Wichita Technical & Professional Unit contract Questions members are asking about negotiations
QUESTION:
Our contract expired and Spirit has shown no interest in returning to the bargaining table. How does this impact me?
ANSWER:
Even with the contract expired, all terms and conditions that existed when it expired remain in effect and cannot be unilaterally changed by Spirit. Nothing should change in the immediate future that will impact the average member of the bargaining unit. There is an exception to this under federal law. If the parties are at “impasse” in the negotiations, then it might be permissible for the employer to implement their last offer. However, “impasse” in this context is a legal term of art. We do not believe there is any possibility under the law that negotiations are currently at impasse. Any effort by the Spirit to implement their offer, or parts of this offer, will be litigated vigorously.
QUESTION:
Why hasn’t Spirit agreed to resume negotiations?
ANSWER:
As their spokesperson said in press interviews, Spirit management was caught completely by surprise by the vote results. They expected SPEEA members to embrace their austerity proposal. Spirit had no back-up plan for what to do in the event that they were wrong and the company offer was voted down.
QUESTION:
What’s next?
ANSWER:
SPEEA is ready to resume negotiations immediately. In fact, SPEEA was ready to continue negotiations when management abruptly walked out of negotiations on July 19 (triggering a vote of their final offer that resulted in the unprecedented 96.5% rejection). SPEEA has requested that a federal mediator become involved in the process. Spirit management has not returned any messages from SPEEA since they were informed of the election results on July 28. So, it’s too early to say when negotiations will resume. You might ask your manager when Spirit will come back to the bargaining table.
QUESTION:
I’m disappointed at the disrespectful way Spirit management is conducting these negotiations. What can I do?
ANSWER:
Talk to your co-workers about your concerns. The type of contract WTPU eventually secures is up to you and your co-workers. Two years ago, engineers at Spirit repeatedly voted down bad contract offers. At the same time, union membership expanded. Eventually, engineers negotiated and received a respectful contract. That took work and solidarity. That work in the WTPU starts with peer-to-peer conversations about what you want in your contract.
QUESTION:
Do I need to prepare to go on strike?
ANSWER:
Not right now. There are many ways to bring pressure upon an employer when they don’t act respectfully in contract talks.
Withholding labor exists on a spectrum. On one end, employees can simply start taking the earned time off you have earned and are entitled to. If you’re sick, stay home. If you want to take vacation, put in a request. Do not volunteer for overtime. There is no need to break your back for “the team” when Spirit management is saying you’re the least worthy members of the company team. In the middle of the spectrum is a legally protected activity called work-to-rule. In a work-to-rule effort, employees carry out their jobs with STRICT compliance to ALL workplace rules. If an employee is unsure of the applicable rule, they halt activity until they get clear guidance from management. On the far end of the spectrum is the total withdrawing of labor (also known as a strike).
SPEEA is not calling for a strike right now because we’re in the middle of negotiations. Management walked out of negotiations on July 19 because they had convinced themselves that the general membership would embrace their contract offer. Obviously, this was a profound miscalculation. Although the Spirit management negotiating team is embarrassed and confused about how to proceed, the law REQUIRES Spirit to return to negotiations. SPEEA is focused on working this process to a successful conclusion.
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