ISSUE 7
SPRING 2016
WWW.ENVOYAGENTS.ORG
WHAT’S OUR WORTH?
On Wednesday February 23rd, the
48 Envoy agents that were elected to
serve on the CWA Advisory Council
met in Dallas, TX. The meeting was
focused on how to come together and
build a stronger union, and the role
that all members will play during the
bargaining a first contract. The first
step in negotiations with the company
was to elect a bargaining team that
will represent Envoy Agents at the
negotiating table.
The Council elected Bryce Rea, Janet
Padgett and Chris Haight to be this
team, while Michelle Charleston, Colin
Yates and James McKnight will serve
as alternates. To ensure there would be
diversity among the representatives,
one of the representatives was elected
from a hub station, while the remaining
Bargaining team members and alternates (Left two were elected from regional stations.
to right): Michelle Charleston (Alternate) Bryce Bargaining with Envoy airlines is
Rea, Colin Yates (Alternate), Janet Padgett, expected to begin in April.
Chris Haight, James McKnight (Alternate)
LET THE BARGAINING TEAM KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO YOU: It’s not too late to fill out
a bargaining survey! Go to www.ENVOYAGENTS.org to complete a survey today!
ENVOY AGENTS BENEFIT FROM PROPER TRAINING
of the ordeal they had experienced.
If these are the roadblocks you put in
place of agents who want training, you
are obviously not interested in training
your workforce.
By Brinin Behrend, EYW and
James McKnight, MIA
Thorough training is a critical part
of learning your job as a passenger
service agent. Unfortunately, the
company’s approach ensures that
many agents don’t receive adequate
training, leaving those that are trained
overworked and understaffed.
When new employees are hired, they
can often go months without attending
training, which limits what they are
able to do on the job and puts a burden
on other employees to get them up to
speed. It also means that the senior
agents who have received training are
forced to work overtime, because the
station has an operational need and
there aren’t enough trained staff. This
hurts morale and creates divisions
within the crew, since often only a few
agents can perform certain functions
and more senior people are forced to
do the majority of the work.
Brinin Behrend, EYW and
James McKnight, MIA
How do so many new employees go
without training? Most agents want
to attend training after being hired,
but the company makes it a very
difficult process. They are expected to
travel to the training themselves and
provide their own lodging, and then
wait for reimbursements that might
arrive months later. Even for those
who overcame these obstacles and
attend the training, they come back
demoralized and are much less likely to
recommend training to others because
The company seems to have taken
the approach that low pay and high
turnover are a given, ignoring the
possibility that better trained employees
and higher pay would reduce turnover
and help the company in the long run.
These issues are complicated and way
larger than our individual stations, and
that is why changes to these policies
must be made collectively. There
comes a point where enough is enough
and individuals bargaining with our
managers makes no difference. Having
a union allows our voice to be heard in
these decisions, and means we don’t
need to count on the company to do
the right thing for agents and the safety
of our passengers.
QUESTION CORNER:
WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE ENVOY AGENT ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING?
The 2 day meeting was very
uplifting and empowering. I
brought back the mindset that
it’s no longer just myself. In
order for us to be successful
and make real meaningful
change in the workplace it
takes all of us united. We are
the union.
Martha Chentis, ORD
The biggest revelation for me
– the thing I’m really taking
back to everyone at DFW –
is that the union is a body,
a group of people working
together.
A few people
can’t make the changes that
we need – it takes all of us
working together. Somehow
we have to make this real to
every agent.
The union is you! You are the
union. We don’t want to bring
each other down, we want to
UNITE and bring each other up
to the same level.
Benny Dominguez, AMA
I learned that I qualify for public
assistance. As funny as that
may sound, I think American
should be embarrassed to
pay their employees poverty
wages.
We need to work
together to remedy that.
Michael Oliva, LBB
Shana Shaw, DFW
I started to learn about how
you make improvements. I’m
getting an idea how much you
can do just through unity, that
even small actions can make
a difference if we do them
together.
We learned what it takes to
build strength as a group of
agents, and the next steps of
being an active part of the
union. The key thing is to work
hard to get what we want.
I let my fellow agents know
that we no longer have to
take mistreatment from the
company -hopefully a
temporary grievance procedure
will be in effect by May. I also
let my co workers know that if
we are outrageously abused by
a passenger, a federal law to
protect us is in the works and
the airline unions are working
to make sure the law passes.
Mary Wallace, HOU
Seretse Payne, LGA
Alphonzo Dandridge Jr, MEM
I was very impressed at how
everything was clearly a
Democratic Process. Everything
was discussed among the
Council members and voted on.
I walked away with a realization
that it didn’t matter if you
worked at a little outstation or
a hub, there was a recurring
theme of management making
up their own work rules.
Wayne Schwark, GRB
WHAT’S YOUR WORTH?
Starting July 1 all workers at the airport
will receive a wage of at least $12 an
hour….We do not oppose. We will not
terminate an agreement with any of our
contractors if they elect to organize or
if employees elect to organize... That’s a
new commitment that American and the
other airlines are making.
GLOBAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY PROFITS
(IN BILLIONS)
-Michael Minerva of American Airlines,
ABC-6 News, 6/11/2015
Too many agents have to work over 60
hours a week just to make ends meet.
Given the company’s resources, this
isn’t right. A corporation that makes 1.5
BILLION dollars each quarter in profits
has run out of excuses for paying a wage
that qualifies its workers for food stamps.
- Shannon Kitchen, BPT
SOURCE: IATA
LEGISLATIVE CORNER
AIRPORT RAGE AMENDMENT ADDED TO FAA AUTHORIZATION BILL
Last month, The Transportation Committee in the House of Representatives approved an
amendment that would provide for substantial penalties and imprisonment for anyone that
assaults or interferes with the duties of an airline passenger agent. For years now federal law
has provided for stiff penalties and prison time for anyone that either assaults or interferes
with a flight attendant or pilot while performing their duties. With repeated concerns coming
from agents about assaults and other aggressive behavior from passengers, it is time that the
same penalties apply to assault of agents. Just this month a passenger at RSW jumped over the
counter and struck an Envoy agent, reminding us of the need for this legislation. CWA’s airline
members fought for this amendment showing the power we have when we work together for
a common goal.