We have been asked to post this bit of information

To all who received a letter from SEIU demanding that you start paying dues.

 Mr. Stephen Burke has filed a charge against the Union regarding a withholding of dues due to a lack of a contract. A "Hiatus" period was in effect since the beginning of 2012 which resulted in the temporary removal of our requirement to pay dues. A letter requesting  that the payroll department not take any dues from our paychecks was submitted. This letter also stated that if and when a new contract became effective that we would only resume our membership at a reduced payment rate according to the 'Beck" clause. That "Beck" membership rate would be at a reduced rate of  (1.8% ) not the full amount of 2.3%.

Do not send back the two cards to the Union. The National Labor Relations Board is now conducting an investigation and we feel very confident that the previous ballot results will be tossed out. We are requesting that a new vote take place on-site, not as a mail in ballot.

We will pass along any information as it becomes available to us.

Once again, has anyone seen a signed copy of the new contract?

What do we have?

The TSA has something called, "Workforce Engagement." Its stated purpose is to, "ensure that all employees at all levels are informed, inspired and supported so they can effectively contribute their expertise and enthusiasm to the success and performance of the TSA."  Do we have anything like that at Covenant?  Absolutely not!

What we do have is a management team that does everything it can to keep us uninformed. What we do have is a management team that does nothing to keep us inspired and motivated. This management team has shown its utter contempt for the workforce by sticking it to us as often, and as hard, as they can. 

We have all had a recent sampling of the value that Covenant places on the contributions of the workforce. We have just received a quarterly bonus of 100 dollars which, after taxes, nets out somewhere around 60 dollars.  Or, as we like to look at it, less than a net total of a dollar a day.

This profit-before-product company takes away several thousand of dollars in givebacks and take-away and in return they proudly announce this embarrassing quarterly bonus!  Does any employee not see how little they think of us?

Once again, we are stating, for the record, that there is absolutely and undeniably no cost advantage between a for profit-at-any-cost_private contractor and the TSA.  The budget would be the same, the only difference is that a for profit company, such as Covenant Aviation, is purely motivated by greed versus the TSA which is totally focused on providing the highest level of security possible.

We hope that Covenant is seen for what they are and that their days at SFO will soon come to an end.

The votes have been counted!

The votes have been counted, and the totals are: 498 "yes" votes to 121 "no" votes. Too many of us did not vote, and the measure missed passing by 72 votes.

We will be filing an "objection to the election" as soon as possible.  The illegal and harassing methods used by SEIU to intimidate and spread falsehoods was completely against all rules.

And so it starts!

On Monday the counting of the ballots will begin at 1 p.m, and we hope that you let your voice be heard. Thanks to all those who have helped to make all of this possible.  We will post the results of the voting as soon as they are made available to us.

The rumor mill has been abuzz this past week with talk of a major announcement from the TSA which was expected to be released on Friday, July 26th, but was put off until this week. Let's cross our fingers that this announcement is just what the doctor ordered and is not a continuation of "business-as-usual" with the "profit-before-product" Covenant Aviation at the helm.

Good luck to us all, and thanks again for supplying the information needed in order to keep this blog-site your source of timely news.

Updated info on the upcoming union decertification vote

We have been asked to pass this info along to you.

The NLRB will start mailing the voting packets on July 12th and 13th. These packets will include a self addressed stamped envelope for you to mail in your ballot. You will have two weeks in which to mail in your yes vote.  The ballots will be sent to, and counted by, the NLRB.  The votes will be counted on July 29th.

A yes vote will remove the requirement of having to pay dues to keep your job.

To be clear, this is not a vote to remove SEIU, it is only a vote to remove their ability to force you to pay dues.  Dues can still be paid to SEIU on a voluntary basis if you still want to pay dues.

And now, it is time for a bit of good news!

Enough signatures have been collected, submitted, and accepted by the National Labor Relations Board to have the motion -- to rescind SEIU's ability to collect dues from the workforce -- put up for a vote.  

Expect to hear from SEIU on how removing them would be a big mistake. Expect to hear from them that they are our best option.  Expect to hear how only they can fight for our best interest.  We have seen firsthand the results of their sellouts and concessions.

We, the people, have had enough of this do-nothing-but-take-our dues union. Let your voice be heard loud and clear!

Details as to when, how, and where the voting will take place will be posted here as they become available.

Thanks to all of those who have decided to take a stand!

And, as for you, Covenant Aviation:

We sincerely hope that your day of reckoning is fast approaching. We sincerely hope that your days of threats and intimidation will soon come to an end, at least at this airport.

Through the power of the internet, your reputation and style of management will precede you wherever you go.

Your complete and utter disregard for the well being of your employees and their families is well documented.  Your inability to effectively manage and supply a quality product will be your downfall.  Your pursuit of "Profit, at any cost, before Product" is deplorable.

At the very least, you should have been able to supply the stakeholders with what they so richly deserved -- an efficient and professional workforce that is second to none. You should have been able to inspire and motivate the workforce with your leadership and professionalism; sadly, you have not.

Let the chips fall where they may!

Where were they...

When we were bidding for our vacation days off, and the company only offered 10 hours per day?  Where were they when CAS had the bidding start at 0200 hours, with no advanced bidding and without being based on seniority?  Where were they when they should have been there, objecting to those conditions on our behalf?  How could they just stand idly by and allow CAS to only permit one person per day to have a day off?

Now, our do-nothing-but-take-our-dues union has the gall to schedule meetings with the workforce to update us on shop steward training, labor/management meeting outcomes, and their new CBA negotiations plan.

Did the filing of a motion to start the proceedings to have them removed as our union have anything to do with this?  You betcha!

Well, SEIU, it is too late! Nothing that you could say at these meetings will stop what has to be done.  SEIU, your time has come.

It has been filed!

On Monday May 13th, on behalf of those employees who are fed up with our do-nothing-but-take-our dues union, SEIU, a motion was filed with the NLRB to have SEIU de-certified as the union that represents the CAS workforce.

The plan that we have heard being discussed is to have a committee made up of three members of the workforce, both from the checkpoint and baggage communities.  This new committee will form the basis of a new bargaining group that will be responsible for negotiating a new CBA with CAS, or whichever entity assumes control of the TSA SPP contract.

We will keep you posted with any new developments that we are made aware of.

May this be the start of our new beginning.

http://nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/employee-rights

This proves our point!

Never let it be said that Stormin Mike doesn't "feel" for us.  Never let it be said that Stormin Mike really cares about us as individuals and/or our families.

How shall we respond to this latest from his "heart" message?  Let's give it a go, shall we?

He is completely glossing over the root cause of all that is happening right now!  The resulting "lack of world class customer service" is in direct response to the policies that he and his stellar management team have handed us (along with the complicity of SEIU).

For him to say that he "appreciates" our effort is completely and totally insincere!  We are not the ones who have failed to remember that the product that we deliver, "world class customer service", depends solely upon the morale and professional attitude of the workforce.  Yet, Stormin Mike wants us to believe that he is not the problem.  WE ARE THE PROBLEM! 

When has this company ever shown us any appreciation?  We must have missed it!  Was it during the annual hot dog, chips and soda day, otherwise known as, Employee Appreciation Day?  Or was it during the annual combined Thanksgiving and Christmas day luncheon?  Was it during the Perfect Attendance Award handshake?  Or was it when they stopped buying us the shoes which are part of our uniform?  Try as we might, we just cannot remember a time when we have been sincerely and totally appreciated!  

Now this one statement of his really made us stop and think.  We could not help but laugh.  He said that, "we would no longer be represented by SEIU!"  That point alone seals the deal.  That, Uncle Mike, would be a wonderful thing!  If we were to go Federal, we would be represented by the American Federation Of Government Employees (AFGE).  You remember them, don't you Uncle Mike?

So now let us get into the meat and potatoes of his brash and bold internal and confidential memo.

He said, " I will do my part to fight for your jobs at SFO."  The only job that he will be fighting to keep is his own!  There is no "Team SFO."  There is only "Team Mike."  There are only the self-serving issues that are important to a "FOR PROFIT COMPANY" with a Federal contract.  

Let us not forget, it is "Profit and the pursuit of Profit" that drives this company. It is Profit before Product!  It is, and it always will be, the number one issue for a private contractor with a Federal contract.

CAS giving us the bird once again!

On December 5th, CAS will once again be giving us the "bird"  for our combination Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.  Rumor has it that CAS will not be handing out the year-end bonuses at this time.  It seems that they are planning to hand them out after the rank-and-file vote on their latest CBA offering.  This is a blatant attempt to influence the outcome of the vote!  Where's their Christmas spirit?

And as for the "surprise" visitor,  if it isn't the TSA Administrator, John Pistole, announcing a federal takeover of SFO -- please have him or her stay at home. 

And, speaking about the vote, we urge all of you to vote a resounding "no" on this insult.  

We all know that the union is pushing for passage on this offer saying, "this is the best that we can do."  How so?  Has anyone heard of our union submitting any kind of alternative offer to CAS?  They have only "accepted " this slightly better offer thinking, in their "small" minds, that they have actually won the battle.  They were, and still are, totally unqualified to bargain and represent us. 

And, will there be an outside unaffiliated monitor present during the counting of the votes?  We certainly hope so!

The Dangerous Path of SEIU

 It has come to our attention that this bonehead of a union, SEIU, is gathering signatures from the workforce for a strike authorization.  Well, aside from it being just plain stupid, it is also illegal! 

 We cannot, and should not, even think about going on strike!  Doing so would pit you and everyone that signed that petition on a direct collision course with the TSA.  TSA will have no choice but to fire you. You can and will get fired!

 We here at SecurityFirstSFO do not condone or approve this foolish gamble.  Don't follow the advice of this union who has once again shown that they are unqualified to represent us.

These Are Your Rights...

according the the National Labor Relations Board.  With or without a union we do have rights under the National Relations Labor Act.

Don't feel that we need a union to make our wants and needs known to the company.


http://www.nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/employee-rights

An Interesting Article About Union Dollars

This may come as an eye opener to some!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/hot-dogs-slick-ads-unions-spent-4-4-151032009.html

Who Has Not Seen This?