After almost two years, Republic Airways recently announced that mechanic and related workers will receive long awaited pay increases. However, even with these pay bumps, Republic Airways mechanic and related workers will still find ourselves far from the top of the industry and well behind unionized mechanic and related workers in the regional carrier sector.

But what about the other stuff?

Not only do unionized M & R workers earn more in base wages, license pay and premiums, they also have affordable, better quality health insurance, enforceable work rules, more holidays and vacation and strong protections against outsourcing and layoffs.

​Republic Airways is one of the largest regional airlines in the United States and Republic mechanic and related workers' wages, benefits and work rules should be at the top of the industry, not middle of the pack.

The only way that Republic management will ever recognize our true worth to our carrier is if we are sitting across the table from them and negotiating, just like Republic pilots and flight attendants. If we remain without a voice at Republic Airways, we will continue to get short changed.

Request a card online.
 

In last Thursday's update, Republic management has decided what AMT compensation will be for 2022. Not only do the dictated base wage rates not reflect our worth and not keep up with the regional sector, but they demonstrate significant percentage disparities between the steps. As you can see below, the least senior AMTs will be given much more than the most senior, most experienced AMTs.
 
We fully believe that EVERYONE SHOULD RECEIVE THE SAME PERCENTAGE INCREASE AT EVERY STEP OF THE PAY SCALE! And the pay scale steps should be reduced. There is no reason why newly hired AMTs should have to wait 10 years to reach top pay.
 
Below is the percentage increase that will be for ORD and PHL: 
 
B1: 7.5
B2: 7
B3: 5.4
B4: 5.2
B5: 5
B6: 4.8
B7: 4.6
B8: 4.5
B9: 4.5
B10: 4.9
 
And what about the other elements of our total employment package? Has our medical insurance been improved? Has our 401K program been improved, with a larger company contribution? What about the company's continued outsourcing of our work? What about a fair and equitable grievance procedure in which mechanic and related workers can have their disputes with management fairly resolved?
 
Even more insulting is that we received NOTHING in 2020 and 2021. Actually, we had our pay cut when Republic management cut our hours illegally after they took CARES ACT funds (the IAM is still in the process of addressing this). Unionized Republic pilots and flight attendants received wage increases and bonuses throughout the pandemic. Why do you think that happened? 
 
The fact is, unless we unionize we will continue to be at the mercy of Republic management. They control every aspect of our employment and will continue to do so unless we act now to form a union. 
 
Let's start 2022 off by requesting a union representation vote take place. 
 
Please request a card online today. 

Dear Republic Airways employee,

The IAM would like to wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season! Please do your best to spend as much time with your friends and loved ones, as that is the most important part of life. And, we'd also like to thank you for doing the work that connects families across our great country during the holiday season.

​As you may or may not know, the IAM will be able to again file at the National Mediation Board (NMB), a federal agency, for a union representation election for the Republic Airways Mechanic and Related classification beginning on February 9, 2022. To ensure that you attain the right to vote in a union representation election, please ensure that you mail in your election authorization card (a-card) as soon as possible. For the NMB to conduct a union representation election, at least 50 percent of all Republic Airways Mechanic and Related workers must authorize a union election by signing an a-card.

Request an a-card online.

It is no secret that the conditions for Republic Airways Mechanic and Related workers are currently very difficult. Short staffing and Republic management's resistance to raise the standards at the carrier to retain experienced, talented and dedicated workers and to attract new candidates has only worsened conditions.

By unionizing, Republic Mechanic and Related workers will have the ability to negotiate a legally binding contract that will not only improve the wages, benefits and working conditions of the current workforce, but will also go a long way to attract new workers that the airline desperately needs. Republic workers, through a collectively bargained contract, can do what management refuses to do: Improve the airline and make it more successful for the future.

With that, please have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and families and know that the IAM will always be there to support your efforts to form a union and reap the rewards that come with being an IAM member.

With the warmest regards,
 
John Werkmeister                                                                  James Carlson
IAM Grand Lodge Representative                                       IAM Assistant Airline Coordinator
 
 

Republic Airways continues to experience difficulties hiring and retaining talented people in all of the non-unionized  classifications.

Why?

They’re just flat out unwilling to pay decent wages and benefits. They have promised wage increases in the recent past, but the only employees who have seen them are the UNIONIZED groups.

Don’t believe their promises, sign an authorization card so you have a seat at the negotiating table and get their promise in writing in a legally binding, enforceable contract!

Request a card online today.

As expected, CEO Bedford did not respond to the IAM's letter dated 10/15/21. In that letter, the IAM called on CEO Bedford to pay back Republic Mechanic and Related employees who suffered a loss of pay and benefits when their hours were wrongly cut last year after Republic Airways accessed over $300 million of tax-payer funded airline relief aid provided for in the CARES Act.

The Machinists Union is now reaching out to key federal lawmakers regarding this issue. If CEO Bedford will not respond to the IAM, he may have to respond to Congress.

The Machinists Union also renewed its call for Republic management to immediately increase wage rates, benefit levels and improve working conditions, so that Republic can attract and retain a professional and qualified M & R workforce. The current situation is not sustainable.

Existing M & R workers are being stressed to the maximum, as we are continually working short without proper staffing. Poor staffing, due to below industry standards, is occurring because qualified M & R workers are leaving Republic in droves and going elsewhere. And, Republic cannot attract new workers due to the same below industry standard compensation.

It has never been more clear that we need to unionize NOW. We need to negotiate a legally binding contract that recognizes the value we bring to Republic Airways. We need to negotiate a legally binding contract so we can raise the standards at Republic Airways, so we can attract new workers and retain the dedicated and hard working existing Republic M & R employees.

Request an a-card online and the IAM will mail one to you immediately.

In a hotly-worded letter to CEO Bryan Bedford, Chief of Staff to the International President  of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Richard Johnsen, called out the airline for siphoning a portion of the almost $300 million Republic collected in federal payroll support away from front-line workers.

​"Republic received over $300 million in tax-payer funded grants and loans from the CARES ACT, which was supposed to protect the jobs, pay and benefits of Republic employees. However, you and your management team cut the hours, pay and benefits of these hard-working employees in 2020. These actions, which, in my opinion, violated the intention and spirit of the Payroll Support Program (PSP) of the CARES ACT, must be rectified. Republic workers who suffered a loss of pay and benefits because their hours were cut last year should be made whole immediately.”

In 2020, as the pandemic devastated air travel, a coalition of unions and airlines lobbied Congress to provide emergency funds to cover payrolls for the nation’s carriers. Airline workers are highly trained and can be very difficult to replace. The Payroll Support Program allowed airlines to retain their workforces and recover from the pandemic much faster. 

Republic received approximately $300 million from the program, a sum based on how much the airline spent on payroll in 2019. This amount should have been sufficient to cover labor costs in 2020, according to the IAMAW. Republic promised to retain its entire workforce and not conduct layoffs, terminations, or reduce hours or wages as part of the deal.

However, Republic executives reneged on their promise, cutting hours, and canceling scheduled pay raises immediately after collecting billions in taxpayer aid. The company also did not replace workers who were fired or who quit. According to the union, all of this resulted in payroll costs that were much lower than they were in 2019, allowing the airline to keep the extra taxpayer funding as profit. 

The IAM is calling for Republic to repay M & R workers immediately. “Republic workers deserve better,” the union told CEO Bedford. “They deserve to be repaid the money you wrongly took from them last year. They deserve to have their 401k accounts increased by the exact amount that was lost due to their working hours/pay being wrongly cut.

READ THE LETTER HERE.

Republic management has decided to allow non-certified personnel to perform aircraft maintenance, preventive maintenance and alterations. Republic AMTs and supervisors will either have to sign off on the non-certified personnel or directly supervise their work and then sign off. All this extra work and responsibility and not one penny extra in pay.

​This change by management not only denigrates the AMT profession, but also increases the risk of aircraft maintenance not being performed optimally. Not only will Republic AMTs and supervisors have to do all our work, but now we must also be responsible for the work of other who do not possess the skill, knowledge and required federal certifications to perform such work.

This is a bad decision and threatens the future of the AMT profession at Republic Airways.

IAM union contracts for aircraft mechanic and related workers strictly prohibits this kind of risky, short-sighted scheme. IAM contacts specifically outline exactly what work must be done by IAM-represented AMTs. If a carrier cannot attract or retain AMT talent, then the carrier must implement sound policies to attract and retain AMTs.

These policies center around providing an employment package that highly trained AMTs deserve. However, without collective bargaining rights and negotiations, companies like Republic will cut corners and devise short-sighted schemes such as this.

Please sign an election authorization card (a-card), so we can petition the National Mediation Board (NMB) to hold a union representation election. Once we have at least 50 percent of mechanic and related workers sign, we will be able to vote. Once we win the vote, we will begin negotiations and then, and only then, will we have the opportunity to get rid of schemes like this and achieve fair employment terms that respect our skill and profession.

​Click here to request an a-card be sent to you. 

In a sad and desperate move to interfere with our right to form and join the IAM—the largest and most powerful transportation union in North America—Republic managers have lied and resorted to telling some work groups that the IAM doesn’t want them to join the union.

Nothing could be further than the truth.
 
The IAM is committed to helping EVERY Republic Airways mechanic and related worker join the IAM and gain respect and power in the workplace. It is NOT the IAM who decides which workers are part of the mechanic and related workers classification for the purposes of unionizing. It is the National Mediation Board, a federal agency, that decides, BASED ON THE LIST SUBMITTED BY THE COMPANY.

Because Republic management included supervisors and a small number of other workers, who are almost never included on a list of eligible voters by the NMB, and which totaled approximately 100 extra workers on the list, the IAM's card count dipped below the necessary 50 percent. The IAM had two options: (1) Withdraw its filing or (2) Argue to remove the supervisors and a small number of others from the list of eligible voters. The NMB ruled that the supervisors and others must remain on the list and the application was dismissed. That is the truth.

What's an even bigger truth is that not only to the AMTs and all the related workers need union representation, so do the supervisors and the IAM is committed to them. In fact, the supervisors are signing cards now and are supportive of unionizing, just not loudly for obvious reasons.

It's very sad and unfortunate that instead of remedying the horrendous workplace conditions that are causing many hardworking Republic workers to leave the airline, Republic management has resorted to attempting to divide the workforce even further by spreading misinformation.

The reason why they are doing such underhanded things is because they know if we have a union, we have power and we have the right to make positive changes in our workplace.

Make no mistake, the IAM cares about EVERY WORKER and wants EVERY WORKER to have more power, more respect and more rights at the workplace, no matter what job they do. Simply put, the IAM wants to represent every worker in the mechanic and related classification!

Click the link below to view all the classifications of workers Republic management included in its list of eligible workers.

READ THE ACTUAL NMB DETERMINATION.

REQUEST A CARD ONLINE.

Sacrifices were made by all employees during the pandemic to keep Republic Airways afloat.

Without a voice at the table ensuring fairness, we will have to accept pennies on the dollar for our perceived worth to Republic management. Every day that passes and we are not unionized, our job security and your wages suffer.

Sign an Authorization card today, gain that voice and see your true value!

CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
We are making solid progress in gaining more election authorization cards (a-cards).

​As a reminder, we need at least 50 percent of all Republic AMT and related workers, about 700 folks, to sign election authorization cards to petition the National Mediation Board (NMB) to conduct a union election. If you haven’t signed a card yet and want the right to vote, please sign your card today. Click here to request a card online.

​Please remember that your right to sign an election authorization card is protected under federal law. Republic management is prohibited by law from ever knowing who signed a card. Click here for more info on our rights.

It’s no secret that Republic management cannot fill AMT positions. As more and more of our fellow AMTs quit or retire, management either employs third party vendors to perform our work or they continue to force us to work short. Neither of these scenarios is a long term fix.

What would fix the problem is having wages, benefits and working conditions that are fair and respect AMT and related workers’ value to Republic Airways. Unfortunately, Republic management is unwilling to voluntarily raise the bar to fix the problem.

That’s where we come in.

Having the right to negotiate and vote on a legally binding contract will allow us to have a real, legal say in the terms of employment of Republic Airways AMT and related workers. By raising the bar through collective bargaining, we will also increase the quality and amount of applicants who would want to work as Republic Airways AMT and related workers.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
We are making solid progress in gaining more election authorization cards (a-cards). In fact, the response has been excellent. There are many operational supervisors and managers who are now supporting our efforts because they know that if we unionize, it  will ultimately benefit them. Not only are they signing cards, but they are verbally supporting our efforts.

As a reminder, we need at least 50 percent of all Republic AMT and related workers, about 700 folks, to sign election authorization cards to petition the National Mediation Board (NMB) to conduct a union election. If you haven’t signed a card yet and want the right to vote, please sign your card today. Click here to request a card online.

Please remember that your right to sign an election authorization card is protected under federal law. Republic management is prohibited by law from ever knowing who signed a card. Click here for more info on our rights.