Brothers and Sisters,
The TWU-IAM Association today submitted a letter to the National Mediation Board (NMB) requesting they compel American Airlines to fulfill their obligation to bargain with The Association.
American management has tried to circumvent your negotiating committee by filing a lawsuit, misrepresenting the facts to Congress and trying to negotiate directly with employees. All these standard union-busting tactics do is divert resources from the only place negotiations can be resolved – the bargaining table. Every day American spends away from the negotiating table is another day you will have to wait for the contract you deserve.
Your Association negotiators remain ready to continue negotiations at any time, with or without the National Mediation Board. All we need is American Airlines to be willing to send people to negotiations with the authority to complete a deal.
Fraternally,
Your Association Negotiating Committee
This is the content of the letter sent to the NMB,
Linda Puchala, Member
National Mediation Board
1301 K Street, NW
Suite 250E
Washington, DC 20572
May 22, 2019
Dear Ms. Puchala,
As you know, negotiations between American Airlines and the TWU-IAM Associations have been occurring since November 2015 and under NMB supervision since September 2018. In all, there have been 7 scheduled face-to-face negotiating sessions set by the assigned mediators, generally three days long. Each of the sessions has had either late start times or early stop times on some of
the scheduled days.
These negotiations have reached the critical end stage with the largest scope and economic issues yet to be resolved. The Association feels that the necessary time required to finish the negotiations has not yet been met and that continued sessions are not only needed but would be productive. The carrier has refused to meet without the Board scheduling and participating in any such meetings.
Therefore, the TWU-IAM Associations respectfully request that NMB supervised negotiations be resumed as expeditiously as possible. Our negotiators stand ready to participate on any schedule that can be arranged. Both of us are also available for discussions of how to move this process forward.
Thank you for this consideration,
Director, TWU-IAM Association
International Executive Vice President
Transport Workers Union of America
Vice Director, TWU-IAM Association
General Vice President
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers