Afa Bod Votes To Merge With Cwa

[tadjr]

From the CWA email.

Association of Flight Attendants board of directors votes to merge with CWA...

Members of the Association of Flight Attendants' board of directors voted Oct. 30 to approve a merger agreement between their union and CWA. The board of directors, with about 75 voting members, is made up of the top officers of the AFA local executive councils, or local unions.

The next step in the process is a membership ratification vote, scheduled to be completed by November 25.

CWA President Morton Bahr addressed the board meeting in Boston and said the CWA and AFA partnership will be a positive step for members of two great unions and will help energize new organizing efforts in the airline industry. The merger agreement guarantees that AFA will remain the premier flight attendant union, continuing to bargain contracts, process grievances and raise flight attendant issues within the industry and on Capitol Hill, he said.

By joining with CWA, AFA gains the support of an innovative, democratic union in its fight for flight attendant jobs, safety and security, Bahr said.

AFA President Pat Friend said flight attendants "are working and living in the most anxious of times, when our industry and our profession are under siege as never before." This merger is right for AFA, because it will make our union even stronger, will increase our resources and ability to fight for flight attendants every day on the line and will support our work in Washington and internationally, she said.

 

[ClueByFour]

Boy, I'll be Friend wishes she'd left well enough alone at Delta....

 

[skyflyr69]

this could be a great cost saving deal for U. U could now use the F/A's to help pull tickets check in pax etc.

 

[just a f/a]

(Coming out of lurk mode....)

The e-mail I received from our LEC President said that the vote of whether to affiliate with CWA will now be put to the membership at large. The letter went on to say, however, that if the membership does not ratifiy this "merger" our dues will almost instantly be raised, then raised an additional 2% every other year!

So what this translates to, for me at least, is that while the airline workforces are shrinking and working for less wages, AFA was unable (unwilling?) to cut the fat off their bloated budget in Washington, D.C.

While I mean no disrespect to our own Union Leadership, I think our intrastructure is successful and can continue to be as such without having our dues raised to subsidize AFA's next multi-million dollar blunder such as the failed Delta organizing campaign.

If our monthly dues remains the same, yet is used solely for our own needs and not for paying for expensive office space and salaries of administrative personnel in Washington, I feel we can hire our own legal counsel when negotiating time comes and whenever else it's needed.

This is just my opinion and I welcome other thoughts. Maybe AFA needs to be reminded that it's not the only game in town...

 

[Do_it_for_Dave]

Just a F/A, Welcome to the boards.

You have good reason to question the actions of your union. These are the same people that are trying to get extra money from you with their strike fund.

The AFA blames the downsizing of their union membership for their problems. What if the problem was with their management structure. What has the PIT LEC done for its members lately? Ask your leadership where the union dues are distributed. You should ask if more of your dues will be wasted with a larger union.

You should send a strong message to your co-workers that this merger will not benefit the majority. Speak with the CWA members at the ATO. Not many are happy with their representation.

Vote No!

 

[Hula Girl]

How much in dues was spent trying to organize Delta flight attendants? Millions and millions no doubt. But how many millions?

 

[cavalier]

Management would love just such a thing, A No Vote, and in fact wish the unions would go away completely. Jerry's number 1 reason for living. DO here is following Jerry's marching orders.


Why would management even care if they didn't feel threatened, or had some other motives for this interference. They are trying to find a weak link to infiltrate and undermine the union’s leadership and the membership themselves making way for the concessions we took look like peanuts. It’s is and always has been about breaking the unions and that’s why Jerry Glass is even on the property. This management team continues to focus to the point of obsession on trying to break the unions, that’s JERRY’S BUSINESS AND LIVELIHOOD, rather than develop a winning business plan and run this airline. Reading DO'S post only proves my point and provides the reason why this management must be replaced by a competent and TRULY labor friendly team. Focusing on breaking the unions along with their flawed business plan will mean our demise.

 

[Analyst]

I also question the actions of the AFA. I would like to know how much money was spent on the campaign to obtain the DL F/A group. I am sure that Pitbull won't have this answer either. The AFA leadership has let you down. They should spend more time on the front lines than at the office. :angry: Ask yourself what has the MEC done for you lately. Don't think that a merger will solve your problems.

 

[cavalier]

Not many are happy with their representation.

That one sentence is why Jerry exists. To undermine then break unions. If people are not happy that unhappiness is misdirected by the very design of Jerry and cohorts with the constant attacking on all labor fronts. Instead of the company using its resources to develop a working business plan, they are burning government and loan money with their relentless charge of breaking labor. They started this attack by calling themselves labor friendly so we would let down our defenses. Now after much blood shed it’s painfully obvious that it was a ruse and they are totally opposite of labor friendly. Employees are unhappy because of this management team’s action’s, it’s NOT labor leaders. Management turns it around and points to the labor leaders, blames them for what THEY, management, really did. This farce is easy when employees are blind sided, hurting, worried, and confused wanting someone to pay for their pent up wrath. This is all one big mind game with the sole purpose of confusing and hurting people and convincing them that the union caused all this disarray when in fact it was designed to look that way. This gives management power over the hearts and minds of the employees, therefore taking total control to do whatever including slave wages, no benefits, random firings , totally free without the restraint of the unions. I can’t even imagine what that would be like when they make it hell with unions! The point is, don’t be fooled by this trickery.

 

[cavalier]

I also question the actions of the AFA. I would like to know how much money was spent on the campaign to obtain the DL F/A group. I am sure that Pitbull won't have this answer either. The AFA leadership has let you down. They should spend more time on the front lines than at the office. :angry: Ask yourself what has the MEC done for you lately. Don't think that a merger will solve your problems.

With attacks on all fronts it's the old story, united we stand divided we fall. Strength in numbers and we need BIG numbers to fight this war that was launched against labor from corporate America. If a merger doesn't solve any problems why then does corporate America do it just about weekly?

As for the leaders letting you down, they by all means step up to the plate and make yourself available 24/7 just like they do, and fight the good fight against a ruthless union busting management team and corporate America. Does bitching help or does working together?

 

[AOG-N-IT]

I won't delve into the debate on the subject of the AFA and CWA merger. Basically it's not my fight...so my input would be from a less than educated stance.

However , I do not agree with the blanket statement about "Not many are happy with their representation"

I for one have been critical about my representation on occasion...yet when my representations back was pressed to the wall , It came out swinging for the fences.

The IAM or any other union may not be the perfect end all answer...however with a company run like U is being run , it's an engraved in stone absolute must.

I have taken a lot of notice among other IAM members of late...with the Victory stance the IAM has taken against U management of late...you rarely if ever hear mention of AMFA anymore. I will not say that this is eiher good or bad...but it does show an increased bond and solidification against the enemy within.

We can all only hope that the internal fighting can be brought to an end at some point...and that will definately take the resignation of Dave Siegel and his bonus babies...Then we can focus on what really matters , kicking the crap out of our competition in the marketplace we serve.

I really hate that it has come to this..truly I do...but we are not the ones that have led this company into a reversable abyss...nor are we the ones that came in under the guise of one thing...and clearly prooved ourselves to be something else other than what we claimed to be. Labor Friendly....that's a laugh !!! It's only friendly when labors collective wallet is being emptied into U's budget.

 

[tadjr]

Thanks for the concern Do, but curious why mangement would care what the unions are doing regarding non company business? I would think that CCY would better spend their time addressing some of our competitors and what we're going to do to stop them vs which union the Flight Attendants want to be associated with, unless of course CCY sees this as a bad move for them?
Please enlighten us. And spare me the altruism. There's gotta be SOMETHING in it for you.....

 

[TheWatcher]

The Unions have to be doing something good for its members. If not, there wouldnt be all this chatter to stop them.

 

[PITbull]

Do-it-for-dave,


Any reason you would cite the AFA Local Pit President as if she IS all of AFA.

I know management thinks that its all about her. And she just bothers the hell out of management. Read it and weep. New topic coming out!

YOU ALL IN MANAGEMENT WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE AT LEAST ONE UNION GO DOWN!

Ain't happening! You will NOT get your wish. And you will not take ALL.


Analyst,

Fancy seeing you on this topic....

If the leaders were out flying, WHO, pray tell, would take the calls? Who would defend the f/as for egregious violations if no one was maning the phones....I WAIT FOR YOUR ANSWER GENIUS. Who would fight the battles with crew sced. or those who are being DENIED medical leave of absence WITH doctor's note. Who? Who would fight the termination grievances, or answer the INVOL and VOL questions, health, welfare and pension questions, sap problems or questions, LTD problems and OJI, incidents on planes, slide deployments, dependability issues, and who would go in with the f/as to meet surpervisors who wait to pounce and issue dependability warning????? WHO?

You would like the leaders to be pre occupied and fly so no one whould be there to address the f/as issues and defend our contract....go where it burns, baby!

 

[Fly]

I feel resentful that I was FORCED to join this union (or else unable to work as a flight attendant)...of course I can quit the union but I am still FORCED to pay the dues.

Anyone notice that while we ALL took pay cuts.....our union did NOT? Use the FORCED membership dues toward the membership.

I would rather be judged by my merit than by the number of years employed.