You guys dont get it. Yes we do. We lived it and went through the same process you're promoting. It doesn't work in this environment.
The only pressure the unions and its members can do is work safe, and use the media. Work safe...correct. The media...Not quite, they control what they write and they have their own interpretations. Every time a union in the AA negotiations mentioned strike, the media would bring down the hysteria by telling the public nothing was imminent and went on to explain the RLA.
The AFA and CWA were quite successful in using a non-binding strike vote to get US to the table in chapter 11 part 2. What was that 2005? These are different times, a different industry and a different Administration.
We lived it, have you? Yes. We went through this same process in 2009, 2010 and into 2011.
It shows strength and solidarity to the company and hopefully upsets Wall Street and future bookings, thats what it takes to get a fair CBA in the industry, been going on in my 20 years at US. Wall Street knows the drill and they are not going to be mesmerized by a vote. They know how the process works, probably better than we do.
And I am telling him the history of what has happened at US, AA was in financial mess during your talks, US is making money and has been for years and wont pass it on to the very same employees who earn that money for US. And they're certainly telling the NMB that the fruits of that will be met during the Joint talks. Do you believe it is a coincidence Parker has been mentioning how Labor will be brought up to top of the industry. You can bet those are the same talks in the offices of the NMB. They're likely to say, close this negotiations out and if they don't comply with their words during the Joint talks, then we will gladly receive you once again.
He is chicken little, let the US and the IAM handle their issues instead of chicken little coming over here and telling whats gonna happen, dont do this, dont do that. We've been through the process. You can ignore the experience if you'd like...but eventually you'll experience it too. Hopefully it wouldn't take as long as it did with us.
This is the IAM and US, he isnt either and let them decide their futures and their CBA, not someone who wont be effected by it.
US' employees have been under basically Chapter 11 CBAs since 2002, its time make some gains and be respected. That's great. We said the same things in our negotiations because we had a BK type CBA since 2003. The NMB kept telling us to move on. This isn't 2003 and that Chapter needs to be closed.
Doug and Al slapped his own employees in the face by agreeing to MOUs with AA and its employees giving them increases while he spit in the face of his own employees.
The NMB doesnt give a crap about Wall Street and stock prices, yet he is trying to throw out some much garbage and see what sticks.
He doesnt have a vote in the matter, so let the US employees decide their future.
And I guess some of you dont realize the better CBA the three IAM represented groups get at US means a better JCBA contract for both US and AA. Of course we do. So does Parker & Co. So does the NMB. That being the case what makes you believe he will give an industry leading contract or something to that effect, if they have to turn around that do it all over again.
Without even negotiating the Labor expenses have already gone up. It will take millions just bring everything up to part with our better wages and your better language in VC's, HW's and even the Medical. Those rises are a given. They won't expand on those now, only to get demands for further expansion in the Joint talks. C'mon.
Save and protect your Scope now. Get raises now. Then we can tackle the other issues in the Joint talks.
The longer these talks take, the longer the Joint talks are driven further away the more value we lose each and every day.
