General Vice President Bob Martinez recently came to Dothan, AL to walk the picket lines with locked-out members of LL 1632. He also spoke to the press. Here's an article from the Dothan paper:
Reprinted from the Dothan Eagle, 9/21/05
Union Vice President awaiting fair contract “with no concessions”
Debbie Ingram
Business Editor
A “realistic” proposal. That’s what Local 1632 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers say they are awaiting from their employer, on this, the 42nd day of a lockout at Pemco World Air Services.
"They need to give us a meaningful proposal,” said Bob Martinez, general vice president for the Southern Territory of the IAM. “The contract has to be reasonable.
That, Martinez said, relates to a variety of issues such as insurance premiums, subcontract work, pensions and wages.
Martinez, from the IAM’s Dallas office came to Dothan this week to reiterate to Pemco management that he union will not settle for anything less than “a fair and decent contract with no concessions.”
Martinez also visited with local businesses which have supported the union membership and offered support to members of the local lodge’s negotiations team, which includes Steve Pridgen and Billy Blackmon.
“Billy and Steve have provided a tremendous amount of leadership through these negotiations,” Martinez said. “The International stands one hundred percent behind them and with them in their lockout status with this company. This is something this membership believes strongly in. Not one union member has crossed that line in 40 days. They all believe in each other.
Talks between Pemco and union negotiators broke off last week. The two sides met for the first time this month last Monday through Saturday, with a brief reprieve on Friday; union members gave Pemco negotiators a blanket rejection of company proposals last Friday morning.
On Saturday night the federal mediator called off talks, giving both sides a chance to reevaluate their positions. From those talks, union spokesman Bob Wood said the news was “there was movement on both sides.”
But nowhere near enough. “We want a resolution,” Martinez said. “But it has to be fair. We will not vote on a substandard contract. If there is not a considerable change (in what’s already proposed), the negotiating committee is under no obligation to take it back to our membership for a vote.”
As far as when the lockout ends and when the approximate 200 union workers go back to work, will be “negotiated by the two parties at the table,” Martinez said. “Ratifying (a contract) will be decided by the membership and the membership only.”
With newspaper article written about contract negotiations and the lockout spread out before him, Martinez blasted Pemco President Ray Bennett for an earlier comment in which Bennett expressed frustrations over the talks. “They are not really serious,” Bennett said in referring to the union’s negotiations.
“Let me assure you,” Martinez said, his voice raised, “I am very serious about the responsibility I have for 220 working families out on the street – without employment, locked out by his company. I find his comment very offensive. We take this very serious. Our families are impacted a great deal by their lockout.”
Over the last two months, both sides have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the other side is not bargaining in good faith. Pemco’s complaint also alleges that the union has failed to address certain issues.
“We’ve addressed every issue numerous times, trying to find an agreement where we cannot come to a resolution,” Martinez said. “We are ready and willing to negotiate. Every day. We stand ready and willing to negotiate.”
Four days prior to the Aug. 11 lockout, union members voted unanimously to strike after rejecting the company’s last offer.
Martinez said there are 735,000 active IAM members who are dues-paying.
