The IAM is working day and night in Washington DC to get an extension of the Payroll Support Program (PSP) of the CARES Act. An extension of the PSP would mean an additional six months of no layoff protection. The hope is by extending the PSP, the airline industry can recover and the need for future layoffs would be reduced. But, it’s not a done deal yet and our current no layoff protection from the CARES Act ends on October 1st.

How will IAM representation help us if there is a layoff on October 1st?

Right now, we DO NOT have the right to be recalled to our jobs if laid-off. Republic management is free to leave us unemployed and hire whoever they want to perform our work when the airline industry recovers and the need for AMTs increases. And our industry will recover. IN FACT, REPUBLIC MANAGEMENT IS TRAINING UNLICENSED WORKERS TO PERFORM AMT WORK RIGHT NOW.

What do you think their plan is? Republic management has made ZERO commitment to us IN WRITING and without a legally binding contract, we have absolutely no rights.

When we vote for IAM representation, we will immediately we will IMMEDIATELY have representational rights and will begin negotiations with Republic.

Our first order of business will be to negotiate an agreement regarding recall rights of laid off Republic AMTs. This does not have to wait until a complete contract is negotiated. We can do this separately and then include it when we ratify our first contract. In fact, the IAM just extended recall rights for its United Airlines membership from a minimum of six years to unlimited. The agreement was negotiated and reached outside of regular contract negotiations.

The IAM is prepared to mobilize every resource it has to obtain guaranteed recall rights for Republic Airways AMTs, INCLUDING LEVERAGING ITS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MAJOR AIRLINES THAT REPUBLIC PERFORMS REGIONAL FLYING.

Republic management has retained Ford and Harrison, a law firm notorious for training company management teams on how to convince their employees not to form a union. Even though Republic management has its own Labor Relations department and attorneys, it felt the need to pay Ford and Harrison during the worst revenue crunch in airline industry history.

We know at the very least that Ford and Harrison attorneys will be dealing with our election filing. But that’s not where the law firm’s involvement usually ends. Ford and Harrison provides extensive training and strategic planning to help companies fight workers’ efforts to unionize.

There have been reports that Republic supervisors are now on the shop floor around the system saying similar things about our efforts to unionize. We urge all Republic AMTs to take what they have to say with a grain of salt. Ford and Harrison’s canned strategy, or any consultant whose goal is preventing workers from unionizing, usually involves a combination of things but it’s all based on uncertainty and fear, all with the caveat that “we respect your right to unionize and your choice.”

If Republic management really respected us, our rights, our profession, our future and our families, they would respect our right to freely choose to unionize without their influence or interference, like federal law says. But we don’t expect that to happen. We expect them to do everything in their power to retain the total control they enjoy today.

Please read our post from August 18th that addresses these issues.
 
Please read the election Q & A.
 
Also, check this video out about how companies try to dissuade workers from forming unions:

As was previously reported, last Tuesday, August 17th, the National Mediation Board (NMB), a federal agency in Washington DC, docketed our application to conduct a representation election for the mechanic and related workgroup at Republic Airways. On that day, the NMB also directed Republic management to submit the list of all eligible voters by September 1st. Once the list is submitted, we will notify all AMTs.

A-cards keep coming in.

AMTs who have yet to submit their election authorization cards are encouraged to do so. We have until 4:00 PM EDT on the day Republic Airways submits the eligibility list to send our cards in. The more cards, the more resounding our victory the better contract we will be able to achieve. If you do not have access to an a-card you can request one online and we will mail it out to you.

IAM leading the way on extension of the Payroll Support Program (PSP) component of the CARES Act.

The IAM, along with other unions, is still keeping up the pressure to extend the PSP job protections to March 31, 2021. With 13 Senate Republicans and all Senate Democrats supporting the extension, and support from the House and the Trump Administration, we can get this done but it is part of the next Covid-19 relief bill that is still being negotiated.

Please contact your elected officials and demand an extension of the PSP.

With a representation election on the horizon, we want all Republic AMTs to understand what our federal rights are, so Republic management does not violate these rights. Under the law, we have the right to determine who our representative will be, without influence, interference or coercion from their carrier, its officers or agents.

Find out more about our rights.

If you feel that your rights have been violated, please fill out the online interference form.

IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE COMPANY IS PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL LAW FROM EVER KNOWING WHO SIGNED A CARD, WHETHER OR NOT YOU SUPPORT UNIONIZING OR HOW YOU WILL VOTE OR VOTED IN A UNION REPRESENTATION ELECTION.
 
 

As you are likely aware, the IAM filed last Thursday an application for the National Mediation Board (NMB), a federal agency based in Washington DC, to conduct a union representation election for Republic Airways AMTs. This morning the NMB  “docketed” our application. The NMB this morning further directed Republic Airways management to provide the list of eligible voters to the NMB by September 1, 2020. The company can submit the eligibility list sooner.

​The next step after the eligibility list is submitted is for the NMB to count the a-cards submitted and to determine if 50 percent of Republic Airways AMTs have, indeed, requested a representation election take place. If the 50 percent threshold has been reached, a voting period will be scheduled and all voters will be mailed voting instructions. It is important that the company has your current address, so you receive your voting instructions in a timely manner.

PLEASE READ THE ELECTION Q & A THAT WE POSTED LAST WEEK FOR MORE INFO ON THE ELECTION PROCESS.

Now that we have filed for an election, we may see Republic management behave differently. The may do the following:

• Plead with AMTs to “give them another chance” to fix what we believe needs to be fixed.
  • Management has had their chance to treat us with respect and has failed. There is no reason to think this will change, especially in the current financial situation.

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• To criticize the IAM as an “outsider” or third party that cannot guarantee that we achieve improvements.
  • ​WE will be the IAM. It will be Republic Airways AMTs in negotiations with company management and Republic AMTs who will elected by their co-workers to be trained union representatives. Don’t fall for this lie. While we will have total support—attorneys, negotiators to help us, economists, etc.—from the IAM, it will be us that Republic management deals with across the table and on the floor.
    ​
• Republic management may even try to fix issues that are important to us.
  • Remember, the only reason this would happen is because of our union organizing drive and that management wants to discourage us from joining the IAM and gaining a legal right to negotiate with them and vote on a contract. They don’t want workplace democracy for AMTs.
    
    
• The company may say that all the IAM wants is our “dues” money.
  • This is false. The IAM will not collect any money in dues until Republic AMTs negotiate and ratify (vote in) a contract. The IAM also does not collect initiation fees for newly organized groups. So, Republic AMTs pay nothing until we decide we have a contract that is worth paying dues for.
    
    
• Republic management may even attack the IAM and claim it’s a corrupt organization.
  • Nothing could be further from the truth. While no organization or company is perfect, the IAM is one of the most ethical organizations in North America. The IAM leads the way in giving back to the community and engaging in charitable causes. The IAM’s largest charity is Guide Dogs of America, which provides guides dogs for the visually impaired. Click here to find out more.
  • The IAM also provides a free college program for IAM members and their family members. Click here to find out more.
    
    
• Republic may even hire “anti-workplace democracy” consultants whose only job is to dissuade us from joining a union.
  • If that happens, we will call upon Republic to save the money they’ll spend on these high priced consultants and include it in our first contract.

 
These are just some of the things that Republic management may do, and please know that any move management takes to dissuade us from joining the IAM is a move to prevent us from having the legal right to negotiate a contract and enforce such a contract. 
 
As always, we will update you with any developments at the NMB.
 
If you have any specific questions, you can submit them here and we will get back to you.
 

Congratulations to all Republic AMTs! You have made the first, big step in gaining a voice on the job. As you know, the IAM yesterday filed for a union representation with the National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency that conducts union elections. Our filing will be “docketed” on Monday, August 17th. That means the NMB will send official notice to Republic management that the IAM filed an application that a union representation election be conducted.

The NMB will then inform Republic management that they are required to send the agency a list of employees in the mechanic and related classification that are eligible to vote in the election. The date in which the “eligibility” list is sent to the NMB is determined by the NMB.

The NMB then will count the total amount of election authorization cards submitted by the IAM and determine if the election authorization cards represent 50 percent of the total amount of eligible voters in the mechanic and related classification. If so, the NMB will then schedule a voting period and mail out voting instructions to all eligible voters.

It is important to note that the timelines in this process are determined by the NMB.

We expect the NMB and Republic management to expedite this process as quickly as possible and respect Republic AMT’s right to vote in a union representation election. We cannot however, state exactly when the voting period will be scheduled. That determination is made by the NMB.

As stated in the filing announcement yesterday, the IAM will keep you informed every step of the way.

Please check out the Questions and Answers that we released yesterday for more information.
​
​Click here​ for the NMB’s Representation Manual, which details the process by which the agency schedules a union representation vote.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today filed an application for a representation election at the National Mediation Board (NMB) in Washington D.C. The filing comes after approximately a 10-month campaign, spearheaded by over 500 Republic Airways mechanic and related employees across the country, to gain IAM representation.

Republic mechanics last year sought IAM representation due to various inequities facing the workforce, including a lack of job protection, seniority rights and work rules and inferior pay and benefit levels.

“Over 600,000 active and retired IAM members, including tens of thousands of highly skilled aircraft mechanics, support and applaud Republic aircraft mechanics’ brave effort to unionize with the IAM,” said IAM General Vice President, and fellow aircraft mechanic, Sito Pantoja. “Republic mechanics can count on the IAM’s full power and resources to bring this campaign to a successful conclusion.”

Republic Airways mechanics and related workers maintain a fleet of over 200 Embraer 170 and 175 aircraft. The carrier provides regional service for United, American and Delta and is a vital component of our nation’s air transportation system.

“The IAM has negotiated the best contracts in the airline industry, and after Republic mechanics vote yes for the IAM, we plan on ensuring that Republic mechanics attain a fair contract that recognizes the contributions that this highly skilled workforce has made to Republic Airways,” continued Pantoja.

The NMB will review the IAM’s application for a representation election and all Republic Airways AMT’s will be updated as we receive information from the NMB.
​
Please read the Q & A about the process and what to expect.

We have received reports from AMTs around the system that Republic management will cut AMTs pay this fall and increase work hours from 32 to 40. While restoring AMT’s hours would be welcome, paying for it with a wage cut is NOT.

And, let’s be completely honest here, the only reason why Republic is considering restoring our hours is because there will be a lot less AMTs employed at Republic post October 1st. Basically, the AMT’s that are left will be paying Republic management to work an extra eight hours a day with a pay cut. This is the ultimate slap in the face and completely unacceptable, if it comes to pass.

There is only ONE WAY to gain control of our future, and that is to unionize with the IAM.

We will have a legal say in how our future plays out at Republic and we will have a Voice and a Vote.

If you haven’t yet signed a card to gain the right to vote in a union representation election, do so today. If you don’t have a card, please request one online and we will mail it out to you asap.

The IAM, as well as other AFL-CIO affiliated airline unions, pressed lawmakers to support a union-led proposal to extend layoff protections, among other things, to US aviation workers. Consequently, 16 Republican US Senators yesterday publicly stated that they will support an extension of the Payroll Support Program (PSP) component of the CARES Act.
 
READ THE LETTER.
 
The House of Representatives has already expressed bi-partisan support for the extension. With Senate Democrats supporting the measure, 16 GOP senators and the Trump Administration stating it also supports the proposal, it appears likely that the nation’s aviation workers will be shielded from layoffs until at least April 1, 2021.
 
There is cause for optimism but it’s not a done deal yet.
 
Extending CARES Act layoff protections, however, is contingent on a complete pandemic relief package being agreed to by both Democrats and Republicans, and signed into law by the president. Details on other components of the bill are currently being negotiated. Reports state that both sides hope an agreement can be reached as early as Friday.
 
This is a very positive development for airline workers who would be protected from layoffs and the aid would give airlines more breathing room for industry demand to recover.
 
It is very important to emphasize that this development would NOT have been possible without the efforts of the IAM, its members, other airline union members and unrepresented airline workers who joined the fight. The airlines had to be prodded into supporting this extension and without the determination of organized labor over 100,000 airline workers would be facing layoffs come October 1st. Hundreds of thousands of emails and calls were made to elected officials, which is making all the difference. There is power in acting together.
 
Workers mobilizing to protect their families is very powerful, and UNIONIZED Republic AMTs, acting collectively to achieve the shared goal of a fair, legally binding contract, will be equally as powerful.
 
Please sign, date and submit you’re a-card today. Request an a-card online.  

We are very, very close to filing for a union representation election. We call on all Republic AMTs who want the right to vote to submit their election authorization cards (a-cards) today. It is very important that we file as many a-cards as possible.

Federal law mandates that 50 percent of all Republic AMTs submit their request to vote for a union election to be conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB), a federal agency. Obviously, we want to get above the 50 percent by as many a-cards as possible, so submit your a-card today, so we can file as soon as possible.

If you do not have an a-card handy, you can request one online and we will send one out to you asap. When you receive the a-card in the mail, all you have to do is fill it out, sign and date it and drop it in the mail using the business reply envelop. That’s it. Don’t worry about postage, it’s already paid.

Please remember, your a-card is valid for one year. If you have submitted your card within the last year, please encourage your AMT colleagues who haven’t signed yet to sign today.

By unionizing with the IAM now, we will have the ability to have an influence in the future of our careers at Republic Airways. Without a legal voice in the process Republic management determines everything without our input.

Request an a-card online. 
 

Republic management has begun to notify AMTs that they are targeted to be laid-off come October 1st. There are many uncertainties AMTs face because we do not have a legally binding contract that outlines our rights when it comes to a reduction in force.

The following is a list of rights that we currently do NOT have because we do not have a union contract:

• If laid-off we DO NOT have the right to “bump” to another location on the Republic’s system based on our seniority.
  • This means that there will be AMTs that could still be employed who have less seniority than others who are laid-off in other locations.
• If laid-off we DO NOT have the right to be recalled to employment if/when the airline industry recovers and Republic has a need for additional AMTs.
  • In fact, Republic has a plan that they are initiating in which unlicensed workers would perform aircraft maintenance work.
• We DO NOT have the right to fill a vacancy in another job based on our seniority to maintain employment.
• We DO NOT have the right to a set amount of severance pay if we are laid-off.
• We DO NOT have the right to maintain our health insurance for a period of time after we are laid-off.
• We DO NOT have the right to enter into discussions with management to develop programs to mitigate future potential layoffs.

These are just some critical issues we face going forward.

​Our plan is to file for a union representation election in the very near future. We need everyone to submit their request for an election by filling out an election authorization card (a-card). You can request one online here.

It’s not too late. If we can file in the near term, we will have time to officially enter discussions with the Company to gain rights we currently do not have.

View the Day One Plan, the-day-one-plan.html

Have a great weekend and remember to get your a-card submitted. Thanks!