Continental
Organizing Page

1.   Did your work group have to give wage concessions recently?

The flight attendant’s portion of the 500 million dollars the Continental employees gave up in the way of concessions was 72 million dollars.  While the flight attendants did in fact give 72 million dollars in concessions, they did not take concessions from the base wage rate.  They maintained their base pay scale and in fact increased their top pay rate at the end of the collective bargaining agreement.

2.  What will happen to your job in case of a merger? 

IAM will do what they can to protect your job and your seniority. See our Merger Watch page for the latest on merger news.

3.   I have already signed a card from the Teamsters.  Can I sign another card from the IAM?

Yes, you can sign A cards for more than one Union.   The Railway Labor Act designates the National Mediation Board (NMB) to set the rules and administer the process for employees to choose union representation. Employees must first circulate authorization cards (A-cards) and return the signed and dated cards to the union. A-cards are good for one year from the date of signing. The cards or their signers are not disclosed to the company at any time.

Employees must gather sufficient cards from their classification (system-wide) before the union can use them to petition the NMB. When the union submits the cards, the NMB checks them by validating the signatures, dates, and status of the employees.

4.   Is the S.E.P. (Stores Employee Policy) a valid contract?

No, this is a company policy or employee handbook.  The IAM's primary role is to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or contracts, with employers. Agreements are legal documents that establish wages, shifts, working conditions and benefits for all workers under its jurisdiction. Once negotiated, the IAM enforces the agreement by representing members having day-to-day problems with management; problems such as discipline, work rule or seniority violations, harassment, or discrimination. The IAM also addresses issues such as workplace safety and community services.

5.    If we merge with United Airlines or any other airline, will we have enough time to get certified?

If this campaign continue to move quickly we will have time for a certification election, but time is of the essence. The sooner you sign a card the sooner we can protect your rights. On US Airways we had to go through a nasty certification process and it only benefited the company at the time. We eventually were successful but it took much longer than it could have.)

6.   What is the NMB and what is its function?

The National mediation Board (NMB) is the government agency that conducts union representation elections for airline workers. In order to apply for an election, the IAM must show sufficient interest  from a company's employees. This is done through the use of signed Authorization Cards.  If the NMB determines that the union submitted enough valid cards and an election is necessary, they will schedule one. Only employees who were part of the craft or class at the time the union submitted the cards to the NMB are eligible to vote. The representation election process normally takes less than 90 days, concluding with a telephone or Internet election. All correspondence is secret and handled only by the NMB and the US Postal Service.

After the close of the election period, the NMB tallies the votes. If a majority (50% + 1) of the eligible voters cast votes, the Board certifies the union receiving the majority of votes as the bargaining agent for the entire employee group. 

7.  What do our union dues go for?

Dues pay for all the operating expenses of the union, including contract negotiations, grievance handling, and arbitration. In addition, dues cover the cost of union publications, legislative activities on your behalf, the IAM's William Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, community service programs and many other member services.

8.  Who can I call if I have questions about the union?

There are different resources available.  You can email your questions at www.iamdl142.org/Co_Stores.htm or call 1-800-998-3554 to speak to an IAM representative.

9.   Would we have to strike if the flight attendants strike?

In the IAM, strikes are a last resort, used only when all other means of reaching an agreement fail. The IAM negotiates more than 99% of its contracts without a strike.  In the IAM, you can't go on strike unless you and your fellow members vote to do so. Strike approval requires a two-thirds majority vote of the membership in a secret ballot election.

10.  What's the difference between an Employee Involvement Team and the IAM?

Companies use Employee Involvement Teams (EIT's) and similar Employee Roundtables to avoid unions. By design, they give well-meaning employees the illusion of representation. Management prefers EIT's because management retains control over your working life. In the IAM, you have an independent voice. You get experienced, professional representation at the bargaining table whose job is to protect your interests.

11.   If Continental Airlines takes over Untied, for example, will we have the advantage even if we do not have a union?

Absolutely not, the stores employees at United have a contract that is binding and the employees at continental do not. The united stores employees have language in the contract that protects them for that exact situation. This why it is so important that Continental Stores employees get themselves organized and in a Collective Bargaining Agreement (Contract) that protects there rights.