—– Forwarded Message —–
Sent: Friday, February 7, 2014 12:09 PM
Subject: RIF CLE
I wanted to send this out to everyone and let them know what has been happening the last couple of days since United made the horrific decision to downsize Cleveland. I found out about this Reduction the same way most of you did. On Saturday afternoon one of the local news stations reported the story. I want to thank everyone who got a hold of me to let me know. I immediately reached out to our leadership at the IAM and our local lodge to confirm this information. I spoke directly and immediately with both Rich Delaney, President and Directing Chairman of our District and with Erik Stenberg, Assistant General Chairman assigned to Cleveland along with Tony Midea, president of our local. The Company had given no prior warning to the Union, as a matter of fact President Delaney heard it first from me and Erik received the news simultaneously from a storekeeper and myself. Rich Delaney immediately began to contact the company to confirm this news. I was in contact with our leadership and through them with our Grand Lodge to first understand what was happening and then to plan strategies to address this.
On Monday morning I was able to attend the information session the Company set up for the employees at 9am. Myself and Tony Media, also attended the Press Conference that Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and CLE Airport Director Rickie Smith held at City Hall. At that time I was able to talk with several members of the media and report to them the human side to this decision. I want you to know I made it very clear to the press that I felt the city leaders were dismissive to the plight we were about to go through. It came across to me they were only concerned about the physical portion of the decision and failed to recognize the 470 jobs announced that would be lost, and the hundreds of addition jobs that would be cut as a result of this decision. At this meeting City Councilman Zack Reed reached out to me to offer help to any of us that needed it. Additionally I would like to thank Councilmen Reed, Jeff Johnson, Mike Polensik and others that stood up for us that evening during the City Council meeting. At that meeting I was put in touch with a Representative of Senetor Sharod Brown’s office who has offered any assistance to us that they can provide.
On Tuesday Councilman Reed contacted me and invited me to speak before the Aviation committee that was having an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning at City Hall. I attended that meeting and answered questions about what would be the effect of this decision on all of us. The meeting lasted about three hours. I want to let
you know all of the council members in attendance reached out to me with support and offered to take calls from those of our members that wanted to contact them. I think it is important for all of us to reach out to the leaders in all of our communities to get them on board with this. I have spoken with Representative Fudge’s office and Representative Kaptar both who are concerned bout this decision. I want everyone to know the Grand Lodge is actively lobbing our Washington Representatives to get involved. As early as this morning I have been in contact with Councilman Reed to try and set up a communication meeting for all affected soon.
All of that being said we must start looking to the future. The Union, and myself personally, have committed to get answers for all of us on what are the next steps we will take. The reality is there will be a Reduction in Force in Cleveland. Although we do not know the exact number it will ultimately affect, we do know that number is substantial. In the next few days I will send out a communication explaining furlough and the options everyone will have in that process. I ask for your help at this time when I do send out text and emails please share them with all of our friends and coworkers. If you have questions please get them to me and I will answer them or get answers if I don’t know it.
These next several months are going to be hard and challenging for all of us. There are places we can turn if it gets to be too much for any of us. The Union has an Employee Assistance Program of it’s own. They are an call 24 hours and ready to help us. I have been in contact with Mark Sanderson, the EAP Coordinator assigned to Cleveland. Mark will be coming to Cleveland in the next couple of weeks to meet with our members and answer questions they may have. He is ready to come tomorrow if I think it is necessary. If any of you need anything please get in touch with me. More importantly, I know this is difficult on all of us, but we must keep an eye on each other. Ask each other if everything is going ok offer to listen if someone needs to talk or vent or send them to someone else if you need. But most importantly lets be there for each other, and all of the rest that will be effected by this.
In closing let me assure you we have a lot of people out there working on our behalf, although we cannot stop the decisions the company chooses to make we can try to mitigate them. We have a network doing that now from Rich Delaney and his entire staff at the District to Ira Levy and the Grand Lodge including Federal, State and Local leaders. Sometimes we feel as though we are in this on our own but I assure you we are not.
Sincerely
Bill Pizzuli
District 141 Trustee
LL 1731 Committee Chair CLE