIW’s legal department has stated that those time frames do count for issuance of discipline, we must follow up with our legal team and take the necessary related action.
Local S6 is working as hard and fast as they can to resolve these and other issues. This commitment will continue and we will provide accurate information as quickly as possible. There is a tremendous amount of work that is and has to be done, with hundreds of phone calls flooding the Union Hall daily. We are not ignoring you or your issues. We have been utilizing many of our frontline Shop Stewards to help out. Understandably, you may not see a large Union presence on the shop floor currently. This is temporary. We encourage you all to continue to call your representatives and/or the Union Hall for assistance. We have not gone anywhere and will continue to proudly represent all the members of Local S6.
Local S6 IAMAW/IUMSWA Bath/EBMF, Hardings/Bissons/CW/Ace
Shop Steward Elections
9/24/20
Below is a listing for the upcoming Shop Steward Elections. The elections are listed by shift and then by classification(s). Please check your classification for the election date, polling place(s) and time. If your classification and shift are not listed, no election is needed. In the event that the election cannot be held on the stated date, the alternate date will be the following day (same time and places). If the yard is closed the election will be held the first day that the yard re-opens (same time and places).
1st Shift Bath/EBMF E02 (Vote for 3 Stewards) –Thursday, October 1, 2020; EBMF Tool Crib 5:48 a.m. – 6:13 a.m.; Bath- North, West, and South Gate 6:30 a.m. – 6:55 a.m.; MSC Lunch Room 11:30 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.
Candidates: Andrew Bernier, David Clukey, Clint Downer, John Sevey, Shawn Tardif.
2nd Shift Bath/EBMF MAINT/M04/O04 (Vote for 1 Steward) Thursday, October 1, 2020; EBMF Tool Crib 3:00 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.; Bath-North, West and South Gate 2:30 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. Candidates: Trinity Driscoll, Jeff Murray.
1st Shift Bath/EBMF T04 (Vote for 2 Stewards) – Tuesday, October 6, 2020; EBMF Tool Crib 5:48 a.m. – 6:13 a.m.; Bath- North, West, and South Gate 6:30 a.m. – 6:55 a.m.; MSC Lunch Room 11:30 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.
Candidates: Tyler Cardillo, Brad Farrell, Kyle Michaud, Jon Mitchell.
Keep up the pressure!
866-829-3298 
(@MachinistsUnion) 