Local Lodge 1786- Time to Vote!!

Several months ago, following protocol, every member was mailed a flier indicating that this is an election year for the Local.  Every way possible has been attempted to get the word out.
The election will be held at the American Legion Hall-490, across from Ellington Field on Tuesday, December 4th from 0700 to 1630 at which time the regular monthly meeting will commence.  During this time the regular meeting agenda will be met, then the meeting will be suspended until the votes of the day have been tallied, this will include the Local Lodge staff votes as well as the District DBR/President Votes.  When all the votes have been finalized, the meeting will reconvene and the announcements made as to the results of the days voting.  We urge every member to come out and vote and plan to attend the meeting.  The Poles are open all day, please make time to come by and cast your vote.
We look forward to seeing  you.

Ellington Members Ratify Dyncorp/ IAMAW CBA



The Membership of the IAMAW District Lodge 37, Local Lodge 1786, Ellington Field NASA aircraft support contract currently held by Dyncorp International ratified the negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement Union contract for the next three (3) years.

 

The Negotiation Committee was made up of Richard Phillips (Chief), Chris Young, Johnny Mims, and Brian Wooley, with support from Brother Byron Williams (District 37 DBR), and Grand Lodge Representative Brother Tony Blevins.

 

The Negotiations carried on for several days as defined in the previous blog entries.  The final stumbling block was, of course, Insurance.  Brother Chris Young took the helm on this issue.  During the Bridge Agreement two months ago, it was agreed and thought to be understood that the new company assuming the NASA aircraft support contract would provide "comparable" health insurance to that of the outgoing contractor.  For the last two months the membership has been painfully aware that there were in no way any similarities in the provided health insurance, and that was a problem.

Chris really did his homework and addressed the issue head on.  He was able to provide information that through tenacious diligence was able to convince the company that there were other options available that would benefit the company as well as the membership more so than the original plan.  His educated brief was convincing enough that the plan was adopted by the company for presentation to the attending membership.

The details will be made available for all in the (yet to be printed) contract book that will be made available after all the paperwork has been signed and books printed. 

 

Congratulations to all the hard working IAM & AW members on the NASA Aircraft Support Contract on a contract that you can be proud of.



 

Great work!! to the Committee and our utmost thanks for the support of Brother Byron Williams and Brother Tony Blevins, your time and dedication is most assuredly appreciated.

 

 

Brother Byron Williams

District 37 Directing Business Representative

Negotiation Committee

Chris Young, Richard Phillips (Chief),

Brother Tony Blevins GLR

Johnny Mims, Brian Wooley

Ellington attending Membership

Dyncorp/IAMAW CBA Negotiations Letter #4

Brothers and Sisters:
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE PARTIES HAVE CONCLUDED
Your elected contract negotiating team, Richard Phillips, Johnnie Mims, Chris Young, Brian Wooley District Lodge 37 Rep Byron Williams and your chief negotiator, Grand Lodge Representatives Brother Tony Blevins, met again today for negotiations with the company.
Your Committee has come to an agreement with the Company on all the outstanding articles and sections which were open from yesterday, Insurance, Wages and Pension. We negotiated to an agreement on these issues.
Negotiating to an agreement allows your committee to set the tone of the negotiations and move them in the direction you sent us for.
Please remember the doors will open at 0900 hrs and the meeting will promptly begin at 1000 hrs at the Gilruth Center Tomorrow, Saturday, 8/25/2012 and will follow Roberts Rules of Order in the conducting of a professional meeting, meaning the same process as our Local Lodge meeting. Please make arrangements and make your vote count tomorrow morning, this vote will affect the next three (3) years of you and your family’s livelihood.
Please check your District Lodge No. 37 web site and link to your Local Lodge 1786 Blogfor future updates.
MANY THANKS TO OUR MEMBERSHIP FOR STANDING STRONG DURING THIS PROCESS, YOU’RE YOUR NEGOTIATING TEAM!


Double Click on image to enlarge
This committee will have a full unanimous recommendation for our member’s tomorrow morning for ratification

Dyncorp/IAMAW CBA Negotiations Letter #3

Your elected contract negotiating team, Richard Phillips, Johnnie Mims, Chris Young, Brian Wooley District Lodge 37 Rep Byron Williams and your chief negotiator, Grand Lodge Representatives Brother Tony Blevins, met again today for negotiations with the company. Your Committee is still at the table in negotiations with the Company in an effort to negotiate an agreement we may recommend for ratification. Negotiations have prevailed on several sections with tentative agreements. Your negotiating committee stands ready to remain at the table, working to resolve the final issues open between the parties, which are Insurance, Wages and Pension. There is still ground to cover on all three issues, but these are the final three (3) remaining issues to address. Please make plan to make your vote count this Saturday, this vote will affect the next three (3) years of you and your family livelihood. Please check your District Lodge No. 37 web site and link to your Local Lodge 1786 Blog, for future updates. Additionally, further updates will be forthcoming as negotiations move forward. http://www.iamawdl37.org www.stll1786.blogspot.com Please print this and all newsletters for the members in your area. Please remember, if we have not addressed the issues here, they are rumors. Contract read and Ratification Vote to be held at the Gilruth Center, Alamo Ballroom Doors open at 0900, Meeting starts promptly at 1000hrs Coffee and Water will be provided.

Dyncorp/IAMAW CBA Negotiations Letter #2

Brothers and Sisters: Your elected contract negotiating team, Richard Phillips, Johnnie Mims, Chris Young, Brian Wooley District Lodge 37 Rep Byron Williams and your chief negotiator, Grand Lodge Representatives Brother Tony Blevins, met again today for negotiations with the company. The Union and Company spent the day discussing and addressing your main topic of Insurance, this company understands very clearly from your committee, the parties must correct this disparity. The parties have ended the day and moved in a positive direction, but we are still far apart. Furthermore, your negotiating team received a full comprehensive economic proposal from the company and we were very disappointed with this, but can state, there are no take-back/reductions in pay or premiums from the company. We are asking for our members support throughout these negotiations and also encourage you to make contact with your committee members and LL 1786 officers with any issues or questions regarding negotiations. Please remember, if we have not addressed the issues here, they are rumors. Please check your District Lodge No. 37 web site and link to your Local Lodge 1786 link, for future updates. Additionally, further updates will be forthcoming as negotiations move forward. VERY IMPORTANT: The CBA reading and following Ratification vote will be held on August 25th, 2012, at the Gilruth Center, Alamo Ballroom. We have the venue from 0900 to 1200hrs, coffee and water will be available onsite. We look forward to seeing each and every one of our members under this Collective Bargaining Agreement there.

IAM&AW/DYNCORP CBA Update No. 1

Your elected contract negotiating team, Richard Phillips, Johnnie Mims, Chris Young, Brian Wooley District Lodge 37 Rep Byron Williams and your chief negotiator, Grand Lodge Representatives Brother Tony Blevins, met for negotiations with DynCorp. The Union and Company have exchanged and discussed several issues and proposals. The parties have discussed several issues relating to Non-Economic and Economic issues. Your negotiating team has heard your concerns regarding the issues that are important to the membership “Insurance”. The parties are continuing to exchange ideals related to proposals in an effort of reaching resolution to the issues you brought forward in the membership surveys, meetings, and with your negotiating team members. The number one issue on the table at this time and as brought forth by your negotiating team is the disparity between the previous insurance plan design and the current DynCorp Standard Insurance plan and design. We have reviewed your surveys and furthermore your comments from the surveys. As anticipated, the top issues were established and have been formulated into contract proposals. We are asking for our members support throughout these negotiations and also encourage you to make contact with your committee members and LL 1786 officers with any issues or questions regarding negotiations. Please remember, if we have not addressed the issues here, they are rumors. Please check your District Lodge No. 37 web site and link to your Local Lodge 1786 BLog, for future updates. Additionally, further updates will be forthcoming as negotiations move forward. The Blog can be found via www.IAMAWDL37.org or http://stll1786.blogspot.com/ Please pass this information to anyone that might be able to use it.

Dyncorp (Ellington) Contract Negotiations Begin

The aircraft support contract at Ellington Field is currently underway and will continue through Friday 8/24/2012 with the Ratification vote on Saturday 8/25/2012 at a location to be announced. We will be posting updates each day for all to see. Good Luck to the Negotiation Committee, DBR Byron Williams, and Grand Lodge Rep. Tony Blevins.

NRDInc. Custodial Contact

Native Resources Developent Inc. assumed the Custodial Contract at the JSC complex on 8/1/2012, including the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Lab), and Ellington Field. As all new contracts go at the NASA complex, they made some changes to the everyday routine and day to day schedules. It has been a learning experience for both sides of the fence. The Bridge Negotiating sequence has been carrying on yesterday and today (8/15-16/2012), there have not been any leaks as to how the talks have been progressing (or not). The ratification vote will be held at the facility warehouse tomorrow (8/17/12), which depending on the ratification vote and possible strike vote will determine the future of the custodial staff and their constant fight between NASA and the resident contractors. They have been enduring a constant barrage of chastising allocations of frivalous wage variance in so far as the government agency filing federal charges against this dedicated union strong group of hard working individuals. The IAM has supported the defense of this group to the tune of close to $200K in legal defense including the "win" of the initial charges and three subsequent appeals by the government. The current administration is claiming union support, but their actions are far from any sort of support. If the wage variance case was to be lost by the IAM it would open the door for ALL union support contract to fall under the same scrutiny and possible federal demise. This is a presedent setting event. The Federal government Union Busting. Who would have thought?? This is just what is happening, and no one is reporting it. It started with the USA group at Cape Canaveral a couple of years ago, just no one was blaming the Fed's, it was the Federal Government causing the ruckus. The Government thought that the Custodians would be an easy mark, The IAM showed them otherwise, but yet we still have to be on point ever watching their movement to be diligent in our cause. They are to be watched and kept at bay.