New Members at Doss Aviation Get a New Contract
A dozen new members at Doss Aviation, employed at Fort Lewis and the Yakima Training facilities in Washington state, have accepted their first collective bargaining agreement. The workers, who perform fueling services at the two facilities under the Service Contract Act, voted overwhelmingly to join the IAM last September.
Organizer Jesse Cote, of District 751, coordinated the organizing effort, which began when the new members heard about a good contract that was achieved by IAM members employed by Doss at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana. Brother Cote responded to the Ft Lewis workers, and guided the process through to the successful conclusion. Jesse Cote said, "these workers perform a vital function for our military and Doss is unable to help them because of the way the rules of Service Contract works. I contacted GLR Kevin Cummings, who negotiated the Malmstrom contract, and he met with this group and negotiated this contract for them. These workers are very happy with what the IAM delivered to them."
This first SCA contract with Doss Aviation expires on Oct 1 of 2011, and the group gets a raise of 4.25% this year and 4.0% next. They get the IAM pension plan ($1.00 this year, with an additional $0.25 next). They get an improved vacation schedule, increases in the H&W benefit, as well as gains in stand-by language, shift premiums, and call-in pay. GLR Kevin Cummings said, "It is exciting to know that word of how the IAM is servicing our members in Great Falls, Montana makes people want to join. Because of how we were able to deliver a quality contract to members at Malmstrom, we were able to gain new units at Minot in North Dakota, and now this group at Fort Lewis. Everything we do is interlinked, when we deliver on the promise of quality representation and good contracts, people want to be a part of it."
Special thanks must be given to Dan Kautzman, the new steward at the facility who joined the negotiation committee, who did a fantastic job. We are proud of this group for standing up and saying "Union Yes" and for what they do every day that helps keep this country strong.
