This week's episode finds Lou Gilmore again at The William Winpinsinger Center for Education and Technology.  As a train-the-trainer class student, the students were assigned a project to give a 20-minute presentation.  Lou decided to skip the traditional PowerPoint style and record an episode on the importance of the Duty of Fair Representation.  Having LL 1781 President Tony Parker and DL142 General Chair Carrie Lessley as guests helped to lighten the atmosphere around what can sometimes be a controversial topic. This episode will equip our stewards with the necessary tools to represent our members fairly.   

Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

This week's episode is about the excitement around the new tentative (TA) agreement for our members at United Airlines. Cohost Lou Gilmore had the opportunity to talk with non-other than Brother Faysal Silwany, who is on the ramp committee In EWR and on the current negotiating team for United.  Details of the new language proposals and the nuances of this extension were discussed, as well as some history behind the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which governs unified labor in the transportation sector. This episode contains information that United members can use to make the best decision when casting their vote on this TA. 

Voting Begins on Monday, April 24th at 12 am Eastern, closes on May 1st at 6 pm Eastern, and will be electronic through Ballotpoint.  Members will receive their PINs with instructions through US mail.  

Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

In this week's episode, cohost Lou Gilmore has the opportunity to interview his local Lodge President, Helena Thornton.  This episode is very near and dear to Lou Gilmore as some of his journeys within the IAM and District 141 are revealed.  Conversations about Helena's history of involvement within the IAM and becoming the first woman president of Local Lodge 1725 of Charlotte, NC.  President Thornton also encourages all our women in this organization to get involved and lead front the front. 

Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

In this episode, Brian and Lou are excited to report on the Agreement in Principle that the negotiations team was able to bring to our members.  They discuss some of the pay increases that this agreement will bring and, most importantly, the job protections that will have a positive impact on 17 out stations that will save over 700 jobs.  We encourage all our members at United to read the agreement in full and ask any questions for clarification. 


Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

In this episode, cohosts Brian Vega and Lou Gilmore team up to talk with District 141 Safety Coordinator Daniel Fumar and Local Lodge 1781 Safety Coordinator Greg Kantarjian from Sanfransico (SFO).  Topics included the recent power outages in SFO, the safety concerns arising from the loss of power, and the importance of having local and district-level safety advocates. This episode also tested the adaptability of our District 141 media and communications team as they were recording remotely from different locations and the complications that can arise with that; however, that Fighting Machinists spirit prevailed and produced an episode packed with safety information for our members.    

Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

In this week's episode, the creators' Brian, Eric, and Lou, engage in a lighthearted conversation on morning affirmations that transcended into an entire episode on our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  The work of the District 141 EAP team is nothing less than stellar, and we encourage all of our members to take advantage of all the resources that our EAP program has.  For all our EAP resources, you can find them at https://iam141.org/141eap/.

Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of the District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

While in class at the William W Winpinsinger Center for Education and Technology in Hollywood, Maryland, Cohost Lou Gilmore meets two first-time students. Carlos Vazquez from United Airlines and Joseph Dutkey from American Airlines.  These two young machinists share how they got involved with the union and what skills they hope to learn to serve our membership better.  This episode shows how all machinists have a first day, whether in a class at the center or the first day on the job, and the importance of including our new members so they can get involved in union activism. 

Credits:

Guests: Carlos Vasquez UA Global Services, Joseph Dutkey AA Ramp Operations.

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists 141Connections is a product of the District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

In this week’s episode, Cohost Lou Gilmore is on sight at Local Lodge 1725’s Shop Steward Training in Charlotte, NC, for AA Fleet Service and has the opportunity to interview Mike Knoble, the Grievance Committee Chair for Charlotte’s Fleet Service Members. Topics of Union Density, EAP work, mentorship within the Union, and what they do to decompress from the stresses that can come with being a union activist. Mike and Lou share details of the rich history of Local Lodge 1725 and how they were both in the same hiring class as legacy US Airways employees. Overall this episode shows how the bonds of brotherhood can extend beyond the shop floor.

Credits:

Guests: Micheal Knoble, AA Fleet Service Grievance Committee Chair LL1725 Charlotte NC.

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists Connections is a product of the District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

In this episode, the hosts look to the future and discuss what the merged company's outsourcing strategy may look like moving forward. They will discuss the impacts that outsourcing at a merged JetBlue could have in ongoing contract negotiations at other airlines. 

Credits:
Hosts: Eric Price, Brian Vega, Lou Gilmore.

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support, and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Machinists 141 Connections is a product of the District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

The LEADS Program is a mentorship program the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers uses to bring more women into leadership positions within the union. In this episode, we look at the program from the perspective of two Mentees, Sisters Ashante Marzette and Patricia Amoa-Devoux.  We also include an insightful view of the program by AGC Terry Stansbury. Terry long ago established herself as someone with little patience with the glass ceiling. Here, she gives a detailed account of her path to leadership as a woman and how she has no plans to be the last female in leadership at the IAMAW.

Show Notes
Labor Crossroads Episode 1: The LEADS Program

Key Stops:

00:00 – Introduction to the LEADS Program
01:25 – Ashante Marzette

05:12 – Patricia Amoa Devoux
08:07 – Terry Stansbury

21:25 – Final Notes, why we’re doing this podcast

 Credits:

Producers: Brian Vega, Sound Engineer, Lou Gilmore, tech support and editing. Ann Clifford, Crosscheck.

Funding from Alex Gerulis, and Oversight by Mike Klemm. 

Labor Crossroads is a product of the District 141 of the International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 141 Media Department. 

Intro Music: BACKING TRACK CROSSROAD BLUES IN A: Artist: No Music, No Life (Creative Commons)
Outro Music: Texas by Texas Brother (Licensed)