Excellent.........Please register with a meaningful Username(one that shows how you feel about all the radical changes FedEx has made to our "People Caring" company) then get involved by posting your real life experiences and how they have affected your family!! Then lets set out to have a say in how we put this train back on the tracks, going the right direction. FedUpOvertheAbuse
Folks. I have Been doing some research and I like what I see with respect to what the IAM has achieved for its aviation members in both the pension and health care areas.
For example, during the airline industry restructuring of the 2000s, most passenger airlines either terminated of froze employee defined-benefit pension plans and replaced them with defined contribution (401k) plans. Sound familiar? The move was aimed to slash future financial obligations to current employees and shift the risk and funding of retirement plans from the airlines to their employees.
IAM-represented airline employees, however, fared much better than did other airline employees because of the IAM National Pension Fund (IAMNPF) which is funded at 104%. IAM negotiators were able to replace terminated or frozen pension plans with the IAM National Pension Plan (IAMNPP), most notably at United Airlines and US Airways.
It will come as no surprise to those familiar with the piece of junk plan FedEx served up to us in 2007 is inferior in most respects to what the IAM can offer us.
Please visit the www.iamnpf.org for more information.
Just heard about this! Great news guys. Bunch of us here in OAK are going to get folks together. Do you guys have any good info on IAM pension and health benes I could share at our mtg? Could IAM come out here?
The IAM is going to be meeting with many of our stations, I am sure OAK/LA will be on the schedule. My suggestion is until then pass the word about the effort. OAK and LA are very key so if you have contacts please pass the word. Also would be great if the AMT's would register with the IAM page. We have got to unite against the thieves that have robbed us of are pension and healthcare. This management team has no concern for us or our families. We know what we have without representation one loss after the other, along with policies that treat AMT's like child. The only way to stop the hemorrhaging is to Print, Sign and Mail a card. goiamfexex.org
Count a bunch of us in LAX in right out of the gate. The helathcare fleecing was the last straw for alot of us. Paid close to $10,000 out of my pocket for my special needs kid's treatments. In the past, this same treatment would have only cost me about $750 out of my own pocket.
One of our old benefit reps (we no longer have them here in LA) who is familiar with catastrophic plan we have now said FedEx will save a ton of $$$ by offering this cut rate plan while still charging us the same high premiums. She said that FedEx will save 100s of millions of dollars each year as the company increasingly begins to shift more costs on us. This is just the beginning.
The fact is that we received a wage cut starting in 2014 and the company did not have the cajones to tell us what this plan meant for a great many of us. Make no mistake, we have one of the absolute worst helathcare plans of any of the AMTs in the country. Basically you are sh!t out of look if you or your family need medical care beyond basic preventive care.
It doesn't have to be this way. Just ask one of our 5,000 + FedEx pilots who enjoy one of the richest health plans in the plans in the country.
Guys, this is real. We have to get a contract to begin to stop the bleeding!!!
Yes, some information on healthcare and meetings at LAX would be greatly appreciated. Back in 2008 we had a place off-site where we met, signed cards and discussed the issues.
I would say 75% of the folks out here would sign up in a heartbeat.
Poor and inconsistent management, no sick bank, deplorable health benefits are just a few of the problems we have here at LAX. We are tired of Memphis management flying in and feeding us a line of crap about how great our benefits are.
Do they think we are stupid? We talk to AMTs with other airlines and know how bad we have it.
Gentlemen, Mark Ward of the IAM and a couple of other guys are right now trying to put together a list of names, emails and contact phone numbers where they can set up meetings especially in the bigger stations to come meet with a select group to get this ball rolling!! You can get him the info by emailing mward@iamaw.org and also begin spreading the website www.goiamfedex.org telling your coworkers to register as well as clicking on the card, fill it out, fold it up and stick it in the mail..........it absolutely is that simple!!
For those of you that have experienced and lived the nightmares of the impact our medical has had on your family directly.....then log in and post those stories! Until people can put themselves into being a potential "victim" that those same issues can or will happen to them, they will not get the message just how screwed we truly are!!
1. Develop a list of key AMT contacts at each of the strategic locations who can help drive interest and facilitate larger informational meet and greets with IAM organizers. These AMTs will serve as local committee heads.
2. Dissemination of awareness e-mails and flyers to the craft and class members letting them know the IAM is here, what they are about and how they can help our current situation.
3. Our issue platform needs to be focused so that folks who do not understand what has been happening with our healthcare plan are informed. Many guys with their head in the sand need to understand what the IAM can offer and why we need them for protection.
4. Sadly, we can't expect our fellow brothers to just come onto the new IAM web site, sift through the info and then sign and mail in a card. Issue (healthcare) and Brand (IAM) awareness MUST be established before we can make significant strides beyond where Tom's noble efforts took us.
This is an excellent start. Let's all band together to help the IAM in any way possible.
So here we sit twiddling our thumbs as if everything at Club Fred is all peaches and ice cream..........we couldn't fight our way our of a wet paper bag much less stand together to prove we deserve to be recognized in our own Class and Craft. We've showed them (FedEx) they have absolutely nothing to worry about from us! Tom must have known way more than we gave him credit for, when he saw it was a battle we couldn't win? Very telling movement we have going!
The link above has been posted at the new site we are trying to transition over to, since this is Tom's site and will soon be shut down! While he is still completely supportive of this drive, he feels his family and health were far more important to focus on at this juncture of his life, than to continue on after 9 years of failed results from enough of the AMT's to believe the importance of us obtaining our own Class and Craft designation! Thanks for your understanding and we hope you will help support our efforts at www.goiamfedex.org if you believe we truly deserve better treatment and respect for the job we do.
Good site. IAM folks need to head west and see several of us in Los Angeles, Oakland and Anchorage.
We are hearing the IAM is going to do a road show where they will educate us on their IAM National Pension and take a look at the disaster our health benefits have become. A god many of us are looking forward to meeting the IAM, learning more about them and hearing about what they can offer.
LAX - 398 AMTs (Does not include QC Spec who would be in craft and class) OAK - 66 AMTs ANC - 41 AMTS
IAM Rep visits to LAX, IND, OAK and EWR are a must. Web sites are great one a foundation has been built, but people still prefer to do things face to face, especially when they are just meeting someone for the first time, "kicking the tires" and getting some education on the benefits of an union contract in the airline industry.
To get things moving, we need to: (1) do a blast e-mail to both Job Families off of the seniority list to let everyone know about this site and to alert them about future meetings in their area where they can meet the IAM Reps, ask questions and receive more information about what the IAM has to offer in term of healthcare, pension, sick banks, work rules; and (2) set up some meet an greets throughout the system.
My brother has been an IAM member with Boeing in Washington state for 27 years and swears by the representation they provide him.
Props to the FedEx Freight drivers in Stockton - they are taking a stand against substandard healthcare and pension benefits.
FedEx Freight Workers in California Vote to Join Teamsters Local 439
Drivers in Stockton Seek Job Security, Improved Health Plan, Pension
STOCKTON, Calif., March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of 50 drivers at FedEx Freight's Stockton, Calif., terminal have voted to join Teamsters Local 439. The vote took place Thursday, March 12 and today, and the workers voted 33 to 12 to become Teamsters.
"The company spent huge amounts of money and time to try to get us to vote no, but we remained focused on changing how FedEx treats us so that we can have a say on the job," said Mel Mendieta, a FedEx Freight driver.
"We know that the only way to win job security, an improved health plan and strong retirement security is to stand together as Teamsters," said Jorge Lopez, a driver.
"I am proud of the workers here in Stockton for sticking together despite the company's pressure," said Ken Guertin, Local 439 Secretary-Treasurer. "We will work hard to negotiate a strong contract that gives these workers their rights and protections in writing."
This victory follows three previous ones in 2014: On November 19, a group of 222 drivers at FedEx Freight in Charlotte, N.C., voted to join Teamsters Local 71; on Oct. 31, a group of 113 drivers at FedEx Freight in South Brunswick, N.J., joined Teamsters Local 701 in North Brunswick, N.J.; and on Oct. 14, a group of 47 drivers in Croydon, Pa., voted to join Teamsters Local 107 in Philadelphia. Other campaigns at FedEx Freight and at Con-way Freight are under way across the country.
"This latest victory in Stockton shows the growing worker resentment toward FedEx Freight for years of being treated unfairly," said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "This campaign continues to gain momentum and we are excited to be working with FedEx Freight employees across the country to help them improve their lives."
The workers' campaigns to join the Teamsters have already paid off. At FedEx Freight, the company announced an 80-cent-per-hour raise a few days after Local 107 filed for an election, and the company got rid of its overly punitive driver scorecard, which gave drivers infraction points for errors. Also, after organizing got under way at Con-way, the company announced it would increase truck driver pay by $60 million in 2015, and other improvements.
"The companies are offering pay raises and other improvements at the same time we are organizing, but the workers know that these things can be taken away just as quickly without a legally binding contract," said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division. "The unfulfilled promises that have been made to drivers and dockworkers over the past decade are coming back to haunt management."
The IAM is currently attempting to set up meeting out on the West Coast for meetings, HOWEVER until a few people in LAX, OAK and possibly several others contact Mark Ward at mward@iamaw.org or go over to www.goiamfedex.org and contact Mark through the website as he is the Administrator and get him contact information, we cannot move this forward! It can't be put any simpler than that. Thanks for your cooperation, FedUpOverTheAbuse
Contact chiefsherwood@aol.com. Employee # 172964. I'm a SAMT like you guys and am looking for contacts at MEM, OAK, LAX and IND. Mobile no. Is (901)489-6155. If you want this to happen, let's get started.
IAM Files With NLRB to Hold Union Election at Boeing’s S.C. Plant Up to 2,400 workers would vote on unionization
By Jon Ostrower Updated March 16, 2015 12:32 p.m.
Boeing Co.’s biggest union filed with the National Labor Relations Board for a vote on unionizing 2,400 workers at Boeing’s South Carolina plant, a move that could stoke new tension in the aerospace giant’s long-standing battle with organized labor.
Workers at South Carolina Boeing work on a 787 Dreamliner for Air India at the plant's final assembly building in North Charleston, S.C. The machinists plan to hold an election to decide whether to unionize.
The NLRB would need to review Monday’s filing by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to determine if the requirements for a unionization vote have been met. A spokesman for the IAM said the agency would set a date for any election after that review. The vote plan is the latest round in years of battling over the plant in North Charleston, S.C., Boeing’s first nonunion plant for commercial jet assembly, which the company selected nearly six years ago after several strikes by work at its main manufacturing base in Washington state.
The IAM said the central concerns of the staff at the South Carolina plant, which makes and assembles major parts of its long-range 787 Dreamliner, include mandatory overtime and fair wages. The site has struggled to achieve a regular production tempo and Boeing has increased overtime to get caught up.
A Boeing spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Boeing, in advance of Monday’s filing, has waged a vocal campaign to dissuade its employees from supporting a vote, enlisting local leaders like Gov. Nikki Haley and other officials to speak out against the unionization effort. South Carolina has the second lowest rates of unionization in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with 2.2% of workers belonging to organized labor.
Boeing in January assigned veteran executive Beverly Wyse to run the South Carolina operations, replacing its retiring site chief, whom IAM organizers had cited as the root of worker grievances. Ms. Wyse, in addition to having significant experience managing production acceleration, has historically had a better relationship with Boeing’s organized workforce, having run its single-aisle 737 program in Renton, Wash.
The South Carolina plant has given Boeing important leverage in dealing with its unions, and it has steadily expanded the East Coast operation. It first acquired two struggling suppliers at the South Carolina site in 2008 and 2009, and soon after selected it for what is now a sprawling assembly facility that built about 5% of Boeing’s commercial jetliners last year. That share is expected to climb in the years to come.
The IAM previously represented workers in the two suppliers’ plants, but the workforce in 2009 voted to decertify the union at the site a month before Boeing’s selection of it for 787 assembly. The factory has been a political flash point before. In 2011, the NLRB ruled the selection of the North Charleston plant was in retaliation for a roughly two-month strike by IAM members in 2008
The NLRB ruling, which never altered Boeing’s plans for the site, triggered Republican criticism of the Obama administration during the Republican presidential primary. Boeing and the IAM at the end of 2011 negotiated a new contract that would keep production of single-aisle jets in unionized facilities in Washington state. The union withdrew its complaint with the NLRB shortly after. Early last year, Boeing and the IAM in Washington state narrowly agreed on a revised contract that would guarantee its 777X jetliner and its carbon-composite wings would be assembled in unionized facilities. In exchange, the company secured major health-care and retirement-benefit concessions from the workforce starting in 2016. Write to Jon Ostrower at jon.ostrower@wsj.com
From the Tech Ops BB - this is not a problem for amts at other carriers who have representation and the security of a union contract. Some good pts made below by the poster.
New Discussion Topic:MAP Policy
Comments:Scott, Is there any discussion about modifying our current sick policy? We went from what was likely the most comprehensive policy in the industry to one that truly does not meet the needs of many of us in the AMT work force. In fact by some measure the current policy not only falls short of meeting our needs but also seems detrimental to the operation. AMTs who, under the previous policy would have remained home are now coming to work, sometimes with contagious illnesses. For a case in point we only need to look at the Indy hangar operation. Two weeks ago we had an individual at work who was visible ill with a sever cough in addition to other "flu like symptoms". Several AMTs including myself asked him why he had not stayed home and his response was the current sick policy. Obviously everyone did their best to avoid him, however that proved to be impractical. Over the next week or so, others came down with similar symptoms, some stayed home and some came to work. Tonight out of 21 AMTs scheduled to work 6 are out sick additionally at least 1 AMT on duty appears to be ill with "flu like symptoms". We also have a manager out sick. Could all these illnesses be unrelated? I guess it is possible but I don't think it's likely. When you consider what our scope of work entails; working in the elements, in the dark, on ladders, lifting etc. 40 hours a year of sick time for the AMTs is simply not sufficient. Can you please help us, we are all getting older and this is going to impact each AMT and the operation more as each year passes.
Submitted By: (name redacted) Lead Aviation MX Tech
If any employee actually believes they (Scott, Greg, and others) give a fuck about your problems of health issues............you better not get drug tested or you'll be on the unemployment line for failing the drug test! It's only about saving money at the expense of your health......which they couldn't care less, or it would have never been reduced!!
Spot on. We have one of the absolute WORST healthcare plans of any airline!
We all received a nice hidden pay cut when they took our MAP away, stripped us of a decent health plan and replaced with a junk catastrophic plan. And lest we not forget the 2007 pension screwing. Right now and in the future we are very vulnerable with our current health plan and joke of a retirement plan.
They guys do not care - look around at the abysmal management and employee morale we all see everyday. Upper management platitudes and smoke and mirrors have worn thin. The fact is that we are at the mercy of these assholes and the Corp bean counters who have sliced our once decent benefits to shit. Get the drift guys, these folks could care less about us. Yet, we have 0 control right now; no seat at the table; no input; no contract!
Also, I paid over $9500 in out of pocket medical costs for my daughter last year. A FedEx pilot or most represented AMTs would have paid a small fraction of this cost ($200 - $300 ) depending on their plan design. Ask our our wonderful pontificaters why this and watch them spit out a bunch of demanding bs. Where I come from, these are fighting words.
By now some of you have had the privilege of seeing an email go out to every mechanic and inspector (approx. 2600 employees) at our FedEx email to remove any doubt that we are attempting to get Class and Craft designation! We are hoping it will prompt a discussion among coworkers regarding the radical changes in our medical coverage, sick policy and pension. Take full advantage of this opportunity to educate some of them that we will never see any positive changes from the company out of the goodness of their heart!
Can someone in MEM inform Mr. "Jedidiah Poland" on the flight line of the latest ruling by the NLRB?? Obviously he hasn't been around long enough for the total benefit screwing a majority of us have had to endure!
I read his comments and this guy lives under a rock. He is clearly one of those who only thinks about what is good for him. We live in a democratic country and that means that we vote on a majority basis. That email was to let everyone know that there is a choice and if that is the only way they could get that word out I congradulate them. Now finally we can see what the real majority thinks of having a choice and a voice. They can no longer say I had no idea what was going on. With an employee number that high I doubt he has any idea on what we lost and what we could gain back if everyone for once stuck together. I am for democracy and until we have the right to at least vote for class and craft and let majority rule he can take his comments and go kiss ass somewhere else.
If this doesn't go to prove that FedEx has no desire or intentions of playing by "any rules" with a union that is already established within the company, do you honestly think they will be professional to an email sent out by the IAM informing us of our options to improve how we are respected and viewed??
That would be, "Absolutely, Positively, Guaranteed a NO"!!
You might want to scream that sentiment a lot louder to at least 1500-2000 coworkers by explaining unless we obtain "Class and Craft Designation" determined by the NMB, they won't know what to be focused on!
Until enough of us convince them of that, they'll be watching the movie "Groundhog Day"; however in this scenario, their work life will not stay the same but gradually get worse with less benefits in the end!
This peace offering, if they do return our 80 hours of MAP, is about maintaining CONTROL with them making the ultimate decisions knowing we have NO VOICE in those "Terms and Conditions of Employment"!! That's their ultimate goal.........think about what that's worth to them??
They think they can buy us off with the small stuff - a decent raise here and there, a MAP give back, etc. Mr. Hall is just trying to get you to take your eye of the real sour spots (or shall I say takeaways) that the company has implemented since 2007. Don't fall for it - solid health insurance and pension benefits are buy far the two most important anyone can have.
The reality that many here will soon discover is that FedEx has saved Billions (yes Billions) off of our backs just with the gutting of our pension and now the cheap, cut rate health insurance that puts all of us and our families at risk each day. Anyone that has a chronic condition or special needs child can tell you how they are (and will continue to) pay out the nose for this basic coverage. This is the dirty little secret Mr. Hall is trying to divert your attention from with cheap, shiney "objects" like the return of the MAP plan which they took from us.
Campaigns under the RLA with crafts as large as ours always move slow. With solid facts and health insurance education on the way from the IAM, Mr. Hall's misinformation campaign and buy offs will wear thin with more and more folks. They always do.
Keep up the fight just like other aviation employees at Boeing, Rolls Royce and Airbus have done.
Memphis-based FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) was fined for sick leave violations in New York.
FedEx, along with six other businesses, is among the first ever to receive fines under New York City's new paid sick leave law, which was passed last year. FedEx was fined more than $33,000 after a complaint by an employee set off a state inquiry. The investigation revealed that some of the company's workers in its 60 New York City locations were refused sick leave between April and December 2014.
“We worked collaboratively with the Department of Consumer Affairs to resolve this issue and have taken appropriate action to ensure we remain in compliance,” said a FedEx spokeswoman told the New York Daily News.
FedEx was also ordered to grant sick leave to 165 of its NYC employees and pay $15,000 in restitution to 30 of its employees.
We are going to be having an informational meet and greet soon at The Proud Bird (private room) on Aviation Blvd. Look for more information coming soon!
We are looking at something in the next three wks. Several folks here at LAX have expressed an interest in meeting off-site - away from prying eyes - to learn more about the IAM and understand how this is our best course of action. Things are really bad out here on many fronts.
The company just fired 12 of our planners and folks here have had it with sub-par management, favoritism, illegal pay violations and septic culture. Enough already.
Hopefully you can help them understand that this is not only our best course of action......it's our only organization left in our industry to represent us.....PERIOD!! A few have expressed a desire to "go it alone" as our pilots started out with the FedEx Pilots Association. Well that might sound good in theory, but it would require a majority of us to pitch in the money required to hire some qualified negotiation type attorney.....? We have proven that we have difficulty getting 1200-1500 AMT's to sign a FREE IAM card that doesn't even ask you to put a stamp on it, nor does it vote in a union whatsoever...........so I don't see that as being a viable option! FedEx has already proven they won't follow rules when it comes to dealing with even our own pilots who actually have a binding contract in place? So it is imperative we seek an organization (IAM) that knows how this process needs to work!
EXPECT Mr. Hall to open up and pour bountiful blessings from FedEx' bank account between June and October to ensure "enough" of us become brain dead to believe we need nothing more than the "Mechanics Handbook" to guide us into the future............I suggest you start your meeting with that information!!!
With what FedEx has shelled out for the latest two recent company purchases (Genco & TNT) $5B-$7B or more, that miniscule "piss off" chump change they'll throw at us, is nothing to them to guarantee they quiet/control the masses!!!
Hey guys, please sign up on the IAM site because this page will end soon. We still need your comments so you can re-post them there. The posts here are really good and I don't want to lose them. You can still remain anonymous, just pick the user name you want to use so you can post on the forums. They also have the app for smart phones that works really well. I use my phone for everything and that app works great. Be safe and have a great weekend.
We need to put a general running blog on the main page of the IAM page where folks can easily post comments without logging in or having to navigate a site. This format has proven to be very successful with our folks in the past. (I.e. Tom's eblogger site his and participation were very high). This format is also being used in the fedex Freight campaigns using a Facebook blog interface.
I like what I am seeing with the IAM. Self assured, disciplined and light years ahead of what we saw with the "other union." Speaking for many of us in the western US, we are glad you are here! Seeing more cards signed this week.
Guys, the forum is set up so the conversations keep a running format like this one does. Most choose the Union Hall forum to post and keep the conversation going. There is a Health Care, Retirement and other forums to post to. If you download the app, and go to the forums, the buttons on the left side of the topics will be dark if there is a new post so you can tell at a glance of there is new content. It's fast and easy, give I a try.
How else can you expect the IAM to help us if we don't help them understand what all of our issues are, by allowing them to follow our dialog? As fedupmechs(on the IAM forums) pointed out so well that there is no way to "know" who is on the site by simply registering because it asks nothing of importance!! You can make up whatever username you choose, such as "Ilovegettingscrewedoverbyfedex" or something more relative :-) NOBODY will know unless you tell someone! So like Randy nicely asked, "give it a try".........you might find out you like it!
Possible violation of federal law: DOJ to review IAM 's failed Delta attempt
Apr 09, 2015
ATLANTA, GA - The National Mediation Board today dismissed the International Association of Machinists application for an election among Delta flight attendants, following the IAM's notice of withdrawal. In a letter accompanying the dismissal, the NMB states that it "has reason to believe that some unknown person or persons knowingly submitted authorization cards with fraudulent signatures in a possible violation of federal law." It also states that it "has decided to refer the matter to the appropriate office of the United States Department of Justice for further review."
"There is nothing more important than our people and our culture," said Richard Anderson, chief executive officer. "We respect the integrity of the NMB's election process and fully support the DOJ investigation so our people can know the full truth."
"We are very encouraged that this matter has been referred to the DOJ," said Joanne Smith, Delta's executive vice president and chief human resources officer. "At the time of the IAM filing in January, many flight attendants were raising questions regarding the validity of the authorization cards the IAM submitted to the NMB."
Unions seeking to represent airline employees are required to submit valid authorization cards to the NMB from at least 50 percent of all eligible voters in order for an election to be held.
Effective today, under the NMB's rules, no union can file an application to represent Delta flight attendants for one year.
Rest assured it wasn't the IAM. This is yet another example of corporations corrupting the system we have to use to organize. I expected something like this from "fill in the blank". That's why it is so important to sign up online, www.goiamfedex.org, fill out an online card, email it then print it, sign it and send it per the instructions. Your signature is extremely important. We had several cards sent to us on our drive that were bogus. They were sent by "someone" with other AMTs info. We compared old cards to the recent ones to verify that, again, "someone or entity" was trying to destroy the card count. Don't let this happen to us. This is yet another tactic along with lobbying Congress with millions of dollars to try to make it as difficult to organize as possible. Make your vote count, don't let those "other people" dictate their wishes on us.
So you're saying that the IAM finally listened to something we asked for?? That's a shocking concept! Now we'll see if those people were serious about wanting to be able to say something without people knowing who they are.
One thing to get across to everybody, we are protected by federal law against reprisals. You can sue if your being singled out, but that won't happen because FedEx knows that and heeds that. They don't want the Feds on their backs. I posted my real email, employee number and mobile number. I do my job and follow the rules. That's the key, follow the rules. Don't curse our management or be disrespectful. We get that ourselves every day and we are better than that. We have legit differences and our guys asked the IAM to help and they said they would. Resources have been spent and a lot more is to come. Let's get it together and get on the IAM site once and for all. There are a lot of AMTs afraid of FedEx, and there's no merit to it. They can't stop this, we have too many cards already. We need more to show the IAM we are serious. Swallow hard and log on. Fill out a card and get your friends to do the same. Word of mouth guys, pass it along. We can get some of the benefits stolen from us but WE have to man up and do it. I put my name out there for every drive and I'm still here, I follow the rules and don't cross the line. Sending a card in and sharing your experiences is NOT crossing the line. We need enough cards so the NMB will certify a vote. It's time guys. 8 grand a year for our "portable" is a slap in the face. We aren't going anywhere, we made it, this is our career. If we don't have representation, we'll lose more. We are already so far behind we need a voice of our own. I can't say it any stronger, let's get a movement going that can't be stopped. We will win, I'd rather win sooner than later.
Just in: The company is up to their old tricks again. Very reliable source told me last night that we should all look for an announcement in the near future reinstating our old MAP program which gives everyone their extra week of sick time back and will also allow us to bank some of our sick time.
The company is clearly troubled by our efforts to gain a voice and has chosen to pay us off once again. Just imagine what we could do with our lame retirement plan and appalling health benefits if we could actually negotiate just like the pilots.
That's how they operate here. Pay increases and adjustments to MAP are a drop in the bucket when you compare them with what it would cost the company if it had to giveback the big takeaways they imposed on us with our defined benefit pension and decent health benefits.
Think about it. If we succeed in getting representation, other groups will follow, and before you know it, Air and Tech Ops will be wall to wall union and will hold immense control over the company given our critical job functions. The company would then be forced really give us something - i.e. a pension one can retire on and healthcare benefits that will not bankrupt you.
Think about it. This is a desperation measure to keep us from doing something we are protected by federal law to do. Remember, there is a reason EVERY AMT at every major carrier is organized (except Delta).
The company hopes with its policy of appeasement we will crawl back into our holes and just be happy as they continue to screw us with our pension and health benefits. If anyone asks you why we need a union, the answer is simple:
A real pension and real health benefits!!!
I want to personally thank the guys working directly with the IAM on this. Everyone needs to be patient - we are a large, complex workgroup spread out amongst many locations. Let's all be patient.
You hit the nail on the head. This time, we aren't going to fall for bread crumbs. It cost us too much the last time we did. I'm inviting the INDY Guys to re-post that on the IAM site for FedEx AMTs. Posts like this need to be seen by everybody and the IAM FedEx AMT site gets a lot of looks a day.
There are emails and Mail being sent to all of the former signers. We need you to sign the IAM card. Our cards won't work. We also would like you to get at least 5 other AMTs to sign up. Remember, the IAM site is an open forum like this. You don't have to register to post but I encourage you to register. www.goiamfedex.org Download the card and register. Download some extras for your friends. They are pre-posted. Add a comment on one of the forums and try the COMO download app for your smart phone. You can do everything from you phone and don't even need a computer. Randy
One last note on the cards. FedEx can dispute the validity of 3 different cards we now have. We need every card to come from the same source so they can't be disputed snd gum up the works. Let's not help the opposition, sign the new card.
What's going on? Other than this site and a few cards circulating around our hangar, I have not seen anyone from the IAM make an appearance, hold mtgs, introduce their plans and benefits, etc.
When are we going to hear from the IAM about their plans for us?
All I can say is we will have to be patient. When the IAM was originally contacted the automotive division was working with us. We have now been handed over to the airline division who are in the process of forming a game plan. I am not in the know as to how far along the IAM is, but I do know things are moving. This is our last chance to have some sort of say in our benefits. Please encourage our fellow co-workers to get involved. We have been stripped or down sized of every meaningful benefit we had. Time for us as a collective group to GROW A PAIR.
Also there is a battle waging over on the FedEx freight side of the company. They now have 4 union facilities with more to come. Apparently they have the same healthcare plan and horrible retirement package as us. The reason they were able to unionize and nobody at FedEx express is do to the railroad labor act that we fall under, and they do not. You can follow the drive on Face Book the page is "Bring the teamsters to FedEx Freight"
Yep. The folks over at FedEx Freight are on to the FedEx health insurance sham. See the below the insightful post that is helping drive this campaign:
The great Fedex insurance fraud. As stated by Don Brown fedx is going to drop the bomb health care in 2018.
Our deductibles have skyrocketed by 900% in the last 5 years and it was claimed to be because of Obamacare and the 40% tax on Cadillac insurance plans. Take line 12DD on your w2's, this is what the company paid for your health insurance. Add what you paid for premiums for the year that is a max of around $3600 for family coverage. What you will find is we come in well UNDER the $27,500 threshold for being a Cadillac plan. $10,500 for singles.
So there was NO mandate for our deductibles to skyrocket as they have, it only put a bigger burden on the workers and created yet more profit for the company at its own employees expense. It is also interesting to note that YRC, UPS and UPSF also come in well under the same threshold so their plans are good to go unlike what has been claimed by the busters.
In the company forced meetings it has been said time and time again we could end up with less. Have they given an example? How many union contracts have been signed in the last 20 years? Would you vote for less? The fact remains had this happened when people voted for the union they would have had this printed up and in your face repeatedly, why haven't they? Because it frankly doesn't happen folks. Union members enjoy better pay, retirement, insurance and job security all across the board in every industry compared to the non-unions doing the exact same thing. That's a FACT they don't want you to be privy to, what does it say about their intentions for you to withhold that information?
After reading quite a number of posts above within the past week, here's what I'd like to know. When are more people going to register on the actual IAM website and do their posting on that forum??? If you expect the IAM to give us the support we need, how do you think they can do that without a much bigger group of AMT's registering, posting on their forum and more importantly, signing and sending in a hard copy IAM card so that it ensures we start seeing physical efforts being displayed (i.e. Billboards, flyers and physical human beings showing up in MEM and IND) trying to get this information into your hands?? Do you not realize you can post anonymously on there, just as you are doing here?? If that is asking too much of you........realize we are ROYALLY F*CKED and have nobody to blame but ourselves!!!! FedUpOverTheAbuse
Check out the new posts on our IAM forums. We are working to make some really visible changes to assist us in our efforts. Let's work at getting those cards in the mail. A good quick start is what we need to kick this effort off.
Starting to get AMTs to register on the IAM FedEx site. We need everybody that reads the comments to register. It's painless and you can do it do if from your smart phone. Let's get onboard to show the IAM reps that we are serious.
More to come after the big meeting in a few weeks. Be safe out there,
Let's not forget what our peer AMTs receive in terms of retirement benefits. For those that need a reminder as to why it is so important to get a voice:
UPS mechanics have what amounts to a 16% defined contribution plan. AMTs get 13% of wages no matter what and UPS also matches their AMT's mechanics’ 401K contributions at 100% on the dollar up to 3% of of their wages.
71 comments:
Excellent.........Please register with a meaningful Username(one that shows how you feel about all the radical changes FedEx has made to our "People Caring" company) then get involved by posting your real life experiences and how they have affected your family!! Then lets set out to have a say in how we put this train back on the tracks, going the right direction. FedUpOvertheAbuse
Looks good. Glad to see this.
Folks. I have Been doing some research and I like what I see with respect to what the IAM has achieved for its aviation members in both the pension and health care areas.
For example, during the airline industry restructuring of the 2000s, most passenger airlines either terminated of froze employee defined-benefit pension plans and replaced them with defined contribution (401k) plans. Sound familiar? The move was aimed to slash future financial obligations to current employees and shift the risk and funding of retirement plans from the airlines to their employees.
IAM-represented airline employees, however, fared much better than did other airline employees because of the IAM National Pension Fund (IAMNPF) which is funded at 104%. IAM negotiators were able to replace terminated or frozen pension plans with the IAM National Pension Plan (IAMNPP), most notably at United Airlines and US Airways.
It will come as no surprise to those familiar with the piece of junk plan FedEx served up to us in 2007 is inferior in most respects to what the IAM can offer us.
Please visit the www.iamnpf.org for more information.
Just heard about this! Great news guys. Bunch of us here in OAK are going to get folks together. Do you guys have any good info on IAM pension and health benes I could share at our mtg? Could IAM come out here?
The IAM is going to be meeting with many of our stations, I am sure OAK/LA will be on the schedule. My suggestion is until then pass the word about the effort. OAK and LA are very key so if you have contacts please pass the word. Also would be great if the AMT's would register with the IAM page. We have got to unite against the thieves that have robbed us of are pension and healthcare. This management team has no concern for us or our families. We know what we have without representation one loss after the other, along with policies that treat AMT's like child. The only way to stop the hemorrhaging is to Print, Sign and Mail a card. goiamfexex.org
goiamfedex.org
Count a bunch of us in LAX in right out of the gate. The helathcare fleecing was the last straw for alot of us. Paid close to $10,000 out of my pocket for my special needs kid's treatments. In the past, this same treatment would have only cost me about $750 out of my own pocket.
One of our old benefit reps (we no longer have them here in LA) who is familiar with catastrophic plan we have now said FedEx will save a ton of $$$ by offering this cut rate plan while still charging us the same high premiums. She said that FedEx will save 100s of millions of dollars each year as the company increasingly begins to shift more costs on us. This is just the beginning.
The fact is that we received a wage cut starting in 2014 and the company did not have the cajones to tell us what this plan meant for a great many of us. Make no mistake, we have one of the absolute worst helathcare plans of any of the AMTs in the country. Basically you are sh!t out of look if you or your family need medical care beyond basic preventive care.
It doesn't have to be this way. Just ask one of our 5,000 + FedEx pilots who enjoy one of the richest health plans in the plans in the country.
Guys, this is real. We have to get a contract to begin to stop the bleeding!!!
Yes, some information on healthcare and meetings at LAX would be greatly appreciated. Back in 2008 we had a place off-site where we met, signed cards and discussed the issues.
I would say 75% of the folks out here would sign up in a heartbeat.
Poor and inconsistent management, no sick bank, deplorable health benefits are just a few of the problems we have here at LAX. We are tired of Memphis management flying in and feeding us a line of crap about how great our benefits are.
Do they think we are stupid? We talk to AMTs with other airlines and know how bad we have it.
Gentlemen, Mark Ward of the IAM and a couple of other guys are right now trying to put together a list of names, emails and contact phone numbers where they can set up meetings especially in the bigger stations to come meet with a select group to get this ball rolling!! You can get him the info by emailing mward@iamaw.org and also begin spreading the website www.goiamfedex.org telling your coworkers to register as well as clicking on the card, fill it out, fold it up and stick it in the mail..........it absolutely is that simple!!
For those of you that have experienced and lived the nightmares of the impact our medical has had on your family directly.....then log in and post those stories! Until people can put themselves into being a potential "victim" that those same issues can or will happen to them, they will not get the message just how screwed we truly are!!
Yep this is how are going to have to attack this:
1. Develop a list of key AMT contacts at each of the strategic locations who can help drive interest and facilitate larger informational meet and greets with IAM organizers. These AMTs will serve as local committee heads.
2. Dissemination of awareness e-mails and flyers to the craft and class members letting them know the IAM is here, what they are about and how they can help our current situation.
3. Our issue platform needs to be focused so that folks who do not understand what has been happening with our healthcare plan are informed. Many guys with their head in the sand need to understand what the IAM can offer and why we need them for protection.
4. Sadly, we can't expect our fellow brothers to just come onto the new IAM web site, sift through the info and then sign and mail in a card. Issue (healthcare) and Brand (IAM) awareness MUST be established before we can make significant strides beyond where Tom's noble efforts took us.
This is an excellent start. Let's all band together to help the IAM in any way possible.
So here we sit twiddling our thumbs as if everything at Club Fred is all peaches and ice cream..........we couldn't fight our way our of a wet paper bag much less stand together to prove we deserve to be recognized in our own Class and Craft. We've showed them (FedEx) they have absolutely nothing to worry about from us! Tom must have known way more than we gave him credit for, when he saw it was a battle we couldn't win? Very telling movement we have going!
http://s6.postimg.org/xiqmv7mdd/Health_Plan_2nd_Look_Page_1.jpg
The link above has been posted at the new site we are trying to transition over to, since this is Tom's site and will soon be shut down! While he is still completely supportive of this drive, he feels his family and health were far more important to focus on at this juncture of his life, than to continue on after 9 years of failed results from enough of the AMT's to believe the importance of us obtaining our own Class and Craft designation! Thanks for your understanding and we hope you will help support our efforts at www.goiamfedex.org if you believe we truly deserve better treatment and respect for the job we do.
Good site. IAM folks need to head west and see several of us in Los Angeles, Oakland and Anchorage.
We are hearing the IAM is going to do a road show where they will educate us on their IAM National Pension and take a look at the disaster our health benefits have become. A god many of us are looking forward to meeting the IAM, learning more about them and hearing about what they can offer.
LAX - 398 AMTs (Does not include QC Spec who would be in craft and class)
OAK - 66 AMTs
ANC - 41 AMTS
Other current AMT head counts:
MEM- 879
IND- 318
EWR - 58
ATL - 32
ORD - 31
DFW - 25
IAM Rep visits to LAX, IND, OAK and EWR are a must. Web sites are great one a foundation has been built, but people still prefer to do things face to face, especially when they are just meeting someone for the first time, "kicking the tires" and getting some education on the benefits of an union contract in the airline industry.
To get things moving, we need to: (1) do a blast e-mail to both Job Families off of the seniority list to let everyone know about this site and to alert them about future meetings in their area where they can meet the IAM Reps, ask questions and receive more information about what the IAM has to offer in term of healthcare, pension, sick banks, work rules; and (2) set up some meet an greets throughout the system.
My brother has been an IAM member with Boeing in Washington state for 27 years and swears by the representation they provide him.
LAX
Props to the FedEx Freight drivers in Stockton - they are taking a stand against substandard healthcare and pension benefits.
FedEx Freight Workers in California Vote to Join Teamsters Local 439
Drivers in Stockton Seek Job Security, Improved Health Plan, Pension
STOCKTON, Calif., March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of 50 drivers at FedEx Freight's Stockton, Calif., terminal have voted to join Teamsters Local 439. The vote took place Thursday, March 12 and today, and the workers voted 33 to 12 to become Teamsters.
"The company spent huge amounts of money and time to try to get us to vote no, but we remained focused on changing how FedEx treats us so that we can have a say on the job," said Mel Mendieta, a FedEx Freight driver.
"We know that the only way to win job security, an improved health plan and strong retirement security is to stand together as Teamsters," said Jorge Lopez, a driver.
"I am proud of the workers here in Stockton for sticking together despite the company's pressure," said Ken Guertin, Local 439 Secretary-Treasurer. "We will work hard to negotiate a strong contract that gives these workers their rights and protections in writing."
This victory follows three previous ones in 2014: On November 19, a group of 222 drivers at FedEx Freight in Charlotte, N.C., voted to join Teamsters Local 71; on Oct. 31, a group of 113 drivers at FedEx Freight in South Brunswick, N.J., joined Teamsters Local 701 in North Brunswick, N.J.; and on Oct. 14, a group of 47 drivers in Croydon, Pa., voted to join Teamsters Local 107 in Philadelphia. Other campaigns at FedEx Freight and at Con-way Freight are under way across the country.
"This latest victory in Stockton shows the growing worker resentment toward FedEx Freight for years of being treated unfairly," said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "This campaign continues to gain momentum and we are excited to be working with FedEx Freight employees across the country to help them improve their lives."
The workers' campaigns to join the Teamsters have already paid off. At FedEx Freight, the company announced an 80-cent-per-hour raise a few days after Local 107 filed for an election, and the company got rid of its overly punitive driver scorecard, which gave drivers infraction points for errors. Also, after organizing got under way at Con-way, the company announced it would increase truck driver pay by $60 million in 2015, and other improvements.
"The companies are offering pay raises and other improvements at the same time we are organizing, but the workers know that these things can be taken away just as quickly without a legally binding contract," said Tyson Johnson, Director of the Teamsters National Freight Division. "The unfulfilled promises that have been made to drivers and dockworkers over the past decade are coming back to haunt management."
Love to see them getting it done. WTF are we waiting for?
Let's get THIS campaign going!
Gentlemen,
The IAM is currently attempting to set up meeting out on the West Coast for meetings, HOWEVER until a few people in LAX, OAK and possibly several others contact Mark Ward at mward@iamaw.org or go over to www.goiamfedex.org and contact Mark through the website as he is the Administrator and get him contact information, we cannot move this forward! It can't be put any simpler than that. Thanks for your cooperation, FedUpOverTheAbuse
Contact chiefsherwood@aol.com. Employee # 172964. I'm a SAMT like you guys and am looking for contacts at MEM, OAK, LAX and IND. Mobile no. Is (901)489-6155. If you want this to happen, let's get started.
IAM Files With NLRB to Hold Union Election at Boeing’s S.C. Plant Up to 2,400 workers would vote on unionization
By Jon Ostrower
Updated March 16, 2015 12:32 p.m.
Boeing Co.’s biggest union filed with the National Labor Relations Board for a vote on unionizing 2,400 workers at Boeing’s South Carolina plant, a move that could stoke new tension in the aerospace giant’s long-standing battle with organized labor.
Workers at South Carolina Boeing work on a 787 Dreamliner for Air India at the plant's final assembly building in North Charleston, S.C. The machinists plan to hold an election to decide whether to unionize.
The NLRB would need to review Monday’s filing by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to determine if the requirements for a unionization vote have been met. A spokesman for the IAM said the agency would set a date for any election after that review.
The vote plan is the latest round in years of battling over the plant in North Charleston, S.C., Boeing’s first nonunion plant for commercial jet assembly, which the company selected nearly six years ago after several strikes by work at its main manufacturing base in Washington state.
The IAM said the central concerns of the staff at the South Carolina plant, which makes and assembles major parts of its long-range 787 Dreamliner, include mandatory overtime and fair wages. The site has struggled to achieve a regular production tempo and Boeing has increased overtime to get caught up.
A Boeing spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Boeing, in advance of Monday’s filing, has waged a vocal campaign to dissuade its employees from supporting a vote, enlisting local leaders like Gov. Nikki Haley and other officials to speak out against the unionization effort. South Carolina has the second lowest rates of unionization in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with 2.2% of workers belonging to organized labor.
Boeing in January assigned veteran executive Beverly Wyse to run the South Carolina operations, replacing its retiring site chief, whom IAM organizers had cited as the root of worker grievances. Ms. Wyse, in addition to having significant experience managing production acceleration, has historically had a better relationship with Boeing’s organized workforce, having run its single-aisle 737 program in Renton, Wash.
The South Carolina plant has given Boeing important leverage in dealing with its unions, and it has steadily expanded the East Coast operation. It first acquired two struggling suppliers at the South Carolina site in 2008 and 2009, and soon after selected it for what is now a sprawling assembly facility that built about 5% of Boeing’s commercial jetliners last year. That share is expected to climb in the years to come.
The IAM previously represented workers in the two suppliers’ plants, but the workforce in 2009 voted to decertify the union at the site a month before Boeing’s selection of it for 787 assembly.
The factory has been a political flash point before. In 2011, the NLRB ruled the selection of the North Charleston plant was in retaliation for a roughly two-month strike by IAM members in 2008
The NLRB ruling, which never altered Boeing’s plans for the site, triggered Republican criticism of the Obama administration during the Republican presidential primary.
Boeing and the IAM at the end of 2011 negotiated a new contract that would keep production of single-aisle jets in unionized facilities in Washington state. The union withdrew its complaint with the NLRB shortly after.
Early last year, Boeing and the IAM in Washington state narrowly agreed on a revised contract that would guarantee its 777X jetliner and its carbon-composite wings would be assembled in unionized facilities. In exchange, the company secured major health-care and retirement-benefit concessions from the workforce starting in 2016.
Write to Jon Ostrower at jon.ostrower@wsj.com
From the Tech Ops BB - this is not a problem for amts at other carriers who have representation and the security of a union contract. Some good pts made below by the poster.
New Discussion Topic:MAP Policy
Comments:Scott, Is there any discussion about modifying our current sick policy? We went from what was likely the most comprehensive policy in the industry to one that truly does not meet the needs of many of us in the AMT work force. In fact by some measure the current policy not only falls short of meeting our needs but also seems detrimental to the operation. AMTs who, under the previous policy would have remained home are now coming to work, sometimes with contagious illnesses. For a case in point we only need to look at the Indy hangar operation. Two weeks ago we had an individual at work who was visible ill with a sever cough in addition to other "flu like symptoms". Several AMTs including myself asked him why he had not stayed home and his response was the current sick policy. Obviously everyone did their best to avoid him, however that proved to be impractical. Over the next week or so, others came down with similar symptoms, some stayed home and some came to work. Tonight out of 21 AMTs scheduled to work 6 are out sick additionally at least 1 AMT on duty appears to be ill with "flu like symptoms". We also have a manager out sick. Could all these illnesses be unrelated? I guess it is possible but I don't think it's likely. When you consider what our scope of work entails; working in the elements, in the dark, on ladders, lifting etc. 40 hours a year of sick time for the AMTs is simply not sufficient. Can you please help us, we are all getting older and this is going to impact each AMT and the operation more as each year passes.
Submitted By:
(name redacted)
Lead Aviation MX Tech
If any employee actually believes they (Scott, Greg, and others) give a fuck about your problems of health issues............you better not get drug tested or you'll be on the unemployment line for failing the drug test! It's only about saving money at the expense of your health......which they couldn't care less, or it would have never been reduced!!
Spot on. We have one of the absolute WORST healthcare plans of any airline!
We all received a nice hidden pay cut when they took our MAP away, stripped us of a decent health plan and replaced with a junk catastrophic plan. And lest we not forget the 2007 pension screwing. Right now and in the future we are very vulnerable with our current health plan and joke of a retirement plan.
They guys do not care - look around at the abysmal management and employee morale we all see everyday. Upper management platitudes and smoke and mirrors have worn thin. The fact is that we are at the mercy of these assholes and the Corp bean counters who have sliced our once decent benefits to shit. Get the drift guys, these folks could care less about us. Yet, we have 0 control right now; no seat at the table; no input; no contract!
Also, I paid over $9500 in out of pocket medical costs for my daughter last year. A FedEx pilot or most represented AMTs would have paid a small fraction of this cost ($200 - $300 ) depending on their plan design. Ask our our wonderful pontificaters why this and watch them spit out a bunch of demanding bs. Where I come from, these are fighting words.
By now some of you have had the privilege of seeing an email go out to every mechanic and inspector (approx. 2600 employees) at our FedEx email to remove any doubt that we are attempting to get Class and Craft designation! We are hoping it will prompt a discussion among coworkers regarding the radical changes in our medical coverage, sick policy and pension. Take full advantage of this opportunity to educate some of them that we will never see any positive changes from the company out of the goodness of their heart!
The previous poster is absolutely spot on! Want proof? What benefits does the pilots have that are different than what we have? Case closed!
I don't see how a single amt can now say they don't know about our intentions after the email that was sent out today!
Can someone in MEM inform Mr. "Jedidiah Poland" on the flight line of the latest ruling by the NLRB?? Obviously he hasn't been around long enough for the total benefit screwing a majority of us have had to endure!
http://www.wsj.com/articles/nlrb-rules-to-give-workers-right-to-use-employer-email-for-union-organizing-1418313255
I read his comments and this guy lives under a rock. He is clearly one of those who only thinks about what is good for him. We live in a democratic country and that means that we vote on a majority basis. That email was to let everyone know that there is a choice and if that is the only way they could get that word out I congradulate them. Now finally we can see what the real majority thinks of having a choice and a voice. They can no longer say I had no idea what was going on. With an employee number that high I doubt he has any idea on what we lost and what we could gain back if everyone for once stuck together. I am for democracy and until we have the right to at least vote for class and craft and let majority rule he can take his comments and go kiss ass somewhere else.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hundreds-of-fedex-pilots-participate-in-contract-rally-2015-03-02
If this doesn't go to prove that FedEx has no desire or intentions of playing by "any rules" with a union that is already established within the company, do you honestly think they will be professional to an email sent out by the IAM informing us of our options to improve how we are respected and viewed??
That would be, "Absolutely, Positively, Guaranteed a NO"!!
OMG.......Mr. Hall has replied regarding the 40 hour MAP issue!!
He is going to get back to us within 60 days. If I calculate that correctly, that will be right at June 1st......the new Fiscal year?
Perfect time to return our 80 hours MAP, especially after an email was delivered to all the mechanics explaining the IAM threat!!
Buying us off to deprive the group from our right to negotiate over our terms and conditions of employment?
I've seen that movie several times here over the last several years.
Let's continue to stay focused.
You might want to scream that sentiment a lot louder to at least 1500-2000 coworkers by explaining unless we obtain "Class and Craft Designation" determined by the NMB, they won't know what to be focused on!
Until enough of us convince them of that, they'll be watching the movie "Groundhog Day"; however in this scenario, their work life will not stay the same but gradually get worse with less benefits in the end!
This peace offering, if they do return our 80 hours of MAP, is about maintaining CONTROL with them making the ultimate decisions knowing we have NO VOICE in those "Terms and Conditions of Employment"!! That's their ultimate goal.........think about what that's worth to them??
They think they can buy us off with the small stuff - a decent raise here and there, a MAP give back, etc. Mr. Hall is just trying to get you to take your eye of the real sour spots (or shall I say takeaways) that the company has implemented since 2007. Don't fall for it - solid health insurance and pension benefits are buy far the two most important anyone can have.
The reality that many here will soon discover is that FedEx has saved Billions (yes Billions) off of our backs just with the gutting of our pension and now the cheap, cut rate health insurance that puts all of us and our families at risk each day. Anyone that has a chronic condition or special needs child can tell you how they are (and will continue to) pay out the nose for this basic coverage. This is the dirty little secret Mr. Hall is trying to divert your attention from with cheap, shiney "objects" like the return of the MAP plan which they took from us.
Campaigns under the RLA with crafts as large as ours always move slow. With solid facts and health insurance education on the way from the IAM, Mr. Hall's misinformation campaign and buy offs will wear thin with more and more folks. They always do.
Keep up the fight just like other aviation employees at Boeing, Rolls Royce and Airbus have done.
EWR/OAK/LAX/ANC AMTs For Change!
Real nice-
FedEx fined for sick leave violations
Apr 1, 2015, 10:17am CDT
Memphis-based FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) was fined for sick leave violations in New York.
FedEx, along with six other businesses, is among the first ever to receive fines under New York City's new paid sick leave law, which was passed last year. FedEx was fined more than $33,000 after a complaint by an employee set off a state inquiry. The investigation revealed that some of the company's workers in its 60 New York City locations were refused sick leave between April and December 2014.
“We worked collaboratively with the Department of Consumer Affairs to resolve this issue and have taken appropriate action to ensure we remain in compliance,” said a FedEx spokeswoman told the New York Daily News.
FedEx was also ordered to grant sick leave to 165 of its NYC employees and pay $15,000 in restitution to 30 of its employees.
LAX AMTS:
We are going to be having an informational meet and greet soon at The Proud Bird (private room) on Aviation Blvd. Look for more information coming soon!
About the meet and greet at the Proud Bird, can you email me details about the meeting? chiefsherwood@aol.com. Thanks!!'
Randy -
We are looking at something in the next three wks. Several folks here at LAX have expressed an interest in meeting off-site - away from prying eyes - to learn more about the IAM and understand how this is our best course of action. Things are really bad out here on many fronts.
The company just fired 12 of our planners and folks here have had it with sub-par management, favoritism, illegal pay violations and septic culture. Enough already.
Hopefully you can help them understand that this is not only our best course of action......it's our only organization left in our industry to represent us.....PERIOD!! A few have expressed a desire to "go it alone" as our pilots started out with the FedEx Pilots Association. Well that might sound good in theory, but it would require a majority of us to pitch in the money required to hire some qualified negotiation type attorney.....? We have proven that we have difficulty getting 1200-1500 AMT's to sign a FREE IAM card that doesn't even ask you to put a stamp on it, nor does it vote in a union whatsoever...........so I don't see that as being a viable option! FedEx has already proven they won't follow rules when it comes to dealing with even our own pilots who actually have a binding contract in place? So it is imperative we seek an organization (IAM) that knows how this process needs to work!
EXPECT Mr. Hall to open up and pour bountiful blessings from FedEx' bank account between June and October to ensure "enough" of us become brain dead to believe we need nothing more than the "Mechanics Handbook" to guide us into the future............I suggest you start your meeting with that information!!!
With what FedEx has shelled out for the latest two recent company purchases (Genco & TNT) $5B-$7B or more, that miniscule "piss off" chump change they'll throw at us, is nothing to them to guarantee they quiet/control the masses!!!
You can take that to the bank?
Hey guys, please sign up on the IAM site because this page will end soon. We still need your comments so you can re-post them there. The posts here are really good and I don't want to lose them. You can still remain anonymous, just pick the user name you want to use so you can post on the forums. They also have the app for smart phones that works really well. I use my phone for everything and that app works great. Be safe and have a great weekend.
Randy
www.goiamfedex.org
Link to the IAM FedEx site.
We need to put a general running blog on the main page of the IAM page where folks can easily post comments without logging in or having to navigate a site. This format has proven to be very successful with our folks in the past. (I.e. Tom's eblogger site his and participation were very high). This format is also being used in the fedex Freight campaigns using a Facebook blog interface.
I like what I am seeing with the IAM. Self assured, disciplined and light years ahead of what we saw with the "other union." Speaking for many of us in the western US, we are glad you are here!
Seeing more cards signed this week.
Guys, the forum is set up so the conversations keep a running format like this one does. Most choose the Union Hall forum to post and keep the conversation going. There is a Health Care, Retirement and other forums to post to. If you download the app, and go to the forums, the buttons on the left side of the topics will be dark if there is a new post so you can tell at a glance of there is new content. It's fast and easy, give I a try.
Randy
How else can you expect the IAM to help us if we don't help them understand what all of our issues are, by allowing them to follow our dialog? As fedupmechs(on the IAM forums) pointed out so well that there is no way to "know" who is on the site by simply registering because it asks nothing of importance!! You can make up whatever username you choose, such as "Ilovegettingscrewedoverbyfedex" or something more relative :-) NOBODY will know unless you tell someone! So like Randy nicely asked, "give it a try".........you might find out you like it!
This does not look good ........ WTF?
Possible violation of federal law: DOJ to review IAM 's failed Delta attempt
Apr 09, 2015
ATLANTA, GA - The National Mediation Board today dismissed the International Association of Machinists application for an election among Delta flight attendants, following the IAM's notice of withdrawal. In a letter accompanying the dismissal, the NMB states that it "has reason to believe that some unknown person or persons knowingly submitted authorization cards with fraudulent signatures in a possible violation of federal law." It also states that it "has decided to refer the matter to the appropriate office of the United States Department of Justice for further review."
"There is nothing more important than our people and our culture," said Richard Anderson, chief executive officer. "We respect the integrity of the NMB's election process and fully support the DOJ investigation so our people can know the full truth."
"We are very encouraged that this matter has been referred to the DOJ," said Joanne Smith, Delta's executive vice president and chief human resources officer. "At the time of the IAM filing in January, many flight attendants were raising questions regarding the validity of the authorization cards the IAM submitted to the NMB."
Unions seeking to represent airline employees are required to submit valid authorization cards to the NMB from at least 50 percent of all eligible voters in order for an election to be held.
Effective today, under the NMB's rules, no union can file an application to represent Delta flight attendants for one year.
Rest assured it wasn't the IAM. This is yet another example of corporations corrupting the system we have to use to organize. I expected something like this from "fill in the blank". That's why it is so important to sign up online, www.goiamfedex.org, fill out an online card, email it then print it, sign it and send it per the instructions. Your signature is extremely important. We had several cards sent to us on our drive that were bogus. They were sent by "someone" with other AMTs info. We compared old cards to the recent ones to verify that, again, "someone or entity" was trying to destroy the card count. Don't let this happen to us. This is yet another tactic along with lobbying Congress with millions of dollars to try to make it as difficult to organize as possible. Make your vote count, don't let those "other people" dictate their wishes on us.
Great site!
Now everyone can post on the IAM site without registering. Please put your posts there as this page will be discontinued soon.
So you're saying that the IAM finally listened to something we asked for?? That's a shocking concept! Now we'll see if those people were serious about wanting to be able to say something without people knowing who they are.
One thing to get across to everybody, we are protected by federal law against reprisals. You can sue if your being singled out, but that won't happen because FedEx knows that and heeds that. They don't want the Feds on their backs. I posted my real email, employee number and mobile number. I do my job and follow the rules. That's the key, follow the rules. Don't curse our management or be disrespectful. We get that ourselves every day and we are better than that. We have legit differences and our guys asked the IAM to help and they said they would. Resources have been spent and a lot more is to come. Let's get it together and get on the IAM site once and for all. There are a lot of AMTs afraid of FedEx, and there's no merit to it. They can't stop this, we have too many cards already. We need more to show the IAM we are serious. Swallow hard and log on. Fill out a card and get your friends to do the same. Word of mouth guys, pass it along. We can get some of the benefits stolen from us but WE have to man up and do it. I put my name out there for every drive and I'm still here, I follow the rules and don't cross the line. Sending a card in and sharing your experiences is NOT crossing the line. We need enough cards so the NMB will certify a vote. It's time guys. 8 grand a year for our "portable" is a slap in the face. We aren't going anywhere, we made it, this is our career. If we don't have representation, we'll lose more. We are already so far behind we need a voice of our own. I can't say it any stronger, let's get a movement going that can't be stopped. We will win, I'd rather win sooner than later.
Totally true words spoken by DesertFrog99!! It's now or never to do this....seriously!!
Just in: The company is up to their old tricks again. Very reliable source told me last night that we should all look for an announcement in the near future reinstating our old MAP program which gives everyone their extra week of sick time back and will also allow us to bank some of our sick time.
The company is clearly troubled by our efforts to gain a voice and has chosen to pay us off once again. Just imagine what we could do with our lame retirement plan and appalling health benefits if we could actually negotiate just like the pilots.
Yep, we have heard that as well.
That's how they operate here. Pay increases and adjustments to MAP are a drop in the bucket when you compare them with what it would cost the company if it had to giveback the big takeaways they imposed on us with our defined benefit pension and decent health benefits.
Think about it. If we succeed in getting representation, other groups will follow, and before you know it, Air and Tech Ops will be wall to wall union and will hold immense control over the company given our critical job functions. The company would then be forced really give us something - i.e. a pension one can retire on and healthcare benefits that will not bankrupt you.
Think about it. This is a desperation measure to keep us from doing something we are protected by federal law to do. Remember, there is a reason EVERY AMT at every major carrier is organized (except Delta).
The company hopes with its policy of appeasement we will crawl back into our holes and just be happy as they continue to screw us with our pension and health benefits. If anyone asks you why we need a union, the answer is simple:
A real pension and real health benefits!!!
I want to personally thank the guys working directly with the IAM on this. Everyone needs to be patient - we are a large, complex workgroup spread out amongst many locations. Let's all be patient.
Indy Guys
You hit the nail on the head. This time, we aren't going to fall for bread crumbs. It cost us too much the last time we did.
I'm inviting the INDY Guys to re-post that on the IAM site for FedEx AMTs. Posts like this need to be seen by everybody and the IAM FedEx AMT site gets a lot of looks a day.
The FedEx Pilot contract is posted on the IAM FedEx site. You can see what the company gives unionized members.
If you're still coming here, instead of simply going to the IAM site, you're missing valuable stuff being posted! Like this stuff?
http://goiamfedex.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/20-pensions-vs-401k%E2%80%99s-why-you-should-care-that-pensions-are-going-extinct/#entry59
There are emails and Mail being sent to all of the former signers. We need you to sign the IAM card. Our cards won't work. We also would like you to get at least 5 other AMTs to sign up.
Remember, the IAM site is an open forum like this. You don't have to register to post but I encourage you to register.
www.goiamfedex.org
Download the card and register. Download some extras for your friends. They are pre-posted.
Add a comment on one of the forums and try the COMO download app for your smart phone. You can do everything from you phone and don't even need a computer.
Randy
One last note on the cards. FedEx can dispute the validity of 3 different cards we now have. We need every card to come from the same source so they can't be disputed snd gum up the works. Let's not help the opposition, sign the new card.
If you are located in LAX, OAK or EWR and would like a paper card, stacks can be found in each of these location's break rooms.
We are working to get more out to other locations.
Wayne
The IAM site will be down for some updates. I expect it will be back up soon.
What's going on? Other than this site and a few cards circulating around our hangar, I have not seen anyone from the IAM make an appearance, hold mtgs, introduce their plans and benefits, etc.
When are we going to hear from the IAM about their plans for us?
All I can say is we will have to be patient. When the IAM was originally contacted the automotive division was working with us. We have now been handed over to the airline division who are in the process of forming a game plan. I am not in the know as to how far along the IAM is, but I do know things are moving. This is our last chance to have some sort of say in our benefits. Please encourage our fellow co-workers to get involved. We have been stripped or down sized of every meaningful benefit we had. Time for us as a collective group to GROW A PAIR.
Also there is a battle waging over on the FedEx freight side of the company. They now have 4 union facilities with more to come. Apparently they have the same healthcare plan and horrible retirement package as us. The reason they were able to unionize and nobody at FedEx express is do to the railroad labor act that we fall under, and they do not. You can follow the drive on Face Book the page is "Bring the teamsters to FedEx Freight"
Yep. The folks over at FedEx Freight are on to the FedEx health insurance sham. See the below the insightful post that is helping drive this campaign:
The great Fedex insurance fraud. As stated by Don Brown fedx is going to drop the bomb health care in 2018.
Our deductibles have skyrocketed by 900% in the last 5 years and it was claimed to be because of Obamacare and the 40% tax on Cadillac insurance plans. Take line 12DD on your w2's, this is what the company paid for your health insurance. Add what you paid for premiums for the year that is a max of around $3600 for family coverage. What you will find is we come in well UNDER the $27,500 threshold for being a Cadillac plan. $10,500 for singles.
So there was NO mandate for our deductibles to skyrocket as they have, it only put a bigger burden on the workers and created yet more profit for the company at its own employees expense. It is also interesting to note that YRC, UPS and UPSF also come in well under the same threshold so their plans are good to go unlike what has been claimed by the busters.
In the company forced meetings it has been said time and time again we could end up with less. Have they given an example? How many union contracts have been signed in the last 20 years? Would you vote for less? The fact remains had this happened when people voted for the union they would have had this printed up and in your face repeatedly, why haven't they? Because it frankly doesn't happen folks.
Union members enjoy better pay, retirement, insurance and job security all across the board in every industry compared to the non-unions doing the exact same thing. That's a FACT they don't want you to be privy to, what does it say about their intentions for you to withhold that information?
This is the info we need on the IAM forum. Pleas visit the site www.goiamfedex.org and post it there. More will see it.
Any word yet from the IAM Transportation Division as to what their plans are for us?
After reading quite a number of posts above within the past week, here's what I'd like to know. When are more people going to register on the actual IAM website and do their posting on that forum??? If you expect the IAM to give us the support we need, how do you think they can do that without a much bigger group of AMT's registering, posting on their forum and more importantly, signing and sending in a hard copy IAM card so that it ensures we start seeing physical efforts being displayed (i.e. Billboards, flyers and physical human beings showing up in MEM and IND) trying to get this information into your hands?? Do you not realize you can post anonymously on there, just as you are doing here?? If that is asking too much of you........realize we are ROYALLY F*CKED and have nobody to blame but ourselves!!!! FedUpOverTheAbuse
Everything right in the world didn't happen automatically - it had to be fought for.
Looking forward to making things right for us and our families,
Rick -
Check out the new posts on our IAM forums. We are working to make some really visible changes to assist us in our efforts.
Let's work at getting those cards in the mail. A good quick start is what we need to kick this effort off.
Randy
One more note guys, please take the poll on th IAM FedEx site. We'd like to see the results.
Randy
Guys, post what you think of the "generous" new sick policy on the IAM forum.
Starting to get AMTs to register on the IAM FedEx site. We need everybody that reads the comments to register. It's painless and you can do it do if from your smart phone.
Let's get onboard to show the IAM reps that we are serious.
More to come after the big meeting in a few weeks. Be safe out there,
Randy
Let's not forget what our peer AMTs receive in terms of retirement benefits. For those that need a reminder as to why it is so important to get a voice:
UPS mechanics have what amounts to a 16% defined contribution plan. AMTs get 13% of wages no matter what and UPS also matches their AMT's mechanics’ 401K contributions at 100% on the dollar up to 3% of of their wages.
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