News

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) dictates that an employer must pay workers for all time they are "on the clock." This means that if you are required to attend training and it is directly related to your specific job, your employer must compensate you for your time.

As you're all aware by now, the company has demanded that several training items are to be completed on your time, without pay, before you've even started working for them.

This is illegal.

Visit this link to file a complaint with the Department of Labor if you completed your training on your own time and were not compensated for your time.

FAFO.

The PTO Tracker located in FILES has been updated to Version 4.2. This version reflects the new CBA accrual rates (but the dates may not match when your balance will actually update—we'll adjust as we get accurate information). Additionally, your balance will highlight red if your accumulation is greater than 40 Hrs past your anniversary date (in accordance with the carryover limit specified in the new CBA). Any questions, contact Dave.

The ratification vote was held at noon on 3 June, 2023 at the 9th BS Auditorium. 22 out of the 35 eligible members attended (63%) and the CBA was ratified by the smallest possible margin of 50% plus one vote (12 for, 10 against—54.5%).

Negotiations—such as they were—have concluded and the Company has submitted its last, best, and final offer.

The ratification vote will be held at noon on Saturday, 3 June, 2023 at the 9th BS Auditorium (913 Anaconda Ave, Dyess AFB).

All Union members are highly encouraged to attend (you must be PRESENT at the meeting to vote); you are determining the course of your life for the next three years. Make your voice heard.

Assuming that the (hopefully) last day of negotiations is productive, the ratification vote will be held Saturday, 3 June @ noon in the 9th BS Auditorium.

Union members MUST BE PRESENT TO VOTE.

We will get the word out to everyone if anything changes.

Negotiations continued today, 30 May. Present again for the Union were Bud Dulworth (District 776 Business Representative) and David Rogers (Negotiating Committee); the Company was represented by Stuart Newman (Company's Outside Counsel), Brad Kay (Executive Vice President), Eric Kay (Director of Business Development), Kevin Kelsey (CFT Program Manager), Dawn Tishkoff (HR), and Christopher Bush (Site Supervisor). A few non-economic issues remain unsettled and economic proposals and counters were presented with very little tentatively agreed upon. Negotiations will resume on 2 June.

Collective bargaining negotiations between the Union and Company were begun today, 18 May. Present for the Union were Bud Dulworth (District 776 Business Representative) and David Rogers (Negotiating Committee); the Company was represented by Stuart Newman (Company's Outside Counsel), Brad Kay (Executive Vice President), Eric Kay (Director of Business Development), Kevin Kelsey (CFT Program Manager), Dawn Tishkoff (HR), and Christopher Bush (Site Supervisor). The Company presented their initial non-economic proposal and the Union presented our (non-economic) counter. The company adjourned after approximately one hour without responding to our counter and negotiations are currently scheduled to continue on 30 May.

The offer letters KAI sent out on Friday, 12 May had a 5-day (calendar) deadline

Executive Order 14055 (Link) stipulates that on SCA contracts (such as ours), "The contractor and its subcontractors shall make an express offer of employment to each employee as provided herein and shall state the time within which the employee must accept such offer, but in no case shall the period within which the employee must accept the offer of employment be less than 10 business days."

This means that offers sent at COB on 12 May should have had a suspense of at least COB on Friday, 26 May.

We will grieve (upon ratification of our CBA with KAI) if necessary for anyone who returns a signed offer after KAI's 5-day deadline and is rejected.

As you've all probably seen by now, offer letters arrived on Friday and included some language that directly conflicts with our CBA.

Please keep in mind that our CBA, not the documents attached to your offer letter, dictate how things will happen and that we are addressing what is hopefully just an oversight with the company.

Hopefully you will also have noticed the 5-day suspense attached to the offer. The CBA will override anything you 'agree' to when you sign, so don't rush, but also don't let the offer expire if you intend to remain on the contract.

Stand by for updates as they become available.

The CFT contract was awarded to Kay and Associates, Inc.

The grievance was settled after the company agreed to allow flex time in the week leading up to the Family Day. Employees have the option of working four 10-hour days in the weeks when there is a Family Day (or one 12-hour shift and two 10-hour shifts during weeks when the Family Day and associated holiday occur in the same week). Working these extended shifts is not mandatory, as always, members may use PTO or take unpaid. Members retain the eight days of PTO negotiated in the CBA to cover the original eight scheduled Family Days.

The grievance and response can be viewed here.

Informal discussion about the three additional Family Days added by the Air Force (after our CBA was negotiated) and how to handle them without forcing members to either burn leave or take unpaid time were not productive. A grievance was filed addressing this issue on 20 October.

The PTO Tracker located in FILES has been updated to version 3.1. This version has the correct accrual start date for 2021 and addresses some formatting issues on Windows PCs. Any questions, contact Dave.

The ratification vote was held at 1600 on 30 January, 2021 at the 9th BS Auditorium. 29 out of the 37 eligible members attended (78%) and the CBA was ratified unanimously.

The ratification vote will be held at 1600 on 30 January, 2021 at the 9th BS Auditorium.

Collective bargaining negotiations between the Union and Company were conducted on 25 & 26 January. Present for the Union were Bud Dulworth (District 776 Business Representative) and David Rogers (Negotiating Committee); the Company was represented by Martin Craft (Chief of Business Operations), Cheryl Shaw (HR Director), and Christopher Bush (Site Supervisor). A tentative agreement was reached and the proposed CBA will be presented on 30 January for ratification.

Ballots for National Labor Relations Board Case No. 16-RC-267331 were counted on 20 November: 22 for, 13 against, 10 abstained.

IAM is now the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for the CFT.