This is the Letter Put out by the TWU/IAM Association since we filed
Tiny Raider Association Threatens Mechanics at American Airlines
I am wondering if all the mechanics who signed cards to bring us a VOTE are Threatened? And if so HOW SCARED are You?
A small and poorly-resourced association claimed on Friday that it secured the requisite support among mechanic and related workers at American Airlines to call for a representation election. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (amfa) filed what is known as an application for investigation for a representation dispute with the National Mediation Board (NMB) Friday afternoon. The NMB will now determine if a dispute actually exists.
The NMB will now await a list from AA of the eligible voters that the company believes is within the M&R class and Craft. Also the Association will do everything it can to also figure a way to dispute the total numbers we have at this time.
In its announcement, amfa claimed that changes in union representation will “not impact your current collective bargaining agreement.” That is one of their lies. A change in representation will end the guaranteed medical insurance benefits and defined pension plan for every former LUS mechanic and related worker. And if amfa were successful in a representation vote, all American Airlines mechanic and related workers will risk their industry best scope language, since amfa has the worst record when it comes to protecting the work of its members.
What the TWU/IAM Fails to tell you is the current contract remains in place until it becomes ammedable, so the scope language remains the same. As far as the Defined Pension Plan as they call it, it is a IAMNPF a pension ran by and started by the IAM, If the LUS employees switch to AMFA as Part of the M&R workgroup
IT IS CORRECT THAT, NO FURTHER PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED INTO THE FUND SINCE THEY ARE NO LONGER IAM EMPLOYEES. THIS IS WHAT THEY STATED DURING THE IBT DRIVE AT USAirways. Contractually AA will have to figure out along with the IAM and AMFA how the money that is promised to the LUS guys will be distributed to each of them. The current pension funds They can't lose so AGAIN that will have to be addressed as to how those funds will be set aside since NO-ONE CAN TAKE YOUR PENSION. If you read the current contract the IAM medical plan is phased out over the next few years in some way or another. The ASSociation also put language in the contract saying if you change representation you will lose it all. That is challengeable in the courts.
The reality is, amfa is a weak organization that does not have the strength and resources to take on the largest airline on the planet. According to its latest financial report, amfa has a total of $2.2 million. To fight an airline like American, which has tens of billions of annual revenues, you need a lot more than a couple of million in the bank.
Our Union Dues will STOP going into the TWU coffers and go to AMFA so with that said Money will Not be a Factor.
Also, amfa has the distinction of being the industry leader in negotiating contracts that allow the absolute most aircraft maintenance work to be outsourced. Their irresponsible agreements have caused the greatest reduction of Mechanic and Related workers in the history of the industry. To compare, there are about SIX TIMES more mechanics per aircraft at American Airlines (due to the best scope language in the industry) than Southwest Airlines, where amfa represents only 2,700 members, out of their total membership at all their carriers of approximately 3,500 members. And, TWU-IAM Association members enjoy better pay, better benefits and better working conditions.
In the 2003 AMFA Organizers Failure as they put it since it is the employees NOT AMFA. we had approx 19k TWU M&R employees. How many do we have NOW? Approx 12k so that means that the TWU has lost 6k members why don't they explain those loses?
This filing follows the failed 2013 attempt by amfa to raid American Airlines –an effort that was firmly rejected by the NMB.
There was an attempt by the AMFA Organizers here at AA to get enough cards to bring AMFA here But as you ALL Remember the TWU brought in the IBT to dilute the number of cards then they the IBT filed cards before the AMFA organizers could get to Washington with the collected cards. So the NMB said we were to Late since AA had given the NMB the list required and that is why they denied the cards, so there was NO Filing.
With the uncertainty that our industry faces today, to be represented by a weak, poorly resourced association like amfa is downright dangerous.
And, amfa has a long and documented history of failures:
Lets go back into History, How many bk filing did Continental have? what did the IAM represented M&R workers lose in those?
How many times has United filed for BK, and they were represented by the IAM as well. What happened to the M&R workers there?
How about the USAirways M&R workers what did they lose under the IAM each time that happened?
What happened to the stock and other benefits I as ONE of the EASTERN Airlines M&R work group?
How about the Pension and lack of wage earning potential the TWA guys lost over a 15 year min. time frame while AGAIN under the IAM
What happened to the M&R guys at PanAm since they were twu, what did they lose?
•Due to massive outsourcing and poor representation, United Airlines mechanic and related workers decertified amfa in 2008, after only five years of bad representation and over 6 thousand jobs lost to outsourcing.
"YES" AMFA was voted out at United during a BK filing at UAL and a RAID by the IBT when UAL had opened and subsequently closed the Newly built maintenance base in INDY. The IBT promised to force UAL to re-open the base and get all the jobs Back. That Did NOT HAPPEN. And since UAL guys have collected AMFA cards and created a union to attempt to bring new representation to the M&R work group. ALTA is the name of that Union.
•amfa has lost all heavy maintenance, plant maintenance, and cleaning since their raid at Alaska Airlines.
The TWU has let AA reduce the number of mechanics in Tulsa the biggest to the low point it is at today, How did that Happen I wonder?
•Since 2004, amfa went from representing close to 20,000 mechanic and related members to about 3,500 in 2020.
As I stated above AA went from 19k M&R employees to approx 12k just at AA have them give you the numbers they have lost thoughout the Industry as they have supplied amfa's numbers?
•amfa negotiated contracts allowed for such a high level of outsourcing that, in a 48 month period, mechanic and related headcount at Northwest Airlines decreased from 10,000 to 3,800.
•amfa led the 3,800 remaining on the famed “suicide strike” at Northwest Airlines. Because of amfa’s go it alone philosophy, and their refusal to allow members to vote on offers that had the potential to save their members jobs, the strike was broken and not a single amfa member returned to work.
NO Union goes on strike without a VOTE by its membership, the NWA guys voted, stuck, and lost it all just like the Eastern guys did AMFA didn't put them out of business they did that on their own, since the IAM SCABBED AND CROSSED THE PICKET LINE. Pilots and F/A did as well.
•amfa then voluntarily waived the white flag at Northwest and gave up its certification.
"YES" That is correct they did that since Delta took over and in order for the process of money due the AMFA represented M&R workgroup AMFA had to decertify so that there would be no Union vote at Delta and the process of money due the AMFA guys would get to them in a more speedy way.
( round about way of putting it all ) There is more to the process but since I don't have all the details that is what I recall.
•At Ozark Airlines, amfa’s finances were so bad it had to borrow money from its members.
•At Ozark, amfa subverted its own constitution and signed numerous letters of agreement without its members’ consent.
TOO Long ago and I have nothing to add to this ask some of the TWA guys who are still here at AA what happened at Ozark?
•When the IAM won representation rights following the merger of Ozark and TWA, amfa abandoned their offices without paying the bill. Then amfa left their loyal supporters with a $9,000 bill and never bothered to show in court to answer the charges. As a result,the court handed down a $15,000 judgement against amfa.
If You or anyone doesn't pay your bills you will be taken to court so WHAT?
•In every case, amfa’s first order of business is to shed any worker that is not an aircraft mechanic. They cozy up to management and sacrifice these members, weaken their bargaining power and get nothing meaningful in return. This is the most despicable trait of their anti-union history amfa will lie about, then live up to.
This is a BIG LIE, if you go to SWA contract book as well as Alaska's contract you will see that here we call them Title 2 they are still in the contract and PROTECTED BY AMFA. What has the ASSOCIATION Done this time with our Title 2 guys, what is happening with the work they did throughout all the years ?
These are just a few examples of amfa’s failures. There are many more.
Since I started in the industry in the 1970's I will start there at one point the INDUSTRY was represented about 85% by the IAM all of those represented carries for the most part are GONE, what happened to ALL of those IAM workers and what did they LOSE as each went under and what deals were made at the end of each of those carriers to save benefits and jobs so did the IAM KISS the Behind of Management as well?
Every TWU-IAM Association member should be very wary of the “amfa promise” because it has never been kept. In reality, by continually sacrificing SCOPE -rather than fighting management -amfa has cost thousands of mechanic and related workers their jobs in the airline industry and those left behind have suffered because of that.
Some One from Tulsa will have to put a Name to this BUT who was the leader of the Local who made a Video that we will getum next time we are going to dig deep into their pockets, Did the TWU ever do that "NO"
The TWU-IAM Association stands ready to defend American Airlines mechanic and related workers from the devastation to you and your family that amfa representation promises to bring.
The TWU/IAM stands ready sure to take your DUES and give you crap in return, They are going to put out as much stuff as they can do discredit AMFA in any way they Can. Other than AA and its M&R workgroup who does the TWU represent in the M&R class and craft? You all know this is about your dues money sincce we are the highest paid members within the TWU ranks so for us to switch they will lose Millions of Dollars. That is the only Reason they are concerned about our class and Craft.
Sorry this became so lengthy But I wanted to address each of the ambiguities the ASSOCIATION put out about History in our industry.
