Weekly Update: Committee Initiatives, Member Resources, Winter Bid, Safety, and Weekend Operations

Working Women's Committee

This week, our Working Women's Committee will be traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to attend the TWU Second Quarter Conference.

The committee will be representing TWU Local 571 by highlighting our local's recent accomplishments, participation in community events, and the work we have been doing on behalf of our membership. Just as importantly, they will be collaborating with other locals from across the country to bring back new ideas, strengthen relationships, and identify additional ways our local can continue giving back through volunteerism and community involvement.

Investing in our committees is investing in the future of our union.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

I want to spend a little extra time talking about something that is extremely important.

Over the past several weeks, we've seen an increase in situations involving issues that happen outside of work. Life doesn't stop when we clock in. We all face challenges—whether it's family issues, financial stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, or simply feeling overwhelmed.

Let me be absolutely clear:

You are not alone.

One of the biggest failures we've identified is that many employees simply don't know what resources are available to them. That's unacceptable.

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential access to professional counseling, mental health resources, financial guidance, legal assistance, and many other services at no cost to employees. These programs exist for a reason, but they only work if people know about them and feel comfortable using them.

During our recent collective bargaining sessions, TWU Local 575 President Enrique Guzman shared the success of an EAP Fair his local hosts for its members. After hearing about the positive impact it has had, Vice President Julius Cajigas and I will be traveling to Los Angeles on Tuesday to attend their EAP Fair firsthand.

We are not making this trip for appearances—we're going to learn, bring back ideas, and build something meaningful for the members of TWU Local 571.

This Executive Board has made it clear that our responsibility goes far beyond grievances and contract enforcement. We are committed to taking care of our members as people, not just employees.

Mental health matters.

Your family matters.

Your well-being matters.

Sometimes the strongest thing any of us can do is ask for help. There should never be any stigma attached to reaching out.

When one member struggles, our union should be there to help lift them up.

When one member succeeds, we all succeed.

That is what solidarity looks like.

Making these resources more visible and accessible will be one of this local's highest priorities moving forward. As we continue developing this program, we'll keep everyone informed about the services and support available.

If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to your union representatives or visit the TWU Local 571 website for EAP information and available resources.

Winter Bid

We are scheduled to meet with the company this week to begin discussions regarding the structure of the Winter Bid.

At this time, the Summer Bid is tentatively scheduled to conclude on September 4, with the Winter Bid beginning on September 5.

As always, this Executive Board values member input. If you have suggestions or ideas that could improve the bid, please don't hesitate to reach out to myself, Julius, or Leo. Your feedback helps us advocate for what works best for our membership.

Roster App / INFOR

I continue to receive numerous questions regarding the Roster App trade board.

As we've stated previously, the Roster App is a system-wide program that is being phased out across Envoy. The current trade board will not be returning.

Until INFOR goes live, the only way to trade CSO days is by submitting the online shift trade form or contacting Scheduling directly.

INFOR remains scheduled to launch in ORD on August 15. Once it becomes active, its built-in trade board will allow members to resume trading shifts in a much more familiar and efficient manner.

If you have vacation scheduled after August 15 and it does not currently appear in the Roster App, don't worry. Those vacations will be entered into INFOR once the new system is live. You will still take your vacation in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Safety & Equipment

Safety remains one of the highest priorities for both TWU Local 571 and the company.

Last week, our Safety Committee worked throughout the operation identifying unsafe conditions, organizing staging areas, documenting equipment concerns, and addressing hazards before they become accidents.

This week they will once again be out across the operation.

If you have safety concerns or identify unsafe equipment, please contact Michael Connelly, Ronald "Ron" Wolak, or Ali Morsi.

Equipment has also become a major topic of discussion throughout the operation and across social media.

Let's make one thing very clear.

No employee owns any tug, electric tug, bag cart, or any other company equipment.

These resources belong to everyone and should remain available to every employee.

The company has already begun cutting locks and removing personal belongings from company equipment.

After numerous conversations with our membership and discussions with management, I am asking everyone to stop locking equipment for personal use.

If this behavior continues, the union will support removing locks and personal items to ensure equipment remains available to everyone.

Our responsibility is to protect your rights, but it's extremely difficult to defend conduct that violates company policy and negatively impacts your fellow coworkers.

Let's respect one another and make sure the equipment is available to everyone who needs it.

Weekend Operation

When we developed the Summer Bid, one of our primary goals was strengthening weekend staffing, particularly on PM operations.

Unfortunately, despite that planning, we continue to experience between 45 and 70 call-offs every Saturday and Sunday.

Those staffing shortages are the reason employees are frequently being reassigned from one work area to another.

I understand that being moved from the area you bid can be frustrating.

However, it's important that everyone understands the language of our Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Every employee is hired as an ASD employee. The CBA does not prohibit the company from moving employees between work areas based on operational needs.

What the union fights to protect is seniority rights when those assignments are made.

Our focus remains ensuring the company follows the contract—not creating expectations that simply aren't supported by the language we negotiated.

This week, I will once again be meeting with the company to discuss alternative staffing models for weekend operations. We will be proposing ideas aimed at reducing unnecessary pulling between work areas while also creating additional overtime opportunities within individual work groups for those who want them.

As always, I will keep everyone informed as those discussions continue.

401(k) Event Reminder

Tomorrow, Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Vice President Mark Szumylo will be hosting a 401(k) informational and enrollment event in the Driving Break Room (G1A).

Whether you're already contributing or just getting started, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about retirement planning, understand the company match, and invest in your future.

Members can also view the full event details and add the event to their calendar on the TWU Local 571 website.

Closing

This Executive Board remains committed to moving this local forward every single day.

Whether it's bargaining a stronger contract, improving safety, expanding member resources, strengthening committees, addressing operational concerns, or building programs that support our members both on and off the job, we will continue putting in the work.

Our promise is simple:

We will continue fighting, advocating, and looking for ways to improve the lives of every member of TWU Local 571.

Thank you to every member who comes to work, looks out for one another, and gets the job done safely.