..................... 25 year United Airline Employee ..........................15 of that Union Strong,
My union was voted in back when United Airlines had a "A" pay scale and a "C" pay scale, which meant depending on when you were hired you would never have the chance to make what the "A" scale person made but did the same work. Hence a vote for Union Representation and they were voted in a over-whelming majority because even the "A" scale people knew this wasnt right and also wanted to see what else the union could get them. Let's face it, you could have a great job with great benefits but not everyone would be happy.
So the union came in and pumped their chest and even got the 'A' scale people a $7 an hour raise since we had not had a raise in about 4 years. So back in 1999, my 10th year with the company with my new Union contract i made $27 an hour and the ''C'' scale person was now on ''A'' scale pay also, so after 10 years with the company they were at that rate too. When i left my job in November of 2013 because my station i worked in was "OUTSOURCED'' i would of been making, under our brand new contract .......... take a guess .......... go ahead and guess................ $27 an hour, yep same rate as 1999 and now we have to pay for medical benefits which before we did not. So after 15 years what did they get me? How's that for Union Strong? Since joining the IAM 141 i received 1 pay raise and 4 or 5 paycuts. We went thru 9/11 and a ugly bankruptcy also each time taking cuts and then more cuts. On the other hand, if we did not have the Union in our corner, would we of lost a whole lot more??? It was a ugly double edged sword. In that period from 1999 to 2013 my Union dues went up 6 different times, and my pay went down 4 or 5 different times. Wasnt that nice of my "UNION". Oh yeah, and guess what, ...... take a guess at what "MY UNION" was negotiating when my job was outsourced??? They were trying to bring back ''C'' scale pay.
IDIOTS!!! They were trying to bring back the very same thing that got them voted in. The "C" scale person would work for $10-$12ish dollars an hour and also have to pay for medical benefits, tubos in lieu of oír jobs being outsourced. The Union said they were trying to save jobs, we all said their trying to protect their Union dues income. So as the committee person for my Harrisburg station when presented with this option, one question i asked, well how much less are our Union dues at less than half the rate if pay??? and take a guess what they said........... go ahead and guess ................ go ahead, .............. u got it, Union dues stayed the same at $70 a month because if we wanted to we could sell our homes, uproot our families and transfer to another station where United Mainline employees still worked and had the chance to make the $27 an hour, even tho in the "OUTSOURCED" station we would only be making $12.
Before the Union, $20 an hour was top rate, but we had 7 weeks vacation, 1 week of personal holidays, paid sick leave which was accrued 8 hours a month to a max of 1000 hours of paid sick time (roughly 125 paid days sick time if it was needed and justified), Birthday off, and 100pct paid medical, along with 2 pair of steel toe shoes/boots a year, to name a few.
After 15 years of Union Strong i would be at if still there $27 an hour which i was at that back in 1999 also, still 7 weeks vacation, still 1 week of personal holidays, the same sick leave, birthday off, but if i wanted the same medical benefit i had up until this new contract it would now cost me between $400-$500 a month, and now 1 pair of steel toe shoes/boots a year. So i ask, after 25 years with the same company, 15 of those Union Strong (IAM 141) was i any better off???
