The Following is taken from this weeks update from Rich Delaney. It addresses the recently released announcement that a new attendance policy will be implemented on May 15, 2014. The entire update can be found at http://www.iam141.org/united/update.html
United Airlines has notified District 141, and begun briefing members, of their revised Attendance Policy for IAM Represented employees. This company designed policy is based on the existing s-CO attendance policy and continues the assessed point system model. S-UA Airport Ops employees will be integrated into the revised policy from the current Point System that has been in place since September 2009. S-UA Reservations and Stores members will be included in this new system for the first time. All members should demand a printed copy of the policy and become familiar with its many components and not assume it is the same system they are used to. The company has made several changes to the accrual and assessment of attendance points and each member needs to be aware of them.
It is important to recognize that this attendance policy was developed and will be administered by United Airlines alone. The IAM had no involvement in this policy, unlike the s-UA program. That plan was based on a commitment to job security that protected United members for 4 ½ years; until our current contract job security replaced it. Since we negotiated, and our members ratified, an alternative plan for job security the IAM did not enter into any discussions with United over an attendance policy. We are disappointed to read the new policy that removes many of the progressive elements of the s-UA program, such as positive recognition for good attendance during critical months of the year, and applies harsher penalties to specific absences.
The IAM will approach this new policy in the same way we react to any disciplinary action imposed by the company. We will aggressively represent and defend our members that may be involved in the discipline procedure as a result of attendance issues. We will grieve and appeal any discipline that violates the standard of “Just cause” or due process.
District 141 continues to press United to finalize the payroll issues that have prevented our members, especially s-CO members, from receiving all of the compensation owed to them under our current contract. The issues of overtime rates, shift differentials, and holiday pay still have not been corrected and create an ongoing debt the company owes its employees. Rightfully, members are anxiously waiting for the retroactive payments owed them since November 2013. Our priority concern is to get the payroll system corrected and in place so members are paid accurately and the continuation of missed wages stops. At that point the company can look back and calculate what is owed each person and finally resolve this. United will not commit to a specific date of when this will be done but they believe it will take several more pay periods.
Bill Pizzuli
District 141 Trustee
LL 1731 Committee Chair CLE