New Contract

[WalterSobchak]

'Kay...now what?

Let's say you guys vote TWU off the property...

...then your management imposes the exact terms of the T/A. (Aint nothing to stop them at that point, right?)

Rut Row!

Who ya gonna call?

(cue music) "It's the cir-cle of liiiiiiiiiiiife!"

Sounds like the guys that voted in the union and hauled arse just left you guys in one heckuva pickle.

 

[DispaccioDaddyO]

Sounds like the guys that voted in the union and hauled arse just left you guys in one heckuva pickle.

You got it, Dude.

Any ideas?

 

[Occam's Razor]

Start with where you left off. You've got a rejected T/A that contained terms you can use as a starting point. Since TWU is still your bargaining agent you'll need to work on them.

Learn the structure and the ByLaws of the TWU...then get busy.

Or, sit around and complain about it.

 

[Gimpy]

Back in the Fall of 2002 the dispatchers at American Eagle/Executive did that - a shift-long sick out and management had to whack like 30+ flights due to inadequate staffing; and the rule at the time was that an EGF domestic dispatcher couldnt touch a caribbean flight, and vice versa. Within hours the Union website (TWU by the way) had a nasty-gram that all scheduled dispatchers had to report to work as scheduled, and that further invocations of "self-help" we're illegal under the RLA and could subject the union to sanctions.

But I agree, as long as nothing is coordinated - who's to say you all didnt get sick eating the fish, and put the screws to the bastiges!

And I would vote HELL NO just on principle, especially if the manager at Blockbuster would beat me on pay...

I wouldn't go the sick out way. All I can say is NOTAMS. Dispatchers have to become familiar with all of them for planning the flight. It could become a safety issue if you don't revue them for EACH AND EVERY flight. If management says you are slowing down point to the FAR's and tell them to complain to the FAA. Just a thought.

 

[Gimpy]

Start with where you left off. You've got a rejected T/A that contained terms you can use as a starting point. Since TWU is still your bargaining agent you'll need to work on them.

Learn the structure and the ByLaws of the TWU...then get busy.

Or, sit around and complain about it.

Good starting pont. I'd also add to that. Re-evaluate you're union steward. See if you can switch locals. (warning - some might actually be worse, not better than you currently are in.)

Research other dispatcher's contracts and see what you like and don't like. Compare pay scales. Make a laundry list of what you want, and most importantly stay unified.

 

[Gimpy]

You know as one who voted but then later walked from the office (and I voted NO btw to dispell rumors) it does not suprise me whatsoever that you guys are being screwed. Heres my take.

1. The union Rep is the number 1 in seniority who had (and has) a grudge with the Management for ever and ever.
2. self appointed with no vote and it was assumed that he would be the rep due to his contacting the TWU.
3. I would hazard a guess that the union contract is weighted toward "senior" dispatchers which of course covers him and the management would agree as they know the attrition is high.
4. I asked in the meetings I attended why anyone would be in a union and the reps sold the group on equality and one voice.

I am sorry beyond all believe that you have gotten such a bad deal especially after all this time. If you can out them all power to you but I think with your new managment it will not make one bit of diference at this point.. 405 .I tip my hat to you. everything you said would happen has....

Midnight brit..
Heading back to Memphis..

I'd ask your union rep point blank if there were any side agreement that favor's him personally. I've heard of that actually happening places, where certain people were slid a year or two up the pay scale, or something similar.

 

[405]

Start with where you left off. You've got a rejected T/A that contained terms you can use as a starting point. Since TWU is still your bargaining agent you'll need to work on them.

Learn the structure and the ByLaws of the TWU...then get busy.

Or, sit around and complain about it.

What terms? There were no terms. It was our employee handbook in legal language. It was nothing new. We waited a year and a half for this? We might work with them if they let us know what's going on next time. A year and a half of unanswered questions doesn't really make us trust them that much.

Is it supposed to be easy to get a copy of the TWU ByLaws? They're not on our local's web site. I found them eventually though on Local 665 1/2's web site or something like that.

Or, sit around and complain about it.

You have an answer for everything so... What is CLC? How many releases do NWA dispatchers do on an average day? These are bonus questions for you Razor.

 

[405]

The point of the last question on my last post is this: my co-workers and I do CLC now on these weight restricted P.O.S. CRJ's because it got crammed down our throats by management. I seriously doubt a Northwest dispatcher would do CLC and dispatch. I may be wrong though. The same union that negotiated our contract represents NWA and XJ dispatchers. I was told by our union chairman that the union thinks CLC is "job security". Are you effing serious? If it was job security, wouldn't NWA dispatchers be doing CLC too?

If management wants to save some cash, let's start consolidating jobs from the TOP down in the office and not from the bottom up for a change. Let's try getting rid of the SOC Manager and Assistant Manager and let the SOC Director handle all of those duties. No offense to anyone in those positions if you by chance read this. That might be a little too much work for one person though. Are we starting to see where this is going now?

I didn't think so.

$$$$$. That's all that matters. Excessive workload doesn't matter to management. They don't care as long as it's not them with the excessive workload.

 

[SKC]

Our dept is in the process of contract #1 with the TWU, so it'll be interesting to see how that turns out.

 

[405]

Our dept is in the process of contract #1 with the TWU, so it'll be interesting to see how that turns out.

Hopefully things will turn out a little better for your office than it did here.

Is the union communicating with you and your co-workers about what's going on during the negotiations?

 

[SKC]

We're a small group, so our rep doesn't have a hard time keeping us up to speed. In a year, they've only met for negotiations four times thanks to the relocation to IL.

 

[405]

We're a small group, so our rep doesn't have a hard time keeping us up to speed. In a year, they've only met for negotiations four times thanks to the relocation to IL.

How many people in your group?

 

[SKC]

9 (that includes dispatchers and leads)

 

[IXLR8]

Well

You have to dispatch and do wgt and balance?..I guess my question is , are you turning flights out on time?...getting the release ready and having the load info ready for the rampers?..if so...why?....do your releases...check all of your notams(as you should be anyway) never hurry and do your job. If the flights go late due to wgt and balance..big deal....it would show mgmt that you need load planners....get my drift?.......Good luck!!!!!

 

[405]

You have to dispatch and do wgt and balance?..I guess my question is , are you turning flights out on time?...getting the release ready and having the load info ready for the rampers?..if so...why?....do your releases...check all of your notams(as you should be anyway) never hurry and do your job. If the flights go late due to wgt and balance..big deal....it would show mgmt that you need load planners....get my drift?.......Good luck!!!!!

We had full-time load planners. That's the point. I don't think our geniuses with dollar signs for eyes will see the light until something bad happens. It's going to happen sooner or later.

When the +TSRA start firing up this spring, it's going to get busy in there. Really, really busy.