thats the point of contacting your reps. Without serious input the BOD will create the side letter and put it to membership for a vote with a yes from the BOD. 50% will vote yes because they don't engage and just do what the BOD says.
What goes in the side letter is being written now. Now is the time to change it, not after the BOD approves it and sends it to vote.
im afraid since there has been lots of yelling over these current issues, and almost zero response from the union, they were waiting for this side letter to fix them and then say " hey we gave you what you were complaining about".