mike33 said:
I'm beginning to think Roa is correct Tim. You are in a no loose situation with your comments and that my friend can be the dagger that leads the membership astray. All the info we can get is good, but during elections, Info can be deceiving and non- productive. Too bad the merger wasn't 1 yr before or 1 yrs after elections. Man would this be a different " Aire " of conversation.....
On the other hand, if there is some real good out of your position , for me anyway, it is that you are keeping us engaged. I applaud you for that.
Its actually quite the opposite. I'm in a lose lose situation saying the things that I have been saying, but I don't bow for politics. Much better politically for me to just sit back and not even bother debating since February gave the team I'm on a strong indication on where all the United and Continental support is.
Regarding US AIRWAYS, what I have said is real and in writing, by both the TWU MOU and the IAM statement regarding the duration it will negotiate in stand alone talks 'until' [the IAM's words, not mine] the NMB rules on a single carrier. And everyone knows the history of this IAM141 group and how it firebombed the United pre-joint talks with a goose-egg unlike all other unions. But, others like BSing members into believing the current pre-joint talk negotiations will produce a comprehensive contract. Nobody wants to hear me saying how this thing necessarily will be winding down and the IAM"s path could be $0 for you. Trust me, I got absolutely hammered speaking the truth over at United because the IAM141 eboard blew so much smoke up everyone's ass that it made me look like a jackass. At the end of the day, the United members found out the VERY VERY hard way by biting on the BS of IAM141 and got NOTHING in pre-joint talks. Because of politics, they left 12% on the table along with medical and job security. All other unions at United took what was reasonably on the table and didn't burn themselves playing politics. The same path, unthinkably, is happening over here at US AIRWAYS. 70,000 other employees already signed pre merger contracts with AH. Yet, we all know that each AH proposal has gotten worse and worse with the IAM? Why? Is it because he has a personal vendetta against the IAM? Of course not. It's because AH doesn't have a sense of humor with politics. It's easy to write a email like Mark Baskett did asking for AMR wages and then attaching 5 other items to that and tell everyone that they will make AH give us all of it. Sure as hell looks good anyways. But I guess you can ask for anything in political season, but I still haven't heard a plan on how Mark is going to get AH to give our group all of that from Mark's final offer. BTW, Mark wasn't even allowed to go into negotiations so his reports are second hand. BTW, for the record, I think AMR wages and job security are a very real thing, at least, that we should be able to nab before joint talks but I think AH isn't biting because he feels all the other attachments weigh down the offer. And I'd hate to walk away from that with a goose-egg. It appears that AH may feel that the NC is trying to fit 10 lbs of potatoes in a 5 lb bag so "he's out" and tapped out with a ridiculous 1% offer. Maybe AH strokes time by upping his offer from the 1% to show movement to the NMB, knowing full well that June 9 is only a bit more than 2 more months of rope a dope for him to play.
IAM141 is playing politics again, buying votes by telling everyone that it is going to make AH give them $2.43 immediate pay raise, about 12 more days off per year, more retirement, more scope in the midst of pre-joint talk negotiations. And THEY are the ones who can get away with BSing since AH won't be signing on that package in the next two months. Even a strike within pre-joint talks context won't make AH cave in to all of those demands. Oops, I lost a few more votes. The very real threat of playing politics for votes is that it has not only polarized talks but also set our group against a clock that is VERY REAL. Like I said, we will find out before June 9 if they have a release in the bag. If they have a release then great! If not then we been punked because no way does the NMB give a release after a single carrier is filed, and it has never rewarded a union with a release after the union intentionally violates its contract. We will find out before June 9, and your station votes later in the month.
So, mike, please tell me how what I just said buys votes? I don't know one person who wants to hear what I just said. We will find out by June 9, at the latest about a release. Like I said, if they have been told 'off the record' that one is coming, it will be coming before June 9. If not then we have all been stroked, and in doing so, they have alienated, polarized, and polluted the negotiation room. There is a reason why 70,000 other employees found acceptable contracts already but AH offered his worst contract yet.
I'm interested in AMR wages and getting all of our current stations grandfathered like PVD and BDL were. If we can work on getting more because we have been told we will get a release, then great. But if we are just pissing in the political winds and haven't the knowledge of a release then there is a real and present danger of leaving it all on the table as our union did at United.
