Fellow Flight Attendants,
I fully support respected fellow Table Team Negotiator, Art Cline, in his assessment of the situation we find ourselves in. He is right on target with his reporting on the timeline and misguided decisions that led us to a obliteration of a decent contract in the RPA debacle. I see Art, in trying to take the "high road" only glosses over some of the sneaky "goings on" of the Tommie-Glading-Bott "trifecta" and some of their BOD cohorts, in both the end of the negotiations as well as the RPA process.
I have no further vested interest in the dysfunction that goes on at APFA as I will be retiring soon, under the present contract and move on to other interests. BUT, I have decided to offer a short response since I was also there for both processes.
I too agree that the membership needs someone that can mobilize the troops and "shake some trees." And I do not think that a continuation of the same Tommie Hutto-Blake "old guard", can do that. This group was certainly in agreement when APFA participated in Interest Based Bargaining (an experiment at the NMB) which led to the demise of TA 1(1999). In 2003 this group was also there to help the Company shorten the voting time from 4 weeks to 2 for the RPA. No, Ms. Glading may not have been a member of the BOD, however, did support this group’s actions. They were there still when the Company came to them and recruited them to work "together" on the turnaround plan that has allowed the company to once again use our "experienced leadership" for the gain of only a few. And NOW they are telling us that they are the ones that can get it all back. Make no mistake Ms. Glading would equate to four (4) more years of the same.
Don't let them use the GOP tactic of scare and attack to sway an election so important to your futures. We must get the power back to our membership that was there during the last round of real Negotiations, that got us our "industry leading contract" That negotiating team was led by John Ward not Laura Glading. Unfortunately, the process was almost unraveled at the end when Glading/Bott were caught consorting with the Company and reprimanded by our outside professionals. Now to explain her misdeeds she is claiming that she had to do it to talk John off the ledge. There are several old time BOD members that gave their blessings as they were also panic stricken at the threat of a PEB. I'm sure you will hear from these individuals on web sites and in emails going around. Every one in "scare/attack" mode. This is just what the company loves to see and hear at APFA. And we get sucked in every time. Stay informed and read everything and follow your instinct.
As recent BODs meeting guest speaker, Harry Hoglander National Mediation Board member, explained to the APFA BODs how highly unlikely a PEB would have been. (see notes below)
It is this membership's strength that scares American, not APFA's leadership. John Ward understood this more than any leader I have ever seen at APFA in my career and I must say, I was honored to work with him and his team. When Tommie-Glading-Bott, under the guise of our former Constitution Committee (ex-APFA Presidents, Patt Gibbs, Michael Kelliher and Joanne Donovon,) and others, subverted the Constitution by shortening the RPA vote, John fought against this, for the membership, and lost.
Tony Benn (British Parliament 56 years) recently said in Michael Moore's Sicko,â€When one human or leadership has the power they also have the tendency to oppress others." This is done by scare tactics. He further explains why France is a country that historically has always had stronger social programs than the US . This is because Frances government actually fears it's people. And where does this power come from? He states, "The vote" All French citizens exercise their right to vote. It is so important that we as APFA members vote and get our fellow members to the vote. This alone sends a powerful message to the Company.
Laura Glading states that anyone that supported John Ward does not support him now. If you read both his Willingness to Serves. The Negotiators that fought beside John Ward and Laura Glading for those grueling years support John 7 to 1 in this election. You must ask yourself, is this because they are Yes people as Laura says? Or do they all know something more about Laura Glading then they care to share for the Company to see.
If you want someone that has a history of working alongside the Company, Vote Glading. But if you think it is time for this membership to get mad and stay mad until we get our contract back then Ward is the guy the Company dreads looking across at because they know he has every flight attendant in mind when he is fighting. (NO matter who at APFA gets their ego stepped on)
Please use your good judgment and please----Send an important message to the company by Voting.
Respectfully,
Alexis Boilini, APFA Elected International Negotiator 1999 - 2006
Discussion with Harry yielded the following ---
1. NMB is in no one's pocket and not "republican controlled"
2. Only 3 PEB's in airline history since 1966 ---- one was APA and the other two were machinists
3. So one would conclude for this that there is no customary use of PEB's in the airline industry.
4. Example --- Northwest pilots on strike for 12 days and no PEB was called.
5. Again what legally matters is that no section of the country is deprived of transportation and interferes with interstate commerce. Since deregulation airlines can more easily adjust, other airlines can pick up the passengers from a striking carrier.
6. No Flight Attendant PEB since 1966 ---
I fully support respected fellow Table Team Negotiator, Art Cline, in his assessment of the situation we find ourselves in. He is right on target with his reporting on the timeline and misguided decisions that led us to a obliteration of a decent contract in the RPA debacle. I see Art, in trying to take the "high road" only glosses over some of the sneaky "goings on" of the Tommie-Glading-Bott "trifecta" and some of their BOD cohorts, in both the end of the negotiations as well as the RPA process.
I have no further vested interest in the dysfunction that goes on at APFA as I will be retiring soon, under the present contract and move on to other interests. BUT, I have decided to offer a short response since I was also there for both processes.
I too agree that the membership needs someone that can mobilize the troops and "shake some trees." And I do not think that a continuation of the same Tommie Hutto-Blake "old guard", can do that. This group was certainly in agreement when APFA participated in Interest Based Bargaining (an experiment at the NMB) which led to the demise of TA 1(1999). In 2003 this group was also there to help the Company shorten the voting time from 4 weeks to 2 for the RPA. No, Ms. Glading may not have been a member of the BOD, however, did support this group’s actions. They were there still when the Company came to them and recruited them to work "together" on the turnaround plan that has allowed the company to once again use our "experienced leadership" for the gain of only a few. And NOW they are telling us that they are the ones that can get it all back. Make no mistake Ms. Glading would equate to four (4) more years of the same.
Don't let them use the GOP tactic of scare and attack to sway an election so important to your futures. We must get the power back to our membership that was there during the last round of real Negotiations, that got us our "industry leading contract" That negotiating team was led by John Ward not Laura Glading. Unfortunately, the process was almost unraveled at the end when Glading/Bott were caught consorting with the Company and reprimanded by our outside professionals. Now to explain her misdeeds she is claiming that she had to do it to talk John off the ledge. There are several old time BOD members that gave their blessings as they were also panic stricken at the threat of a PEB. I'm sure you will hear from these individuals on web sites and in emails going around. Every one in "scare/attack" mode. This is just what the company loves to see and hear at APFA. And we get sucked in every time. Stay informed and read everything and follow your instinct.
As recent BODs meeting guest speaker, Harry Hoglander National Mediation Board member, explained to the APFA BODs how highly unlikely a PEB would have been. (see notes below)
It is this membership's strength that scares American, not APFA's leadership. John Ward understood this more than any leader I have ever seen at APFA in my career and I must say, I was honored to work with him and his team. When Tommie-Glading-Bott, under the guise of our former Constitution Committee (ex-APFA Presidents, Patt Gibbs, Michael Kelliher and Joanne Donovon,) and others, subverted the Constitution by shortening the RPA vote, John fought against this, for the membership, and lost.
Tony Benn (British Parliament 56 years) recently said in Michael Moore's Sicko,â€When one human or leadership has the power they also have the tendency to oppress others." This is done by scare tactics. He further explains why France is a country that historically has always had stronger social programs than the US . This is because Frances government actually fears it's people. And where does this power come from? He states, "The vote" All French citizens exercise their right to vote. It is so important that we as APFA members vote and get our fellow members to the vote. This alone sends a powerful message to the Company.
Laura Glading states that anyone that supported John Ward does not support him now. If you read both his Willingness to Serves. The Negotiators that fought beside John Ward and Laura Glading for those grueling years support John 7 to 1 in this election. You must ask yourself, is this because they are Yes people as Laura says? Or do they all know something more about Laura Glading then they care to share for the Company to see.
If you want someone that has a history of working alongside the Company, Vote Glading. But if you think it is time for this membership to get mad and stay mad until we get our contract back then Ward is the guy the Company dreads looking across at because they know he has every flight attendant in mind when he is fighting. (NO matter who at APFA gets their ego stepped on)
Please use your good judgment and please----Send an important message to the company by Voting.
Respectfully,
Alexis Boilini, APFA Elected International Negotiator 1999 - 2006
Discussion with Harry yielded the following ---
1. NMB is in no one's pocket and not "republican controlled"
2. Only 3 PEB's in airline history since 1966 ---- one was APA and the other two were machinists
3. So one would conclude for this that there is no customary use of PEB's in the airline industry.
4. Example --- Northwest pilots on strike for 12 days and no PEB was called.
5. Again what legally matters is that no section of the country is deprived of transportation and interferes with interstate commerce. Since deregulation airlines can more easily adjust, other airlines can pick up the passengers from a striking carrier.
6. No Flight Attendant PEB since 1966 ---