Local 514’s Digest for the week of April 7, 2023

President:

I called for a Special executive board meeting this week to discuss the resignation of E-board member David Cooper. The Executive Board reviewed the International Constitution, 514 by-laws, and Election rules. The vacated position was offered to the first runner-up in the last General election but that member respectfully declined the position. It was determined that the rules state we will move to a special election to fill the vacated position. During the period it takes for the election the By-laws allow for the Executive Board to install a temporary replacement for 90 days. Executive Steward Troy Ott had agreed to fill that position. 

It was also determined that Alan Pasquale was left off the ballot for the Election committee, therefore that election will be run again at the next membership meeting this April. The first task of the new Election committee will be to run the election for the vacated Executive board position. 

I want to say that David Cooper did an excellent job for the 8 months he served on the board. He showed up every time willing to offer up suggestions on how to resolve issues. Thank you, David. I also want to thank Troy Ott for volunteering to fill the open position. 

 

Good Friday to all,

Dale Danker

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Vice President:

It’s been three years since we agreed upon the current contract but things seem to be interpreted differently daily.

In the CRO areas, I’m being told that a Supervisor is telling members that any crew chief can assign them. That is not our interpretation. A supervisor can direct a crew chief to send members of his/her crew to another location within the bid area and then receive direction from that crew chief. When a management “team” member comes up with something you have not been accustomed to please let one of us officers know. 

I have been working through the attendance policy point grievances this week and have been withdrawing those that have timed out. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.

 

Happy Easter

Marla Johnson

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Chairman of Maintenance:

Continued work around the Base:

• • Injury reviews 
  • Safety Meetings
  • Working FWR’s
  • Safety Issue Calls
  • Plating Shop Alarm upgrades
  • Safety Concerns
  • Spill kit carts for large spills for all hangars 

 Hangar 1/2 

• • Investigating multiple aircraft damage incidents and how to prevent them 
  • On Monday, April 3rd, George Albano and I walked the AA CAST group around the base during days and afternoons shifts so they could talk to employees about numerous things that would help the Tulsa base improve.

Hangar 5/6

• • Safety Volunteers are needed for hangars 5 & 6. Contact Brian.drenthe@aa.com if interested. ( we need more volunteers from midnight’s )
  • 737 line preparations

FLOC

April FLOC meetings are scheduled for April 12th at 130 and 330 . All are welcome to join and participate .

Family Day

We are hosting a family day on April 16 at the Gathering Place in Tulsa from 9 am -7 pm. Pre-Registration was required for you to attending the event.  There will be activities, food, gifts, and fun for all.  Questions can be sent to EVENT@TWUMAIL.ORG. Check-in for the event will be at the Boathouse at The Gathering Place. 

Tulsa Oilers football tickets are available at the union hall. 

Joe Brown
918-284-9666

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Chairman of Facilities Maintenance:

 Good Friday and Happy Easter Weekend to all,

The FAC/GSE quarterly business review with the company and the union is coming up next week April 12th and April 13th and I will be attending, the first day will be with just the union and the second with both the company and union, I plan on exposing the wasteful habits of our base utilizing rental equipment instead of buying our own equipment and minimizing the rentals, I also plan on pitching the fact that our base is the largest in the world and we should be proud of that fact while simultaneously building our group to service the entire AA system. I will visit with the automotive group(GSE) before the quarterly meeting to verify facts.

Jim Holt
(918)378-2079

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Executive Board Members at Large:

George Albano:

On Monday Joe Brown & I escorted the CAST  (Causal Analysis using Systems-Theory)  group around the base so they could talk to employees about safety issues .

I  attended several 32J’s this week for various reasons .  I met with Bryan Beene on Wednesday to talk about grievances .  

We are looking for volunteers to help at the Family Day event. Please contact Don , BJ or Myself .

George 
918-378-1947

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Tracy Hardin:

I have been working with the VEMERG group to plan a Veterans Benefit Fair for May 11th. in the Hangar 3 & 4 Town Hall Room. The event is planned for 9am – 5pm. 

We have been working hard this week on local policies and taking time to shape up the union hall after flood repairs.

Happy Easter,

Tracy

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Jay Potter:

As of Friday, Apr 7, 2023, we have 26 aircraft at our four (4) In-house bases and 30 aircraft at the HMP vendors. If you have questions regarding scope language give me a call at (918) 845-8059. 

I was able to help some members whose seniority was incorrect on the Master Seniority List.  They were hired in as a Cleaner prior to Date of Ratification (DOR) and upgraded to an AMT position post ratification. 

Per Letters of Memorandum – 7 – Cleaner Seniority, “The listed employees shall be afforded the opportunity to utilize their Cleaner classification seniority date, for bid, award, transfer, and pay in the Aircraft Maintenance Group at any time during their career.”  

Jay
(918) 845-8059

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Michael Quill Scholarship Application 2023

The union has been honoring our founder with these scholarships since 1969. Quill Scholarship awards have benefited hundreds of TWU families. Children of our members in transit, railroad and air transportation, utilities, public employment, space installations, and allied industries are among those who began their college educations with the help of the TWU’s signature scholarship.

APPLICATION MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN MAY 1, 2023. NO EXCEPTIONS.

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CVS cuts 90-day supply of medicine, blames Oklahoma law

SOURCE: HERE

The Oklahoma Insurance Commission is taking action after Oklahomans were notified CVS would no longer fill more than a 30-day prescription. 

CVS-Caremark notified Oklahomans by mail saying they can no longer fill a 90-day supply of medicine. 

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready addressed concerns in a news conference Monday afternoon. “This is a very rare thing for me to do but we have some drastic steps that we are taking and we want to make sure we get the information out there,” he started. “We are filing administrative action for violation of the Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act.”

Passed in 2019, The  protects Oklahoma pharmacies from “certain self-dealing and self-serving practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that can harm consumers and put rural and independent pharmacies out of business.”

As of last April, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners reported only 66 PBM companies, with CVS-Caremark, OptumRx and Express Scripts controlling about 89% of the market.

Monday’s action could lead to CVS-Caremark getting their PBM license suspended, revoked or placed on probation. 

Mulready says the administrative action was filed Friday and a notice was mailed to CVS the same day. 

In the letter sent to customers, CVS said, “you’ll now be paying for one month of medication every 30 days instead of three months of medication every 90 days.”

CVS blamed Oklahoma laws for the change, something Mulready made a clear response to. 

“There is nothing in our laws or our rules that do not allow for 90-day prescriptions. CVS has made a business decision with certain groups to not allow for that,” he said. “It is a practice of steering patients to their pharmacy’s prescription mail services.”

Mulready says the Oklahoma Insurance Commission is taking such swift action because this isn’t a first-time thing for CVS-Caremark. 

“It’s the second occurrence. We have fined them literally millions of dollars and that seems to not be getting their attention,” he said, hoping the administrative action might. 

“When it becomes apparent a licensee would rather play games than follow our state statutes and regulations, we have to hold them accountable,” he added. 

An administrative law judge will hear this case May 25 and render a decision.

CVS has said because of the way their system is they cannot fix 90-day subscription problems until sometime next year. 

Mulready says for a multibillion dollar company, he finds that hard to believe. 

CVS said in a statement “Only Oklahoma consumers who are members of those out-of-state plans are impacted by the recent changes eliminating 90-day prescriptions….we are working to develop a long-term solution with the input of our clients.”

As for now, Mulready says people need to reach out to their employers to voice concerns. From there, it will be up to the employer to work out a new agreement with CVS-Caremark.

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American Airlines 5 Year Anniversaries

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Passages

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

 

The Passing of Brother Daryl Blankenship

We are with heavy heart to share with you the passing of Brother Daryl Blankenship on April 4th, 2023. Daryl had been with us here at American Airlines since 2000 as a Material Logistics Specialist and in 2022, he became a Crew Chief Material Logistics Specialist. Please keep the Blankenship family in your thoughts and…

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