Sisters and Brothers:
We are deeply saddened to announce that the Company has made the unfortunate decision to close the U.S. OpenSkies cabin crew base for operational reasons. This decision was presented to the Union at a meeting held on, September 26, 2018, in Washington D.C.. This was not a discussion on whether or not the US Base should close. The Company stated emphatically the base was going to be closed on approximately, January 31, 2019.
Going into the meeting our intention had been to discuss issues the members were having and the overall outlook for OpenSkies and Level, not a base closure, we told the Company we needed some time to speak to our legal team and that we would contact them as soon as possible after getting their opinion regarding the legality of the base closure.
We have since consulted with our legal department and while it has been determined that they are legally able to close the base, we have already requested and the Company has agreed to enter into “effects bargaining” in which any severance and/or insurance continuation will be negotiated by IAM representatives and your shop stewards. We are currently working on dates to begin the “effects bargaining”.
I will be calling each of you to discuss your obvious concerns and issues in the coming days. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time 281-827-3965 .
