Please visit this page often as we will update it based on the misinformation we are hearing out in the field, and to inform you, so you can make an educated choice on unionization.
if we unionize will we still be able to drop and pick up hours like we currently do?
YES. EVERY IAM UNION CONTRACT PROTECTS IAM MEMBERS RIGHT TO TRADE HOURS. IN FACT, IN MANY OF THE CONTRACTS THE TRADING RIGHTS ARE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS AT JETBLUE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE AMERICAN AIRLINES RAMP CONTRACT ALLOWS RAMP WORKERS TO TRADE OFF 64 TIMES IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. UNDER THE AMERICAN CONTRACT RAMP WORKERS CAN TRADE OFF 3 MONTHS IN A ROW. THAT'S MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THE CURRENT JETBLUE SYSTEM AND IT'S A CONTRACTUAL RIGHT THAT CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY. AT JETBLUE, MANAGEMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE TRADING POLICY AT ANYTIME AND FOR ANY REASON. THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND ANOTHER REASON TO UNIONIZE AND LOCK IN OUR BENEFITS WITH A UNION CONTRACT.
MANY CREWMEMBERS IN SMALLER LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN THREATENED BY MANAGEMENT, CLAIMING THAT IF WE UNIONIZE THE SMALLER LOCATIONS WILL BE OUTSOURCED. IS THAT TRUE?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! IT IS ILLEGAL FOR JETBLUE MANAGEMENT TO RETALIATE AGAINST US FOR UNIONIZING. JETBLUE MANAGEMENT CANNOT TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM GO CREWMEMBERS AS A PUNISHMENT FOR UNIONIZING, INCLUDING OUTSOURCING OUR WORK. IF JETBLUE ATTEMPTED TO RETALIATE AGAINST CREWMEMBERS FOR UNIONIZING, THE IAM WOULD TAKE LEGAL ACTION TO ENSURE GO CREWMEMBERS' FEDERAL RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED.
THE FACT IS, RIGHT NOW, JETBLUE MANAGEMENT CAN OUTSOURCE ANY STATION OR ANY JOB FOR ANY REASON, OR NO REASON. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THEM DO THIS IN SOME LOCATIONS, LIKE BURLINGTON, VT AND LONG BEACH, CA. WHEN WE NEGOTIATE OUR CONTRACT WE CAN PROTECT OUR WORK FROM OUTSOURCING. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE AMERICAN AND UNITED CONTRACTS, 46 LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE PROTECTED FROM OUTSOURCING, PROTECTING THE JOBS OF APPROXIMATELY 40,000 RAMP WORKERS AT THOSE TWO CARRIERS ALONE. THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CONTRACT PROTECTS APPROXIMATELY 100 CITIES AND 19,000 JOBS. ALASKA AIRLINES CONTRACT PROTECTS THE WORK OF OVER 20 CITIES AND THE WORK OF OVER 1,000 WORKERS.
THE FACT IS, RIGHT NOW, JETBLUE MANAGEMENT CAN OUTSOURCE ANY STATION OR ANY JOB FOR ANY REASON, OR NO REASON. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THEM DO THIS IN SOME LOCATIONS, LIKE BURLINGTON, VT AND LONG BEACH, CA. WHEN WE NEGOTIATE OUR CONTRACT WE CAN PROTECT OUR WORK FROM OUTSOURCING. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE AMERICAN AND UNITED CONTRACTS, 46 LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE PROTECTED FROM OUTSOURCING, PROTECTING THE JOBS OF APPROXIMATELY 40,000 RAMP WORKERS AT THOSE TWO CARRIERS ALONE. THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CONTRACT PROTECTS APPROXIMATELY 100 CITIES AND 19,000 JOBS. ALASKA AIRLINES CONTRACT PROTECTS THE WORK OF OVER 20 CITIES AND THE WORK OF OVER 1,000 WORKERS.
JETBLUE HAS THE "VALUES COMMITTEE." ISN'T THAT LIKE A UNION?
NO. WHILE SOME OF THE "VALUES COMMITTEE" MEMBERS HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS AND WANT TO IMPROVE CREWMEMBERS' WORKING CONDITIONS, THE "VALUES COMMITTEE" HAS NO LEGAL AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER TO NEGOTIATE TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. MOREOVER, BEING NON-UNION, CREWMEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON ANY CHANGES THAT JETBLUE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTS AND THE "VALUES COMMITTEE" HAS NO LEGAL RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE ON CREWMEMBERS' BEHALF.
JETBLUE MANAGEMENT, LIKE OTHER NON-UNION AIRLINES AND COMPANIES, OFTEN CREATE EMPLOYEE "COMMITTEES" OR "GROUPS" TO MANIPULATE WORKERS INTO BELIEVING WE HAVE REPRESENTATION. HOWEVER, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. ASIDE FROM HAVING NO LEGAL AUTHORITY TO OPPOSE ANYTHING MANAGEMENT DOES, THESE TYPES OF FAKE "REPRESENTATION" GROUPS OFTEN JUST REINFORCE WHAT MANAGEMENT WANTS TO DO AND ARE OFTEN APOLOGISTS FOR MANAGEMENT.
HAVING A REAL UNION GIVES WORKERS THE LEGAL RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE WITH MANAGEMENT OVER ALL ELEMENTS OF OUR JOBS: PAY, BENEFITS AND WORKING CONDITIONS. AND WITH A UNION, WE WILL HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO SAY NO TO MANAGEMENT WHEN THEY WANT TO CHANGE OUR TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AGAINST OUR WISHES. THAT'S POWER, AND GIVES WORKERS THE DIGNITY AND RESPECT THAT WE DESERVE.
JETBLUE MANAGEMENT, LIKE OTHER NON-UNION AIRLINES AND COMPANIES, OFTEN CREATE EMPLOYEE "COMMITTEES" OR "GROUPS" TO MANIPULATE WORKERS INTO BELIEVING WE HAVE REPRESENTATION. HOWEVER, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. ASIDE FROM HAVING NO LEGAL AUTHORITY TO OPPOSE ANYTHING MANAGEMENT DOES, THESE TYPES OF FAKE "REPRESENTATION" GROUPS OFTEN JUST REINFORCE WHAT MANAGEMENT WANTS TO DO AND ARE OFTEN APOLOGISTS FOR MANAGEMENT.
HAVING A REAL UNION GIVES WORKERS THE LEGAL RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE WITH MANAGEMENT OVER ALL ELEMENTS OF OUR JOBS: PAY, BENEFITS AND WORKING CONDITIONS. AND WITH A UNION, WE WILL HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO SAY NO TO MANAGEMENT WHEN THEY WANT TO CHANGE OUR TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AGAINST OUR WISHES. THAT'S POWER, AND GIVES WORKERS THE DIGNITY AND RESPECT THAT WE DESERVE.
HOW MUCH WILL UNION DUES BE AND WHEN WILL WE START PAYING UNION DUES IF WE UNIONIZE?
NO UNION DUES ARE PAID UNTIL WE NEGOTIATE AND VOTE IN A CONTRACT. AFTER WE VOTE IN A CONTRACT, UNION DUES ARE APPROXIMATELY $70 PER MONTH. THERE WILL BE NO INITIATION FEES EITHER FOR NEWLY UNIONIZED GROUPS, LIKE JETBLUE WORKERS.
$75 DOLLARS A MONTH IS ALOT. HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT I WILL NOT BRING HOME LESS MONEY PER MONTH THAN I DO NOW WHEN WE UNIONIZE?
CURRENTLY JETBLUE JFK-BASED CREWMEMBERS (THE HIGHEST PAID GO CREWMEMBERS), ON AVERAGE, EARN $2,144.13 LESS PER YEAR THAN THE INDUSTRY STANDARD! THAT'S $178.67 PER MONTH LESS, ON AVERAGE, THAN THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE. AND THAT'S JUST BASE WAGES. WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THINGS LIKE INFERIOR HEALTH INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS, LESS VACATION, LESS HOLIDAY PAY, SUB-STANDARD SICK AND ON-THE-JOB INJURY PAY AND LOWER 401K CONTRIBUTIONS, THE DIFFERENCE PER MONTH IS WELL OVER $1,000.
THE REALITY IS, IT COSTS US A LOT OF MONEY EVERY SINGLE DAY TO BE NON-UNION!
THE REALITY IS, IT COSTS US A LOT OF MONEY EVERY SINGLE DAY TO BE NON-UNION!
i heard the iam union isn't a good union and that if we want to unionize we should choose a different union. is that true?
ABSOLUTELY FALSE. THE IAM UNION HAS NEGOTIATED EXTREMELY GOOD CONTRACTS IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS READ THE IAM UNION CONTRACTS AT AMERICAN AIRLINES; UNITED AIRLINES; SOUTHWEST AIRLINES (CSA); ALASKA AIRLINES AND HAWAIIAN AIRLINES, TO NAME A FEW.
THE IAM UNION ALSO NEGOTIATED THE MOST RECENT BOEING CONTRACT, WHICH WAS THE BEST IN ITS LONG AND STORIED HISTORY.
HOWEVER, THE REAL REASON YOU ARE HEARING SOME WORKERS DENIGRATE THE IAM AND TELL US TO PICK ANOTHER UNION IS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT A POSSIBILITY. IT'S A COMMON UNION-BUSTING TECHNIQUE THAT IS UTILIZED TO DISCOURAGE WORKERS FROM UNIONIZING. THEY COMMONLY SAY, "I WANT A UNION, BUT NOT THAT UNION." DON'T FALL FOR THAT LIE.
THE TRUTH IS, IT IS THE WORKERS' UNITY, PARTICIPATION AND EDUCATION THAT MAKES ANY UNION STRONG, NOT THE LETTERS "IAM"; "TWU"; "TEAMSTERS"; OR "CWA." WHILE ALL OF OUR SISTER UNIONS ARE STRONG, IT IS THE MEMBERS OF A UNION THAT DETERMINE ITS STRENGTH.
THE IAM UNION ALSO NEGOTIATED THE MOST RECENT BOEING CONTRACT, WHICH WAS THE BEST IN ITS LONG AND STORIED HISTORY.
HOWEVER, THE REAL REASON YOU ARE HEARING SOME WORKERS DENIGRATE THE IAM AND TELL US TO PICK ANOTHER UNION IS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT A POSSIBILITY. IT'S A COMMON UNION-BUSTING TECHNIQUE THAT IS UTILIZED TO DISCOURAGE WORKERS FROM UNIONIZING. THEY COMMONLY SAY, "I WANT A UNION, BUT NOT THAT UNION." DON'T FALL FOR THAT LIE.
THE TRUTH IS, IT IS THE WORKERS' UNITY, PARTICIPATION AND EDUCATION THAT MAKES ANY UNION STRONG, NOT THE LETTERS "IAM"; "TWU"; "TEAMSTERS"; OR "CWA." WHILE ALL OF OUR SISTER UNIONS ARE STRONG, IT IS THE MEMBERS OF A UNION THAT DETERMINE ITS STRENGTH.
I HEARD THAT THE IAM DID A BAD JOB WITH THE SPIRIT AIRLINES RAMP CONTRACT. IS THAT TRUE?
COMPARING SPIRIT AIRLINES AND JETBLUE IS LIKE COMPARING APPLES TO BOWLING BALLS. SPIRIT AIRLINES IS A VERY SMALL, ULTRA-LOW COST AIRLINE AND JETBLUE IS NOT. SPIRIT AIRLINES' TOTAL REVENUE IN 2024 WAS HALF OF JETBLUE'S 2024 REVENUE. JETBLUE IS A BIGGER AIRLINE WITH A LOT MORE CAPITAL TO PAY ITS WORKERS.
EVEN SO, BEFORE SPIRIT AIRLINES RAMP WORKERS JOINED THE IAM, THEIR TOP PAY WAS APPROXIMATELY $15 PER HOUR. NOW TOP PAY AT SPIRIT RAMP IS 63% HIGHER IN 10 YEARS. THAT'S AN AVERAGE WAGE INCREASE OF 6.3% PER YEAR AT EACH STEP OF THE PAYSCALE. NOT BAD.
BUT, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY. IAM MEMBERS AT SPIRIT CANNOT BE DISCIPLINED OR TERMINATED WITHOUT JUST CAUSE; THEY HAVE 8 PAID HOLIDAYS AT DOUBLE TIME; THEIR JOBS ARE PROTECTED FROM OUTSOURCING; THEY HAVE SICK DAYS, NOT PPT AND A MAX OF 20 PER YEAR; THEY HAVE A SECONDARY SICK BANK OF A MAX OF 450 HOURS TO PROTECT THEM WHEN THEY HAVE A SERIOUS ILLNESSES; THEY ALSO HAVE VACATION TIME, NOT JUST PPT, WITH A MAX OF 4 WEEKS; PROFIT SHARING AND MANY OTHER GAINS THAT THEY HAVE MADE SINCE THEY JOINED THE IAM UNION.
THE FACT IS, SPIRIT AIRLINES IAM MEMBERS HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB IMPROVING THEIR TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. THE REAL COMPARISON, AND WHAT THE IAM UNION SHOULD BE JUDGED ON, IS NOT THAT SPIRIT'S CONTRACT IS NOT AS GOOD AS AMERICAN'S, BUT WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AT SPIRIT AIRLINES COMPARED TO WHEN THEY WERE NON-UNION.
IT ALSO MUST BE NOTED THAT SPIRIT AIRLINES IS CURRENTLY IN CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY REORGANIZATION AND IAM UNION MEMBERS, TO DATE, HAVE NOT MADE ONE SINGLE CONCESSION. THAT'S ANOTHER BENEFIT OF IAM UNION REPRESENTATION.
EVEN SO, BEFORE SPIRIT AIRLINES RAMP WORKERS JOINED THE IAM, THEIR TOP PAY WAS APPROXIMATELY $15 PER HOUR. NOW TOP PAY AT SPIRIT RAMP IS 63% HIGHER IN 10 YEARS. THAT'S AN AVERAGE WAGE INCREASE OF 6.3% PER YEAR AT EACH STEP OF THE PAYSCALE. NOT BAD.
BUT, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY. IAM MEMBERS AT SPIRIT CANNOT BE DISCIPLINED OR TERMINATED WITHOUT JUST CAUSE; THEY HAVE 8 PAID HOLIDAYS AT DOUBLE TIME; THEIR JOBS ARE PROTECTED FROM OUTSOURCING; THEY HAVE SICK DAYS, NOT PPT AND A MAX OF 20 PER YEAR; THEY HAVE A SECONDARY SICK BANK OF A MAX OF 450 HOURS TO PROTECT THEM WHEN THEY HAVE A SERIOUS ILLNESSES; THEY ALSO HAVE VACATION TIME, NOT JUST PPT, WITH A MAX OF 4 WEEKS; PROFIT SHARING AND MANY OTHER GAINS THAT THEY HAVE MADE SINCE THEY JOINED THE IAM UNION.
THE FACT IS, SPIRIT AIRLINES IAM MEMBERS HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB IMPROVING THEIR TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. THE REAL COMPARISON, AND WHAT THE IAM UNION SHOULD BE JUDGED ON, IS NOT THAT SPIRIT'S CONTRACT IS NOT AS GOOD AS AMERICAN'S, BUT WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AT SPIRIT AIRLINES COMPARED TO WHEN THEY WERE NON-UNION.
IT ALSO MUST BE NOTED THAT SPIRIT AIRLINES IS CURRENTLY IN CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY REORGANIZATION AND IAM UNION MEMBERS, TO DATE, HAVE NOT MADE ONE SINGLE CONCESSION. THAT'S ANOTHER BENEFIT OF IAM UNION REPRESENTATION.