Frontier Bargaining Report #14

8/06/22

Sisters and Brothers,

For several weeks now, your bargaining Committee and I have worked tirelessly to try and reach a new agreement for the membership. While the company has continued to delay in providing critical data needed at every turn to substantiate the need for healthcare increases and changes in other benefits that we in good conscience cannot agree to or even pass a counter-proposal to theirs or we would then be bargaining against ourselves. What we do know, by way of the company's mouth is that they say to remain competitive is to have the employees share the burden of rising health costs. But we say, you are making a profit and wrote off $11 billion in debt without increases before. They have yet to show us that Texas is a driving factor in rising healthcare costs and that is the reason for the astronomical proposed increases. They have remained silent on providing that information. This is just one of several big issues on this table that this committee won't entertain without the data requested.

I have chaired numerous tables in my career, and I can assure you that this committee you have voted for has remained United throughout the past month and is not willing to agree to anything without fully understanding it and in return getting things that were asked for on the surveys. I applaud Rosa Sash-Phillips, Star Kraus, Kevin Davis, Jason Peavler (CBA 55) and our most senior and seasoned member of the committee, Allen Whitaker. They have worked early mornings and very late nights for each of YOU! Their commitment and dedication to the bargaining unit and each other are unmatched.

Throughout these negotiations, there have been some items agreed to, but as 11:59 PM is upon us, we will not reach an agreement. What the Union and the company have agreed to is a contract extension for several more weeks. It will now expire on August 27, 2022, at 11:59 PM. What this means to you is that the contract remains as is until a new agreement is agreed to, subject to ratification, or is extended further. There are other units in the footprint working under an extension as well. No loss of anything in the current agreement will happen.

We need ALL OF YOU to participate in the mobilization activities that are being put out. This is the ONLY way to get the company's attention and get them to move at the table. 

In neverending solidarity,

The Bargaining Committee

TS/cmt

opeiu#13