DL141 Messenger Autumn 2009

How and why your voice matters at the district convention

Competition: ‘Good for airlines; not good for insurance companies?’

A gun lobby that doesn’t support corporate interests

Biking to rebuild New Orleans

The woman behind the ‘New Deal’

Top CEO convicts

IAM141.ORG Messenger 2

Official Publication of District 141, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

Editor-in-Chief – Rich DelaneyExecutive Editor – Dave AtkinsonManaging Editor – Mike Mancini

District 141 Communicator – Mike ManciniDistrict 141 Communicator, US Airways – Dave LehiveLayout & Design – Mike Mancini

Send Address Changes To: District Lodge 141, P.O. Box 1149, Redwood City, CA 94064-1149 Main Phone: (847) 640-2222

Member-friendly businessesFairview Manor: Guest house in redwood tree-studded Santa Cruz mountains, minutes from the beach. Gael Abayon, 141 Retiree, Innkeeper. (831) 336-3355 fairviewmanor.comInterline Cruise Connections: A true interline agency; no fees, unheard of low rates, airline savvy, and knowledgeable staff. (800) 654-3827 (303) 730-2225 www.airlinecruise.com

CONTENTSAutumn 2009

4. Treasurer Health care reform: “If this were poker, I’d fold.”

5. PresidentThe District 141 Convention matters. But why?

6. EnvironmentIt’s possible to guarantee yourself a place to hunt and fish, to defend Second Amendment rights — and to duck out of partisan politics.

8. Member SpotUnited Airlines Ramp Serviceman Randy MacCaughey takes on a cross-state bike trip to rebuild New Orleans

10. ‘And the Winners Are’The 2009 Stutz Scholarship top honor goes to Alec Rob-bins of Wheeling, Illinois

11. EducationJust say “no” to corporate abuse of sick time discipline; District 141 conducts more FMLA training in Philadelphia

12. History“The most influential, yet least acclaimed” woman of the New Deal era

14. RememberListing of Retirees, Obituaries; Health care reform and retirees: AFL-CIO and AARP weigh in

MEMBER TALKHawaiian Airlines by Dave Lehive

As one of the four airlines whose employees are Members of District 141, Hawaiian Airlines currently has a membership that exceeds 2,500 Members. District 141 represents Hawaiian Members working under 37 job titles, and this membership includes four clas-sifications with large constituencies of Ramp, Customer Service, and Reservations Agents. Flight atten-

dants and pilots are represented by other unions at Hawaiian. District 141 interviewed senior employee Bob Winner on a

recent station visit to meet the membership.

Bob Winner, Hawaiian

3 Autumn 2009 IAM141.ORG

Q: Bob Winner, tell us about yourself.

A: I’m the local Committee Chair for Hawaiian Airlines Cleri-cal. Before that, I worked in reservations, on the ramp, and as a ticket agent. In all, I have been working for 41 years, 30 of which have been as a Shop Steward and up.

Q: What other union experience do you have?

A: I’m presently the Safety Coordinator for the district and work with Hawaiian on safety related issues.

Q: You’re involved in contract talks. Tell me your history with Hawaiian negotiations.

A: I serve on the negotiations committee presently, have been on them all since 1987, and have handled many contract issues over time.

Q: What are your thoughts about changes within District 141 over the past 11 months?

A: Well, I see that there are changes in how the district works with issues. There has been a change in District 141 represen-tatives and in this case it’s good when you get new people in office. I’ve known Rich Delaney for a long time through past conventions and conferences. I’m glad Rich has gotten his chance and I think he will be a good district president.

Q: What are your thoughts on District 141 communications?

A: I feel the web page with the new outlook is improving — better, more reachable, and understandable.

The other comment is on the Messenger newsletter with articles being fresh and current. And today it’s great to see District Communicators out in the field meeting the Hawaiian Members. We may not be a major carrier, but we feel we are a major player.

Q: What about Hawaiian Airlines company plans for the future?

A: The company has plans to buy 28 new aircraft, which will replace 18 older 767s and to fly to new destinations. The com-pany is moving forward, as will the Union. Hawaiian Airlines has been through two bankruptcies, both difficult, but our future is looking bright.

In the meantime, the important thing is being here to serve the Members. That’s what it comes down to.


TREASURERNo care for health care by Dave Atkinson

The US Government is once again giving the appear-ance of action, but we all know that seldom leads to positive results for the average citizen.

The Senate Finance Committee is chaired by Max Baucus, a business Democrat from Montana who received $2,880,631 in campaign contributions from the health care industry. Senator Max has set up a committee called the “Group of Six” to draw up the final Senate bill on health care. Max’ groupies include Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who received $2,034,000 in campaign contribution from the health care industry; Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine who received $756,000; Republican Mike Enzi of Wyoming who received $627,000 and Democrats Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, and of course Max.

I’m not sure what scares me more — the $6 billion in campaign contributions from the health care industry, or that many of these Senators come from states without people. If this was a poker game, I would fold and leave the table.

The public option would be a government health insur-ance option. Health insurance companies would compete with it. Meanwhile the health insurance companies have carved up the country and created monopolies. We are pay-ing the price.

I’m not sure what scares me more, the $6 billion from the health care industry or that these Senators come from states without people.

The Insurance companies can afford to pay billions in campaign contributions. They’re paying their executives billions of dollars. I’m not sure why everyone is concerned about private insurance company’s ability to compete with a government option. Can anyone tell me why competition is good for the airlines but is not good for health insurance companies?

Blue dog Democrats, who make a point of boasting about unwavering commitment to fiscal conservatism, have turned into a lobby group for the economic elite. If these fiscal freaks keep going, we will have health care reform that forces us to buy insurance that —as we already know— does not work.

Health care costs in 1993, measured in total U.S. spend-ing, was $912.5 billion. Today it is $2.5 trillion. In 1993, the country had 37 million uninsured. Today we have 46 million uninsured, and let’s not forget the folks who have insurance but are not covered because of preexisting conditions.

The House bill is 1,017 pages long and it refers to other pieces of legislation, which means you have to read another 5,000 pages. The government can’t paper their way out of this crisis, and health care reform is still on life support.

PRESIDENTConvention, your voice by Rich Delaney

Most unions, including the IAM, maintain they are demo-cratic organizations, that they are membership focused and driven. While unions have the concept of democracy built into their history, the IAM practices it every day. No where is that more evident than in our convention structure.

For over 50 years, Members of District 141 have been meeting annually to conduct a constitutional convention. The meetings have taken place in cities all across our coun-try — from Honolulu to Pittsburgh, from Atlanta to Seattle. Convention delegates come from every local lodge within the district and are elected by those they represent. The faces have changed greatly since the early days of our district. What began as a small group of mechanics, whose only differences were the cities from which they came, has evolved into a rainbow making up today’s delegates. Members from work groups whom the first delegates couldn’t identify now take positions of respon-sibility during the convention, and perform confidently. The combination of ages, races, genders, backgrounds, and work classifications is so complete that there is no such thing as a “minority” within District 141. This is possible because of the democratic principle the original Members of our district insisted on putting into the district bylaws requiring delegates to be elected from their local lodge membership.

Some question the purpose of holding a convention every year, or the need to do so. That issue is based in the principle of our membership-controlled organization. District bylaws give executive and judicial powers to the District 141 Executive Board, but only between conventions. This is a recognition that during the convention, the power of direct-ing the actions of our Union are placed in the hands of the elected delegates. Though proposals have been made in the past to change the frequency of district conventions, del-egates have rejected that idea and instead have insisted on an annual review of the state of our Union.

What is it that happens at a convention that is so impor-tant to our Union? To understand the purpose of the conven-tion, we need to be familiar with the preamble of our bylaws. The preamble lays out the purpose of our district — to improve job protection, wages, working conditions, collective bargaining, grievance procedures, and the human dignity of our membership. The convention allows Members to review the actions of the Union in these fundamental responsibilities and to propose and enact changes in our rules and policies that will increase those protections. These changes take on many different forms and have been addressed throughout the years in differing ways, but the constant element is that the changes were made at the convention.

Issues of representation are also addressed during the convention. To insure all Members’ voices are heard by the Executive Board, past delegates have established that Vice President positions will defined by geography and affilia-tion. Delegates have written, and later revised, the rules for electing the leadership of our district. Convention action has established required meetings of Grievance Committee Chairman to improve contract administration and griev-ance handling. Delegates to previous conventions have seen the need to create our training programs, communication programs, including this newsletter, and safety programs to foster improved working conditions.

To further the improvement of the human dignity of our Members, delegates have insisted on establishing our Em-ployee Assistance Program, Human Rights and Community Service involvement, created a permanent Women’s Commit-tee, and most recently recognized the need for our district to focus on the special concerns of Retirees.

Issues great and small affecting our Mem-bers and our Union are discussed and resolved every year during our convention. It was action by delegates at a convention that led to the referendum vote to reorganize our district and create District 141-M for mechanics in the late 1990’s.

Actions and recommendations made by delegates during a convention become the rules under which District 141 operates. Once the del-egates have made their determinations for that year, any new changes must wait until the

next convention, another debate, and the taking of a new vote.

As we welcome this year’s delegates to our conven-tion, we hope they will find the experience in democracy both enjoyable and meaningful. It is through these annual meet-ings that our district remains a vibrant and viable organiza-tion that truly is — to paraphrase Abraham Lin-coln — for the Members, of the Members, and by the Members.



JUST FOR FUNConvicted CEO’sTheses aren’t the ladies and gentlemen whom you may w a n t to see behind bars. This is a short list of CEO’s who already have been convicted of crimes, and how their lovely work has trickled down upon the rest of us.

1. CEO Bernard “The Phone” Ebbers

■ Company: WorldCom (now MCI) ■ The “good” news: WorldCom grew to America’s largest long

distance phone company with record profits ■ Crime: Accounting fraud ■ How bad? $11 billion ■ Convictions: Nine felonies; Lost appeal in 2006 ■ Serving: 85 years.

2. CEO Jeffrey “The Frying Pan” Skilling

■ Company: Enron ■ The “good” news: Enron grew to an energy giant with record

profits ■ The Frying Pan’s Salary: $132 million ■ Crime: Securities violations and corporate fraud ■ How bad? Jeff cooked the books and 20,000 Enron employees

lost their jobs in the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history

3. CEO Dennis “Birthday Boy” Kozlowski

■ Company: Tyco ■ The “good” news: Kozlowski led Tyco to enormous profitability ■ Conviction: 22 counts of conspiracy, grand larceny, falsifying

business records and violating business law ■ Sentence: Ordered to repay $134 million in stolen money;

fined an additional $70 million. With restitution and penalties, Kozlowski owes $204 million.

■ Best remembered for: Opulent birthday party he threw his wife on Sardinia that cost approximately $2 million dollars of Tyco’s stolen money.

4. CEO John “Rabbit Ears” Riggas

■ Company: Adelphia Communication (now owned by Time Warner and Comcast)

■ The “good” news: Riggas ran the firm for fifty years, during which time it became a cable television behemoth

■ Conviction: 18 felony counts of conspiracy and fraud. The com-pany went bankrupt.

■ All in the family: Riggas’ son Timothy, Adelphia’s former chief financial officer, was additionally convicted in the corporate looting of Adelphia.

5. Honorable Mention: CEO Kobi “Frequent Flyer” Alexander

The big boss of Comverse Technology is wanted for brib-ery and obstruction, but has evaded arrest by fleeing to Namibia. Bonus miles: Alexander allegedly proposed a $5 million payment to someone to take the fall for his fraud charges. (Some people just know how to fly).

from marvquin.com; aflcio.org/corporatewatch

FMLALGA benefits from PHL training

Grievance Committee Chair, Frank Giannola (US Airways – New York / LaGuardia) was among twenty District 141 Mem-bers who participated in FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) education, conducted in August at Philadelphia Local 1776. AGC Frank O’Donnell would like to see Philadelphia become a regional training center for FMLA, and other topics critical to all District 141 Members.

FMLA law has some unfriendly loopholes, which com-panies love to exploit. For example, your doctor must insert language into your paper work protecting your regular days off from counting towards FMLA.

“The company tries to limit the use of FMLA,” says Giannola, “and to dictate their own version of FMLA law.” To set the facts straight, O’Donnell and District 141 brought in two FMLA attorneys from Philadelphia.

Did it help? “Absolutely,” says Giannola. Instruction took place in a question and answer workshop setting that lasted almost all day.

Giannola represents more than 150 Members at Local 1018 in New York. Giannola has 20 years seniority and works as a lead ramp agent.

Say ‘no’ to corporate abuseIf you have a dependability problem caused by your own

serious medical condition or that of a family member, then request FMLA through a union representative.

Please do not make the mistake of unnecessarily subject-ing yourself to company discipline for dependability.

While FMLA provides the legal framework that protects you from competing corporate priorities, the EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is a network of Members who may be helpful in getting you started with FMLA. EAP coordinators are available in many stations.

Separate EAP programs are operated by the company and by District 141. Members are advised to choose District 141 EAP over that offered by your employer.

EAP Directors regularly update iam141.org/eap with the names of local EAP coordinators in your area, listed by city. In many cases, iam141.org also lists the EAP coordinator’s phone and photo.

If a local EAP coordinator is not available in your area, contact an EAP Chair or Director at (773) 601-4977. On the web, navigate to District 141 EAP by visiting iam141.org > Member Services > Employee Assistance, or visit iam141.org > Member Services > F.M.L.A.

iam141.org/eap

ENVIRONMENTUnion sportsmen: Safeguard fish and wildlife

Leaders from 20 unions representing two sportsmen’s groups have called on the United States Senate to include dedicated funding in climate change legislation to safe-guard fish, wildlife and ecosystems.

The groups involved are the Theodore Roosevelt Con-servation Partnership and the Union Sportsmen Alliance.

In a letter to the leadership of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the union leaders said that union sportsmen see firsthand how climate change has harmed woods, streams and lakes, even as “the rest of us are aware of the planet heating up from reports of shrink-ing ice shelves to holes in the Earth’s ozone layer.”

The letter said that union sportsmen do not need to read reports in the press to know that climate change is already affecting the ways they pursue game and fish, the success of their days afield and the timing of their hunting and fishing trips.

“New funding resources are needed to protect and restore the natural environment, including fish, wildlife and their habitat,” the letter’s authors write.

“A portion of these funds should be provided to ensur-ing that climate change strategies are integrated into state wildlife action plans, state coastal zone management plans, and other state wildlife species or habitat plans,” the letter says.

The recently passed House version of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 includes such funding.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka says more than 3.2 million AFL-CIO members spend some of their free

time hunting and fishing. Trumka also points out that all hunters and anglers generate about $70 billion in conser-vation dollars through licenses, fees, and other outdoor expenditures.

“As fish and wildlife habitats, abundance and distribu-tion shift in response to a changing climate, recreational activities will shift as well,” Trumka says.

“Responsive measures in Senate environmental legisla-tion will help prevent drastic declines in hunting and fish-ing opportunities caused by climate change.”

Union Sportsmen Alliance ‘USA’ The USA is made up of union members who strongly support the Second Amend-ment, but the USA focuses exclusively on conservation and access issues.

It fights to create a better future for hunt-ing and fishing while bringing together the union com-munity of sportsmen and women. The USA extends the benefits of being a union member beyond the workplace, into the woods and water.

USA is nonpartisan and does not take positions on political, legislative, or policy issues. Nor does the USA endorse or sup-port any candidates or political parties.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, TRCP“There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country” — Theodore Roosevelt, 1912

The TRCP is a coalition of hunting, fishing, and con-servation organizations, labor unions, and individual grassroots partners who represent the wide spectrum of America’s outdoor community.

Learn more on unionsportsmen.org. and trcp.org.



MEMBER SPOTBiking to rebuild New Orleans

Barely nineteen months had passed since Katrina deluged “The City That Care Forgot” when United Airlines Ramp Serviceman Randy MacCaughey and his cousin Collen decided to meet in New Orleans. It would become a defining moment in MacCaughey’s life.

As MacCaughey and his cousin drew closer to town, he was surprised to see debris still strewn everywhere. Sur-prise quickly gave way to shock and dismay. Homes stood vacant, destroyed, and untouched, save for the

haunting markings on front doors encoding death and damage within. Streets were barely navigable. Businesses remained closed.

Then came the anger. It was more than a year and a half postKatrina, and the city was barely alive. No one cared, or so it seemed. Time seemed to have stopped. This was the backdrop,

more than two years ago, against which MacCaughey took action.

MacCaughey became aware of the St. Bernard Project, stbernardproject.org. Its mission is to remove barriers for families who wish to move back into their homes in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. St. Bernard is a uniquely tight-knit, working class community adja-cent to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. It’s an area many say is hardest hit by Katrina. The St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit, community-based organization, is dedicated to re-building, providing wellness and mental health services, and a senior housing program.

MacCaughey aims to heighten awareness of the St. Bernard project by joining cross-country bikers. “The reason I’m making this ride is to generate awareness of how the rebuild-

ing of New Orleans is coming along,” MacCaughey says, “specifically in the St. Bernard Parish.” On October 19, MacCaughey plans to depart on a three-week bicycle ride from Shreveport,

Louisiana to New Orleans. He documents his journey on his own web site, ToBringUsHome.com.

“There is a lot more work to be done before we can say New Orleans is whole again,” Mac-caughey asserts. This 390 mile ride will take 3 weeks to complete. MacCaughey will be listening to peo-

ple along the way with their tales of how Hurricanes Katrina and Rita changed their lives. “Most Americans are unaware of the large number of refugees, as I call them, still displaced by these brutal storms,” MacCaughey says.

A film crew is volunteering to follow MacCaughey. “Their documentary can bring some more attention to the plight of our neighbors,” MacCaughey hopes. He plans to compile trekking tales in a new book entitled To Bring Us

Home. Money will go to the people at the St. Bernard Project, MacCaughey says.

left — Ramp Ser-viceman MacCaughey is

ready to ride. Follow the journey on his web site.

ToBringUsHome.com

Damage from Katrina per-sists to this day, especially in St. Bernard Parish. The web site is

stbernardproject.org

As we try to rebuild the union, District 141 Members spent

a day rebuilding playgrounds in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, following the 141

Chair Conference earlier this year.

Photos above and right depict life style in one of America’s most unique cities.

S A I N T B E R N A R D P R O J E C T


MEMBER SPOTBiking to rebuild New Orleans

Barely nineteen months had passed since Katrina deluged “The City That Care Forgot” when United Airlines Ramp Serviceman Randy MacCaughey and his cousin Collen decided to meet in New Orleans. It would become a defining moment in MacCaughey’s life.

As MacCaughey and his cousin drew closer to town, he was surprised to see debris still strewn everywhere. Sur-prise quickly gave way to shock and dismay. Homes stood vacant, destroyed, and untouched, save for the

haunting markings on front doors encoding death and damage within. Streets were barely navigable. Businesses remained closed.

Then came the anger. It was more than a year and a half postKatrina, and the city was barely alive. No one cared, or so it seemed. Time seemed to have stopped. This was the backdrop,

more than two years ago, against which MacCaughey took action.

MacCaughey became aware of the St. Bernard Project, stbernardproject.org. Its mission is to remove barriers for families who wish to move back into their homes in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. St. Bernard is a uniquely tight-knit, working class community adja-cent to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. It’s an area many say is hardest hit by Katrina. The St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit, community-based organization, is dedicated to re-building, providing wellness and mental health services, and a senior housing program.

MacCaughey aims to heighten awareness of the St. Bernard project by joining cross-country bikers. “The reason I’m making this ride is to generate awareness of how the rebuild-

ing of New Orleans is coming along,” MacCaughey says, “specifically in the St. Bernard Parish.” On October 19, MacCaughey plans to depart on a three-week bicycle ride from Shreveport,

Louisiana to New Orleans. He documents his journey on his own web site, ToBringUsHome.com.

“There is a lot more work to be done before we can say New Orleans is whole again,” Mac-caughey asserts. This 390 mile ride will take 3 weeks to complete. MacCaughey will be listening to peo-

ple along the way with their tales of how Hurricanes Katrina and Rita changed their lives. “Most Americans are unaware of the large number of refugees, as I call them, still displaced by these brutal storms,” MacCaughey says.

A film crew is volunteering to follow MacCaughey. “Their documentary can bring some more attention to the plight of our neighbors,” MacCaughey hopes. He plans to compile trekking tales in a new book entitled To Bring Us

Home. Money will go to the people at the St. Bernard Project, MacCaughey says.

S A I N T B E R N A R D P R O J E C T


SCHOLARSHIP

2009 Stutz Award WinnersTOP STUTZ AWARD WINNER ($2,000 SCHOLARSHIP):

Alec Robbins, Wheeling, Illinois, son of Russell Robbins,Local 1487 (United Airlines)

STUTZ AWARD WINNERS ($1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS):

Monica Yuan, San Francisco, daughter of Dennis Hogg,Local 1781 (US Airways)

Kathleen Kelley, Lakewood, Ohio, daughter of Margaret M. Kelley, LL 1731 (United)

Tyler Wing, Fremont, California, son of Larry Wing,Local 1781 (United Airlines)

Jon Eric Peterson, Darien, Illinois, son of Arnold Peterson,Local 1487 (United Airlines)

Adriana Durand, Woodland Hills, California, Member,Local 1932 (United Airlines)

Kyle A. Young, Auburn, California, son of Ronald D. Young,Local 1781 (United Airlines)

‘What should Congress and Obama do to restore America’s economy?’by Alec Robbins, Stutz Award Winner, Wheeling High School

My Grandmother shakes her head and sighs when she hears the phrase “worst economy since the Great Depression.” She says we have no idea what that period was truly like and then shares stories about it. She speaks of the fear, hope-lessness and despair of those times. But she always ends by pointing out one immutable fact — The Great Depression did end, and the country prospered once again. I believe that this recession will end as well and the country will again prosper. But to get there we need the President and Congress to take action and we all need to make sacrifices, change our think-ing, and pull together.

Mistakes have been made, by everyone, and trust lost. Our government must make sure that there is transparency in what they do and it must oversee and follow up any funding. There must be equitable access to the decision making pro-cess. The average American’s voice must be heard and acted upon and Americans should be able to understand and have access to information about any recovery plans.

Giving TARP funds to large financial institutions and cor-porations to prevent them from failing may have been a good thing, but doing so with little or no accountability and guide-lines attached was shortsighted at best. We need government oversight to ensure that financial institutions do not again succumb to greed and participate in predatory lending, bait and switch tactics, and financial agreements that required a master’s degree to decipher. Shoring up a bank only helps the economy if that bank then loans those funds out.

We need to invest in Americans. Spend some funds on real people that will have both short-term and long-term gains for the economy and the country. The American worker is the backbone of this country and strengthening us strengthens the economy. We need to get Americans back to work, protect our jobs, provide a living wage, and support and fund education. We need to create and promote new jobs and industries and bring back jobs, factories, and industries that have moved overseas. To achieve this, we will need to strengthen our unions. Unions are the natural counterbal-ance to big business and greed. Unions provide oversight and accountability. Passing the Employee Free Choice Act should be a priority in this economy. The act ensures workers have a choice, a voice, protection, and respect. It guarantees that the average American stays an integral part of the economic en-gine. There should also be some oversight of the unions. This will ensure they never lose sight of their reason for existence, or to quote Cesar Chavez, “it was never about the grapes, it was about the people”. To encourage workers to unite, to have them feel confident about choosing a union, the unions’ activities need to be public, accountable and transparent.

The public works projects Roosevelt instituted during the Great Depression were strategic in the nation’s recovery, both economically and mentally. The mere aspect of people getting back to work, and accomplishing a task, gave this country’s confidence a boost. Those projects helped create an infrastructure that we still depend on today. Our current lead-ers need to consider similar plans. They might start by looking at the “green sector,” where new jobs, new training, and a kinder environmental impact may exist.

Every $1 million spent on green investment creates about 17 jobs, while every $1 million spent on oil and coal industries creates about 5.5 jobs. These investments entail creating new buildings and retrofitting old ones, upgrading our energy grid, updating railways for public and goods and services transport, plus discovering new industries. Construction workers, plumbers, electricians, and more, will all be needed. These are essentially protected jobs as there is no real way to outsource them and the completed projects will produce an infrastructure legacy for the future.

Another bill Congress needs to take action on is the Cur-rency Reform for Fair Trade Act (CRFTA). This bill would hinder the predatory and protectionist trade practice of illegal cur-rency misalignment, and create incentives for governments to cease these practices. We have tried diplomatic avenues, but they have produced no results. The time for action has come to protect the country and the economy from these abuses.

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We live in a new age. Some industries that were viable, even profitable, only ten or twenty years ago are obsolete today. Technology, for better or worse, has changed every-thing and keeps changing the world. What works today may not work tomorrow. Our educational system needs to reflect this. Nothing less than an education revolution is needed. We need to spend money on teaching our children and spend money on constantly training and updating our workforce to ensure this country stays at the pinnacle of productivity. This is a true investment in the future.

We need to make certain that working people receive a living wage. A living wage means that a worker should be able to afford a basic standard of housing, food, utilities, transport, and health care; that someone who labors full-time

can stay above the poverty line and hopefully, above govern-ment assistance.

In order to restore the economy we all need to pull and work together. We must work to find common ground and start there. These are not partisan issues. What we are facing are human issues, real people in real trouble, people who are worried about keeping their homes, getting food on the ta-ble, and with luck, putting a child through college. We, includ-ing the government, need to reach out and provide a helping hand, not a handout. We need to help to get people back on their feet and begin planning for the future. We, including the government, must tighten our belts, sacrifice a little, and be willing to give some things up. Then and only then will we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and begin to head towards renewed growth and prosperity.

ORGANIZINGby Tim Nelson, 141 Director of Organizing

AirTran Airways is the focus of District 141 organizing, and has been for several months. The AirTran campaign is productive. Between May 5 and June 26, District 141 signed up nearly a thousand AirTran employees. We used those cards, along with another 250 from the previous year, to petition the NMB for an election. Now we are awaiting an eligibility determination from the NMB. The hope is that an election will take place this October.

Obtaining a thousand cards in about 45 days is incred-ible. It involves passion and a dogged determination from your District 141 organizers. So I want to take time to recognize those 141 Members who make easier my job of directing this incredible effort.

Gene Beatty –MCO, Billy Kline–CLT, Johnny “Good-times” Nielsen–LAS, Fran Paci–TPA, Rick Russo–CLT, and Joe Stassi–MCO, sacrifice much of their time to work on the AirTran organizing drive full time. They are responsible for 95% of the authorization cards. Also, Randa Davis–DTW, Nancy Kohlman–ORD, Timmy Nessler–FLL, and Ricky O’Barr–MCO have also helped on the AirTran campaign. Each of these organizers have educated, trained, and coached the in-house AirTran employee committees re-garding representational disputes.

This group is shaping up as the “core organizers” for District 141.

Organizing itself has changed. It is no longer ad-equate to support the process by engaging employees at the airport and in meeting rooms alone. For a competi-tive and aggressive organizing campaign to bolster the AirTran workers, we know we must have a strong online commitment. We want to offer AirTran workers an online

community where they both get as well as give immedi-ate information. IAM District Communicator, Mike Man-cini, provides us with a professional, state of the art, and interactive web site, airtrancrewmember.com. This site offers us a media outlet to present slide shows about the IAM, and a message board for all stations to communicate and interact It provides video updates, and flyers. I want to encourage all District 141 members to visit the site and also to post on the message board. Offer your support to the AirTran fleet & passenger service craft.

Dave Lehive is instrumental and tireless in obtaining all the video work in this web site. Many videos feature AirTran employees encouraging their fellow coworkers to vote IAM. Both Mike and Dave have given us a one-two punch on the internet. It puts our online organizing cam-paign in a class all by itself.

Moving forward, our organizing plate is full. We are not only committed to the AirTran workers, but our District will be assisting our Brothers and Sisters in District Lodge 143 with their representational dispute at Delta/Northwest. We fully anticipate an election at Delta/Northwest for the fleet service group and we are currently strategizing the ‘who, where, when’ of that campaign. This is going to be a huge organizing campaign and will need the assistance of the International, all Transportation Districts, and all locals. Members who would like to help should contact me.

I also want to add that workers from Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, and Mokulele Airlines are in contact with us. They want to organize their carrier with the Machinists Union. If you know anyone from one of these two carriers who wants to organize, contact me.

(224) 234-5414 – Cell(847) 640-2277 – [email protected]

iam141.org/organizing

The IAMAW Grand Lodge hosted a conference for Members of lo-cal and district lodges that represent transportation workers. The five day event took place in New York City in August, 2009, and fea-

tured high profile speakers from government and labor organizations. Those speakers addressed many topics covered in the first two editions of The Messenger and on iam141.org, most notably health care reform, the EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act), and organizing — at Delta Air Lines in particular. Facing a ripple effect of Members lost in the recession, the Grand Lodge cited a need to do more with less funding in the future. Pictures above are from a Times Square rally held during the conference.


2009 Transportation Conference


LABOR HISTORY‘The woman behind the New Deal ‘

With the global economy barely scratching out of its deepest ditch since the Depression, old stories of the 1930s are new again. Perfect timing for a little labor history featur-ing a woman The Economist recently called, “one of the most influential, yet least acclaimed figures” from that era — Frances Perkins, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor.

Born in Boston, Massachu-setts in 1880, Perkins grew up in a comfortable, middle-class, Republican family. Her parents were devoutly religious, and they ingrained in Perkins the value of “living for God and do-ing something.”

At Mount Holyoke College, she began to understand what that meant. Perkins majored in natural sciences, but she studied economic history. She volunteered her time at settlement houses where she learned firsthand the dangerous conditions of factory work and the desperation of workers unable to collect their promised wages or secure medical care for workplace injuries.

A profound experience of her political life occurred in 1911, when she watched helplessly as 146 workers, most of them young women, die in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. The disaster motivated her to double her efforts on behalf of working people.

Perkins has been called the “First Lady of Labor,” a title that suits her metaphorically and literally. As America’s first female Cabinet secretary, Perkins was instrumental in the fight for unemployment insurance and Social Security. She led a far-reaching overhaul of labor laws, introducing a minimum wage, a 40 hour work week and a ban on child labor. During her tenure in the Roosevelt White House, work-ers fought for and won the right to collective bargaining, and union membership exploded.

Perkins was a cool woman. She advised President Roosevelt to calmly ignore the demands of state and local officials for federal troops to quell the 1934 San Francisco General Strike.

That strike was resolved success-fully, as were many others during her time as Secretary of Labor. These successes collectively built a foundation on which stood the rebirth of American labor.

Perkins went to extraordinary lengths to deal with the sexist world in which she operated. She changed her name from Fannie to Frances, thinking the former might subject her to ridicule. In her early thirties, she began

wearing dowdy clothes because she thought male politicians would find her less threatening if she looked like their mother. And she went out of her way to avoid upsetting the etiquette of the time. While Secretary of Labor, she insisted on sitting with the wives of cabinet ministers at official dinners. Despite all this, she faced constant sexism.

In 1945, Perkins resigned her position as labor secretary to head the U.S. delegation to the International Labor Orga-nization conference in Paris. President Truman subsequently appointed her to the Civil Service Commission, a job she held through 1953. Perkins worked through the last years of her

life, assuming a professorship at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She died in New York, in 1965, at age 85.

We’ve traveled so far since then, and at the same time, we haven’t come very far at all. On Perkin’s watch, American work-ers won the right to join a union. Four decades later, we are barely passing the Employee Free Choice Act (E.F.C.A.), a bill that simply

levels the playing field in favor of workers who choose to invoke that right to join a union. Perkins was raised in a con-servative Republican family, and fought for worker’s rights. Today, prominent “liberals,” whom some prefer to call Blue Dog Democrats, are lobbying against the E.F.C.A. and against workers’ rights to collective bargaining. Go figure.

Not surprisingly, Perkins’ actions on behalf of labor did anger many conservatives. In 1939, the House Un-American Activities Committee brought an impeachment resolution against her after she refused to deport Harry Bridges, the head of the west coast long shore union. Impeachment pro-ceedings eventually were dropped for lack of evidence.

Learn more by reading The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labour and His Moral Conscience, by Kirstin Downey.

F r a n c e s P e r k i n s

We’v e Tr av e l e d So Fa r, a n d aT Th e Sa m e Ti m e, no T Fa r aT a l l


REMEMBERRecent retireesUnited Airlines

Abbott, Ronald, INDOZ, 20 Yrs 0 MosAllen, Caroline E., LAXCS, 23 Yrs 0 MosAncell, Robert M., IADCS, 10 Yrs 0 MosBooth, Donald J., DTWCS, 35 Yrs 3 MosBoschenko, Judith A., CHIRR, 12 Yrs 2 MosBoucher, Sherwin J., LAXCG, 10 Yrs 2 MosBustamante, Marie T., SFOJJ, 19 Yrs 3 MosCannata, Thomas P., MCOOZ, 40 Yrs 2 MosCarson, Stephanie, LASOZ, 23 Yrs 3 MosConyers, Rick S., INDOZ, 25 Yrs 4 MosCraft, Steven D., INDOZ, 10 Yrs 5 MosCuomo, David A., ORDCG, 25 Yrs 3 MosDebar, Sandra K., GEGOZ, 15 Yrs 6 MosDevane, Donald P., IADCS, 12 Yrs10 MosDitzell, Pamela J., DAYOZ, 33 Yrs 3 MosFraser, Cheryl A., BTVOZ, 35 Yrs 3 MosFritz, Jill A., ORDCS, 16 Yrs10 MosFry, Kaffee J., DENCS, 25 Yrs 2 MosGonzalez, Irma L., LAXCS, 11 Yrs 2 MosGoode, Carrie L., SANOZ, 14 Yrs 0 MosHeckt, Audre J., IAHOZ, 22 Yrs 3 MosHigh, Ralph A., INDOZ, 33 Yrs 1 MosHiguchi, Maile A., LAXCS, 13 Yrs 3 MosHoyt, Diane M., SANCS, 25 Yrs 2 MosJohnson, Cecilia A., SEACS, 23 Yrs 4 MosKuewa, Janice C., HNLRR, 15 Yrs11 MosLagorio, Frederic A., BOSCG, 39 Yrs11 MosLett, William R., DENCG, 32 Yrs 1 MosMasancay, Armando E., SFOCG, 22 Yrs 3 MosNathan, Marie S., INDOZ, 10 Yrs 6 MosNedostup, David P., DAYOZ, 17 Yrs 9 MosNelson, Kenneth, DENCG, 10 Yrs 3 MosNemoto, Kazuo, MCOOZ, 21 Yrs 2 MosOrler, James, BILOZ, 7 Yrs 2 MosOs Paz, Mary B., ORDCS, 31 Yrs 3 MosPalmer, Lamar, DCACS, 31 Yrs 8 MosParks Jr, Jerry L., DFWOZ, 35 Yrs 1 MPastor, Luis, SMFCG, 12 Yrs 2 MosPaulmeno, Pilar N., DENCS, 21 Yrs 0 MosPope, Cynthia M., LAXCS, 25 Yrs 3 MosPoulsen, Charlene L., ORDCS, 17 Yrs11 MosQuinn, Richard A., MCOCG, 41 Yrs 7 MosRamey, Carole A, ORDOZ, 10 Yrs 2 MosRamos, Florence P., LAXCS, 12 Yrs 2 MosRenehan, Anne T., JFKCS, 11 Yrs10 MosRolph, Douglas W., PDXCG, 34 Yrs 8 MosScharlach, Margo E., CHIRR, 25 Yrs 2 MosSchmidt, Mirta, MIAOZ, 17 Yrs 7 MosSnyder, Victoria P., MIAOZ, 25 Yrs 3 MosSousa, Richard G., BOSGQ, 34 Yrs 6 MosSpinks, Connie, LAXCS, 18 Yrs 1 MosSulak, Steven K., DENCG, 39 Yrs 1 MosTamburini, Connie L., DENCS, 11 Yrs 5 MosVan Buskirk, Virginia G., IADRR, 14 Yrs 3 MosVarnes, Wayne J., CLECG, 40 Yrs 9 Mos

Voncina, Timothy M., ORDCG, 40 Yrs 2 MosWhitfield, Billy C., DAYOZ, 31 Yrs 6 MosWilliams, Muriel D., ORDOZ, 10 Yrs 2 MosWilliams, Sherrod L., SFOJL, 10 Yrs 4 MosWood, Bruce D., INDOZ, 12 Yrs 0 Mos

US Airways Retirees

Augustyn, Bruce M. 09/30/09 Elton, Kenneth R. 08/03/09Frazier, Mark 07/26/09 Fritz, Raymond Jr. 07/31/09Griffin, Thomas R. Jr. 07/17/09 Macklin, Alvin L. 08/18/09Marano, Thomas Jr. 07/30/09 Mariner, Thomas 07/05/09Melenchick, John A. 07/30/09 Nuval, Robert L. 07/12/09Nieberding, John K. 06/04/09 Paliani, Henry C. 08/05/09Reecamper, Oliver 09/29909 Streyle, Wayne T. 06/28/09Wolf, Diane L. 08/21/09

ObituariesUnited Airlines

Addison, Lavance, retiree, IADJL 05/22/09Allen, Charles R., retiree, DCAJL 05/06/09Arriola, Moises P., SFOCG 06/18/09Bang, Martin A., retiree, DENRR 05/14/09Betler, Mary J., retiree, PDXCS 05/13/09Bowns, Lois M., retiree, LAXRR 05/09/09Brooks, Linda L., CHIRR 06/28/09Buecher, Merle M., retiree, DENRR 06/13/09Buenaflor, Joan T., retiree, PHLCS 06/14/09Carrillo, Nikki, CHIRR 06/19/09Chalmers, Cornelius, ORDJL 05/27/09Clayton, Ronald F., retiree, ATLCG 06/30/09Cook Jr, Philip G., retiree, SEACS 06/04/09Coppolino, John L., retiree, EWRCG 05/14/09Eichers, Dorothy A., retiree, NYCRR 06/23/09Ewerth, Raymond C., retiree, OKCOZ 05/16/09Farina, George N., retiree, ORDFF 05/15/09Garneau, Douglas M., DENTK 05/13/09Gordon, Lois M., retiree, ORDHK 06/14/09Green, Ivan, retiree, JFKFF 05/05/09Greenan, Kathleen M., retiree, CHITL 05/16/09Hado, Michael, retiree, PITRR 05/27/09Hall, William H., retiree, ORDCS 05/17/09Hawkins, James E., retiree, ORDJL 05/27/09Haynes, Catherine O., LGACS 06/18/09Henderson, Janice E., retiree, DENTK 03/10/09Holsey, Curtis G., LAXFF 05/04/09Holtz, Thomas R., DENCG 05/29/09Ichihashi, Colleen R., retiree, SEARR 06/26/09Jamison, Janiece A., retiree, DCATO 06/09/09Johnson, Clarence A., retiree, SEACS 05/19/09Kear, James A., retiree, DENCG 06/12/09Kitching, June I., retiree, SFOJJ 06/25/09Klinkers, Terry W., DENCS 05/18/09Klosinski, Marion J., retiree, SFOHF 06/12/09Larimer, P. Alvin, retiree, PITCS 04/30/09Madsen, Ronald A., retiree, ORDCS 06/11/09Maxwell, Marilyn G., retiree, LAXTO 06/25/09Mc Crary, James A. D., retiree, LAXCG 06/07/09Mc Gowan, John, retiree, SFOEU 06/11/09


Mitchell, Charles D., retiree, ORDFF 05/30/09Moore, Daisy R., retiree, HNLRR 05/03/09Ness, Agnes T., retiree, SEAHH 06/21/09Nichols, Richard L., retiree, LGBOZ 03/24/09O’Prey, Mary K., retiree, HPNOZ 05/30/09Ohumukini, Victor K., retiree, HNLHH 06/22/09Parris, George R., retiree, IADCS 05/11/09Peek, Susan M., retiree, SEARR 01/30/09Peloso, Vincent, retiree, EWRCG 06/10/09Quinn, Aleta M., retiree, DENTO 05/31/09Reib, Benjamin, retiree, SMFOZ 05/02/09Requarth, Donald G., retiree, ORDJL 04/17/09Resavy, Donald P., retiree, EWRFF 05/07/09Ross, Dorothy M., retiree, DENRR 06/23/09Schuster, Margret, retiree, JFKHH 06/12/09Sites, Rose M., EWROZ 06/11/09Stevenson, Margaret, retiree, SEARR 04/11/09Tear, Fred W., retiree, DENCG 05/06/09Vana, Henry P., retiree, ORDCG 06/09/09Villaflor, Roberto L., ORDCG 06/08/09Weinberg, Irwin, retiree, NYCRR 06/18/09Whitney, Lois M., retiree, DENHH 03/14/09Wilkinson, Charles R., SFOPD 05/19/09Winter, Duane S., retiree, DTWCG 06/12/09

US Airways Obituaries

Gwinn, Gary E. 07/20/09 Hudson, Brian D. 06/10/09Jamery, Richard 06/18/09 Maneiro, Michael 06/09/09Minarik, Craig L. 06/24/09 Muse, Joseph 08/17/09

Health care debate: Retiree stakesby James Parks and Barbara Easterling, Huffington Post

Alliance for Re-tired Americans Pres-ident Barbara Easter-ling lays out the case for reform of Medi-care, which turned 44 this summer, in this

cross-post from the Huffiington Post and AFLCIO.org web site.

As we honor Medicare’s success—it has reduced senior poverty by two-thirds—it is also an opportunity for retirees to become more aware of what is at stake for them in health care reform.

The Alliance for Retired Americans, a progressive grass roots advocacy organization, held 30 events around the coun-try to mark Medicare’s birthday and advance a pro-retiree agenda for this year’s health care debate.

What can the health care bill do to help current and future retirees? Here are a few ideas:

■ Help Early Retirees More than 5 million Americans ages 55-64 do not have health insurance. People in this age group should be able to buy in to Medicare so they can see a doctor more often, especially for preventive care.

■ Close the “Doughnut Hole” The doughnut hole coverage gap in Medicare Part D means that each year about one in four seniors will spend several months paying full price for their pre-scriptions while still having to pay their premiums.

■ Make Long-Term Care Affordable We must make sure the health care bill includes the CLASS Act by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). It would create an insurance program to help middle-class families with the cost of long-term care.

■ Help Continue Retiree Benefits If we eliminate the tax benefit for employers who provide insurance, retiree health care could become yet another broken promise. Many of us sacrificed wage increases over the years in exchange for these benefits.

■ Hold Insurance Companies Accountable A “public plan” op-tion would put pressure on the private insurance companies to keep their premiums and business practices in check. If they are truly doing the best they can, why should they be worried about a little healthy competition?

AARP on health care reformfrom the AARP Bulletin, September 1, 2009 aarp.org

Health care is dominating the news these days—and it should. All sides agree on the diagnosis: While America’s health care system is known for research and innovation, it un-fortunately costs too much, wastes too much, makes too many mistakes and gives us back too little value for our money.

Since health care is so personal yet big—accounting for a sixth of our nation’s economy—the solutions are complicated and confusing. There are many difficult questions to sort through, and reasonable people disagree on the wisdom of many specific proposals. Each of us owes it to ourselves to get educated on the issue and decide about these tough choices.

AARP is fighting to make sure health reform will:

■ Lower drug costs and strengthen Medicare. Close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole, ensure patients’ access to their doctors, not increase copays, and crack down on fraud and wasteful spending.

■ Protect your health care choices. Make sure you can choose your doctor, your health insurance plan and where to receive care.

■ End discrimination by insurance companies. Prevent insurance companies from denying you coverage because of a preexisting condition or using age to price Americans ages 50 to 64 out of affordable, quality health insurance.

■ Guarantee stable, affordable coverage. Ensure you have the se-curity of knowing that if you lose or change jobs, you will be able to get affordable, quality health insurance.

Follow the debate in an informed way on aarp.org/health

I N S I D E • President: How and why your voice

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DL141 Messenger Autumn 2009