Here is an e-mail I sent to Jim Little.
Jim, Ken MacTiernan here. I just received a copy of the latest twu propaganda mail out. ( I do not receive anything from the twu international for some unknown reason.) This mail out was given to me from a fellow AMT and AMFA supporter. I would like to ask you to answer for what the twu is claiming in this latest failing attempt to divert attention away from the twu's failures and shortcomings.
Where to begin? Ok, I'll start with the first lies that I read upon opening the flyer. I will number them to make it easier to keep track of. TWU claims that they,
1: Kept three maintenance bases open. Now Jim, why does the flyer not continue to state that it was the three cities that these maintenance bases are located in that are the real reason these bases are open... for now? How many millions of dollars was AA promised/given in Tulsa and MCI? It was tax payers money that kept these bases alive. Not the twu's prowess in negotiations.
2: 12,000 jobs saved across the system including bases, line stations and Title II. This 12,000 number is pretty large. Since this flyer is aimed primarily at AMTs could this flyer have included EXACTLY how many AMTs were saved and EXACTLY how many have been laid off? Lay offs are not so much the fault of any particular union. Any company will try and do what they want, i.e.. lay offs. However, what is to be faulted is the inability or lack of fight for a union to fight against these lay offs. Unnamed teamtwu members, ( by the way who exactly constitutes the make up of this anti-AMFA "team"? Were they elected or appointed?), point to the negative ruling against AMFA in their FM 1 court case. What happened to the twu's FM case? Why is the dream team of teamtwu members pointing to this ruling as something bad for AMFA. The point is that AMFA fought for the membership. OK, they lost in court but at least they fought! Again, where is the twu's FM case?
3: Reduced outsourcing in 2003 while other major carriers increased outsourcing. Nice try Jim. What about the outsourcing of Cabin Service almost overnight in the concessions YOU signed for? What about the twu outsourcing AMT work, air starts, push backs and deicing, to the Ramp. If my work is taken from me it does not matter who does it. I LOST work. Why did the twu allow my work to be outsourced? Why did the twu allow a Maintenance Special Items Work Card, SIC 1900, to be outsourced to the vendor? This work card had a AMT replace the entertainment tape inside the tape reproducer on AA aircraft. Now we do not. I believe Rockwell Collins does this work. This is outsourcing. Why do you not address it in the flyer?
4: Stabilized the company's financial position -- returning AA to a small profit. Well, a big difference of opinion here Jim. Are we making a profit or not? Who are the twu leaders listening to? Hopefully not the same people who looked over the company's books prior to the concession package. You know, the people who seemed to have overlooked that tiny SERP fiasco.
The twu claims that AMFA,
1: Lost 20,000 jobs -- including more than 6000 mechanic and related craft and class. If the people who make and print these lies up were made of wood Jim their noses would be a foot long. Again, why does this flyer not continue to inform the reader that these jobs were a direct result of INDUSTRIAL union's, ( IAM, IBT), lousy/poor contract language? It was industrial union negotiated contract language that AMFA inherited at the airlines they represent. Go ahead and point out NWA's laying off AMTs at their Class II Maintenance Stations. AMFA fought against this and had NWA restaff! Just like AMFA's FM cases. They fought for the membership. Just like in life Jim, when you fight you win some, and you lose some. But if you don't fight you lose them all.
2: Two Maintenance Overhaul bases closed in Oakland and Indianapolis. Damn Jim, do you not feel the slightest bit guilty writing these lies? WHY don't you continue to write in this flyer that it was under the IAM that these bases were closed. That AMFA was NOT on the property at UAL when the language was written to allow these bases to be close. Why don't you explain to the readers that the AMTs at UAL at these bases were placed on Authorized No Pay, ANP, which effectively removed these AMTs from payroll. They were not fired they just did not come to work or get a check. Kinda like creative twu terminology for laid off. Well, while on this ANP these AMTs were NOT permitted to vote on concession language that allowed the OUTSOURCING of their very jobs? Why is this information not included in the twu flyer?
3: Unlimited outsourcing of heavy maintenance -- including a new $2 billion contract to Pratt & Whitney. See the above. This was language negotiated by the IAM and NOT AMFA. AMFA simply inherited bad contract language.
4: Pension under-funded -- currently asking Congress for a bailout. Was the person who came up with this kernel of information into his/her second or third six pack? Why do you once again try to depict this as a fault of AMFA's? It is because of bad management that pensions are under funded.
5: New medical costs imposed on retirees. POP! There goes another beer can opening Jim. Are you trying to say that AMFA is at fault for UAL TRYING to screw retirees? Print the TRUTH Jim! UAL is trying to raise these costs to retirees NOT AMFA. As a matter of fact AMFA is fighting for these retirees. That is exactly what I want from a union. I want them to fight for me while I am employed AND while I am retired.
6: $71 million wasted on bankruptcy process. ???
( Give me a second I am flipping the flyer over.)
OK, on the back of the flyer you state that, "AFTER GAINING THE RIGHT TO THE UNLIMITED OUTSOURCING OF HEAVY MAINTENANCE IN BANKRUPTCY COURT, UNITED AIRLINES RECENTLY MADE THE STUNNING ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY HAVE ENTERED INTO A $2 BILLION CONTRACT WITH PRATT & WHITNEY TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE WORK OVER THE NEXT 10 TEARS." The teamtwu presses should have stopped printing right here. This "UNLIMITED OUTSOURCING" was "GAINED" by the iam. The mirror image of the twu. WHY are you blaming AMFA for something they did not negotiate?
( Opening up to the inside of the twu liar, I mean flyer.)
Jim, YOU write that as director of the twu atd you are writing about a choice that was made by a vote of 7,021 to 6.318 to accept concessions. Why the twu has not been removed before now escapes me. By your facts this concession package passed by 703 votes. Why do YOU not write and inform the reader that 3000 AMTs did NOT receive a PIN to vote for or against the concessions? WHY is that Jim? Also, explain to everyone WHY a one time change of the bylaws was permitted to allow the use of electronic voting whereby an individual, ( one that had a PIN), could change his/her vote from YES to NO to YES to NO as many times as they wished? I have never been afforded this "luxury" to change my ballot once cast. I guess this is the twu's interpretation of democracy. Manipulate the vote to achieve the outcome the twu wants. Or should I say the outcome the company wants?
The people pictured in the flyer are all in my craft and class? How do I know this Jim? Are there any Ramp or Stores or clerical pictured? My point is that I do not trust the twu and how do I know these people pictured have a direct interest/influence on my "sacrifices"? Since the teamtwu had Teamsters and Stores outside the Brady Theatre in Tulsa Oklahoma on January 17th of this year, ( who by the way would NOT have a voice in MY craft and class representational election), standing next to a trailer with a coffin on it while chanting, "Scab! Scab! Scab!" you can understand my doubtfulness.
Why do you go on to say that AMFA is trying to destroy "our" union? Jim, I don't have a "union" I have a dues collecting international appointed ( unelected) officials that do not care who does what job as long as they are a dues paying twu member. Like the osm/srp. A "union" fights FOR the membership not AGAINST the membership. Why does the flyer NOT explain why unelected international officials removed elected officials from office. You know of which I am referring to. I am pointing to the Kangaroo Court constructed to remove Bob Owens and Chuck Schalk from the 562 Local in New York.
In bankruptcy you tell the entranced reader that a judge has the authority to completely reject a contract if a union refuses concessions. Again you speak in half truths. A union should honestly look at the companies books and see if concessions are warranted or if maybe SHRINKING the airline is necessary. Just because a union does not want to accept UNNECESSARY concession will the contract be thrown out the window. There are steps needed to be taken before that takes place... if at all. But the twu and yourself would not want the reader to know this because it would warrant the twu to actually stand up to the company and fight for the membership. ( There is that pesky reference of fighting FOR the membership.) Another question Jim, if concessions were needed to help cAArty to stay rich why did you and the twu not have a snap back clause? Why must we wait five long years to try and get back to where I was at. A position that AMFA negotiated for me since they negotiated a $7.00 hr raise for NWA AMTs and the twu just had to follow.
I am writing to you to ask for answers. You elected not to appear at a debate between the twu and the AMFA. I am also sending this e-mail to other AA employees in my craft and class because I believe they are interested in the truth. And by reading your "third mailing" it certainly is not being told. The damage done by the twu's inability to protect my profession is inescapable. However, I can escape the ever loosening grip the twu has on my craft and class. It would have been nice to see you print in the flyer that AMFA now has EIGHT airlines and represents more AMTs than the twu. You might have also included the fact that since AMFA has been voted to represent my craft and class at these eight airlines they are still in place. If AMFA is such a destructive force in my industry why are they GAINING memberships and the industrial unions are losing memberships? I respectively wait a reply.
Sincerely,
Ken MacTiernan
AMT Crew Chief SAN
AMFA Organizer/Supporter
AMFA Associate Member
Hand Paying
Knowledge-Skill-Integrity
Jim, Ken MacTiernan here. I just received a copy of the latest twu propaganda mail out. ( I do not receive anything from the twu international for some unknown reason.) This mail out was given to me from a fellow AMT and AMFA supporter. I would like to ask you to answer for what the twu is claiming in this latest failing attempt to divert attention away from the twu's failures and shortcomings.
Where to begin? Ok, I'll start with the first lies that I read upon opening the flyer. I will number them to make it easier to keep track of. TWU claims that they,
1: Kept three maintenance bases open. Now Jim, why does the flyer not continue to state that it was the three cities that these maintenance bases are located in that are the real reason these bases are open... for now? How many millions of dollars was AA promised/given in Tulsa and MCI? It was tax payers money that kept these bases alive. Not the twu's prowess in negotiations.
2: 12,000 jobs saved across the system including bases, line stations and Title II. This 12,000 number is pretty large. Since this flyer is aimed primarily at AMTs could this flyer have included EXACTLY how many AMTs were saved and EXACTLY how many have been laid off? Lay offs are not so much the fault of any particular union. Any company will try and do what they want, i.e.. lay offs. However, what is to be faulted is the inability or lack of fight for a union to fight against these lay offs. Unnamed teamtwu members, ( by the way who exactly constitutes the make up of this anti-AMFA "team"? Were they elected or appointed?), point to the negative ruling against AMFA in their FM 1 court case. What happened to the twu's FM case? Why is the dream team of teamtwu members pointing to this ruling as something bad for AMFA. The point is that AMFA fought for the membership. OK, they lost in court but at least they fought! Again, where is the twu's FM case?
3: Reduced outsourcing in 2003 while other major carriers increased outsourcing. Nice try Jim. What about the outsourcing of Cabin Service almost overnight in the concessions YOU signed for? What about the twu outsourcing AMT work, air starts, push backs and deicing, to the Ramp. If my work is taken from me it does not matter who does it. I LOST work. Why did the twu allow my work to be outsourced? Why did the twu allow a Maintenance Special Items Work Card, SIC 1900, to be outsourced to the vendor? This work card had a AMT replace the entertainment tape inside the tape reproducer on AA aircraft. Now we do not. I believe Rockwell Collins does this work. This is outsourcing. Why do you not address it in the flyer?
4: Stabilized the company's financial position -- returning AA to a small profit. Well, a big difference of opinion here Jim. Are we making a profit or not? Who are the twu leaders listening to? Hopefully not the same people who looked over the company's books prior to the concession package. You know, the people who seemed to have overlooked that tiny SERP fiasco.
The twu claims that AMFA,
1: Lost 20,000 jobs -- including more than 6000 mechanic and related craft and class. If the people who make and print these lies up were made of wood Jim their noses would be a foot long. Again, why does this flyer not continue to inform the reader that these jobs were a direct result of INDUSTRIAL union's, ( IAM, IBT), lousy/poor contract language? It was industrial union negotiated contract language that AMFA inherited at the airlines they represent. Go ahead and point out NWA's laying off AMTs at their Class II Maintenance Stations. AMFA fought against this and had NWA restaff! Just like AMFA's FM cases. They fought for the membership. Just like in life Jim, when you fight you win some, and you lose some. But if you don't fight you lose them all.
2: Two Maintenance Overhaul bases closed in Oakland and Indianapolis. Damn Jim, do you not feel the slightest bit guilty writing these lies? WHY don't you continue to write in this flyer that it was under the IAM that these bases were closed. That AMFA was NOT on the property at UAL when the language was written to allow these bases to be close. Why don't you explain to the readers that the AMTs at UAL at these bases were placed on Authorized No Pay, ANP, which effectively removed these AMTs from payroll. They were not fired they just did not come to work or get a check. Kinda like creative twu terminology for laid off. Well, while on this ANP these AMTs were NOT permitted to vote on concession language that allowed the OUTSOURCING of their very jobs? Why is this information not included in the twu flyer?
3: Unlimited outsourcing of heavy maintenance -- including a new $2 billion contract to Pratt & Whitney. See the above. This was language negotiated by the IAM and NOT AMFA. AMFA simply inherited bad contract language.
4: Pension under-funded -- currently asking Congress for a bailout. Was the person who came up with this kernel of information into his/her second or third six pack? Why do you once again try to depict this as a fault of AMFA's? It is because of bad management that pensions are under funded.
5: New medical costs imposed on retirees. POP! There goes another beer can opening Jim. Are you trying to say that AMFA is at fault for UAL TRYING to screw retirees? Print the TRUTH Jim! UAL is trying to raise these costs to retirees NOT AMFA. As a matter of fact AMFA is fighting for these retirees. That is exactly what I want from a union. I want them to fight for me while I am employed AND while I am retired.
6: $71 million wasted on bankruptcy process. ???
( Give me a second I am flipping the flyer over.)
OK, on the back of the flyer you state that, "AFTER GAINING THE RIGHT TO THE UNLIMITED OUTSOURCING OF HEAVY MAINTENANCE IN BANKRUPTCY COURT, UNITED AIRLINES RECENTLY MADE THE STUNNING ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY HAVE ENTERED INTO A $2 BILLION CONTRACT WITH PRATT & WHITNEY TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE WORK OVER THE NEXT 10 TEARS." The teamtwu presses should have stopped printing right here. This "UNLIMITED OUTSOURCING" was "GAINED" by the iam. The mirror image of the twu. WHY are you blaming AMFA for something they did not negotiate?
( Opening up to the inside of the twu liar, I mean flyer.)
Jim, YOU write that as director of the twu atd you are writing about a choice that was made by a vote of 7,021 to 6.318 to accept concessions. Why the twu has not been removed before now escapes me. By your facts this concession package passed by 703 votes. Why do YOU not write and inform the reader that 3000 AMTs did NOT receive a PIN to vote for or against the concessions? WHY is that Jim? Also, explain to everyone WHY a one time change of the bylaws was permitted to allow the use of electronic voting whereby an individual, ( one that had a PIN), could change his/her vote from YES to NO to YES to NO as many times as they wished? I have never been afforded this "luxury" to change my ballot once cast. I guess this is the twu's interpretation of democracy. Manipulate the vote to achieve the outcome the twu wants. Or should I say the outcome the company wants?
The people pictured in the flyer are all in my craft and class? How do I know this Jim? Are there any Ramp or Stores or clerical pictured? My point is that I do not trust the twu and how do I know these people pictured have a direct interest/influence on my "sacrifices"? Since the teamtwu had Teamsters and Stores outside the Brady Theatre in Tulsa Oklahoma on January 17th of this year, ( who by the way would NOT have a voice in MY craft and class representational election), standing next to a trailer with a coffin on it while chanting, "Scab! Scab! Scab!" you can understand my doubtfulness.
Why do you go on to say that AMFA is trying to destroy "our" union? Jim, I don't have a "union" I have a dues collecting international appointed ( unelected) officials that do not care who does what job as long as they are a dues paying twu member. Like the osm/srp. A "union" fights FOR the membership not AGAINST the membership. Why does the flyer NOT explain why unelected international officials removed elected officials from office. You know of which I am referring to. I am pointing to the Kangaroo Court constructed to remove Bob Owens and Chuck Schalk from the 562 Local in New York.
In bankruptcy you tell the entranced reader that a judge has the authority to completely reject a contract if a union refuses concessions. Again you speak in half truths. A union should honestly look at the companies books and see if concessions are warranted or if maybe SHRINKING the airline is necessary. Just because a union does not want to accept UNNECESSARY concession will the contract be thrown out the window. There are steps needed to be taken before that takes place... if at all. But the twu and yourself would not want the reader to know this because it would warrant the twu to actually stand up to the company and fight for the membership. ( There is that pesky reference of fighting FOR the membership.) Another question Jim, if concessions were needed to help cAArty to stay rich why did you and the twu not have a snap back clause? Why must we wait five long years to try and get back to where I was at. A position that AMFA negotiated for me since they negotiated a $7.00 hr raise for NWA AMTs and the twu just had to follow.
I am writing to you to ask for answers. You elected not to appear at a debate between the twu and the AMFA. I am also sending this e-mail to other AA employees in my craft and class because I believe they are interested in the truth. And by reading your "third mailing" it certainly is not being told. The damage done by the twu's inability to protect my profession is inescapable. However, I can escape the ever loosening grip the twu has on my craft and class. It would have been nice to see you print in the flyer that AMFA now has EIGHT airlines and represents more AMTs than the twu. You might have also included the fact that since AMFA has been voted to represent my craft and class at these eight airlines they are still in place. If AMFA is such a destructive force in my industry why are they GAINING memberships and the industrial unions are losing memberships? I respectively wait a reply.
Sincerely,
Ken MacTiernan
AMT Crew Chief SAN
AMFA Organizer/Supporter
AMFA Associate Member
Hand Paying
Knowledge-Skill-Integrity
