DL141 Messenger Spring 2009

We’re on yet another long, difficult roadto a contract with UAL’s corporation.

We’ll get there, as one. Page 5

IAM141.ORG Spring 2009 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 Communicator, US Airways – Dave LehiveDesign & Art – Mike Mancini

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

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CONTENTSInaugural edition – Spring 2009Pg 4. Treasurer Wall Street executives’ marriage of greed and stupidity; Dues adjustment at United

5. President Business’ double standards; Negotiating as “one”

8. EFCA “Myth Vs. Fact”

9. Go Lilly Obama’s first signature is pro-worker

7. SOSAP Zapping guilt out of safety

10. A Thousand Bucks The Stutz Scholarship

11. Putting On A Pirate’s Face How a 141 Member helps kids

12. History Randolph: Worker’s rights are civil rights

13. Revisting the Wreckage Shirtwaist Factory fire

14. Remember Recent Retirees, Obituaries

15. Community Service, Wellness

MEMBERS‘What’s the biggest issue facing our Members?’

Outsourcing. It’s our life. We hope we can all maintain our status in Omaha. Our guys are worried about their future — we want to stay here, not be outsourced to some second-rate outfit with inferior service.

– Larry Bostwick – LL 1826, Omaha

Lack of respect from managers. We’re trying to do our jobs, but it’s frustrating when they don’t respect the griev-ances that have been filed. This needs to be resolved.

– John Stefanich – LL 1886, Denver

Management’s inability to follow the contract. We’re battling with them and trying to get them to interpret the contract according to IAM standards.

– Mike Maiorino – LL 845, Las Vegas

Attendance control system. We believe it is a violation of the contract and we are fighting it.

– Chris Lenzi – LL 2559, Phoenix

The biggest issue we face is that Members see the EAP only as a drug and alcohol recovery program, when we have a wide variety of functions. Especially in these hard economic times, we have financial assistance we can offer.

– Rudy Ascuncion – District 141, EAP

Our main concern is the possibility of station closures.

– Paul Haro – LL 2444, Raleigh-Durham

Like most stations, we’re nervous that we’re on the chop-ping block and concerned for our job security.

– Jeff Carlson – LL 2210, San Antonio

Get everyone on the same page for negotiations. We have to educate Members about the Railway Labor Act, pro-mote solidarity and unity, and work together.

– Terri Stansbury – LL 1932, Los Angeles

The anxiety of not knowing if you will have a job. Also, the point system is unfair.

– Alice Potter – LL 1287, Salt Lake City

Restrictions on shift swapping. A lot of young Members need help on their paychecks and it’s becoming harder to get overtime with swaps being rejected and limits on swapping.

– Alex Hradil – LL 731, Jacksonville

3 Spring 2009 IAM141.ORG

Threat of furloughs. Every day is a chal-lenge — people are on the edge. Job security will be a big part of upcoming negotiations.

– Kevin Fredrickson – LL 2765, San Diego

Seniority and layoffs. Having to explain the seniority changes to the guys is difficult.

– Shannon Robello – LL 1979, Honolulu

Education, getting the young Shop Stew-ards trained. They want the opportunity to learn and we need to get them to feel involved, to put an arm around them. We need to get ourselves on track and focus on the future.

– Gil Simmons – LL 1776, Philadelphia

The biggest issue is the need to communi-cate to Members about the successes and fail-ures of our Union and build the solidarity that will be crucial in negotiations. The executive board is now much more visible to Members — we’re moving in the right direction.

– James Carlson – LL 1322, New York City

Work rules – how they are applied and what we are allowed to do and what we are not allowed to do – has been changing from month to month, making them hard to follow.

– Tony Gibson – LL 141, Detroit

The biggest issue is that some Members feel the need to take shortcuts and end up injuring them-selves or others and damaging property. Hopefully SOSAP [Station Operations Safety Operations Program] will help and enable Members to tell their sides of the story and create a safer work environment for everyone.

– Bill Salo – District 141, Ground Safety

The attendance control program. It wasn’t negotiated. It’s a violation of the collective bargaining agreement and I’m sure that our leadership will take care of this problem. Management is setting us up to fail; We’re human beings, not machines.

– Vince Capitani – LL 2319, Tampa

The biggest issue facing us is consolidation. We’re con-cerned about the upcoming representational elections — if there is a decertification at Delta, it will put pressure on the entire industry. Also, another issue is the increased use of regional jets, resulting in station closures and the threat of more closures.

– Verne Luxenburg – District 141, AGC

I don’t think US Airways has enough AGCs to represent its Members. That’s the general consensus.

– Patrick Sullivan – LL 2444, Raleigh-Durham

Part-time/full-time ratio. It’s affecting our livelihoods. – Rich Robinson – LL 1886, Denver

Just staying open. We hope we’ll have enough business so they’ll see the importance of having United in Charlotte. – Tracy Russo – LL 1725, Charlotte

Fear of outsourcing. We have lost a lot of brothers and sis-ters already, and we are constantly facing the fear of getting laid off and having to move our families to new cities.

– Mary Reed – LL 561, Kansas City

Deregulation. It has gotten worse since 1978 and it will continue to get worse unless President Obama takes a hard look at greed in America. There needs to be some checks and balances.– John Burgwinkle – LL 1979, Honolulu

How does your negotiating team answer the same question? Find out on iam141.org > News > Contract > Negotiating Team


TREASURERA marriage on Wall StreetBy Dave Atkinson, District 141 Secretary-Treasurer

The financial meltdown in this country came from a marriage of greed and stupidity. It is time for a divorce.

Radio and television are full of fiscal experts, spewing buzzwords of blame. It is entertaining, but unproductive. This is what happens when people confuse activity with achievement.

In the last ten years, financial companies spent $1.7 bil-lion in campaign contributions and another $3.4 billion on lobbyists. The investment paid off.

The Senate Banking Committee removed critical protec-tion for smaller banks. In the old days, a local banker knew the people to whom they loaned money. They wouldn’t give the town drunk a million dollar loan. Now a mega-bank would write that loan and sell it to some fool in another country.

Collateral Debt Obligations (CDOs) are the new financial instruments of greed.

The idea behind a CDO is there will always be at least some money coming in, regardless of how insane the loans are. If you package a couple of bad mortgages with some credit card debt, auto loans, corporate loans and aircraft loans, you can be sure someone will pay. Banks were turning bad mortgages and financial trash into investment-grade paper and selling it to insurance companies and pension plans.

It’s up to you to decide if these people were greedy, stupid, or both.

Alan Greenspan was the chairman of the Federal Re-serve. He had pushed for sweeping power to regulate Wall Street. Then he failed to use it. He called CDOs extraordinarily useful, saying that regulating CDOs would be a mistake.

Now, Alan Greenspan admits the mistake was on his part. Oversight should have been imposed.

Phil Gramm was the Senate Banking Committee Chair-man. Phil co-sponsored a bill that repealed key aspects of the Glass-Steagall Act, leading to the rise of mega-banks. That’s right, the very same mega-banks that became too big to fail. Phil now claims that the country is in a “mental recession.“

Christopher Cox was the Chairman of the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). He gave the market a free ride and hatched a “voluntary regulation” scheme in 2004. Chris was the champion of small government and less regulation.

Joe Cassano was the Chief of AIG Financial Products who destroyed AIG, but now he’s off enjoying his $280 million in profits. The taxpayers are bailing out Joey’s greed.

Dick Fueld was the CEO of Lehman Brothers. Dick earned $22 million the year the firm went bust and he created the largest bankruptcy in United States history. That moved UAL Corporation’s bankruptcy to second place. Thanks, Dick.

Angelo Mozilo was the head of Countrywide Financial, the largest provider of sub prime mortgages. Angelo was a specialist in predatory loans that put poor people in man-sions. Now he says the plea from homeowners facing foreclo-sure is disgusting.

The list of greed and stupidity goes on and on. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

IAM dues adjustment at UALThe Delegates at the 2008 Grand Lodge Convention vot-

ed to increase the Grand Lodge per capita in 2009 and again in 2010. The Delegates from Transportation debated against the increase but lost a two-day battle over the increase. The increase was too large for many Local Lodges to absorb and over time will be forced to increase their dues.

In January 2009, the Grand Lodge dues increase was not deducted from Members’ pay checks at United Airlines. In February 2009, Chicago and San Francisco continued to have dues issues. United payroll is attempting to have a dues adjustment in April to make up for the difference; for most people it will be about $6.00.

“You can put lipstick on a pig,” says Atkinson, “but it’s still a pig. No offense to farm animals.”

A customer service agent, a ramper, and a mortgage broker were all caught in a shipwreck. Sharks were soon circling around. The sharks eat the agent. The ramper starts swimming, but to no avail, as the sharks eat him as well. The mortgage broker is really getting worried, as a shark is coming for him. But instead the shark puts him on its back, carries him to shore, and lets him of f. The mortgage broker asks, “How come you didn’t eat me too?” And the shark replied, “Professional Courtesy!”


PRESIDENTBusinesses’ double standardBy Rich Delaney, President & Directing General Chair

Bailouts are the issue of the day. Banks, insurance compa-nies, and automakers are lining up in Washington. They’re ask-ing for —and getting— billions of dollars in taxpayer money.

It’s needed, we are told. Needed to save our economy; needed to prevent further devastation; needed to prevent bankruptcy of, God forbid, some fine institutions. As we are seeing, using AIG for example, taking bailout money has no re-quirement that money be used for shoring up the failing com-pany. Instead, it could —and was— used to bankroll obscene bonuses to corporate bosses, whose bad deci-sions caused the crisis in the first place.

Corporations and governments both have the same explanation: Executive pay insanity is guaranteed by contract. It’s a “rule of law.” Rules, we’re told, must be honored.

Somewhere between Wall Street and Mo-town, rules start to bend. Government takes a different approach to carmakers and the Unit-ed Auto Workers. The existing contracts of a worker must be adjusted or terminated, before any bailout money will be given.

With logic that only Wall Street speculators could under-stand (or perhaps an airline CEO), banks have stopped lending money to people. So people quit buying things — like new cars. Downsizing, liquidation and unemployment follows. Who is blamed? The people who build the cars!

Who has ever heard of such a two-faced, rigged system that rewards idiots at the top, while blaming and punishing workers?

We have. Those of us who have worked in the airline industry in the last 10 years are very familiar with this schizo-phrenic approach to “bailouts.” Especially those of us who have worked at airlines within District 141.

Who can forget the original airline “bailout” after Septem-ber 11, 2001? The Air Transportation Safety and Stabilization Act was implemented within a month of the terrorist attacks to shore up an essential sector of our economy — interstate transportation. All airlines were entitled to share in the $10 bil-lion in guaranteed loans (not taxpayer money). Nevertheless, the government insisted that employee contracts —Union contracts— be changed or terminated before any loans were awarded.

Good-bye pensions, good-bye wages, good-bye job secu-rity. Hello bonus payments for Tilton and Parker.

We have begun negotiations with United on the terms of a new Contract. This is our first chance to talk about our issues since 2002. Proposals from our Members have clearly defined

the Union’s position of addressing the lost wages, benefits, and concessions demanded in bankruptcy. The company is equally determined to continue reducing its employee costs. Both sides are going to look for a “bailout.”

Negotiating as ‘one’The Union’s “bailout” is the strength and support of Mem-

bers. History shows us that we cannot and should not expect help from outside forces, such as the government. Our help is within every one of us. Our strength and bargaining power come from our right and ability to seek self-help during nego-tiations. By staying together and sharing information, we will come through these negotiations as one.

Now is the time for you, as a Member of the IAM and a concerned employee of United Airlines, to ensure that you are aware of issues and understand the importance of unity. Take

advantage of all the information you can get from District 141. Read Negotiating bulletins; Visit our web site at iam141.org; Attend Union meetings, and always ask questions.

Our legal right to negotiate on your behalf is becoming unique among American workers. Less than ten percent of working Americans belong to a Union and can bargain collectively for wages and benefits. Nine out of ten workers rely on the kindness of their employers to have basic working conditions of decent wages, insurance benefits, or a guaranteed pension. Collective bargaining is a right we need to pro-

tect and to extend to other working people. If more workers negotiate for improved wages and benefits, then —instead of competing with each other over who can be the lowest paid— all workers positively benefit.

Currently, there is legislation proposed in Congress to give non-Union workers a better chance of being able to join a Union. EFCA (The Employee Free Choice Act) would reduce obstacles to organizing that now exist within America’s Labor laws. The EFCA would limit employers’ abilities to influence, coerce, and in many instances fire employees who try to form a Union. Polling has shown that nearly two thirds of Ameri-cans agree with the proposed legislation. However, powerful lobbies of the Chamber of Commerce, the National Manufac-turers Association, and others are fighting extremely hard to prevent its passage.

Our own experience shows us that CEOs and upper managers do not act in the best interest of employees — un-less they are forced to do so. We need to support the EFCA to help other airline employees gain the right to bargain. We strengthen our own bargaining ability by doing so. When the EFCA becomes law and the non-Union carriers become or-ganized, we will compete with them to see who has the best contract — not who has the worse working conditions.

Take a minute to visit our International’s web site, goiam.org, and send a message to Congress to pass the EFCA. This would truly be one “bailout” that would help working people.


EDUCATIONUS Airways Members get Steward training with 141 boost

Fifty-five Members in Philadelphia received Steward training at Local Lodge 1776, in Essington, Penn. “Members are asking for a trained Shop Steward group,” says District 141 AGC Frank O’Donnell. “Thanks to a huge effort and invest-ment from Local 1776, we are on the way with this first round of training.“

Manny Hall, a ten-year Fleet Service Agent from West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, now works in Philadelphia. Hall notes many senior Stewards are no longer here to teach new Members. He observes: “We have new, upcoming Union Stewards. They need classroom knowledge, as well as day-to-day Steward experience.”

One of those up-and-coming new Stewards is Michael Ostermann who says “I want to protect Members from unjust decisions affecting my co-workers.”

Members like 13-year US Airways Lead Fleet Service Agent Dave Messer are participants in past training. Messer says the training he recieved has “helped me with basic understanding. I feel this recent training is the right step in a new direction.”

Jack Beairsto, Philadelphia Grievance Committee, looks broadly at district assistance saying, “I think this educational

program will help us greatly with the membership. We need to move forward.”

Rich Howell, 1776 Vice President, is a 30-year airline veteran. “District 141 plays an instrumental part in training classes,” he states. “Through the assistance of AGC Frank O’Donnell and PDGC Rich Delaney, we were successful in giv-ing guidance and support to Members in Philadelphia.”

District 141 Members at other airlines and cities can look forward to education classes like the one in Philadelphia. O’Donnell says the ongoing goal is to enable and ensure quality Steward leadership for Members.

Congratulations to the new US Airways Shop Steward Class. Sharif Abdullah, Teddy Allen, Jack Beairsto, Kenny Belgrabe,

Mike Bosco, Randy Brathwaite, Flavio Carlini, Tony Connor,

Mike Del Rossi, James Everett, Warren Faulkner, Bob Fitzger-

ald, Ed Giovengo, Manny Hall, Ray Hovanec, Anthony Hudson,

Terrance Ingram, Rowland Johnson, Dajuan Kirkland, Adam

Kramer, Shadek Lacy, Dave Lehive, Ed Longwell, Dan Mac-

Minn, Josh Martinez, Dave Messer, Derrick Monk, Sultan Mu-

hammad, Mike Ostermann, Huey Nicholson, Michele Ozoroski,

Joe Pinto, Bennie Phillips, Chauncey Phillips, Anthony Pugh,

Rich Radford, Bruce Raneo, Larry Reeves, Eddie Reyes, John

Santoro, Gil Simmons, Dennis Spencer, Martin Sterling, Jackie

Thomas, Rashika Thomas, Sonny Thornton, Rick Weaver, Dave

Wheat, Maria Wiley, Bill Wilson, Greg White, Bill Zebley, and

Sam Zingo

UA Stewards train in San Francisco

Local 1782 in the San Francisco Bay Area is unique within District 141. It is the only all-Customer Service local, and it’s a big one. 1782 encompasses Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and Reno, in addition to San Francisco. District 141 Trustee Greg Brown was president of Local 1782 from 2006 – 2009.

Local 1782 partnered with its sister Local 1781 (represent-ing ramp & stores) in hosting this instructor-led training. Edu-cator Terry Stansbury, AGC Shawn Humpherys and VP Sandy Olmos also participated. Continued, next page ...

Steward class in session in Essington, Penn., at Local 1776

Stewards at Local 1782 represent district’s only all-PCE local


Continued from previous page – Mary Nesel, newly elected Sacramento Grievance Chair with 24 years seniority says, “I’m glad the district was here. I hope they can do more.”

Akie Paea, a new Steward from Oak-land with 18 years seniority added, “I’m excited to have an op-portunity to attend.”

Marichu Menrige has been with Unit-ed for 13 years. She says, “I learned tools

I need to represent my fellow employees.”

Justin Jones, newly elected Committee Person from SJC, agrees. “It’s making me more competent in doing my job.”

SOSAP: Remove the guilty-until-proven-innocent assumption

Safety Coordinator Bill Salo joined representatives from United and the Federal Aviation Administration at the Chair-person’s Conference in New Orleans to talk about the Station Operations Safety Awareness Program (SOSAP). A joint effort by the three organizations, SOSAP’s goal is to improve safety by encouraging Members to report safety-related incidents without fear of disciplinary action.

“We’re finding solutions to safety problems by emphasiz-ing that we just want information about safety issues,” Salo says. “The centralized reporting process mirrors similar pro-grams in place for pilots and mechanics. It focuses on the how and why of an incident, rather than the who and what.”

“SOSAP is designed to remove the guilty-until-proven-innocent assumption, and to change the perception that ‘nothing ever happens when I give input on a safety issue,’” Salo says. However, he emphasized that SOSAP does not replace vigilance on the job or remove all accountability for safety violations.

SAFETY141 names US Airways director

President & Directing General Chairman Rich Delaney re-cently announced the appointment of Tony D’Aloiso, Ground Safety Director – US Airways.

“Tony D” brings 28 years experience, with a passion for safety at the forefront. Tony has been an activist in the locals he has worked. In PIT, he served as Recording Secretary and now, in CLT he is Local 1725’s Safety Chair. Hailing from a Union ship builder Machinist’s family, Tony understands the need to organize and is active as a Union organizer. Tony earned his Bachelor degree in criminology. He is naturally attracted to investigation, research and psychology. Along with his recent district safety appointment, D’Aloiso is a newly appointed member of the Air Transportation Safety Commit-tee – a national organization of Union safety chairs.

Tony affirms, “I can assure Members of District 141 that safety is not a negotiable item. A quality safety and health program requires diligent fact finding, suitable solutions, communication, and corrective action plans. That’s what will best serve our district, Members, management and our customers. My goal is creating a better, safer environment for District 141 Members.” That goal is supported by a full safety and health agenda.

• Restructure safety committees where needed

• Safety and health risk assessment

• Ground equipment evaluation

• Corrective plan for identified safety and health issues

• Recurrent training

• OJI (On-the-Job Injury) tracking and equipment tracking

• Self-awareness programs

• Safety bulletin boards

• Safety alerts

• Ground Safety Reports

• Monthly hazard sweep

• Preliminary OSHA findings

• Defibrillator and CPR training

• Updated personal protective equipment

• Updated safety briefings

• Safety banners shared by IAM Ground Services

Safety is number one for District 141 and Ground Services at US Airways. “Working together, we will better serve Mem-bers, protect passengers, and maintain aircraft,” says Tony D.

Steward class in session in the San Francisco Bay Area

Committeepersons confer infor-mally during steward training


MYTH VS. FACTThe Employee Free Choice Act

MYTH: The Employee Free Choice Act takes away the secret ballot.

FACT: The Act provides that if a majority of employees sign Union authorization cards, the company must recog-nize and bargain with the Union.

Majority sign-up is a fairer process than the current one, where employers can coerce workers. But, if a majority of employees prefer instead to hold an election, they will have that right.

MYTH: Union elections are just like elections for public office.

FACT: Union representation elections have almost noth-ing in common with elections for public office.

• In public elections, candidates have free speech. In Union elections, managers can require employees to attend “captive audience” anti-Union meetings. Union support-ers can be forced to attend—but denied the opportunity to speak out.

• It is illegal for private companies to tell their employees how to vote in a public election. In Union elections, su-pervisors routinely fire, demote, or reassign workers who support the Union.

• There are limits to how much money candidates can raise and spend in public elections. In Union representation elections there are no limits to how much companies can spend on anti-Union lawyers and consultants.

• In democratic elections, the winning candidates usually take office just two months after Election Day. In Union elections, employers can appeal the result to five differ-ent levels for several years.

MYTH: Passing the Employee Free Choice Act will hurt economic recovery.

FACT: The best stimulus package for workers is a Union job.

Union jobs pay, on average, 35 percent more than non-Union jobs. The National Labor Relations Act was first passed during dire economic times to encourage unionization so workers would have more buying power to fuel economic recovery.

MYTH: Intimidation by employers during organizing drives is exaggerated.

FACT: A study compiled from NLRB reports for 2007

Corporations are amassing millions of dollars, and lobbying lawmakers to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. Unions and pro-worker groups unanimously endorse it. Passage of the EFCA is likely to be the battle of the year.

reveals that during that year, more than 29,000 people—one worker every 18 minutes—were disciplined or even fired for Union activity.

Thirty-two percent of employers fire pro-Union workers and 50 percent threaten to close down their workplaces.

MYTH: Majority sign-up doesn’t work.

FACT: Majority sign-up is not a new process. In fact, di-rectly after passage of the NLRA, almost one-third of all Union certifications took place as a result of majority sign-up.

Since 2003, more than half a million American workers formed Unions through majority sign-up. They include UPS freight workers, reporters, hotel and casino workers and nuclear engineers.

MYTH: If the Employee Free Choice Act passes, workers will be pressured to join unions.

FACT: Studies show that, with majority sign-up as com-pared to NLRB election campaigns, employees report less pressure from co-workers to support the Union and less pres-sure from employers to oppose the Union.

In the first 70 years of the NLRA, only 42 cases found fraud or coercion by Unions in the submittal of authorization cards. By contrast, there were 29,000 documented cases of intimida-tion or coercion by employers in 2007 alone.

MYTH: The Union representation election process can be fixed without the Employee Free Choice Act.

FACT: It is impossible to enforce regulations that prevent employers from threatening workers for organizing Unions without increasing penalties and allowing workers to choose Unions by majority sign-up.

There are strict rules that govern some employee-employer relationships. For example, if a supervisor were to make a pass at an employee (a verbal expression of sexual in-tent), strict rules would be enforced in the workplace. Outside of the workplace, similar verbal expressions might be consid-ered a type of freedom of speech.

But when employees are voting in the workplace for a Union, employers can —and do— engage in coercion and threats, defending that conduct as “free speech.”

A supervisor can speculate that a facility would close if a Union wins an election. That is both an opinion and also a threat. Under current law, that supervisor would not be held accountable for making a threat. The Employee Free Choice Act is aimed at the elimination of this kind of unbalanced and unfair power relationship.

Source: Economic Policy Institute

LEGISLATIVEObama signs Lilly Ledbetter Act

The first piece of legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law was pro-Labor. Less than ten days after taking of-fice, Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act.

“Every working man and woman of this country should find this assuring,” says District 141 President Rich Delaney.“ It indicates that pro-Labor forces in Congress have the majori-ties they need to pass other bills we support.”

The new law reverses the effect of a Supreme Court ruling that upheld severe time limits on lawsuits alleging illegal pay discrimination.

Ledbetter had worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for almost 20 years before she learned she hadn’t been paid as much as male employees with similar jobs. She sued the com-pany for the difference in back pay.

Ledbetter won the case, but an appeals court ruled she had to act within 120 days of each discriminatory pay-check in order to collect.

Ledbetter appealed the decision, objecting that she didn’t know about the discrimina-tion because the com-pany kept it a secret. The Supreme Court voted 5–4 to reject her appeal.

The new law amends the federal statute of limitations to give work-ers like Ledbetter the ability to collect damages in such cases.

The House of Representatives passed the Lilly Ledbet-ter Fair Pay Restoration Act last year, but Republicans used a political maneuver to prevent a vote in the Senate. This year, Democrats used their new, larger majority to overcome the maneuver. The Senate approved the bill with a 61–36 vote.

“This victory should be considered a trial run for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act later this year,” Delaney says. “That bill is our top priority in Congress.”

President Obama has says he would sign the EFCA bill when it reaches his desk. Businesses and anti-Union organi-zations are lobbying to defeat the legislation, which would remove obstacles that prevent working Americans from join-ing Unions.



ENTRANT INFORMATION (PRINT OR TYPE): Mail this portion with your essay.

Check one: o Member Essay o Student Essay

Name __________________________________________

Address ________________________________________

City ________________________________ State ______

ZIP Code ______________ Phone ( _____ ) ____________

College of Choice (or attending) ______________________

Title of Essay _____________________________________

DEPENDENTS ONLY MUST COMPLETE BELOW:

High School Presently Attending ______________________

Address and City __________________________________

Graduation Date __________________________________

MEMBER/PARENT INFORMATION (PRINT OR TYPE):

Name __________________________________________

Address ________________________________________

City ________________________________ State ______

ZIP Code ______________ Phone ( _____ ) ____________

Book Number __________ Local Lodge Number _________

Employer __________ Classification __________________

VERIFICATION STATEMENT:

The above Member of this Lodge is in good standing and aMember of District Lodge 141.

Signature and Title: ________________________________(Signature of LL President or Signature of LL Recording Secretary)

Date: __________________________________________

SEND ESSAY AND APPLICATION TO:

Daniel Brin, c/o B.C.I., P.O. Box 8160, Calabasas, CA 91372 - 8160

SCHOLARSHIPDistrict 141-sponsored scholarship open for applicants

2009 Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship Rules And Regulations

ELIGIBILITY: This essay competition is open to children, spouses and dependent grandchildren (as defined by I.R.S.) of Members (as of June 1, 2008) with one year or more of good standing in District Lodge 141 who are graduating seniors, or who are currently enrolled full time and/or commencing col-lege full time. The competition is also open to any Members (as of June 1, 2008) with one year or more of good standing of District Lodge 141 who are currently enrolled in college with a minimum of six units per semester. District Lodge 141 officers and their families are not eligible. Only one award per family is allowed per year.

Applications must be signed by your Local Lodge President or Recording Secretary.

A bibliography of sources for essay material must be included. The essay must be the work of the entrant or the entrant will be disqualified. The winners may be interviewed by the Scholarship Chairperson.

The application must be filled out completely or the entrant will be disqualified.

ESSAY RULES: The subject of the 2009 Essay competition is “What should President Obama and Congress do to restore America’s Economy?” All essays must be typewritten on 8 1/2” x 11” white bond paper with a minimum of 700 words and a maximum of 1,000 words. Please include a recent photograph of the applicant.

The title must be placed on the top of the paper. The en-trant’s name or identification must appear on each page of the essay paper.

AWARDS: One each – $2,000 overall winner Six each – $1,000 placement winners

Awards will be presented at winners’ Local Lodges after confirmation of student enrollment at an accredited college or university (copy of valid registration or class schedule con-firmation).

TIMETABLE: The Essay Competition will be opened Feb-ruary 1, 2009, and will end at midnight, July 1, 2009. Winners will be announced by August 1, 2009.

JUDGING: Judging will be done by the impartial Scholar-ship Chairperson who is not a Member of District Lodge 141. The decisions of the judge will be final.

DISQUALIFICATION: Previous winners and all entrants not conforming to the contest rules will be disqualified.

Disqualification decisions of the Committee are final.

HANDLING: All essays received become the property of District Lodge 141 and may be published in the future using the contestant’s name.

MAILING: All entry forms must be mailed and post-marked, U.S. regular mail only, no later than midnight, July 1, 2009. Entry form and essay will be placed in an envelope and mailed to the Scholarship Committee Chairperson at the address shown below. The word (SCHOLARSHIP) must be written in the lower left hand corner of the envelope. If entrants want receipt of their entry acknowledged, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Scholarship Advisory Committee: Daniel Brin, Chairper-son; DL 141 Secretary-Treasurer Dave Atkinson; Frank Casciato, Vice Chairperson; and Mike Delano, Vice Chairperson.

IAM141.ORG > MEMBER SERVICES > SCHOLARSHIPS

11

MEMBER SITEPaul Haro puts on pirate face for the kids

For years, people told Paul Haro that he looked like Cap-tain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, but he brushed it off.

When he heard it from his young daughters, Jocelyn and Kelsey, while the family was visiting Disneyland, he finally took notice.

“I never told them that I heard about the resemblance over the years,” Haro says. “So when the kids said it too, it hit home.”

Haro works as a Customer Service Representative for United in Raleigh-Durham. He is a Steward and a committee Member for Local Lodge 2444.

Haro’s kids persuaded him to make a beeline to a Disney-land gift shop where they purchased a Cap’n Jack souvenir wig and hat, which he promptly donned.

When he walked around the resort in the hat and wig, other visitors to the park asked if they could take Haro’s pic-ture.

“It was almost as if there was a look-alike contest,” he says. “People told me I should take my head and put it on the professional Cap’n Jack look-alike who was performing at the park that day. I was flattered and decided I was going to make the most of it.”

He began to assemble everything needed to portray the character, from the silk black vest to a custom-made pirate shirt and pants.

“I even bought several pieces of pirate jewelry, which I found mainly on eBay,” he says.

In all, he has spent more than $800 on the outfit and makeup.

“It usually takes me two hours to transform myself into Cap’n Jack,” Haro says. “I don’t have the authen-tic gold-capped teeth yet. I have to put gold paint on them.

“I also want to get a tattoo, but my wife is kicking and screaming about that,” he says with a laugh.

Three years ago, at the sug-gestion of a friend, he visited the Shriner’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

“It was amazing to see the look on the children’s faces when they saw me,” Haro says. “It’s like Santa Claus visiting them in the summer.

“It felt great knowing that I could bring such joy into the lives of these sick and disabled kids. I could see that my visit helped them forget what they were going through, at least for a while.”

He now visits hospitals in the Raleigh-Durham area and the word is spreading. Haro is frequently asked to make special appearances for co-workers at birthday parties and at local elementary schools.

He knows his celebrity status won’t last forever, but he’s having a ball in his role as one of the most revered pirates in movie lore.

“As long as I have this face, I’ll dress up like and become Cap’n Jack,” he says.

Haro has been a CSR for 24 years. He began his career in Ontario in Southern California and has been at Raleigh-Dur-ham since April 2008.

“It’s good here,” he says. “But it’s a different environment. I’m not used to the snow.”

The Raleigh-Durham station had been closed for five years prior to Haro’s arrival. “Because everyone was new, we basically started from scratch,” he recalled. “That’s why it was important that everyone knew about the Union. It was crucial to putting our lodge on solid ground.

“We put our Union strength and solidarity to work,” he says. “We put the station back on its feet.”

When he’s not working or dressing up as Jack Sparrow, Haro uses a metal-bender plasma cutter and a mig welder to make home-decor items out of wrought iron.

His creations range from outdoor sun sculptures to candlesticks. An iron waterfall took two and a half weeks to construct, and a plate stand only took a day.

Haro goes to an art show once a year to sell his creations. He also posts on Craig’s List. “It’s a relaxing and creative outlet.”

NEWSUnion membership up in 2008

Union membership in the United States increased by 428,000 to 16.1 million in 2008, according to new figures re-leased by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The numbers reflect the first statistically significant in-crease in the 25 years of reporting.

“This is good news for American workers,” President Rich Delaney says. “It confirms what many working people already know: Given the chance, American workers will choose to affiliate with a Union. They know that people who belong to Unions have better pay, better health care and a pension.”

The improvement in Union representation indicates a long period of decline has ended and that intensified efforts at Union organizing are paying off, Delaney says.

“With the passage of The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which Congress will consider this year, we would see an even greater increase in our ranks in all sectors of the economy. It would allow the workers – not the company – to decide how to form their Union.”

Research conducted by Peter D. Hart and Associates found that 78 percent of the public supports legislation like the EFCA that would make it easier for workers to organize and bargain with their employers.

LABOR HISTORY‘Measure our achievements against the needs of our time’A. Philip Randolph – At the banquet table of nature, there are no reserved seats. You get what you can take, and you keep what you can hold. If you can’t take anything, you won’t get anything, and if you can’t hold anything, you won’t keep any-thing. And you can’t take anything without organization.

As a towering figure in the civil rights movement and a powerful voice on behalf of Labor, A. Philip Randolph under-stood what men and women could accomplish when they stood united.

Born Asa Philip Randolph in Crescent City, Florida, in 1889, he initially aspired to become an actor, prompting him to move to Harlem in his early twenties. While studying at the City College of New York, he became interested in politics and economics, which ignited his lifelong association with social activism.

In 1925, he began to organize the predominantly African-American work force at the Pullman Company, a manufactur-er of railroad cars. After a grueling 12-year struggle in which the company employed spies and violence in its attempt to stamp out organizing campaigns, Pullman began negotia-tions with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, led by Randolph. They eventually became part of the TCU-IAM.

He also fought against discrimination in the military, for school integration and for federal funding to reduce poverty.

Ensuring equality for all workers inside the Labor Move-ment was another of Randolph’s goals, which led to the formation of the Negro American Labor Council in 1959.

He was instrumental in coordinating the 1963 March on Washington. It mobilized hundreds of thousands to hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Randolph urged African-Americans to take control of their destinies through Union membership.

“With a Union, they can approach their employers as proud and upright equals, not as trembling and bowing slaves,” he says. “Indeed, a solid Union contract is, in a very real sense, another Emancipation Proclamation.”

Randolph was relentless in his quest to grow and strengthen the Labor Movement. He was steadfast in his belief that workers could not simply rest on the accomplish-ments of their forefathers.

A. Philip Randolph died in 1979.

“In assessing Labor’s contribution to civil rights, it is not enough to measure how far we have come,” he says. “It is not enough to compare ourselves favorably with government or management. We must measure our achievements against the needs of our time.”

We can approach corporate executives as better-than-equals, “not as trembling, bowing slaves.” – Asa Philip Randolph



Shirtwaist Factory Fire Revisiting the Wreckage

It was 1911 and the Industrial Age was in full swing. Politi-cal tensions in Europe were building to the breaking point, a new fad called flying was sweeping the world, and innova-tions in technology such as radio, centralized electricity and the automobile were changing everyday life so fast that many struggled to keep pace.

In New York City, the sweatshop was still the cornerstone of the textile industry. Immigrant workers – mostly women between the ages of 13 and 20 – worked from 60 to 72 hours a week. Their weekly pay was less than ten dollars.

Sweatshop managers kept production costs down by keeping the workplaces unfurnished and low-tech. Dry textiles were stacked between the rows of sewing machines. Advances in electric lighting were ignored in favor of cheaper gas systems that had open flames and sooty fumes. Some workers were allowed to smoke in dangerous circumstances.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Company was no exception to these poor standards. Taking up the top three floors of the Asch Building just east of Washington Square, the factory employed 500 workers.

The Triangle Company was already infamous for its anti-Union stance. Following a citywide, four-month strike for bet-ter wages and working conditions by the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union in 1909, the Triangle Company was the only factory that refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement granting strike back-pay for its workers.

On March 25, 1911, the closing bell for the work day sounded at 4:45 p.m. Women had already stowed their supplies and were retrieving their coats to leave when someone on the eighth floor screamed, “Fire!” Among the rows of dyed tex-tiles, a fire had started and was spreading rapidly. Acrid smoke began to flood the air. Runners were sent to sound the alarm to the floors above. Most of the eighth and tenth floors were evacuated, but the alarm did not reach the ninth floor in time.

Two doors and an elevator provided the only exit on the ninth floor. One door was open, but fire was already blazing up the stairwell. The other door was kept locked, apparently to keep the workers from stealing material or taking unau-thorized breaks.

With stairways burning and the elevator malfunction-ing, hundreds of panicked seamstresses flooded to the flimsy fire escape on the outside of the building. Unfortunately, the escape was not built to evacuate hundreds of people at a time. It buckled and collapsed under the weight, sending the workers upon it to their deaths eight floors below.

From the moment they arrived, firefighters knew it was a losing battle. The open gas lines and store closets of dry textiles were spreading the fire quickly and their ladders only reached to the sixth floor.

Without hope of escape, many workers on the ninth floor broke out the windows and jumped to their deaths on the street below. Several people jumped down the elevator

shaft to a similar fate. A few lucky jumpers survived the fall and were taken to hospitals, but most of the workers stayed put amid the flames and waited for a rescue that never came. Greed cost one hundred and forty-six workers their lives in that fire.

Until 9-11, this was the worst workplace disaster in American history

The company’s owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, man-aged to escape to the roof and wait out the fire with most of the top-floor employees. They stood trial for fire-safety viola-tions later that year, but their lawyer managed to discredit several of the witnesses and won their acquittal.

As a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, state and na-tional workplace safety standards were signed into law that still remain in effect. The International Ladies’ Garment Work-ers’ Union gained remarkable strength and helped to reform the sweatshop conditions of the textile industry.

At the Metropolitan Opera, Rose Schneiderman says these words during a memorial rally for the Triangle Shirt-waist workers: “I can’t talk fellowship to you who are gathered here. Too much blood has been spilled. I know from my expe-rience it is up to the working people to save themselves. The only way they can save themselves is by a strong working-class movement.”

Three months after the fire, New York Gov. John Alden Dix signed a law creating the Factory Investigating Commission. Their job was to investigate specific aspects of the disas-ter and use the findings to improve the general workplace. Robert Wagner was one of the men in charge. Later, Wagner would be at the head of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Labor reform during the New Deal, including penning the National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act). Frances Perkins, who witnessed the fire in 1911, aided in the act’s cre-ation and served as Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor.

She became the first woman Cabinet member in history.


United Airlines

Alexander, Beverly B., DTWRR, 36 Yrs 8 MosAlmeida, Thomas S., HNLCG, 16 Yrs 5 MosAnderson, Leialoha F., HNLRR, 22 Yrs 8 MosBarajas, Juanita, DENJL, 10 Yrs 3 MosBode, Lynn A., EWRCS, 31 Yrs 0 MosBoi, Teresa L., CHIRR, 35 Yrs 8 MosBritton, Alessandra J., CHIRR, 18 Yrs11 MosBurkhart, Jean D., DENCS, 24 Yrs 1 MosCaf ferky, Judith L., ORDCS, 19 Yrs 5 MosCarson, Gregory L., DCACG, 20 Yrs 0 MosChristof ferson, William G., DENCS, 22 Yrs 4 MoCrooks, Wayne C., DFWOZ, 22 Yrs 6 MosCustodio, Julia M., SFOJE, 20 Yrs 7 MosDavis, Steven W., IADCG, 11 Yrs 8 MosDe Malteris, Carolyn, SNAOZ, 24 Yrs 9 MosDjordjevic, Nadezda, ORDJL, 16 Yrs 7 MosDocter, Tom C., MSPCG, 17 Yrs 8 MosDomaracki, Rose A., CHIRR, 40 Yrs11 MosEiteneier, Oscar, DENCG, 17 Yrs 10 MosEnglish-Nowak, Kathleen A., CLECS, 40 Yrs 9 MEspiritu, Nestor K., SFOCG, 12 Yrs 4 Mos Faung Jr, Albert J., SFOCG, 39 Yrs 5 MosFettig, Joseph M., PDXJL, 36 Yrs 4 MosFishell, Deborah L., CHIRR, 23 Yrs 7 MosFlieger, Joanne M., EWRCS,30 Yrs10 Mos

Flood, Kathleen T., LAXCS,18 Yrs 7 MosForster, Elizabeth J., SEACS,30 Yrs 10 MosFrykland, Mary Teresa, PDXJL, 13 Yrs 7 MosGaribaldi, Gino F., SFOCG, 14 Yrs 4 Mos

Gawrych, Patricia A., DTWRR, 20 Yrs 0 MosGimino, Sheila A., CHIRR, 23 Yrs10 MosGordius, William N., SEACG, 42 Yrs 6 MosGrant, Eugene A., DTWRR, 11 Yrs 7 MosGray, Lloyd, LASOZ, 13 Yrs 9 MosGreen, Geraldine E., BWICS, 33 Yrs 4 MosGrif fith, Stephen B., DENCG, 33 Yrs 7 MosGuillory, Sherrie I., HNLRR, 21 Yrs 8 MosHaag, Judy L., DTWRR, 21 Yrs 3 MosHesseltine, Allan L., DENCG, 24 Yrs 8 MosHighley, Karen A., IADCG, 20 Yrs 3 MosHolder, Christine E., ORDJL, 34 Yrs 5 MosHolmgren, Sara L., SEACS, 20 Yrs 2 MosHoward, Mae E., CHIRR, 30 Yrs 6 MosHutchison, Judith L., IADCG, 20 Yrs 4 MosImamura, Mie, SFOCS, 34 Yrs 9 MosJohnson Jr, Dennis, LAXCS, 11 Yrs 5 MosJohnson, Linda A., CHIRR, 35 Yrs 6 MosJohnson, Marianne E., SFOCS, 13 Yrs 3 MosJohnson, Steven D., PDXCS, 36 Yrs 7 MosJohnston, Edith A., HNLRR, 10 Yrs 9 MosKappeler, Anita M., DENCS, 10 Yrs10 MosKincannon, Pamela D., DENCS, 21 Yrs 1 MosKirkendoll Ogletree, Gail Y., DTWRR, 30 Yrs11 MLavillotti, Aldo, BOSCG, 40 Yrs10 MosLemee, Earl B., SANCG, 24 Yrs 8 MosLipford, Kinuko M., HNLCS, 20 Yrs 7 Mos

Lombardi, Dominic J., DENCG, 24 Yrs11 MosLutze, Carl W., DENCS, 21 Yrs 7 MosMaddamma, Franco, CLECG, 34 Yrs10 MosMarlin, John M., TPACG, 39 Yrs 5 MosMartin, Kevin A., ORDCG, 32 Yrs 8 MosMartinez, Helen J., ORDHF, 21 Yrs 10 MosMaszczak, Robert F., CHIRR, 17 Yrs 1 MosMatonti, Suzanne T., SEACS, 25 Yrs 7 MosMatsumoto, Kenneth, SNAOZ, 10 Yrs 3 MosMc Bride, Charla M., PITCS, 23 Yrs 5 MosMitchell, Junei, SEACS, 18 Yrs 0 MosMonteleone, Mary, ORDCS, 19 Yrs 10 MosMuhammad, Abdur R. S., SFOJE, 20 Yrs 9 MosMullins, Eleanor B., ORDCG, 21 Yrs 6 MosNader, Monina T., DCACS, 15 Yrs 7 MosNash, Domelynne K. Y., HNLRR, 29 Yrs 6 MosNelson, Anne Karin, LAXCS, 15 Yrs 8 MosO Brien, Laureen M., SEACS, 32 Yrs 10 MosOlsen, Keith A., SMFCG, 30 Yrs 9 MosOrr, Robert C., DTWRR, 18 Yrs 2 MosPeppers, Patricia J., CHIRR, 32 Yrs 1 MosPerdue, Martin, MIAOZ, 19 Yrs 4 MosPeters, Carol W., HNLRR, 30 Yrs 3 MosPlumberg, Debra L., DENCS, 21 Yrs 6 MosReynolds, Jane M., CHIRR, 30 Yrs 8 MosRodrigo, Rolando S., SFOJJ, 19 Yrs 9 MosRokicki, Debra L., BWICS, 34 Yrs 11 MosRoot, Elizabeth, ORDCS, 10 Yrs 2 MosSalim, Ildefonsa, SFOCG, 12 Yrs 4 MosSanai, Shahram, DENCG, 16 Yrs10 MosSandles, Tyiame J., DTWRR, 22 Yrs 8 MosSchuping, Mary J., IADCS, 10 Yrs 2 MosSmith, Lilia, LAXCG, 10 Yrs 11 MosSmith, Mildred A., ORDHF, 21 Yrs 7 MosStraub, Thomas A., SEACG, 35 Yrs 9 Mos

Strieby, Jerry, FSDOZ, 10 Yrs11 MosSuh, Kyung Hye, ORDCS, 21 Yrs11 MosSweeny, Janet M., DFWOZ, 33 Yrs 6 MosTactikos, Dennis, ORDCS, 21 Yrs 9 MosThorsby, Denice K., DTWRR, 15 Yrs 9 MosTudman, James D., IAHOZ, 30 Yrs 3 MosUrli, Oliver L., DTWRR, 40 Yrs 0 MosVann, Grady L., DCACG, 37 Yrs 7 MosVon Boeckmann, William, SANCG, 30 Yrs 8 MWhipple, Anthony B., DENJL, 11 Yrs 8 MosWhite, Felix, retiree, ORDFF 01/30/09Williams, Charles M., ATLCS, 37 Yrs 5 MosWilliams, Eltesia, CHIRR, 11 Yrs 2 MosWinter, Carol A., DCACS, 24 Yrs 3 MosWright, Sharon A., IADCS, 40 Yrs 4 MosZiesemer, Thomas N., DTWRR, 39 Yrs 8 Mos

ObituariesUnited Airlines

Adams, Paul, retiree, CLEFH 12/05/08 Akana Jr, Lincoln K, KOAOZ, 11/14/08Armstrong, Lori L., IADRR, 01/06/09Arnold, Alvin N., retiree, HNLCS 11/10/08Baker, Alma R., retiree, DCARR 01/28/09Ballentine, Edwin L., retiree, DENCG 11/11/08Barnes, Karl M., retiree, ORDCS 12/28/08 Beers, Ronald L., DTWRR, 01/30/09Bowie, Ralph L., retiree, SEACG 11/06/08Bradley, Thomas E., retiree, DTWCG 12/01/08 Brainer, David W., retiree, ORDFF 12/18/08 Brion, Larry S., retiree, BDLFF 11/30/08Burford, John B., retiree, LASOZ 01/12/09Cahill, Elaine, retiree, SEAFF 11/17/08Chapman, Linda M., DENCS, 01/26/09Church, James L., retiree, BWICG 01/02/09Clarke, James P., MIAOZ, 11/29/08Clif ford, A. B. B., retiree, DCARR 01/03/09Crimmins, Velma M., retiree, SEAHH 01/03/09De Ford, Daniel C., retiree, SFOCG 11/22/08

Dean, George W., retiree, DENCS 01/09/09Dunne, Frances E., retiree, CHIRR 10/22/08 Ehmke, Gary D., retiree, DENFF 12/20/08 Eitel, Van E., retiree, IADCG 11/25/08 Faustin, Jean Pierre G., ATLCG, 11/21/08Fidler, Jay L., retiree, SEARR 12/26/08 Fink, Leeroy W., retiree, IADCG 12/16/08 Fink, Russell A., retiree, JFKCG 01/06/09Folta, Paul A., retiree, ORDCG 01/05/09Gallagher, Charlotte E., PHLHH 11/30/08 Gonzalez, Maximo E., LGACG, 11/29/08Gray, Mary E., retiree, CHIRR 12/26/08 Greenlee, Mack J., retiree, EWRCG 12/19/08 Grif fith, Jack E., retiree, PDXFF 12/28/08 Hall, Leroy E., retiree, LAXFF 11/24/08Hartman, Donald L., retiree, SEARR 12/17/08 Kline, Herman R., retiree, CLECG 01/22/09Marolt, Arthur A., retiree, ORDFF 12/23/08 Matute, Joseph E., retiree, ORDCS 12/29/08 Meadows, Irene, retiree, ORDHN 12/14/08 Mikami, Kiyoto, retiree, SEAFF 12/20/08 Miyahara, Kazuo K., retiree, DENCG 11/11/08Moore, James G., retiree, FATOZ 01/17/09Murrell Jr, James M., retiree, TPACG 01/29/09

Noll, Bruce L., DENCG, 11/02/08Norcop, John H., retiree, SFORR 10/03/08O Neil, Eleanor I., retiree, LAXRR 12/22/08Peter, George H., retiree, JFKFF 01/15/09Pezo, Alcibiades L., retiree, SFOJE 12/28/08 Prybys, Jerome A., retiree, DTWCG 01/20/09Punche, M J., retiree, LAXCS 01/19/09Rodrigues, Henry R., retiree, SEAJL 12/07/08 Roy, Malcom B., retiree, IADRR 12/08/08 Saxton, Ray A., retiree, DENJL 12/31/08 Seikaly, Simon M., retiree, SLCCG 01/07/09Silinsky Jr, John, retiree, CLECG 11/23/08

Simpson, Lucille M., retiree, CHIRR 10/29/08 Snyder, Randy D., DENCG, 01/03/09Speedy, Yvonne W., retiree, ORDHN 11/27/08Tennyson, Gregory N., retiree, BURRR 12/07/08 Van Brocklin, Richard E., SFOCG 12/06/08 Vande Wetering, Hendrix, LAXHH 12/09/08 Vannoy, Glenn B., retiree, CLERR 01/23/09Waldorf, Roger D., retiree, PDXCS 01/03/09Walunas, George H., retiree, DENFF 10/18/08Wamser, Yoko, retiree, SFOCS 01/24/09Whelden, Lillian E., retiree, DTWRR 01/27/09Williams, Herbert H., retiree, ORDCG 09/29/08

REMEMBERRecent retirees

US Airways retirees and obituariesUS Airways was unable to meet press deadline for sup-

plying the names of Members who have retired or passed on. The Messenger will continue to solicit this information from the company for future publications. If US Airways supplies information on a timely basis, you’ll see it here.

Web listing retirees and obituariesBeginning this summer, iam141.org will list retirees and

obituaries under iam141.org > Member Services > Retirees.


COMMUNITYFood drive aids record numbers

Reflecting hard economic times, a monthly food drive program jointly sponsored at Locals 1781 and 1782 in San Francisco has never been busier.

“We are happy to help families and Members,” says Roberto Mendez, EAP Coordinator. At the same time, he feels sad when looking at the long lines of Members who are in need of help.

Local 1782 Member Francie Patchel, who organizes truck-ing, volunteers, packaging, and food pick up, manages to greet Members with a smile. Some 13,000 pounds of food is distributed each month.

People think of EAP as a drug and alcohol program, but Patchel points out it is that and much more, “This part of the EAP program helps Members stretch out meals for several more days on a tight budget.”

The number of EAP coordinators who have joined the EAP program —in San Francisco PCE alone— has quadrupled over a three year period, from 2006 to 2009.

iam141.org/eap

WELLNESSIf your loved one is an alcoholic ...

... there are things that you can do to help.

Remember that alcoholism is an illness. It’s not a disgrace. Recovery can happen, just as in any other illness.

It is important not to nag. Chances are that your loved one already knows everything you could say. They’ll take just so much, and tune out. You do not want to pressure an alco-holic into a lie or forced promises that cannot be kept.

Never assume a “holier than thou,” martyr attitude. It is possible to create this impression without saying a word. An alcoholic’s sensitivity is such that he or she judges other people’s attitudes more by small things than by words.

Alcoholic drinking is compulsive and cannot be con-trolled by will power, so it is important that you do not use the “if you loved me” appeal. It only increases guilt. It’s like saying, “If you loved me, you would not have cancer.”

Never make threats unless you think them through care-fully and intend to follow through. There may be times when action is necessary, i.e. to protect children. Idle threats only make the alcoholic feel you don’t mean what you say.

There is often a temptation to hide or dispose of liquor. This is not effective. An alcoholic will find new sources.

An alcoholic will sometimes attempt to persuade you to drink with him or her on the grounds that it will make the alcoholic drink less. It rarely does. Besides, when you condone drinking, an alcoholic will usually delay getting help.

Don’t be jealous of recovery methods. The tendency is to think that love of home and family is enough. Frequently, the motivation of regaining self-respect is more compelling for the alcoholic than resumption of family responsibilities.

Avoid feeling left out when the alcoholic turns to other people for help in staying sober. You wouldn’t be jealous of the doctor if someone needs medical care.

Keep your expectations realistic. There may be relapses and times of tension and resentment. Don’t expect an imme-diate 100 percent recovery.

One of the quickest ways to push a recovering alcoholic into a relapse is to try to protect them from drinking situa-tions. It can stir up old feelings of resentment and inadequacy. Saying “no” gracefully is something a recovering alcoholic must learn for himself or herself. Don’t remove a problem be-fore the alcoholic can face it, solve it, or suffer consequences.

Rudy Asuncion – EAP Director, District 141, (773) 601-4977 Jeffrey E. Randolph – Chairperson, US Airways, 904-556-1110 Al Abromitis – Chairperson, United Airlines, (703) 331-0818

iam141.org > Member Services > Employee Assistance

Employee Assistance Program West Coast Coordinator Roberto Mendez plans food distribution for Members in need with peer Francie Patchel.

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What is the biggest issue forMembers? – Your answers

President: Business’ doublestandard; Negotiations – Delaney

Treasurer: Greed marries stupidity;Dues adjustment at United – Atkinson

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DL141 Messenger Spring 2009