2014 Fleet Service Discussion

[mike33]

So much for US not working AA metal until there is a Transition Agreement. Any US IAM Fleet member working in a station, where AA mainline is handled by a vendor, should be aware. If the company directs you to work AA metal, under the language in Article 4 of the US Fleet CBA, the company's directive is in compliance of the contract the way I see it. Refusal could warrant insubordination. Your only option would be to file a grievance. Yea ....

  I disagree with the notion that this article accepts AA metal as acceptable without a contract with AA. I truly believe that it falls within the " Express " guidelines as it is written within the paragraph of express. For instance Mesa, which at the time of writing was not a sub of USairways. 
  The problem is if the company sees it as you say then the grievance procedure is a problem. I agree with that part of it. 

 

[ChockJockey]

You cant work it until you are trained on AA's procedures.
 
If they force you you can refuse to due to it being unsafe, call out the shop steward, safety rep and call the FAA, you cant work an AA plane unless you are trained on their procedures.

 
Yep.  I'd be surprised if they even tried, unless you had some hare-brained station manager desperate for a quick fix.  I don't know how to hook up a tow bar to an MD-80, or how their weight and balance works or how to close it out using the scanner or how/where to stow live animals etc. etc. etc.  It's impossible to think an untrained US agent could intuitively figure out how to turn an AA flight safely, correctly, and on-time (or vice-versa).  There's no way, not without many hours of computer-based training/classroom time and rampside training/shadowing.

 

[Tim Nelson]

you could be right but last election there wasn't a pos UA agreement hanging around the current leadership like an albatross

time will tell but we ferl fairly good. Last yime it was tough getting nominations as i only had 6 and some on my team only had 4.
This time i think we had 6 after just the first completed voting day.

We feel good as most united and continental members cant wait to vote in june .most realize the toxic environment created by the current leaders will destroy whatever is left of "unions" if they get back in.

pj is right about his local and i appreciate that locals support and the sUa local chairman there.hopefully, the current leaders campaign really hard in june because we feel that will incite the members even more. Right now the united leaders cant even walk into their local or breakrooms without being laughed at.
Most of them are actually finishing in last place at their local. For instance, both usairways candidates for two year term kicked the arse of their iah opponent in his own local because the guy absolutely sucks and turned on his own people.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Strike preparedness better start pretty darn quick.
first off is asking for dispensation. Our leaders need to leverage this if they are worth anything at all. Strike benefits of $100 a week after one week has really hurt alot of strikes and AH knows that.
also, i think our union needs to decide when to go on strike, not the company and nmb. That means that a strike can happen anytime after midnight of the 30 day cooling off. The union needs to educate the membership about the laws that govern a walkout and a return. The union must share the company proposal and the union proposal so that everyone knows what a strike will be about. No bull S like they have about the twu single carrier application which must be filed by 6 months or the union risk big fines.

 

[mike33]

  I agree and have been talking it up with FSAs' in my station. Explaining the process/timelines etc. Many have no clue. Its like you have to chalkboard the discussion and show them. At least they are asking, and i mean really asking, which is a good sign. The strike fund weekly $$ would secure about 60% of them. The main thing i tell them, because we are in a class 2 station, is the flight activity ='s the importance of scope. For instance:
 
AND IM REFERRING TO LANGUAGE AS IT IS IN THE AA CONTRACT AH/SJ WANT US TO ACCEPT
 
  AA is outsourced here and we are not. The flight activity for AA is about 13 per day and ours about 10, but that includes 6 phx flts.  That would be a total of 23.  Even with their daily boogie # we would be ok.     But, with 6 phx out of 10 the company could cut 3 and send the pax thru DFW and we would be down to 20 ( even less if they try in RJs like they do during the summer).  Which i believe is 1 flt less than it takes to insource again........so when they cut 3 phx flts and the scope is lost one would still feel safe right?.....NOT
 
You see, when integration takes place, the FSAs' in my station would be furloughed because the boogie number had not been reach for insourcing !!!! So all the other BS in a contract is nothing. It's all about SCOPE! SCOPE and more Scope.
 
How many other stations are in the same predicament?....  do the math and pay attn to the insourcing Boggie number.......

 

[freedom]

I dont see a strike in our future ....

What the unión should be doing is temporarily rasing unión dues in preperation for a PR war ....

US Airways has outsourced countless jobs .....start to make the public aware that American Airlines is just another company cutting people out of the middle class so the guys at the top and on Wall street can have their bonuses and you will see the public outrage flow ...

 

[robbedagain]

I dont see a strike in our future ....What the unión should be doing is temporarily rasing unión dues in preperation for a PR war ....US Airways has outsourced countless jobs .....start to make the public aware that American Airlines is just another company cutting people out of the middle class so the guys at the top and on Wall street can have their bonuses and you will see the public outrage flow ...

Are you not awake enough? I sure hope the nmb grants both iam groups a release and begin the 30 day cooling off period. How do you feel bout those flippin freakin donkeys making back room door buster deals with anther airline and that union while they Fail to negogiate with the 141 n 142? U really need to educate urself freedom

 

[freedom]

Are you not awake enough? I sure hope the nmb grants both iam groups a release and begin the 30 day cooling off period. How do you feel bout those flippin freakin donkeys making back room door buster deals with anther airline and that union while they Fail to negogiate with the 141 n 142? U really need to educate urself freedom

Id like to think im intelligent enough to know we are not organized enough to strike ...

Do we have lists of employees at all IAM stations of who is loyal to unionism and who isnt ?

And what is this talk I hear about a 100 dollar a week strike fund ? You people dont know that more than half the country lives paycheck to paycheck ? If I were to wager. Guess id say we need at least a year and a half to just finicially prepare the membership for striking ...

Then of course we should be cognizant that we would get NO support from the public ...and while many of you think they would book away from AA ,I think you underestimate how cheap the public is ,all AA would have to do is lower fares and the planes would be packed strike or no.

 

[psa8979]

m-33. Spot on Brother. Thanks for the info from SAN. Now lets continue AF contributors of information since are Brothers /Sisters are busy at D-141 e-board dealing with IAM politics . Station by station with similar situation at SAN . How many flights do AALs contracted out Stations have where WE/LCC/IAM  have the work and Members ? SCOPE is # 1 in any CBA that will protect all current / future work when dealing with a Airline Inc./DP that can't be trusted because of their past and current record of not negotiating in good faith. The CBA SCOPE needs  to be written in clear,legal,and binding language with no wiggle room for any Management SHENANIGANS ! Lets not get hoodwinked like our Brothers/Sisters at UAL did .

 

[robbedagain]

Freedom if u were intelligent then as u think u are now u would have never voted for the current contract its late now but iven our current status I believe the iam is and will continue to be best prepared for a possible strike against this airline. If u need a yr and half to prepare then its quite oviously clear you are not educated

 

[ChockJockey]

Do we have lists of employees at all IAM stations of who is loyal to unionism and who isnt ?

 
Don't need lists, that's what the strike vote will be for.  I'm prepared to strike regardless of what the compensation is (though I agree with Tim that it should definitely be maximized).
 
So if it gets to the point of striking yay or nay and you had to vote tomorrow what would it be?

 

[freedom]

If I had to vote tomorrow I would vote no ...im not prepared for a strike .

 

[Tim Nelson]

Don't need lists, that's what the strike vote will be for.  I'm prepared to strike regardless of what the compensation is (though I agree with Tim that it should definitely be maximized).
 
So if it gets to the point of striking yay or nay and you had to vote tomorrow what would it be?

The politics are perfect for self help after a cooling off but im uncomfortable with the complete lack of information when a release can be granted any day.
its incredibly ignorant and insensitive to just use rhetoric and say "prepare for strike". Its incredibly insulting and risk a poor strike vote if our members are not aware of the numerous things that offer them support.
We have a tremendous opportunity to get a great strike vote but there needs to be education.

 

[ChockJockey]

If I had to vote tomorrow I would vote no ...im not prepared for a strike .

 
Fair enough.  Maybe when the time comes to decide you will be.

 

[cltrat]

If I had to vote tomorrow I would vote no ...im not prepared for a strike .

at least you're honest anyway, for the record I highly doubt you are alone.
 
Most of us at larger stations anyway all know the overtime whore. the guy/gal or guys/gals working all the  ot they can. They aren't doing that because they are bored at home,they are doing it becauses they need the money. At a 100 a week they will be in a bind pretty quick.