Wow you have such a high opinion of our coworkers. Well ask me this, why do you think people are looking to cut their own deals scrounge for a CS and just take care of themselves? They are simply following the example of the International. Why is it that every year they get raises while we dont? Why do they need to earn so much yet turn around and tell us we need to lower our expectations? They take very good care of themselves now dont they? Dont see them "takin one for the team", makes it laughable when they attack management for that. Now I'm not saying they dont work hard, but they do get paid very well and if we arent getting raises neither should they. Every Local is allowed to make their own rules. CS rules vary from station to station. Most of the language in the contract is gray. Thats one reason why we lose over 90% of our system board cases. There is no central leader that workers in MX, Stores or Fleet at AA can vote for and look to as their leader. Tell me who is in charge of the mechanics at AA? A leader who has full authority over the contract. We have a rudderless structure. You dont like that I blame the International, welll I dont like that the International blames the Local Presidents, none of whom are party to the agreement. Ultimately who is responsible for the structure? Thats been adjudicated several times, and the answer has always been the same-The International. Bobby Gless as AA system Coordinator can sign pretty much whatever he wants into place. Who voted for him? Sure they usually put stuff out in front of the Presidents council for a vote, but we both know that if they cant get the vote to go their way they will do it anyway. The only reason why there is a vote is so the International can say that it was the Presidents Council that voted it in, not the International. Lets take the 29D that was settled where they agreed to the QAM revision removing the experience requirement for line maintenance. Well at that very brief rushed meeting in the attic of the ATD the letter was thrust upon us , all the Presidents, even the Fleet guys, where Bobby and Don said they can rewrite it anyway but "we managed to get all this language in there about training". What a load of crap that was. If they can rewrite the QAM as they please then why hasnt it been done? Why do we have language in the contract saying that we have to agree to changes and even if they can rewrite it as they please and remove any experience requirement for line maintenance why should we give them our blessing? This was an occasion where Gilboy and I were on the same page.You come here and say we should have accepted that crap that the company threw on the table last year. That was a worse deal than what we have now. Then you wonder why we have guys cutting their own deals? The answer to that is simple, because they feel they can obviously cut better deals for themselves than the TWU is willing to help them get. So dont blame the members for doing what they do because of our failures as an organization, try and put some faith in them before you expect them to put any faith in you.
You say we need to educate our members, well I agree, we also need to educate our International, Bobby Gless didnt even know that the TWU was an Industial Union, now as he collects $180k he tell us that we should accept less than what he told us to turn down in 2001!! Whats the difference? In 2001 it affected him, now it doesnt.
I try to educate my members with my admittedly longwinded updates and all I get is pounded because some Presidents feel threatened because their members read my stuff and ask them why arent they hearing this from their President, other Presidents that arent threatened just FWD out what I send out. Members dont want sanitized letters from a faceless committee, they want to hear it from an individual. Someone they can hold accountable. Do you expect people to rally behind , trust and follow a committee? Show me where that happens.
You are afraid because of what happened at NW, well we are AFL-CIO affilaited right? Supposedly NWA lost because AMFA had no support and we can count on support right? Isnt that the advantage to being affiliated and why workers should avoid independant Unions like AMFA? If the same thing would happen to us as what happened to them then where is the advantage? You also pointed out CAL, yep union busting in its heyday under former AFL-CIO affilited Union Leader Ronald Reagan, and of course EAL which I guess you feel was a loss when in fact it wasnt. But there were many other strikes that occured within that same timespan that you ignored. Strikes that were successful, why is that? Sure there's a risk but thats life in a union. Its the risk we take to get better wages and benefits and enjoy better lives. Hey if we lose its not the end of the world, just ask all the guys from NWA who have moved on to better things.
I dont trumpet CO, I think its obscene that even a twice BK carrier treats their guys better than AA treats us.
