Sisters and Brothers,
Recently, Alaska Airlines management sent a survey to IAM members regarding our ongoing contract negotiations. In the message to employees, management made an attempt to subtly divide our membership against each other. This tactic cannot go without response. Alaska management characterized our negotiations as separate efforts between IAM members in the RSSA contract and the COPS contract. This could not be further from the truth. Both contracts have been opened, proposals exchanged and discussions begun. While management disputed our rights under the contract, and the law, to open the contracts and bargain as we see appropriate for the benefit of our membership, that dispute has been resolved with Alaska agreeing to supply their COPS proposals and to continue our bargaining on both contracts.
As to the survey: this is an egregious attempt to fool employees of the company. No matter what some manager may say or what some survey may portray, management bargains for the interests of the company. Employees, through their Union, bargain for their own interests.
Remember, not too long ago management was insisting to have the right to vendor out contract work during merger transition talks. While they eventually agreed to keep that work in-house, it was the Union that was defending the interests of the employees. The IAM has the best interests of ALL our members in mind when we enter into negotiations. We solicited contract proposals from everyone; we then opened a survey for all members to complete, where you, our members, told us what was important to you! We have your co-workers at the table to make sure we follow through with your demands. We will negotiate the best deal for our members, but we will do that at the table, not on the floor and not through phony company surveys.
Fraternally,
Dave Supplee
PRESIDENT-DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIR
PLEASE POST ON ALL IAM BULLETIN BOARDS
