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Local 591 Administrative Executive Board Member
Russ Dittmer - 2024 1st Quarter Lookback
Brothers and Sisters. I mentioned in previous lookbacks that my goal is/was to provide you with information on my activities on a monthly basis. At this time, with my work/travel schedule, I realized that I simply don’t have enough hours in the day to write a monthly update, so I am focusing on giving you a quarterly lookback of my activities. In addition to these lookbacks, I also strive to attend the Quarterly Membership Meetings in as many Regions as I possibly can. As a reminder, if you can’t attend the Quarterly Membership Meetings, they are available to you on-line as well, by registering in advance.
To start, as mentioned, I attended the 2024 Q1 Regional Membership Meetings for the Central Region @ ORD, Northeast Region @ JFK, Southwest Region @ DFW, West Region @ LAX, and the Southeast Region @ MIA.
Now, let’s jump into the topic I suspect is on everyone’s mind: Negotiation Preparations. Your TWU Negotiations Team (M&R, MLS, MTS, MCT) has met quite a few times to prepare for discussions with the Full Team. When I say TWU, this simply means we, in committee, are working to build a cohesive structure around the issues and improvements that our TWU Members are calling for in the upcoming contract negotiations. When the TWU Team meets with the IAM Team, then we work as the Full Committee (M&R, MLS, MTS, MCT) to build cohesive language and establish the strategies, which encompass as many of the issues and improvements that both Memberships are calling for. We are working on building a calendar to provide you with the dates when we have already met, and whether that was TWU specific, or the Full Committee. Suffice it to say, since the beginning of the new year, we have met in committee multiple weeks in DFW and PHX, as well as weeks in TUL and CLT, along with numerous additional days on Zoom when travel schedules could not be arranged otherwise. We are also scheduled to meet every week either by Zoom or in person moving forward through the first week of May.
As I’m sure you already know, it would be unwise to divulge specific language, details, or strategic plans at this early stage. That said, I can tell you that I am very pleased with the direction, focus, and seriousness with which the entire Full Committee is taking these preparations. Have there been disputes, certainly. Have there been items we needed to walk away from and then revisit later, absolutely. That said, in each of those instances, the Full Committee has willingly come back later and tackled those challenges, and we found a unified path forward for all of those articles and provisions we have discussed to date.
On that note, I want to personally thank each Member who took the time to send in Contract Survey Suggestions, either on behalf of themselves or for someone else. We all know that it’s one thing to be on the Floor and just complain, that’s easy. It’s something else entirely to sit down and write a serious suggestion, and also provide an explanation/justification for why you are suggesting that specific language.
As you can imagine, between travel and work for the Q1 Quarterly Membership Meetings and Negotiation Preparations, there has been little time to focus on other big-scale projects. That said, our new office and training center in Grapevine Texas is coming together nicely. It is becoming more clear from the positive comments from Members who stop by and visit, attend meetings, and/or attend training there, that you appreciate the continuing efforts, and you know you have a place to call home for Local 591.
When I’m not travelling, I spend the vast majority of my time on one of two primary targets. Getting the new office and training center running smoothly, and also preparing for negotiations. Of the two, preparing for negotiations is the obvious top priority. There is a great deal of document management, including both tracking every change and suggestion, and the breakdowns of each of the article specific documents and LOAs for the four M&R, MLS, MTS and MCT contract books. Add to that, managing the ‘full text’ document language based upon those previously broken-down articles/LOAs needs to be done with meticulous care.
I hope you know that I take very seriously the trust that you placed in me when you elected me to represent you on the TWU Local 591 Executive Board, and especially when I am representing you in the upcoming negotiations.
Another part of my job that you entrusted me to do is to discuss serious issues, even if they might be a bit uncomfortable. Saying that, let’s focus on our health, including our economic health, our mental health, and our physical health. From experience and education, these three are usually intertwined. What I mean is, if we’re struggling with physical health, that will also likely also impact our economic and or mental health. Likewise, if we’re struggling with our economic health, often this also impacts both our mental health and sometimes even manifests in physical health issues due to stress.
Experts have been telling us for years that we should all periodically take some time to consider our own economic, mental, and physical health. This includes seriously considering what we might be able to do, both at work and when not at work, to improve each facet of our health. Maybe it’s taking a walk, maybe it’s avoiding some food/beverage, maybe it’s asking for financial guidance. Whatever you find might be a path forward taking some steps in the right direction for you, I’m confident whatever we can do to make our own health better, at home and work, will reap dividends not only for ourselves, but also for those we care most about.
Unfortunately, we have had to say those final farewells to far too many of our Brothers and Sisters in the recent past, and when I meet their family at services, when I am able to attend, the list of “I wish he/she/I would have done …” is always far too long. Those lists are never just about the medical/physical health facet either. Those discussions often include observations and discussions on the other two, even though they may not have directly caused them to pass away.
I want you to know that your Local 591 Peer Support Coordinators (who include EAP, bereavement, benefits and Peer Support) spend a great deal of time working to help Members and families after something bad or catastrophic has already happened. Often, this starts with one form of health crisis, but they have found that the one crisis being ‘handled’ is usually a symptom and likely also linked to the other two types of health as well. Your Local 591 Peer Support Coordinators can work with you to find you the help you may need. That help you may be seeking may also be for a loved one, and they are there to assist then, too.
On the financial side, it’s frustrating to have to say this, but we can unfortunately no longer rely on or trust our employer to process and administer, or even preserve, the necessary paperwork for our necessary benefits. These pieces of advice have been provided by our Local 591 Peer Support Benefits Coordinators.
1 - Every year, when it’s benefits time, once you’ve made your benefits selections, print a hard copy and place this in the same location as your other most important documents.
2 - Then, after the first of the year, print a hard copy of your first paycheck of the year. Review the two and make sure you are paying for and receiving the benefits you chose, and that you are not paying for benefits that you did not choose.
3 - Also, for us old-timers (meaning those of us with a frozen pension due to that corporate bankruptcy) please do NOT assume that the company and/or Fidelity have a copy of your previously signed Qualified Pre-Survivor Annuity (QPSA) form. This is the required form that ensures your beneficiary gets more than the default 50% of your life insurance benefit if you die while still working. If you do not have a current signed copy of that QPSA in with those same paycheck and benefit selections paperwork, print one, make your selection, sign it, and submit it, keeping a signed copy with those same financial documents.
In closing. I want to thank each of you for your continued support, and for your willingness to stay involved and engaged. As I mentioned last time when I wrote to you in my 2023 year in review, I know it is often viewed as a groaner or cliché, but the truth is that
WE ARE THE UNION. Without Members like you both active and involved, Unions simply cannot hope to succeed in representing the best interests of the Membership, both at the bargaining table as well as on the floor.
Fraternally
Russ Dittmer
Local 591 Administrative E-Board Member
russ.dittmer@local591.com
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