AMPA organizing update
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decided today that Standards, Safety, Technical and Pilot Instructors at The Boeing Company will vote in a
union-representation election to join the Airplane Manufacturing Pilot Association (AMPA) bargaining unit of SPEEA.
| “Boeing’s arguments that an Armour Globe election was inappropriate were completely rejected by the NLRB,” said SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth. “The Armour Globe election process allows employees to vote and join an existing bargaining unit rather than creating a new bargaining unit. In this case, employees will vote to join the existing AMPA bargaining unit.” |
Download a .pdf of the
NLRB Decision |
A date has not yet been set for the NLRB administered election but it could take place within the next 30 days. The decision sets forth who is in the voting group. Boeing must provide a list of the employees by Thursday, March 29.
According to the decision, the employees include:
“All full-time and regular-part time standards pilots, safety pilots, technical pilots, and simulator-only pilots/instructors employed by the Employer at or out of its Renton, Washington facilities; excluding pilots on Pilot Early Leave, BTE pilots, executive pilots, pilots located and working remotely outside the State of Washington, office clericals, guards and supervisors as defined in the Act.”
While Boeing can ask the NLRB to review the decision, the election would likely proceed on schedule with cast ballots impounded and counted after a decision on the review.
Organizing update & recap - March 2, 2012
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Legal briefs from the recently reopened National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) hearing are filed and now available for your reading. Links at right allow you to download a .pdf version of the legal briefs filed by AMPA/SPEEA and The Boeing Company.
Recapping progress
Now two months past the original petition filing for Standards, Technical and Safety pilots (ADPX) seeking a vote to join the AMPA/SPEEA bargaining unit, our group has expanded to include Flight Training Pilot Instructors (simulator-only instructors). The opportunity to expand the effort to include additional employees started with the initial NLRB hearing in January and the post-hearing legal briefs that resulted from the four days of testimony. |
AMPA/SPEEA - brief 2 |
Boeing - brief 2 |
In the legal briefs filed by Boeing, attorneys working for the company made several arguments to keep ADPX pilots from voting to gain union representation. One of the arguments was that the ADPX group was not appropriate because it left out Pilot Instructors:
“… there is clear evidence that AMPA pilots share many of the same job duties as simulator-only instructors, but the union does not seek to include them in this petition. Thus, due to the lack of job duty overlap between petitioned-for ADPX pilot and AMPA pilots and the fact the union does not seek to include employees with whom AMPA pilots actually share job duties, the Petition should be dismissed”
Boeing’s brief from original (1st) hearing, pg. 10
Lacking enough information to decide this issue, the NLRB reopened its hearing to gather more information on Flight Training Pilot Instructors. In response to this new tactic to stop our organizing effort, AMPA members quickly met, discussed the situation and voted overwhelmingly to include Pilot Instructors into the campaign to join the AMPA/SPEEA bargaining unit. Pilot Instructors eagerly and overwhelmingly joined the effort. As Pilot Instructors were signing union authorization cards, AMPA was amending our petition. The amended petition, now including Pilot Instructors in the proposed voting group, was filed at the start of the reopened hearing.
Despite the fact Boeing’s legal brief talked of including Pilot Instructors, faced with an amended petition that included Pilot Instructors, company attorneys called the change a “surprise tactic” that the union “sprang … upon the company.” The reopened hearing lasted less than two days. Post-hearing legal briefs were submitted Thursday, March 1.
In Boeing’s new brief, the company appears to flip-flop on the issue of including Pilot Instructors. This time, seeking their removal from the group that will vote in a NLRB union authorization election:
“The petitioned-for amended unit is either over-inclusive or under-inclusive and, if approved, would result in a fractured unit consisting of an arbitrary segment of the Company’s workforce.”
Boeing’s brief from reopened (2nd) hearing, pg. 10
Moving forward
The NLRB will review all evidence and testimony provided in both hearings, as well as all of the legal briefs submitted by Boeing and AMPA/SPEEA.
The decision of whether Standards, Technical and Safety pilots, and Flight Training Pilot Instructors are an “appropriate voting group” that shares a “community of interest” with pilots in the AMPA/SPEEA bargaining unit will be decided by NLRB Region 19.
NLRB decides for employees
If the NLRB decides in favor of employees organizing, a date is set for us to vote in an Armour-Globe election. If a majority of employees then vote “Yes” to join AMPA, the AMPA bargaining unit could grow to more than 100 members. The process for negotiating wages, benefits and working conditions are outlined on the AMPA webpage.
NLRB decides for Boeing
If the NLRB rules for the company and does not allow an Armour-Globe election, Standards, Technical and Safety Pilots and Flight Training Pilot Instructors will discuss all options available for moving forward to gain union representation.
Watch your home mail, email and the SPEEA website for updates. The website also has our contact information if you have questions.
All of us on the organizing committee are available to answer your questions with accurate information regarding our effort to join our fellow professionals in SPEEA. Additional information and ongoing updates are posted on the AMPA organizing page. |
AMPA Organizing update - Feb. 23, 2012
With signed union authorization cards from simulator instructors now showing overwhelming support for joining AMPA, the reopened hearing before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) concluded on a very good note Thursday.
Reopened by the NLRB Region 19 director to gather more testimony and data regarding simulator instructors, the hearing resulted in nearly doubling the number of employees involved in our effort to secure a vote to join the AMPA/SPEEA bargaining unit.
AMPA, ADPX pilots and simulator instructors are invited to drop-in between noon and 3 p.m., Friday, at SPEEA for a complete recap of the hearing, learn about the process ahead and have questions answered about working under the AMPA contract. Hosted by SPEEA with pizza provided, this is an informal meeting to learn about the benefits of union representation.
SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth and Organizing Director April Rebollo will be available to talk. In addition, SPEEA Benefits Director Matt Kempf will answer questions about how employee benefits change (improve) with the move to the AMPA/SPEEA contract. A Certified Financial Plannner®, Kempf can answer your specific questions regarding medical, retirement and other benefits under the AMPA/SPEEA contract.
Members of our Organizing Committee and representatives from AMPA will be available at the meeting.
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SPEEA Hall – map
15205 52nd Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98188
206-674-7352 |
Safety Pilot and Organizing Committee member
Mike Coker testifies Thursday at the reopened
NLRB hearing in Seattle. |
Watch for updates from our Organizing Committee, and from AMPA/SPEEA. We remain available to answer any and all questions. Our contact information is on the website at: http://www.speea.org/Join_Our_Union!/AMPA.html.
We encourage simulator instructors to sign a union authorization card and join us in our effort. Authorization cards are available for download: http://www.speea.org/Join_Our_Union!/Authorization%20Card.pdf . Contact us if you have any questions.
Organizing update - Feb. 22, 2012
Organizing update - Feb. 17, 2012
The acting regional director for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Region 19 has ordered the record reopened for the purpose of gathering additional evidence before deciding if we can vote to join the AMPA bargaining unit.
Pursuant to the Acting Regional Director’s orders, AMPA/SPEEA is preparing for an additional evidentiary hearing on February 22nd. However, SPEEA and Boeing are exploring if we can reach a joint stipulation (agreeing upon certain facts for the record) that could eliminate the need for the additional hearing.
We will be in touch as we learn more. Watch your home mail, email and the SPEEA website for updates from our Organizing Committee. The website also has our contact information if you have questions.
Organizing update - Feb. 8, 2012
Attorneys for AMPA/SPEEA and The Boeing Company this week filed legal briefs with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Region 19. The pair of documents complete the information needed by the NLRB to decide if our group of Standards, Safety and Technical pilots can vote to join the AMPA/SPEEA bargaining unit.
In our 31-page brief, we highlight the functions of our jobs and how we continuously interact, collaborate and often perform the same jobs as AMPA pilots. The document outlines testimony given by four of our pilots, including one from each ADPX role. In addition, testimony from the three AMPA pilots who testified reiterates the similarity of our jobs. The brief concludes that we clearly share the necessary “community of interest” with AMPA pilots.
Boeing’s 32-page legal brief, downplayed the interaction between ADPX and AMPA pilots. The brief incorrectly described our roles and makes their argument with very few citations to facts. An example of this is on page 24.
“The company attempts to add a new requirement to the community of interest standard,” said Joe Goldhammer, attorney for pilots and SPEEA. “That new standard is not justified by any NLRB case.”
Next steps
After reviewing the briefs, the NLRB will determine if ADPX pilots share the necessary “community of interest”with pilots in the AMPA bargaining unit. If the union prevails on the community-of-interest issue, a date will be set for our vote to join AMPA/SPEEA. There is no deadline or timeline for the decision.
Watch your home mail, email and the SPEEA website for updates from our Organizing Committee. The website also has our contact information if you have questions.
Organizing update - Jan. 27, 2012
After providing final testimony showing common supervision between standards, safety and technical pilots and
AMPA-SPEEA, the hearing before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) concluded today (Jan. 27).
Attorneys now have seven days to complete and file written legal briefs. However, Boeing will likely request an extension.
“Based on the evidence, the NLRB has every reason to rule in our favor,” said Joe Goldhammer, attorney for pilots and SPEEA.
Once attorneys submit briefs, the NLRB will decide if this group can vote to become part of the Airplane Manufacturing Pilots Association (AMPA) bargaining unit of SPEEA. There is no set timeline for a decision from the NLRB.
Members of the organizing committee are available to answer questions with accurate information regarding the effort to join fellow professionals in SPEEA. Additional information and ongoing updates are posted on the AMPA organizing page under Join Our Union.
Organizing update - Jan. 26, 2012
With three days of testimony and presentation complete, our hearing before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is expected to wrap up Friday after final testimony and documents are entered into the record to solidify our case for joining the AMPA bargaining unit of SPEEA.
The hearing opened Tuesday (Jan. 24) before Hearing Officer Clinton Newman in the NLRB Region 19 office in the Seattle Federal Building.
While it could be a month or more before a decision is issued, our committee and attorneys are pleased the record created shows the work of standards, safety and technical pilots shares a community of interest with the Airplane Manufacturing Pilots Association (AMPA) and we should be allowed a vote to join their SPEEA bargaining unit.
“We do not believe the company’s case is based on the facts,” said Joe Goldhammer, attorney for pilots and SPEEA. “Our witnesses built a very clear and detailed picture of how their work is similar and very often identical to that of AMPA pilots.”
With attorneys for Boeing presenting first on Tuesday, the company called just three management witnesses to build their case for keeping us out of AMPA. Boeing’s attorneys focused their questioning on minute areas of our work in an attempt to show our jobs are separate and different from AMPA pilots.
Wednesday afternoon, attorneys for SPEEA and our pilots group began stating our case for securing union representation and adding standards, safety and technical pilots to the existing AMPA bargaining unit. During testimony from individual pilots from standards, safety and technical functions, our pilots provided example after example of how we participate jointly in training AMPA pilots, work directly with, and sometimes perform work that is identical and interchangeable with AMPA pilots.
While attorneys for Boeing limited cross-examining of our pilots, nearly every question they asked focused on small segments of work to paint a skewed picture of our work as different and separate from pilots in the AMPA bargaining unit.
When the hearing is complete, attorneys for SPEEA and Boeing will have several days to prepare and submit legal briefs containing written arguments. Once submitted, the NLRB will consider all the material and make a decision regarding which employees should be included in our group and whether an Armour-Globe process is appropriate. That decision should include an election date for our union representation election. There is no set timeline for a decision from the NLRB.
All of us on the organizing committee are available to answer your questions with accurate information regarding our effort to join our fellow professionals in SPEEA. Additional information and ongoing updates are posted on AMPA organizing page under Join Our Union on the SPEEA website at: www.speea.org.
Organizing update - Jan. 25, 2012
On track to join AMPA - SPEEA!
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) opened our hearing Tuesday (Jan. 24) to determine which employees should be included in the standards, safety and technical pilots (ADPX) group and allowed to vote in a representation election to join the AMPA unit of SPEEA – IFPTE Local 2001.
The hearing is taking place in a hearing room at the NLRB Region 19 offices in the Seattle Federal Building.
In a stipulated agreement with SPEEA, Boeing agreed to limit its hearing issues to the community of interest with the AMPA pilots and the appropriateness of using the Armour-Globe election process to join the existing AMPA bargaining unit of SPEEA.
The hearing opened Tuesday with Boeing lawyers presenting the company’s case. The company called three witnesses from management before concluding their presentation today (Wednesday).
Wednesday afternoon, attorneys for SPEEA and our group begin stating our case for securing union representation and adding standards, safety and technical pilots to the existing AMPA bargaining unit. We expect the hearing to continue for the next few days.
In recent months, members of the Airplane Manufacturing Pilots Association (AMPA) and the SPEEA Council each cast unanimous votes supporting our efforts to join the bargaining unit and the union.
Watch for updates on the hearing by email and our AMPA organizing web page under “Join Our Union” on the SPEEA website at www.speea.org.
Organizing update - Jan. 13, 2012
Organizing update - Jan. 6, 2012
On Friday, Jan. 6, we took a major step forward in our efforts to secure the benefits of union representation by filing a formal organizing petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Region 19, in Seattle. Supported by union authorization cards signed by a solid majority of Standards, Safety and Technical pilots, our petition seeks an election to join the AMPA bargaining unit of SPEEA – IFPTE, Local 2001.
Filing with the NLRB is the first of several important steps toward gaining the respect and job security we desire. As required by the NLRB, signed union authorization cards were delivered directly to the Region 19 office. The company is not allowed to see any of the signed authorization cards.
Our petition asks for an "Armour-Globe" election, a common way for employees to join an existing union bargaining unit. Rather than create a new bargaining unit and negotiate a new contract, Armour-Globe allows organizing employees to join an existing bargaining unit. Boeing Facilities engineers used this process in 1999 to join the SPEEA Professional Unit.
Hearing our news, AMPA President David Whitacre reiterated that the pilots in SPEEA are pleased to welcome Safety, Standards and Technical pilots into their bargaining unit.
"Union representation has allowed us to focus on the mission of world class support to our customers and the mutual success of our members and the company," Whitacre said. “Safety, Standards and Technical pilots will experience that and have the benefits of a legally-binding contract.”
If Boeing chooses not to challenge our petition, the process to our election will be quick and smooth. However, if the company decides to challenge our right to choose union representation, it could be a few months before the NLRB can hold our election. Part of the NLRB’s process also determines which employees are included in the ADPX group and eligible to vote in the election. Only after making these determinations can the NLRB set a date for our vote.
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