A HERO'S HOMECOMING

The story you are about to read actually happened. You can't make up this kind of stuff.

Sometime prior to 9/11/01, there was a ramp worker at Northwest Airlines who worked in La Guardia, NY. His name was Bernie. He came to work and did his job to the best of his ability each and every day. One winter evening, during a shift Bernie was working, a US Air flight ran off the runway and into the icy waters nearby. Bernie, along with a number of other airport workers, responded swiftly to the accident, dove into the freezing water and assisted in rescuing a number of passengers by bringing them safely to land. Bernie never thought himself a hero, but in fact he was.

Northwest Airlines also recognized his act of heroism and later presented him with the "President's Award," the highest honor bestowed upon an employee of the company. Within a brief period of time, however, Bernie the hero was fired by NWA. They accused him, as well as two other coworkers, of the most serious terminable offense a company could charge you with.

Bernie, along with the others, filed a grievance with their union, the IAM, to fight their unjust terminations. The union processed it to arbitration. Sadly, Bernie had a heart attack just prior to the hearing date and died.

At this point, Bernie's grievance could have been withdrawn and the incident quickly forgotten. Bernie was single. He was never married nor did he have any children. His parents were both deceased and he, in fact, had only one sister and brother living somewhere in the state of New York, address unknown.

The IAM reviewed the facts of this case and saw the glaring inconsistencies, unsubstantiated charges and gaping holes in the company's case. The IAM proceeded with the case for all three grievants, two living and one deceased, before arbitrator Jack Flagler.

The union asked Mr. Flagler for a bit of latitude to present its case with one of the grievants not able to testify on his behalf nor able to be cross-examined by company counsel.

The company presented their case basically through the coworker who made the initial allegations of wrongdoing. He was not credible and got caught lying on the witness stand by the arbitrator.

In the end, all three were exonerated and won their grievances. The two living grievants returned to work, and all three were awarded back pay and benefits denied them during their wrongful termination. Bernie's good name was restored.

Arbitrator Flagler said, in his 40 years of experience, he has never known a case where the union represented a deceased union member in an arbitration hearing. It took the union nearly three months to track down one of Bernie's two living family members, But the sister was found and she received a check from NWA for nearly $25,000.

This story is not only about justice and restoring the good name of an employee dreadfully wronged, it is also the story of a union, the IAM, that went the extra mile for the people it represents.

It's a story to make you think, who will be there for you when you're virtually alone to face corporate injustice. This story is also true. I know firsthand - I was the union representative who presented this case. I'm also proud and honored to have had the opportunity to help restore Bernie's good name.

While I can't vouch for this part of the story as 100% true I do believe in my heart that upon Bernie's passing, he truly received a hero's welcome home and that he appreciated our efforts on behalf of his sister.

Al Wojcik

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org

PRESERVE YOUR VOICE AND VOTE

Without a union, there very simply is no democracy in the workplace. Any good idea you have, any change you want to make, any improvement in your work life you may desire is subject to the mood of a manager.

The Union is the voice of the worker - It is your voice.

Don't like your rep? Vote for someone else, or run for the job yourself. Want to see a change in your contract? Submit a proposal that fits your vision. Think your Union should take a position on an issue? Simply go to a meeting and voice your opinion.

Want to make a change at work? Use the power of your Union. There is no other government-sanctioned, legally enforceable was in the USA for us as workers to have democracy in the workplace. Without the Union, the workplace is a dictatorship.

And that's the way the company would prefer it. If the merger is approved, Delta will pour every resource imaginable into defeating workplace rights.

Brave men and women fought and some died for our ability to simply have a vote and a voice in the workplace. Our right to be Union is protected by federal law.

Do you want to lose your contract and pension? Do you want to lose your ability to vote on wages and benefits? Then stand up and protect your rights!

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org

THE SELDOM PRAISED GRIEVANCE PROCESS

You have all heard over and over the benfits of a legally binding Collective Bargaining Agreement like our COFPS Gray Book and ESSC Black Book. These two agreements are full of benefits that you utilize on a daily basis, sometimes without you even knowing it. But how many of you have actually looked up or thought about the seldom praised grievance process - a union's greatest benefit.

Consider this: Jane Doe is coming back to work after being out on a medical. She hears from some of her work friends that there is going to be a station bid on job assignments. She shows up to said bid with her return-to-work paperwork signed by her doctor. She is told she cannot bid because she won't be back to work until after the new bid starts. Jane goes down to the shop committee office and files a grievance. At step-one she wins her grievance, leaving two choices for the company - a re bid or mirror Jane Doe into a line she can hold with her seniority. This is what the grievance process is for.

You have all heard of or experienced problems like this were the IAM member has "right" on their side and the comany is dead wrong. Without a grievance process there is no step-one, step-two or arbitration; there is no dispute settlement or resolution, and there is definitely no justice! Keep Your Say, Keep Your Union!

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org