IAM
United and the International Association of Machinists began the negotiations process on Tuesday, April 7 in a respectful and professional meeting.
Following introductions of the negotiating teams and opening remarks, United and the IAM each presented their opening proposals.
The full text of United’s opener is posted below. The main issues United discussed were the need for agreements that delivered in three key areas:
- Competitive wages, benefits, and work rules
- Meaningful incentive compensation tied to measurable and realistic performance metrics
- Flexibility to respond to changes in the marketplace, evolving customer expectations and emerging commercial opportunities
Most Recent Update: March 2, 2010
The United and IAM negotiating teams met in Chicago on January 19, 20, 21, 27 and 28 and February 23 - 25. Mediator Terri Brown was present at the meetings that took place on January 27 and 28 and February 23 through 25.
Building on the progress the parties had made earlier on in January, the negotiations continued to focus on mutually beneficial resolution to issues raised by both parties involving Article 18 (Grievance Procedure) and Article 10 (Seniority). While a few issues remain open for further discussion, we have resolved most topics related to these two articles.
The parties have reached this point by engaging in very meaningful discussions that have centered on developing a complete understanding of the issues and respective positions and working to find mutually agreeable solutions.
The focus of our negotiations has now shifted to issues related to overtime and vacation assignment. When discussing these topics we have taken the same approach in terms of engaging in very open discussion to fully develop positions and look for solutions. While the issues concerning overtime and vacation are many, the basic dynamic we have centered on is trying to achieve a balance between recognizing the work life impact of certain overtime or vacation assignment provisions while also ensuring the appropriate staffing to meet operational performance targets.
Finally, we also provided the IAM negotiating team with requested follow-up information needed to clarify the Company’s benefits proposal. Specifically, we shared overall participant statistical information, updated EPO plan design to more closely mirror the current HMO plan design and a complete breakout of preventative/wellness care procedures. The parties are now at a point where we can engage in more detail oriented discussion surrounding benefits programs.
When the negotiations resume on March 16, we will continue the discussion surrounding overtime and vacation issues with a focus on information concerning more specific detail around mandatory overtime events, overtime assignment and overtime rates and day at a time vacation.