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December 24, 2022
To the Local 591 Membership:
On behalf of the entire Local 591 Executive Board, I would like to wish each of you and your families a Merry Christmas, a Happy and Healthy New Year, and a Joyous Holiday Season. After the past very difficult years that we endured with the pandemic, I do hope that during this Holiday Season, you will have an opportunity to enjoy the company of those who matter most; that being your friends and family.
Inside our Local, this year has been quite a year for growth. As a result of our contractual requirements, we welcomed over 500 new Members around the system into our Local. With this growth, we are back above where we were Membership size wise before the start of the pandemic and the early out retirements. This is very positive news for many, especially in the more senior stations, where in the past the seniority needed to get to a more desirable shift has improved dramatically and gone down in a few short years.
This year also saw our Local elections, and the results have proven to be a very unified Executive Board who are not going to back down from any challenges. Our desire continues to be to give our Members the best representation possible. With that in mind, we are quickly approaching the third-year mark of our five-year agreement. On the topic of contracts, I recently received a number of questions regarding the United Airlines Mechanics tentative agreement, and their recent slight boost in wages over us. From my perspective, I do believe that contract missed the mark money-wise, especially when you take into account the rate of inflation we have all been experiencing. Even with our own contract, with current inflation above 7% this year, our annual 2% pay raises mean our spending power is losing ground annually. So, while United has proposed to increase Mechanics wages, and that’s a good thing, as a Membership, and even more so as a profession, our focused mindset as we approach the next round of bargaining must include the reality that inflation has had a direct and negative impact what our paychecks can afford to buy. We must set our demands based on not just industry trends, but also inflationary trends, and this is one area your Executive Board is completely aligned on.
I also want to thank our Chairmen, Chairwomen, Coordinators, and all of our Stewards for the incredible work they have done for our Membership this past year. Without these dedicated representatives on the floor, our Executive Board and our Local could not be successful. The Membership often does not see the work that they accomplish unless it has a direct impact on them personally. I get to see the work that is being done from a nationwide perspective, and I can’t thank them enough for keeping the Membership well represented and most importantly safe.
Finally, safety is paramount while you enjoy the Holiday Season, and even more so with the amount of inclement weather we are experiencing across the country this week. It is a fact that workplace accidents increase around the Holidays, mostly due to the increase in personal distractions. Therefore, please make sure that you are always in a safe place on the job so you will make it home to the ones that matter most.
Fraternally and wishing you and yours the very best,
Gary Schaible
TWU Local 591 President
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