WN Mechanics seek mediation

[swamt]

Good news. AMFA files suit against Southwest Airlines for not negotiating in good faith and violating some railway labor act rules while trying to negotiate with the members directly, as well as more company propaganda postings. All members that I have talked to yesterday were in support of the AMFA suit, and some saying "it's about time." Low media coverage so far as it came out on a Friday, maybe it will pick up greatly on Monday. I do believe we are meeting again next month 5th and 6th, but I think that it will be to deal with the controllers and instructors again, leaving the mechanics to the side again. So once again we go months without any progress for the mechanics. Here's the press release:



Mechanics union files federal lawsuit over Southwest Airlines' 'take it or leave it' negotiating tactics

 

[swamt]

The mechanics suit is still slow news today. One paper reporting on it on Mon. That's not very good media coverage. It should also be all over the radio. Let's get back to the radio adds now and try to get more media coverage on the suit. Here's the only article in general news for airlines:


Southwest Airlines mechanics file lawsuit alleging improper contract negotiation tactics

 

[SharoninSAT]

Good news. AMFA files suit against Southwest Airlines for not negotiating in good faith and violating some railway labor act rules while trying to negotiate with the members directly, as well as more company propaganda postings. All members that I have talked to yesterday were in support of the AMFA suit, and some saying "it's about time." Low media coverage so far as it came out on a Friday, maybe it will pick up greatly on Monday. I do believe we are meeting again next month 5th and 6th, but I think that it will be to deal with the controllers and instructors again, leaving the mechanics to the side again. So once again we go months without any progress for the mechanics. Here's the press release:



Mechanics union files federal lawsuit over Southwest Airlines' 'take it or leave it' negotiating tactics

Hi swamt, good for AMFA! Thanks for the updates...

 

[swamt]

Hi Sharon. Hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas. Lord knows we did. No problem, I will update as we go with the law suits. Not sure if you seen these other releases since the filing of the suit. Love getting the FULL support from the Pilots again. Hope you and yours have a happy and safe New Year!!!

Press Release: AMFA Demands Southwest Airlines Stop Harassment of Mechanics

Press Release: Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association Announces Support For Aircraft Mechanics Over Southwest Airlines Management In Contract Fight

 

[swamt]

Looks like our FMT's rejected their first contract TA. Although a very small group the results were 56% NO and 44% yes with about 92% participation. Doesn't look like it would take a lot of tweaking to get it done, but we will see...

AMFA - SWA Facilities Maintenance Tentative Agreement Referendum Results

 

[swamt]

Here's the first update on the suit from AMFA against SWA;

Southwest Airlines Lawsuit Update #1

 

[SharoninSAT]

Hi Sharon. Hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas. Lord knows we did. No problem, I will update as we go with the law suits. Not sure if you seen these other releases since the filing of the suit. Love getting the FULL support from the Pilots again. Hope you and yours have a happy and safe New Year!!!

Press Release: AMFA Demands Southwest Airlines Stop Harassment of Mechanics

Press Release: Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association Announces Support For Aircraft Mechanics Over Southwest Airlines Management In Contract Fight

Thanks swamt! We did have a Merry Christmas and I'm glad that you and yours did as well.

Wishing a safe and happy New Year to you and yours also!!!
We're all very happy that the Pilots are giving full support to the Mechanics again.
Hoping that the lawsuits and future negotiations go well for AMFA and that 2017 will be
the year that you get a Good TA to vote on. Best of luck to all of you. Thanks again for the
updates swamt.

 

[swamt]

Thanks swamt! We did have a Merry Christmas and I'm glad that you and yours did as well.

Wishing a safe and happy New Year to you and yours also!!!
We're all very happy that the Pilots are giving full support to the Mechanics again.
Hoping that the lawsuits and future negotiations go well for AMFA and that 2017 will be
the year that you get a Good TA to vote on. Best of luck to all of you. Thanks again for the
updates swamt.

Thx Sharon. Happy New Year to you as well.
It was great to hear from our Pilots again.
Looks like the co. is gonna get their 5 year pay freeze out of us after all (Aug. 16, 2017). The longer they push this out the more and more it's gonna cost them in retro and or bonuses. Most have lost all respect for the co. as of late. This new regime is killing the culture slowly but surely. Not sure if it can recover after this long of playing games by the co. Too bad, hate to see it, but it is in fact happening with some very, very senior mechanics, with well over 20 years.
Maybe this suit will allow things to progress forward at a much better pace. But, I would be willing to bet SWA will go in there blaming the union for the delays when we have all seen it personally that it is the co. dragging things out NOT the union. If it were the other way around then why hasn't SWA filed the suit against AMFA? Because it's not happening that way at all and they know it. The union needs to kick up the radio adds again, get all this new info out to the media again, and reignite the negative support for our CEO.
When our local cops, that use our maintenance facility for the drug dogs to practice, state that this co. is not the same as it was when Herb and Colleen were here, and it's showing even to them, as they see it in our employees when they are here. The co. still claims the culture is still in tact and alive and well. That's all just a front for the customers and advertising. Since the early to mid 2000's this place has gone down hill and continues to get worse and worse. And GK knows this as he has received many, many letters from fresh new mechanics from other airlines letting him know that they see this airline turning into just another AA, or US Air ect... He's let it go for way too long. Instead of fixing it, he would rather blame just a couple of un-happy employees. Well, why are they un-happy? And it's not just a few employees any longer, it's the majority if not all the mechanics, and this is why we are so united this time around. We are sick and tired of it. Moral of the story? I don't expect the co. will change the way they are doing things now, and the moral and culture will go right out the front door and they will all say "what happened" "where did we lose them" This is what happens when a co. where's blinders to what is really going on. Ok, enough said, I'm done rambling for now.

 

[WeAAsles]

Progress? What progress are you referring to? I might have missed something in the update as I was so negative about how stale mate the co. has been. I too could care less about the MC's and the instructors being "IN" our contract. They should be on their own just like the FMT's. And I have a hunch that this is what is holding our contract up, by a very very small group of people, not fair. I say it's time to move on. The membership needs to see something soon. If the co. doesn't move on their must haves then a resounding "NO" vote will be the results.

You see SWAMT this is the very attitude and why AMFA couldn't get in at AA. You guys have a philosophy that if you're not an Aircraft Mechanic that you don't belong in our Union.

Unfortunately the NMB doesn't make that distinction though.

And when non AMT's such as Facilities and Automotive Mechanics at other airlines read these types of comments from AMFA members they run for the hills away from any AMFA card holders.

Happy New Year though bro and good luck next year.

 

[WNMECH]

You see SWAMT this is the very attitude and why AMFA couldn't get in at AA. You guys have a philosophy that if you're not an Aircraft Mechanic that you don't belong in our Union.

Unfortunately the NMB doesn't make that distinction though.

And when non AMT's such as Facilities and Automotive Mechanics at other airlines read these types of comments from AMFA members they run for the hills away from any AMFA card holders.

Happy New Year though bro and good luck next year.

He didn't say he, or anyone else in AMFA, don't want them in our union.

He said "in our contract".

The company wants them in their own book or separated in an appendix and Amfa has tried to have them included in the meat of our contract.
The fight to have them in, and enjoy our language, has been stalling things and delaying an agreement for all the groups.
The company has wanted to negotiate rules for all groups separately.

Bro.

 

[WeAAsles]

He didn't say he, or anyone else in AMFA, don't want them in our union.

He said "in our contract".

The company wants them in their own book or separated in an appendix and Amfa has tried to have them included in the meat of our contract.
The fight to have them in, and enjoy our language, has been stalling things and delaying an agreement for all the groups.
The company has wanted to negotiate rules for all groups separately.

Bro.

Thank you for the clarity. Glad to hear that. But forgive me for asking cause I don't understand? What's the big deal if they are separated by an appendix if they have the same language? Even separated in their own book?

From a member perspective if there are some written differences between any of the groups wouldn't it make it easier if they were separated to understand exactly what each groups contractual rights are clearly defined?

Are there any type of rules that might make more sense for the uniqueness of work that different members do?

 

[WeAAsles]

Or going against my original comment does putting everyone in the same book maybe make it more difficult for the company to try and separate the workforce and create future division among members?

That "could" also make sense.

 

[swamt]

You see SWAMT this is the very attitude and why AMFA couldn't get in at AA. You guys have a philosophy that if you're not an Aircraft Mechanic that you don't belong in our Union.

Unfortunately the NMB doesn't make that distinction though.

And when non AMT's such as Facilities and Automotive Mechanics at other airlines read these types of comments from AMFA members they run for the hills away from any AMFA card holders.

Happy New Year though bro and good luck next year.

He didn't say he, or anyone else in AMFA, don't want them in our union.

He said "in our contract".

The company wants them in their own book or separated in an appendix and Amfa has tried to have them included in the meat of our contract.
The fight to have them in, and enjoy our language, has been stalling things and delaying an agreement for all the groups.
The company has wanted to negotiate rules for all groups separately.

Bro.

Or going against my original comment does putting everyone in the same book maybe make it more difficult for the company to try and separate the workforce and create future division among members?

That "could" also make sense.

I see that it's been clarified, and sorry WeAAsles for the confused statement. WN is correct. I have no problem for other groups to be part of AMFA. Just like our appearance techs., would love to see them in AMFA but with their own book or appendix's to yes clarify the differences involved between each others jobs, descriptions, as well as rules. I think it would be like putting us (mechanics) in the same book or contract as our Pilots. Again, just to clarify a little more, I would love to let anyone with AMFA, the more the better, just want the mechanics with their own book (contract) or language pertaining to them. When we brought AMFA in at SWA the appearance techs had to do their own contract book for their group and it was a win-win for both our groups as each group would vote seperately for their contracts and rules that affect them. This way mechanics were no longer voting on issues that pertain to them, and they were no longer voting on issues pertaining to us.
WeAAsles, I still hope one day to see you AA'ers go AMFA along with other groups at your airline, but with different books, rules and pay scales. Maybe one day all the airline mechanics as well as all aircraft mechanics will become AMFA as AMFA is a much much more mechanics union than any other union out their. Just like most all Pilots unions are as well as F/A's unions are mostly geared towards that particular profession of expertise.

 

[swamt]

Or going against my original comment does putting everyone in the same book maybe make it more difficult for the company to try and separate the workforce and create future division among members?

That "could" also make sense.

This could be the exact reasons why the co. wants it that way, to divide and keep division. But I strongly believe that no other group should vote on another groups rules, wages, or language, it's just not right.

 

[WeAAsles]

This could be the exact reasons why the co. wants it that way, to divide and keep division. But I strongly believe that no other group should vote on another groups rules, wages, or language, it's just not right.

I can understand that. I think you can make an argument on both sides though whether groups should be separated or not? I think the hardest work is when you separate groups you wind up losing some sympathy and understanding of the positions for each other?

But no I should never have any type of say in voting for anything that will affect your group and vice versa.

And my members are already confused enough when it comes to understanding their own contract. If you threw maintenance and related into the same book it would be insane if they weren't subcategorized by groups.