WN Mechanics seek mediation

[I'll have another]

Would be better than Teamsters, IAM, or TWU.

I don't know. But I'm sure you would get labor professionals doing our bidding instead of aircraft mechanics. If I wanted a house built, I would hire a home builder, not a handyman.

 

[B737 driver]

I don't know. But I'm sure you would get labor professionals doing our bidding instead of aircraft mechanics. If I wanted a house built, I would hire a home builder, not a handyman.

Well it's kind of like this, if we were ever serious about union replacement. I think we should have leadership replacement.But l really don't think, that anyone would want the Teamsters back, or the IAM, or the TWU.

 

[WNMECH]

I don't know. But I'm sure you would get labor professionals doing our bidding instead of aircraft mechanics. If I wanted a house built, I would hire a home builder, not a handyman.

You want a homebuilder that takes your money, then does whatever they want without your input weather you like it or not, doesn't work under the same agreement you do, and you cant fire them?
No thanks.

I prefer to hire a general contractor (or labor lawyer) that I can fire, and does exactly what I tell him.

 

[WNMECH]

Well it's kind of like this, if we were ever serious about union replacement. I think we should have leadership replacement.But l really don't think, that anyone would want the Teamsters back, or the IAM, or the TWU.

We left the IBT to control ourselves. AMFA was the only option because nobody thought we could start a union like SWAPA from scratch.
I would consider joining SWAPA in a heartbeat if they would have us as long as we maintained the autonomy we have now, but don't think the pilots would ever want to be bothered by us.
We are now working closer than ever with the pilots but don't think a merger is in our future.

I never bought into all the old AMFA religion stuff and could care less about expanding AMFA to other carriers, to me it was just a vehicle (with an established framework) to our independence.

 

[WNMECH]

Well it's kind of like this, if we were ever serious about union replacement. I think we should have leadership replacement.But l really don't think, that anyone would want the Teamsters back, or the IAM, or the TWU.

I agree 100%

 

[I'll have another]

We left the IBT to control ourselves. AMFA was the only option because nobody thought we could start a union like SWAPA from scratch.
I would consider joining SWAPA in a heartbeat if they would have us as long as we maintained the autonomy we have now, but don't think the pilots would ever want to be bothered by us.
We are now working closer than ever with the pilots but don't think a merger is in our future.

I never bought into all the old AMFA religion stuff and could care less about expanding AMFA to other carriers, to me it was just a vehicle (with an established framework) to our independence.

Maybe I should have said, I wouldn't hire a burger flipper to reroof my house. So you couldn't twist my point. The majority did not vote for amfa, to control ourselves with this new found independence. If I recall, the majority didn't bother to vote. But I do know the majority isn't happy with the way things are going. The majority could careless about amfa, it's control, or independence. The majority wants results! Union change is being talked about. I hear it all the time.

 

[B737 driver]

We left the IBT to control ourselves. AMFA was the only option because nobody thought we could start a union like SWAPA from scratch.
I would consider joining SWAPA in a heartbeat if they would have us as long as we maintained the autonomy we have now, but don't think the pilots would ever want to be bothered by us.
We are now working closer than ever with the pilots but don't think a merger is in our future.

I never bought into all the old AMFA religion stuff and could care less about expanding AMFA to other carriers, to me it was just a vehicle (with an established framework) to our independence.

Let me ask you this, do you really feel we can honestly get the company to move. Just in my opinion we need leadership change. I always looked at unions as you would hiring a lawyer, or an agent to get you a deal.

 

[B737 driver]

Maybe I should have said, I wouldn't hire a burger flipper to reroof my house. So you couldn't twist my point. The majority did not vote for amfa, to control ourselves with this new found independence. If I recall, the majority didn't bother to vote. But I do know the majority isn't happy with the way things are going. The majority could careless about amfa, it's control, or independence. The majority wants results! Union change is being talked about. I hear it all the time.

I hear people talk about it at my station, but talking about it, and actually doing it, are two different things. So we will see.

 

[WNMECH]

Let me ask you this, do you really feel we can honestly get the company to move. Just in my opinion we need leadership change. I always looked at unions as you would hiring a lawyer, or an agent to get you a deal.

Absolutely they will move.

Their plans have already conflicted with the RLA and the status quo. It will only get more troublesome for their plans the longer they refuse to negotiate in good faith. They never thought we would hold out for 5 years to get paid for our sweat equity.
Showing solidarity to wait them out is our best course. We are not starving or homeless (I hope) and make a sustainable wage while we wait for our turn to be rewarded for our part in the company record profits and success.
Pretending to get a change in representation is just counterproductive while it makes the company actually think they have a chance to see it happen. Make no mistake, they would love not to face the current team at the table because our guys are so rock solid for us. A change only weakens our chances of ever getting a fair contract from the other side.
The peanut gallery should just relax and let our team continue with the pressure they are applying and be confident that we have many more arrows in our quiver the longer this goes.
I encourage everyone to stiffen the spine, bear down and push with us in the same direction as they have all along.

And remember, the Status Quo is our friend.

 

[B737 driver]

Absolutely they will move.

Their plans have already conflicted with the RLA and the status quo. It will only get more troublesome for their plans the longer they refuse to negotiate in good faith. They never thought we would hold out for 5 years to get paid for our sweat equity.
Showing solidarity to wait them out is our best course. We are not starving or homeless (I hope) and make a sustainable wage while we wait for our turn to be rewarded for our part in the company record profits and success.
Pretending to get a change in representation is just counterproductive while it makes the company actually think they have a chance to see it happen. Make no mistake, they would love not to face the current team at the table because our guys are so rock solid for us. A change only weakens our chances of ever getting a fair contract from the other side.
The peanut gallery should just relax and let our team continue with the pressure they are applying and be confident that we have many more arrows in our quiver the longer this goes.
I encourage everyone to stiffen the spine, bear down and push with us in the same direction as they have all along.

And remember, the Status Quo is our friend.

Far from starving I want a deal too, just don't want a Northwest situation, but I know in my mind that our negotiating team is not that stupid.

 

[I'll have another]

Absolutely they will move.

Their plans have already conflicted with the RLA and the status quo. It will only get more troublesome for their plans the longer they refuse to negotiate in good faith. They never thought we would hold out for 5 years to get paid for our sweat equity.
Showing solidarity to wait them out is our best course. We are not starving or homeless (I hope) and make a sustainable wage while we wait for our turn to be rewarded for our part in the company record profits and success.
Pretending to get a change in representation is just counterproductive while it makes the company actually think they have a chance to see it happen. Make no mistake, they would love not to face the current team at the table because our guys are so rock solid for us. A change only weakens our chances of ever getting a fair contract from the other side.
The peanut gallery should just relax and let our team continue with the pressure they are applying and be confident that we have many more arrows in our quiver the longer this goes.
I encourage everyone to stiffen the spine, bear down and push with us in the same direction as they have all along.

And remember, the Status Quo is our friend.

I agree status quo is our friend until he decides to leave. Then a new buddy is gonna visit and his name is self help. Then what???

 

[swamt]

Ill stay with AMFA also.
I prefer being in control of all our dues money, having SWA mechanics in all positions of leadership in order to insure our dues go to defense of our contract and jobs.
Instead of outsourcing those duties to a national organization of unelected people we could never remove from office who don't give a rats ass about our concerns but only for our money.

We left the IBT to control ourselves. AMFA was the only option because nobody thought we could start a union like SWAPA from scratch.
I would consider joining SWAPA in a heartbeat if they would have us as long as we maintained the autonomy we have now, but don't think the pilots would ever want to be bothered by us.
We are now working closer than ever with the pilots but don't think a merger is in our future.

I never bought into all the old AMFA religion stuff and could care less about expanding AMFA to other carriers, to me it was just a vehicle (with an established framework) to our independence.

I too will stick with AMFA. I like having control.
If we ever did change unions, at this point I would only vote to merge with the pilots and as you have stated maintain the relationships we currently have. I don't think this membership will ever go to an industrial union again. Status quo is our friend. The contract we currently have is better than what the co. wants to do. They need changes but AMFA not willing to give away the farm. teamsters would have folded long ago with deals getting cut behind closed doors in a hotel room instead of at the table.

 

[B737 driver]

I too will stick with AMFA. I like having control.
If we ever did change unions, at this point I would only vote to merge with the pilots and as you have stated maintain the relationships we currently have. I don't think this membership will ever go to an industrial union again. Status quo is our friend. The contract we currently have is better than what the co. wants to do. They need changes but AMFA not willing to give away the farm. teamsters would have folded long ago with deals getting cut behind closed doors in a hotel room instead of at the table.

Your probably right on the industrial unions, I don't ever see that again, better to keep what you have, just comes to a waiting game, the road shows were informative.

 

[I'll have another]

Your probably right on the industrial unions, I don't ever see that again, better to keep what you have, just comes to a waiting game, the road shows were informative.

I would never say ever. Do you think with oil prices climbing, hit 2 year high today, the company is in any hurry. My way or the highway is the company position. These lawsuits are like a flea on a dog to a over 30 billion dollar company. I'm just fine with keeping status quo but how long do you think that will last? Merging with the pilots? Yeah right! They'll tell us to get lost.

 

[B737 driver]

I would never say ever. Do you think with oil prices climbing, hit 2 year high today, the company is in any hurry. My way or the highway is the company position. These lawsuits are like a flea on a dog to a over 30 billion dollar company. I'm just fine with keeping status quo but how long do you think that will last? Merging with the pilots? Yeah right! They'll tell us to get lost.

It will basically come to this, they AMFA will not allow it to get to self help. It will go maybe another year, not much past that, a deal will be done, people will complain, but it will pass.People will claim they didn't vote for it, when they really did. Do we keep AMFA after that, probably, who knows.