By Michael P. Nelson, Region II Director
As we put away our snow shovels and hang up our parkas, it is also time to observe Military Appreciation Month. Being that May contains more days set aside for celebrating and commemorating our Military’s achievements than any other month, it was bestowed this nationally recognized honor. Of course the mostly widely celebrated of these days is Memorial Day, which is recognized as a day of remembrance for all the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and our right to democracy.
One of those freedoms we enjoy is our freedom to choose our Union Representation. In choosing AMFA, I hope your expectations of a truly democratic association have been met or exceeded. As Region II Director, my duties currently include co-chairing the SWA Aircraft Maintenance Technicians and Related (AMT) Negotiations and the SWA Facilities Maintenance Technician (FMT) Negotiations. With that, the AMT negotiations are turning into a real battle. Whether you’re a guy who just wants to come in to “your” bid location and work 40 hours a week, or a guy who enjoys living in a different city or state from where you work, or maybe even a guy who works in the hangar but likes to go to the line and work some overtime from time to time… you are all under attack. We are all under attack with the Company proposing huge concessions throughout our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) including Field Service, Day Trades, new “Qualifications” to work overtime, a new Maintenance Planning Program with uncertain consequences for our work, to the latest new duty limit; and we haven’t even began Scope or the economic sections! The Negotiating Committee really appreciates your support, now and especially in the months ahead, because many of the major issues listed above are deadlocked due to both sides being so far apart.
As far as the FMT negotiations, to this point our biggest hurdle is trying to convey the most basic union concepts, such as seniority and job classifications, to a management group that is only familiar with overseeing “at will” employees. We are using the AMT CBA as a template for the basic structure in creating this new CBA. We have tentatively agreed to twelve Articles and have two more that we are currently in work on. We have been moving forward productively, especially since we can only get a day and a half at a time from the Company to negotiate. Although, efficiency will no doubt dwindle as we enter the economics sections if more time at the negotiating table isn’t obtained.
Please watch or read the negotiation updates on your bulletin board or AMFA National’s website. Also, try and stay informed and participate in your Local and National events. We need a strong unified voice to safeguard all of our livelihoods moving forward-there is no room for apathy in the coming months. I hope you and your families have a safe and enjoyable summer. I also want to thank those Brothers and Sisters who served in our Military; you are appreciated.
