AMR Bankruptcy
In the early morning hours of November 29, bankruptcy rumors became reality for thousands of our members employed at American Airlines and American Eagle. We knew that bankruptcy was a serious possibility; we didn't expect AMR to file this early.

At filing, AMR had almost 4.1 billion dollars in their coffers. The company faces future debt payments and pension funding obligations in the years to come. Initial reports said it was AMR's Board of Directors that made the bankruptcy decision. It doesn't matter who made it, our members have been betrayed by promises from a company they sacrificed for and once believed in.

With the possibility of an AMR bankruptcy looming, the TWU retained attorney Sharon Levine of the law firm Lowenstein Sander PC over two years ago. Levine's expertise is airline bankruptcy. I am confident of her legal skills to fight hard representing our member’s contractual interests throughout the bankruptcy process.

I will be working directly with the legal team to provide documentation required by the court. The entire TWU staff will be supporting our efforts to help protect our member’s contractual benefits. Bankruptcy information will be posted on this website as it becomes available. Please stay informed with the facts: http://aa.twu.org/

Nationwide Effort Fights Back
We Are the 99 Percent
Last month Ohio voters defeated state Senate Bill 5, a collective bargaining law that barred public sector strikes, limited bargaining rights for 360,000 public sector employees and scraped binding arbitration of management-labor disputes. The bill was the handy work of Ohio Governor John Kasich, and its repeal was a significant win for the middle class and all of labor.

In a recent article by Politico’s Glenn Thrush, he writes, “Unions hung a humbling defeat on Kasich, who has fast become his party’s poster boy for conservative overreach, by rolling back Senate Bill 5.” I couldn’t agree more.

I can’t say enough about how well our TWU members responded to our “call to action” against SB 5. Members from all divisions came to Ohio to help fight back. They worked hard for months, door knocking, phone banking, protesting and gathering signatures for petitions to force a public vote on the bill. Thousands of labor activists participated with one purpose – defeat SB 5. By joining forces collectively with our private sector and public sector brothers and sisters, we proved it – we won! I commend all of you for a remarkable effort in holding the line for the American middle class.

Here’s an update on the effort to recall Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Presently the state AFL-CIO offices are working hand in hand with community organizers and labor unions across Wisconsin to gather voter signatures to force a recall election. The recall process started on November 19th when over 50,000 signatures were gathered in just two days. To date, volunteers have gathered over 300,000 signatures. Wisconsinites will need 540,206 signatures over the next 60 days to force an election.

After Walker’s anti worker agenda became clear in January 2011, TWU members were involved from the beginning. Many locals sent members to Madison to join the protests in outrage against Governor Walker’s legislative attack on collective bargaining rights. And this August, two state representatives that backed Walkers anti worker legislation were recalled in a special election. Now, other state legislators are feeling the heat as the 99 per centers rally throughout Wisconsin. Once again, labors participation in the recall effort will be pivotal in securing the needed signatures to sanction a recall election in early to mid 2012. Visit the website today to see how you can help: www.wisaflcio.org/

Our Air Transport Division members have a lot at stake in the upcoming funding fight for the Federal Aviation Administration. Current FAA funding expires on January 31, 2012. If long term funding legislation is not agreed on, we could face another FAA shutdown like this summer. That was an embarrassing episode for many congressional lawmakers, but they seem to have forgotten the public angst as a result of their inability to get something done. If there is another short term extension, that would be extension number 23 dating back to 2007.

Additionally, there is a projected shortage of FAA inspectors on the horizon, as over half will be retiring in the next five years. Experienced inspectors are hard to replace and there will be a definite learning curve for the replacements.

We continue to support and fight for inclusion of OSHA regulations for flight attendants and increased vigilance of overseas maintenance facilities. If not seriously addressed by Congress, these two issues could affect many of our members.

Next year’s elections will be vitally important to all of us. We need your help to continue fighting back, to protect workers’ rights and the ability to bargain collectively with employers. Please help us elect legislators that support and value working class Americans - we are the 99 percent.

I wish all of our member's, retiree's and your families a safe and wonderful holiday season.

When it was first suggested that I write a personal story in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, my first reaction was - I can’t do that. I am not a writer. I could never do justice to an event so important to so many people. But, while thinking of reasons why I couldn’t write this, I realized that I had to, if not for others, than for myself.

Some may have the luxury of remembering everything they did or said that day, I do not. For me, September 11, 2001 remains a blur of images, feelings and emotions.

As an ATD International Representative, I was meeting with Local 556 officers at a Holiday Inn across from Love Field. Local 556 represents the Flight Attendants working for Southwest Airlines. Someone interrupted the meeting to tell us an airplane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I thought, what a horrible accident.

We turned on the television to watch the live reports from New York as another aircraft crashed into the South Tower – utter disbelief hit me; what was going on? This could not be happening here, not in the U.S., it was surreal; the image of the second airplane crashing would not go away. Authorities closed the bridges and tunnels into New York City, and the FAA grounded all domestic flights. I wondered how extensive was this attack, how safe were we? Then, news reports said another aircraft had crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

As we watched TV, the South Tower collapsed and then reports of another airplane crash in Pennsylvania. Then the North Tower collapsed - I remember the images of frantic firefighters, police, and EMTs responding as survivors ran through debris clouds pouring through the streets of New York.

I was horrified at the devastation, the chaos - and loss of life - it was sensory overload. I had family living in lower Manhattan – were they okay? Was my brother working in the Pentagon that day? My emotions were all over the place, disbelief, horror, outrage, sorrow and fear. I was afraid of what was to come for my family and for our country. I was overcome with sorrow for the innocent lives lost.

After that day, life would never be the same.

The airline industry changed forever after the 9/11 attacks. We have seen armed guards in our airports, intense security screenings, and lists of restricted items for carry-on bags and intrusive background checks of airline and airport employees. To our nation’s credit, we have been successful in adapting to the threats we face. Terror plots have been stopped: the shoe bomber, underwear bomber and printer cartridge cargo bomb, to name a few. Evil does exists in this world, but there are many more good and honorable people. You work with them every day.

Please take a moment this week to honor the memory of the pilots, flight attendants and passengers that perished on American Airlines Flights 11 and 77, United Airlines Flights 93 and 175 and the victims in the Pentagon.

Remember the heroism exhibited as hundreds of first responders gave their lives while trying to rescue their countrymen. Think again of their courage on that terrible day, remember 9/11 for them, their families and friends - God Bless them all.

Determining the outcome for any election is usually a mathematically simple process; count the votes to determine the winner. Democracies around the world elect their leaders this way. But, in the U.S. there was one major exception to this simple democratic process - union representational elections held at railroads and airlines.

In 1926 the Railway Labor Act was passed in an effort to establish fair processes for contract negotiations and arbitration between labor groups and the railroad owners. In 1934 and again in 1936, the RLA was amended to include the growing airline industry. The reason for airline inclusion under the RLA was to avert crippling transportation strikes across the country. Most European countries have no such laws; their labor laws are much less restrictive than ours.

The National Mediation Board has the responsibility of conducting representational elections when a union claims to have support from a majority of a carrier’s employees. The NMB also defines the craft and/or class of employees eligible to vote, which almost always extends to all workers performing a particular job function throughout the company’s operations. They verify employee authorization cards, signatures and confirm the eligibility of employees before an election is authorized.

Prior to 2010, election rules under the NMB stated: if an eligible employee did not vote in an election, their inaction would count as a “no” vote. By doing nothing, the employee cast an involuntary vote favoring the company. Unwittingly, most workers never knew that was the case. Company deception and double talk kept employees confused and in the dark. Corporate confusion works.

Last year Congress finally corrected the NMB discriminatory “voting” flaw, by passing an amendment that brought sensibility and democracy back to elections. Now, only the actual votes cast would count toward determining the outcome. Ironically, the amendment passed by counting only the congressional votes cast. If political elections were tallied under the old NMB rules, none of the U.S. Representatives newly elected in 2010 would have received enough votes to take office.

But faster than you can say, "Wal-Mart rollback," there are members of Congress that are pushing hard to overturn the recently corrected NMB election process. Why? Who are these people working for anyhow? There seems to be more at stake here; they want your collective bargaining rights, if you have them, and they want to stop workers from joining unions. Coincidence? I think not.

This year alone, over 30 states have introduced anti worker laws, right to work status in traditionally labor friendly states, and rushed to write legislation cutting wages, and reducing benefits and pensions for public sector workers. Many politicians have decided to attack labor head on – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, are two that immediately come to mind. Their message is clear - blame the unions for the fiscal mess their states are in.

If the likes of Walker and Kasich are successful, how long before they target private sector workers? We cannot assume that they won't.

Madison, Wisconsin was a wakeup call for all of labor, the good people of Wisconsin and Ohio have stood up and said enough! Their resolve is spreading and gaining momentum in other targeted states.

The American middle class is at stake because of anti- worker legislation. This is not a sneak attack; it is a full force frontal attack on labor and our country’s democratic process. Corporate oligarchs and independent billionaires are funding key politicians who have been sent on search and destroy missions by their masters.

Where is the outrage from union members? Working families and labor need your participation now. We need your help to fight back against these anti worker forces. You can start today in your own state and hometown - join the fight to keep workers rights and your collective bargaining rights.

Anyone who has read a newspaper or seen the television news lately is aware of events unfolding in Wisconsin and Ohio where public sector unions are under attack from local and state politicians. Their rights to bargain collectively are in danger from these renewed attacks on the working class. Labor has experienced these kinds of attacks before but never with such devastating effects on working families that are barely making ends meet.

Some politicians say there is no real need for collective bargaining, or laws that protect employees. Some union members have expressed their own personal frustration after suffering layoffs themselves. They know how hard it is to find a job and believe these public employees should feel lucky to still be working, getting any benefits.

Why should we care what happens to public sector employees? Jobs are being outsourced, downsized, and done away with at the expense of labor. Under the pretext of balancing state budgets, these workers are expendable. But, somewhere in the shadows, corporate financiers and some politicians will profit handsomely from this travesty targeting middle class workers. Decimating public sector unions will only weaken labor’s voice and embolden anti-worker politicians and CEOs to whittle away worker’s rights in public and private sectors. Just look at the legislators in Washington trying to reverse recently changed National Mediation Board rules that pertain to voting on union representation. That is why we should care. If we don’t take a stand now, private sector agreements will be next.

The TWU Air Transport Division has over 40 locals representing more than 50,000 members under collective bargaining agreements. These agreements provide members with contractual wages, hours of service, days off, vacations, health and retirement benefits and added protection from unjust discipline and termination. While there are positive events happening in our division, we would be foolish to ignore the negative. Many of our contracts are currently being negotiated and a number are in mediation. Some have been in mediation for years without reaching an agreement. Many employers are entrenched and not negotiating in good faith.

No matter how you may feel about your current agreement, do any of you believe that shifting political winds in Washington D.C. will improve your quality of life by limiting or stripping away rights to collective bargaining?

We have two choices. We can protect our own tiny worlds, put alligators in the moats, pull up the drawbridges and hope what is happening outside the walls won’t touch us. Or we can give more than lip service to one of the basic tenets of unionism - an injustice to one is an injustice to all.

If we choose number one, we may last for a while, but eventually the corporations, politicians, or a combination of both will pick us off, one by one. I believe the second choice is our only choice. We must continue to speak out and fight for those who cannot.

We must forge mutual alliances – beginning with our own brothers and sisters at work. Those alliances will strengthen us, rising up through our locals and our diverse contract groups, and then throughout the entire Air Transport Division. We should continue forming alliances with labor organizations like, the American Aviation Labor Alliance (AALA) with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association (CAPA). Globally, under the auspices of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), the newly proposed One World Labor Council will bring together thousands of union workers from all the airlines in the Oneworld alliance.

As labor, we must care what happens to our sisters and brothers. Rather than putting down other workers who are struggling, we must gather our collective strengths and lift each other up. I ask you to join me in the fight to control our own destiny. This is the only way I know of, United – Invincible.

Have you ever pulled an all nighter because you had to commute a long way to get to work, stay up all night with the kids, or go from one job to another? Did you later realize that at some point you were unable to recount the actual highlights of the day? If you answered yes, you may have unknowingly encountered the “fatigue zone." That zone is often dangerous and the level of fatigue different for each one of us; it can be equivalent to a person impaired from drinking alcohol. Fatigue is a major factor in deaths and injuries, both on the job, around the home, and while driving.

As one of several Union Representatives on the Federal Aviation Administration's Fatigue Team, it surprised me to learn that there have been extensive scientific studies on the impact of lack of sleep on workers. These studies examined the effects of prolonged sleeplessness compared to equivalent blood alcohol levels high enough to be considered legally intoxicated.
One of the studies monitored 40 subjects, half were kept awake for a period of 28 hours and the other 20 were given small amounts of alcohol during timed intervals, until their levels reached the .10 percent level. Most states recognize that level as legally impaired; some have even lowered it to .08 percent.

During the study, each person was given a computer administered hand-eye coordination test, which was repeated every thirty minutes. Between the 10th and 26th hour of being awake, their performance decreased steadily. After the 17th hour, their performance was equivalent to those with a .05 percent blood-alcohol level. Then, after a full 24 hours without sleep, the testing levels showed the same levels of impairment as the testers drinking alcohol with .10 percent blood alcohol content, a level considered legally impaired in most states.

Most of us have experienced a state of prolonged wakefulness, but I doubt if we ever understood or realized the impact of our impairment on our performance and judgment, and the danger to which we had subjected others and ourselves. We have laws against driving while intoxicated but how do we police friends, coworkers and ourselves from the hidden dangers of lack of sleep?

I would like to add that these were controlled tests, under a controlled environment without outside distractions. Also, no coffee, caffeine or energy supplements were used. There are similar tests that show how those items increase performance in the short term, only to leave the individual at a higher fatigue level after the product wears off.

I hope this article has raised your awareness on the importance of a good night's rest.There are many of us who have pushed ourselves much too far and neglected the body’s signals of fatigue. The danger signs are often too subtle to realize until something goes wrong and we are injured or injure someone else due to our inability to recognize that we had unwittingly entered our "fatigue zone."

From all of us at the ATD, we would like to wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season.

I have been a proud member of the Transport Workers Union for over thirty seven years. During that time, I have had both the pleasure and privilege of meeting and working with numerous members from different work groups at many different airlines. Over the last fourteen years I have worked primarily with our locals at Southwest Airlines.

During my visits to the field I am often asked, "What sets the TWU apart from other unions?" My response is always "local autonomy." While the International staff is there primarily to support the locals, "local autonomy" provides the members of each local the right to decide how to best handle the business of that local. That is how it should be. However, for "local autonomy" to be truly effective, there must be "local responsibility." I believe that each local officer and each member, has the responsibility to ensure that their actions serve to enhance the greater good for all TWU members. If this personal responsibility is not met, our organization weakens, which in turn weakens our effectiveness as individual locals.

In my opinion, the TWU is not merely the International officers or the local union officers, our members are the backbone and the strength of this union. You are the TWU. Honest disagreements will always exist within an organization, but we need to address those disagreements in such a manner as to strengthen that organization, rather than paralyze it and adversely affect our members. The spreading of rumors and disinformation have always hurt members and strengthened the employers\' position, especially during contract negotiations.

I would like nothing better than to speak to each of you, one-on-one; unfortunately that is impossible. There will be changes made in how we do business at the ATD, but effective change can only come with the support of the members. Throughout my career I have looked to the members for guidance and will continue to do so. I am asking each and every member for your support so we can move forward together in strength. United – Invincible.

Brothers and Sisters:

2009 proved to be a trying time for airline workers - 2010 doesn't seem to show much relief. With increasing FAA oversight, the airlines, and their employees are under further scrutiny and may find themselves answering an FAA Inspector's questions. Most members have not been subjected to this uncomfortable situation, but they need to be prepared in the event that it does happen. Your career or your license may be in jeopardy. You must conduct yourself professionally during an FAA investigation.

The TWU License Protection Program is designed to assist any member who receives a Letter of Investigation (LOI) from the FAA. You may be unfamiliar with the program so I have laid out some of the basics.

The LPP was created in 1991 to assist any federally licensed TWU member facing an FAA investigation. The program helps guide members during an investigation and outlines some of the do's and dont's should you be involved in one. Informing and defending the member's rights during an investigation is the main tenet of the LPP.

License Protection Program:

1. As soon as you receive an FAA Letter of Investigation (LOI,) contact your local union representative or your Aviation Safety Action Partnership (ASAP) representative. They can give advice and guide you through the process. Oftentimes the LPP or ASAP representative works informally with the FAA Inspector to cool things down and assess the FAA's case.

2. You are strongly urged to answer the LOI. While a response is not required, many cases are resolved based on good LOI responses. Also, the FAA feels that non-response is an affront to the agency, a sign of disrespect and indicative of guilt.

3. If you did make an error it is better to own up to it by thoroughly explaining what happened and explain any mitigating circumstances. To deny and blame others can bring about severe consequences if found to be untrue. The FAA often has pictures and statements (evidence) to back up its claims, particularly in serious cases. When you have actually erred, a good and contrite explanatory letter can often help in closing the file, with little or no action taken against you.

4. It is best to handle the response through the union and by letter rather than by talking to the FAA Inspector directly; anything you say to the Inspector can be used in the case against you. Of course the FAA can proceed to question you, but if they do, you should ask at least to have an ASAP or Union Representative present.

5. Make the first attempt at a response explaining what occurred and offering any mitigating circumstances. Try to avoid jargon or acronyms; e-mail, fax or scan your response, as well as the FAA letter and all pertinent information; send them to the ASAP or Union representative, they will get you in contact with TWU's attorney. He will then convert the response into an answer for the FAA that most effectively presents your side of the story. You are bound by time limits, so move quickly once you sign the receipt of the FAA letter. The LOI requires a response within 10 days; however, your window of opportunity for ASAP is limited to 24 hours after receipt of your certified letter from the FAA.

6. Do not antagonize the Inspector, even if you feel you did nothing wrong or that you are being made a scapegoat. The Inspectors are the ones who propose the penalties; the FAA attorneys treat the Inspectors like clients. If you are hostile to an Inspector, you may feel better for a while, but in the long run you will hurt yourself. This does not mean admitting error when there was none, but the response should be courteous and respectful.

7. Take advantage of your TWU Resources - do not rely on the company. Sometimes, the airline/company says it will handle things and that you are being mistreated, they will take care of you; this rarely works. In most cases, the company receives a LOI on the same investigative event the member has. The company generally has a different goal in mind for these investigations and they will rarely put your well being ahead of their own.

The TWU is prepared to defend our members that find themselves in this situation. For more information on the LLP and ASAP, pick up a brochure from your local or visit the web site.

http://asap.twu.org/

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the hard work that thousands of our members working outdoors, have endured this winter. Our service locals and most of the airline locals have a large majority of members that work in the elements twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week. In terms of measured precipitation, this winter has been exceptional, as these members experience one of the most formidable winters in years. Airline employees have been bludgeoned by continuous back to back snow storms that closed numerous airports in Chicago, Illinois, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Maryland and every major airport along the East coast. Countless numbers have been stranded at work and had to persevere through miserable weather conditions and work shorthanded. Those at work had to cover for those stranded at home or stuck on snarled roadways trying to get to work. In February, DFW International Airport recorded its worst snow storm in its history, when 12.5 inches of snow fell in one 24 hour period; that is totally unheard of in Texas! As a frequent traveler, I know the de-icing crews have one of the most difficult tasks of all, and I want to say, thank you, for doing a wonderful job despite the challenging circumstances that you work in.

For American Airlines, some good news, Japan Airlines (JAL) has decided to stay with the oneworld alliance and the Department of Transportation recently granted American antitrust immunity (ATI) with British Airways and Iberia. They can proceed with their joint business agreement (JBA.) Delta Airlines and United have had ATI status within their alliances, so it seems only fair that American finally receive the same consideration from our government. We have publicly supported American's business initiatives because it provides a level business field for U.S. carriers competing for the global skies market. On the other hand, the TWU announced that we would ask to be released from mediation if agreements aren't reached with all TWU represented work groups at American Airlines by March 8, 2009. By the time you read this article there could be more serious developments, so please keep yourself informed through your locals or log onto www.twu.org and visit the AA contract negotiations link.

Speaking of level fields and agreements, labor is no different. We actively work alongside other labor unions which have similar interests for their member's welfare. Industry safety concerns, ASAP programs, pension and health care coverage, but, the largest joint effort is joining forces to lobby and support political candidates that are legislatively, labor friendly and pro union, such as the Employee Free Choice Act. One example of our involvement with other unions is the article, "Professional Responsibility," co-written by our own Tim McAninley ATD Communications Coordinator, and Chris Moore International Brotherhood of Teamsters, both are Aviation Maintenance Technicians and Moore is Chairman of the Teamster Aviation Mechanics Coalition. Together, both have been fighting for passage of the FAA Reauthorization Bill which would level the field for AMT's working in this country and put a stop to wholesale outsourcing of aircraft maintenance work to foreign repair centers.

In closing, I want you to know that Jose Galarza International Representative and American Eagle System Coordinator, has been recalled to military duty. Jose has certainly been a credit to the Division and we will miss him. In June, he will deploy to Iraq for his second tour again placing himself in harm’s way, to serve the nation and preserve our way of life. We wish him God’s speed and ask that you continue to keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Lastly, I want to thank Local 570 President Dan Rivera, for shouldering Jose’s workload during his absence. Dan is an experienced advocate and negotiator who is well respected amongst his peers as well as management.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By now you may have received a promotional flyer in the mail from American Airlines called “From the Ground Up”, a slick pitch intended “only to provide a description of the facts and issues already presented at the bargaining table.” A couple of questions immediately come to mind. First, how much did this flyer cost to produce and mail to nearly 10,000 fleet service households? Second, how accurately can these bullet point “facts” represent the complex realities that have been central to these negotiations for well over two years?

Despite the flyer’s disclaimer that asserts it is not negotiating directly with you, the membership, be assured that is exactly what it represents. Putting management’s version of the facts before you, without the years and months of context that defines both their table position and ours is a divisive, dividing tactic. The pages presented in this supplement are intended to bring balance to American’s message and to give you some insight into a difficult negotiating environment, one that has strained the resources of our Locals and the patience of our members.

The TWU is committed to bringing back a contract that is fair and non-concessionary. Your negotiating committee has made reasonable, credible, creative proposals during the past 31 months that have addressed each and every one of the Company’s competitive issues. These proposals were crafted in ways that would not degrade your contract or do harm to current or future members; they were proposals that would provide AA with long term competitive changes that would address their needs in the long run. But they want it all now. Management continues to pass proposals that will degrade our agreements permanently in exchange for pocket change. They seek fundamental modifications but refuse to assign dollar values to them. In the end they want a bankruptcy agreement without the bankruptcy.

Management asserts that they are simply giving you “facts”. Their flyer does present facts, but in isolation – they are not all of the facts, they are often facts out of context, and they are arranged such that related facts are presented separately so that their full impact is hidden. In total, “From the Ground Up” is the facts viewed through the Company’s rose colored glasses, and as a result is a distortion of those facts.

The TWU believes that a healthy, competitive, and profitable American Airlines is the key to our futures and job growth. We have worked towards this goal by being collaborative and supporting the Company’s “working together” initiatives. We are not, however, interested in further gutting what is left of our contracts as a sacrifice to make American healthy – we already did that. In the end we are not interested in voluntarily giving up 900 jobs, placing small cities at risk, or degrading your fundamental benefits.

When you read the Company’s flyer, please review it with this TWU Supplement at your side as an additional resource that will help you get the whole picture. Only then will you have an unbiased version of the facts. Thank you for supporting your negotiating team as it continues to work towards a fair agreement for our members.

Fraternally,
John M. Conley
Airline Division Director International Administrative Vice President

by Asst. Director of the Air Transport Division Robert Gless
December, 2009

Most likely you've heard the term before, perhaps during a S.W.A.T. type television show or a news report on the specifics of a daring military mission. Military experts would explain "situational awareness" as the ability to gather the facts of a threatening situation swiftly and accurately, consider these facts to assess your surroundings and develop an operational plan - all while adjusting your resources and confronting the threat to complete the mission. Simply put, situational awareness is the act of being aware of your surroundings and planning tactfully and accordingly to address the situation.

I recently heard the term while listening to FAA Administrator Randolph Babbitt speak at a DC luncheon and it hit me; that term is easily applicable to the U.S. airline industry and its "mission". A few airline executives have a grasp of the specifics in their ever- changing environment, the "threat". They adjust resources and constantly assess competition and options, but oftentimes without regard to the workers who run the day-to-day operations they oversee.

The Local 234 SEPTA strike in Philadelphia and the closing of a major aircraft maintenance base affecting Local 530 members in Kansas City, has made it clear that some companies no longer stand by their word, or have the ability to stand by their word. They continue do what is best for the bottom line with no consideration for their workers. When companies behave this way, we have to act accordingly to the situation.

For the past few years, those who have been in negotiations realize that standard collective bargaining rules no longer apply. We've seen this with situations like Southwest Airlines' requesting its dispatchers to ferry aircraft to El Salvador for maintenance and AMR's demands for cost neutral collective bargaining agreements, while rewarding top executives with bonuses as the company continues losing money.

As labor, our situational awareness is heightened by the fact that our economy has not stabilized and that keeps us in an unfavorable position. The airline industry has never experienced such economic turmoil in its history. We are doing all we can politically and at the bargaining table, to fight for our members during this lengthy recession.

Many of you have contacted me directly to voice your disappointment with AMR's contract negotiations; I am frustrated too. We have to continue with the mediation process until the time comes when we can ask the National Mediation Board (NMB) for a release. As we move closer to resorting to such action, I want to use this opportunity to explain the NMB process.

Under the Railway Labor Act, the union or company sends notification of an interest to modify the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) under section 6, so that both parties can engage in discussion regarding pay, benefits and work rules. During that process either party (or both by agreement,) is free to request an NMB mediator be assigned to assist the parties in obtaining a mutual agreement that then must be ratified by the rank and file members.

Either party can request that they are at an impasse in the event that an agreement cannot be reached. Once an impasse is declared, the NMB offers binding arbitration to both parties. If this is rejected by either party, then a 30 day cooling off period goes into effect and the countdown begins.

At this point, the union and company need to decide what they are prepared to do in order to reach an agreement. After the 30 days, the company is free to impose an agreement of its own and the union is free to impose "self help". Self help can be defined as an all out strike or strategic pinpointed attacks of a company's operation.

I have monitored the lengthy AMR negotiations and am briefed regularly of all situations that influence our potential agreements. Our Negotiations Committees are dedicated to being alert and responsive to the changing dynamics of the industry and factor that into our plans in order to get the fair and equitable contract our members deserve. As airline employees we are very familiar with the need for situational awareness. In many aspects of our lives we need to stay attune to our ever changing landscape, constantly reviewing our game plan and prepare for the worst and best case scenarios.

I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.