Alaska Mechanics Not Protected Against Farm Outs
April 30, 2003
Well as a fine example of how well AMFA has done to represent the mechanics and related at Alaska Airlines once again we see that AMFA failed to negotiate Farm Out protection for their members at Alaska.
Under Article 2 Scope of Agreement Paragraph C states:
The Company agrees that all work normally performed by the employees covered by this Agreement in its Maintenance Shops, Airport Stations, or other facilities is recognized as coming within the jurisdiction of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and is covered by this Agreement. Theparties agree that the Company may (1) continue to contract out work heretofore customarily farmed out; (2) return equipment, parts, or assemblies to the manufacturers or to a manufacturer-approved repair station for repair or replacement; (3) purchase necessary parts, equipment or facilities including but not limited to the installation of fixed equipment and new facilities construction; (4) contract out any work when the Company's facilities, equipment or personnel are not sufficient or available or where employees covered by this Agreement do not have the experience and ability to satisfactorily perform the work required or warranty agreements exist; (5) contract out any work for which the Company's cost exceeds the vendors charges, less material; (6) reserve the right to contract out other work with the approval of the Union.
This was negotiated with the first AMFA contract at Alaska and was not amended with this last contract negotiations. Why is AMFA letting Alaska farm out what ever work they want and as much as they want?
The "Iron Clad" farm out protection that AMFA boastfully negotiated for the Northwest Mechanic backfired on AMFA with so much work being farmed out now that 4,500 mechanics and related have been laid off at Northwest while their Heavy Maintenance is done over seas and their engine work is being done at a 3rd party maintenance facility just to site a couple examples.
But when O.V. Delle Femine was asked about farm out protection and the lack of it in the Alaska, Atlantic Coast, and Mesaba contracts. Delle said that the Scope Clause protected them from farming out maintenance.
Well Delle you lied again. Since AMFA came to Alaska mechanics in Seattle where told approximately 1.5 to 2 years ago that Seattle was going to be a line maintenance base only and that they would have to relocate to Oakland where the heavy maintenance would be done.
Many mechanics relocated and some where even laid off because of this change. Now this might not seem so bad except for the fact that the 737 heavy maintenance that had been done in Seattle did not relocate with the mechanics. Instead Alaska is farming out all 737 heavy checks to B.F. Goodrich Aerospace (Tramco) in Everett, WA. This accounts for 70% of their fleet. Alaska has 71 737's (9 737-200C, 40 737-400, 16 737-700, and 6 737-900) and 31 MD80's.
70% of all the heavy maintenance at Alaska Airlines is being farmed out to a 3rd party non-union maintenance facility. While AMFA has not done anything to stop it! Where is their protection? How many other companies will be allowed to farm out their maintenance at the expense of the hard working mechanics at those airlines?
While hard working mechanics get laid off and their work is farmed out Delle does nothing. Instead of relaxing in the grand AMFA castle in the golden promise land in Loconia, NH maybe Delle should do something about protecting the work of those he represents.
AMFA 25,000 members in 2000, now 3,000. The UA guys ran away from AMFA when they saw how they fought for the IND and OAK bases. Those jobs were given up under AMFA's watch which is a big reason why they smartened up and left the craft union for the industrial one (IBT).
Keep spinning Dave. Not working.
Giving up 90% of your members so that 10% could get a pay raise. Priceless.
The 4/26 deal was for only 1,300 AMT jobs to be outsourced. Even under the 3/22 deal it goes to about 3,000. So 4,000 on the Line and almost 4,000 in TUL. That is still better than the craft union did at UA and NW. What was that number of jobs outsourced at NW again? What about AS? What happened their? No BK and where was the craft union fight?
AMFA has permitted massive outsourcing. The following work has been
outsourced during AMFA’s time as representative:
- Wheel and Brake Shop – AMFA settled a grievance brought before they were voted in and agreed to farm this work out.
- 737 Heavy Check – moved from SEA to OAK and then lost completely when the base was closed in September 2004 without notice, cutting 340 jobs. Maintenance work outsourced to Goodrich ATS in Everett, WA and AAR in OKC
- MD80 Heavy Check
- GSE Work – GSE mechanics walked off like criminals
- Seat Shop
- Slide Shop
- Window Shop
- Fabricator Shop
- Accessory Shop
- Paint Shop
- APU Shop
- Composite Shop
- Intermediate Maintenance
- Engine Shop