APFA 1993 Strike Video

[Maark767]

This is typical of many company suckups and bootlickers in AA maintenance. The company says boo and they jump, there is no fight in them, they are scared of their own shadow. This is why the twu and the non-leadership we are stuck with will never fight, but cower in fear at every turn. This is the main reason we have been unable to recieve nothing but concessionary twu contracts for the last three decades.

Its sad to think that the flight attendants have more of a pair than most any of the twu non-leaders or their followers. When the twu slogans like the comical "Will Strike if Provoked" toothless strike snake appears, the company has to have tears running down from laughter.

No one wants to strike to be sure, but with the twu, it will never be an option.

It's too bad that the TWU is weak ..... I would think the opposite....
Here's my take on the strike issue... You're right about nobody wants a strike ..
With our 1993 strike, the company's final offer was a joke to what the abritration panel ultimately awarded APFA. The company said they could not afford APFA's demands. We were awarded 14 out of the 16 issues that went to abritration. Well the company had to pay up and AA went onto make billions in next few years. Paying us a decent contract. So there you have it .....

 

[Maark767]

I'm sorry, but as a fellow dues paying union member I have to say that's the dumbest bit of "logic" I have seen in quite a while. This isn't 1993. If there had been an airline strike during the Great Depression (airlines didn't exist in their current form back then, I know!) what do you think would have happened to that company and its employees?

In a nasty recession, the Exec Plats are the LAST people we want to drive away! I will say it again: stop playing games with my job!

Here's my take on the strike issue... You're right about nobody wants a strike ..
With our 1993 strike, the company's final offer was a joke to what the abritration panel ultimately awarded APFA. The company said they could not afford APFA's demands. We were awarded 14 out of the 16 issues that went to abritration. Well the company had to pay up and AA went onto make billions in next few years . You have to be STRONG and UNIFIED to get anything good. It's just history repeating itself. Don't listen to AA's crap and stop reading the company's brainwashing material. They only print that stuff so you sit up at night and worry....
It looks like you are doing exactly what they (AA ) have set out to accomplish.

 

[Hackman]

It's too bad that the TWU is weak ..... I would think the opposite....
Here's my take on the strike issue... You're right about nobody wants a strike ..
With our 1993 strike, the company's final offer was a joke to what the abritration panel ultimately awarded APFA. The company said they could not afford APFA's demands. We were awarded 14 out of the 16 issues that went to abritration. Well the company had to pay up and AA went onto make billions in next few years. Paying us a decent contract. So there you have it .....

Not only weak, but unaccountable to the membership, we work for them, not the other way around. The APFA was formed because the F/As had enough of the toothless twu, and wisely ditched them. We are not allowed to vote out our worthless leadership like company man Jim Little, your union on the other hand votes on its leadership, for those stuck with the twu, thats only a dream.

In 1995 the twu membership were saddled with a horrible 6 year concessionary contract, the company went on to make billions and when the twu groveled for some crumbs at the feet of AA management, they were told to pound sand, you have a contract. The only reason the twu membership enjoyed a short lived raise in 2001 was the groundbreaking NWA/AMFA contract, and then the twu still couldn't match it. Ultimately, NWA AMT's were forced to strike, payback for when they fought NWA all the way to a PEB. Because they followed the rules of the RLA and the corrupt NMB, the ruthless NWA management set them up to fail with government help. NWA hired scabs a year in advance, refused to bargain, and then replaced the workers once they walked. In my opinion, as soon as scabs were hired, they should have walked immediately, but this of course would be illegal under the RLA.

I wish you APFA folks well in the fight, but don't count on the twu to join in, they won't. All you have to do is look at how scared Frontline is to see why.

 

[The Goose]

... snip
You have to be STRONG and UNIFIED to get anything good. It looks like you are doing exactly what they (AA ) have set out to accomplish.
... snip

Therein lies the problem - the lack of unity. The Burger King approach (my way, now!) hasn't done the unions well and seems to be fostered by those higher up the food chain as a way to keep the troops busy arguing amonst themselves about benign things and ultimately, insulating themselves from the rabble below.

 

[Hackman]

Therein lies the problem - the lack of unity. The Burger King approach (my way, now!) hasn't done the unions well and seems to be fostered by those higher up the food chain as a way to keep the troops busy arguing amonst themselves about benign things and ultimately, insulating themselves from the rabble below.

To have unity Goose, you have to have leadership, with the twu, there is none....except what the company parrots want you to hear. The "Burger King" approach i have not witnessed with the twu, have you? All I have seen is the twu quoting company line time after time; "your lucky to have a job", "take it now, it won't get better", "you don't see the big picture," "your unrealistic demands will bankrupt the company", "hey, you voted for it" ...and so on. Right or wrong?

 

[The Goose]

To have unity Goose, you have to have leadership, with the twu, there is none....except what the company parrots want you to hear. The "Burger King" approach i have not witnessed with the twu, have you? All I have seen is the twu quoting company line time after time; "your lucky to have a job", "take it now, it won't get better", "you don't see the big picture," "your unrealistic demands will bankrupt the company", "hey, you voted for it" ...and so on. Right or wrong?

You are correct re: the TWU proper not using the 'Burger King" method, but I'm hearing a number of restless natives wanting things that benefit only them and their group - byhaps they aren't a majority.

For sure, most are tired of Little's lies and his company-based rhetoric/leadership, if you really want to refer to it as that.

It matters not - after Little's ruling that we paid for re: accepting a contract for us, we may not have to worry about negotiations much longer anyway.

As for your comment, I'm not sure many would recognized unity (by your definition) if it slapped them twice. I certainly wouldn't, that is, if the TWU is an example of such.

It does appear more like two monkeys attempting to screw the same football.

 

[eolesen]

However, lets be real concerning your statement regarding merit pay. Now let us say you are an airline manager and you employ 17,000 flight attendants. Explain to me how you would grade each one to REALLY reflect their performance and pay each one accordingly. Good letters? On-time departures? Smiles per hour?

Also, are green card holders American Citizens?

Last question first.... No. Green card holders are permanent resident aliens. They get lots of rights, but don't get to vote in federal elections (although there are some places incl. City of Chicago who permit resident aliens to vote in elections affecting local taxing districts).

First question.... look no further than your nearest gate agent or res office. They get pay increases based on performance.

Most locations do a "peanut butter" raise where everyone gets an average increase; a limited number of high performers get higher increases, which is funded in part by giving people on step advisories a zero raise. Whether or not the criteria used for who is a high/low performer is subjective I'll leave for someone else to define.

In management, managers are expected to set performance objectives for their directs twice a year. Those who miss their objectives without good cause so don't get rewarded as highly as those who meet and exceed their objectives. We use a similar plan with my current employer. Works pretty well if it's managed properly. IIRC, AA's got some clear criteria at the system level for CSM's and MOD's. Not so sure it works as well in places like HDQ where the demands and skillsets of one department don't necessarily line up well with the department seated next to them... For a front-line operational position, it could be pretty straight forward to apply.

 

[frontline]

I have always said that fighting is the right thing to do. I happen to include a dose of realism with my wheaties in the morning.

My point is that evoking the thought of a strike at this point is not a smart negotiating play. It is meant to be an option of final resort, and APFA and the company are nowhere near that point.

 

[Hackman]

I have always said that fighting is the right thing to do. I happen to include a dose of realism with my wheaties in the morning.

My point is that evoking the thought of a strike at this point is not a smart negotiating play. It is meant to be an option of final resort, and APFA and the company are nowhere near that point.

I have always said that fighting is the right thing to do. I happen to include a dose of realism with my wheaties in the morning.

My point is that evoking the thought of a strike at this point is not a smart negotiating play. It is meant to be an option of final resort, and APFA and the company are nowhere near that point.

You always said, but judging by your frightened posts, you never have. Did you have that "realism" thought process in 1995 when the company cried poor mouth along with twu international scare tactics and locked in a horrible six year twu concessionary contract while the company went on to billions in profit? Where you here then? It wasn't a good time to fight or strike then either was it?

With your weak constitution, it's never a good time to fight or strike. You take what your told and when to take it by the man, with your tail between your legs. If and when the twu ever did call a job action, (LOL, like that will happen) I am sure you would be across the picket line because of _______ (add reason here), on the first day.

"Don't play games with my job"! Spoken like a true company man bootlicker, it's all about you, and not the profession or your coworkers fight for a decent contract. It's a good thing the APFA doesn't have a large population of your type.

BTW, every union workgroup at AA is at the strike point, PUP bonuses and the refusal of AA management to negotiate have assured that.

 

[FrequentFlierCA]

In 1995 you weren't staring down the abyss of the worst recession in 60 years.

You guys will do what you will, but pushing too hard at this moment could have consequences you don't foresee. By all means, don't lock yourselves into another 6-year. Make it two, three tops.

 

[Hackman]

In 1995 you weren't staring down the abyss of the worst recession in 60 years.

You guys will do what you will, but pushing too hard at this moment could have consequences you don't foresee. By all means, don't lock yourselves into another 6-year. Make it two, three tops.

Well if you heard the company in 1995, it sure sounded like it. You can rest assured that the twu will never push too hard, they never have.

We have no control over what the twu will agree to, since Jim Little can impose any contract the company tells him to. The twu International owns it, not the membership. Voting on it will be a farce just like it was in 1995.

 

[jersey777]

Well if you heard the company in 1995, it sure sounded like it. You can rest assured that the twu will never push too hard, they never have.

We have no control over what the twu will agree to, since Jim Little can impose any contract the company tells him to. The twu International owns it, not the membership. Voting on it will be a farce just like it was in 1995.

I have a letter written October 7, 1991 by Janet Kraus who was head of flight service. It could have been written today. It was entitled the Flight Attendant Fact Sheet. Here are a few quotes:

"As you know, American and the entire airline industry are suffering large losses, for several reasons. One reason is that our costs are rising very rapidly; another is that our revenues are growing too slowly. Slow revenue growth is due partially to a very weak economy and partially to the fact that a number of bankrupt airlines--whom the courts have relieved of many costs--don't charge prices high enough to allow airlines like American, who must pay all their costs, to earn a profit."

It goes on to state:

"The difficult times we are experiencing--(1) which have been the subject of recent articles in Flagship News, (2)about which Bob Crandall has recently made a number of speeches, and (3) about which Bob recently made a tape which will soon be distributed to all employees--have created great concern about the future and have dramatically slowed our growth plan. Because we lost money in 1990, will lose money this year, and are not very optimistic about 1992, we have decided to reduce substantially the amount we plan to spend in the future on new planes, new terminals, new computers, and many other things. Until we can find a way to return the company to profitability, we simply cannot make sustantial additional commitments."

TWU members..you will love the last line of the letter:


"The APFA has missed an opportunity--one accepted by the TWU--to work with us as a partner in getting through these difficult economic times. We are disappointed--and wanted you to have the facts."


Now is it me or could this letter have been written today and not 17 years ago! So, you posters who are not on the inside of this operation should know that we have been hearing this speel for years and will continue to hear it every negotiation.

 

[FlyStorms]

I have a letter written October 7, 1991 by Janet Kraus who was head of flight service. It could have been written today. It was entitled the Flight Attendant Fact Sheet. Here are a few quotes:

". Because we lost money in 1990, will lose money this year, and are not very optimistic about 1992, we have decided to reduce substantially the amount we plan to spend in the future on new planes, new terminals, new computers, and many other things. Until we can find a way to return the company to profitability, we simply cannot make sustantial additional commitments."

In 1991-92 we had elections, a war going on and an unstable economy.

In 2008 we had elections, a war going on and an unstable economy, in fact it's even more unstable than it was back in the early 90's.

Notice a trend?

Take a look at the news, y'all. It's obvious with record amounts of job layoffs, a deep recession and even government bailouts of the banks and auto industry that points to the fact that you have to be realistic about what you're going to get. It's ugly. Putting your head in the sand and demanding increases isn't the smartest thing to do right now for your union and your company. If you think you can get blood out of this turnip, you'd better start looking for a job in another industry.

 

[frontline]

Well if you heard the company in 1995, it sure sounded like it. You can rest assured that the twu will never push too hard, they never have.

We have no control over what the twu will agree to, since Jim Little can impose any contract the company tells him to. The twu International owns it, not the membership. Voting on it will be a farce just like it was in 1995.

TWU sure seems to be pushing hard, too hard for once, right now. Now we go to mediation and god knows how long that lasts or what benefit it brings. We are not getting retroactive raises, so the longer we drag this out, the longer we work at concession wages!

 

[Hopeful]

TWU sure seems to be pushing hard, too hard for once, right now. Now we go to mediation and god knows how long that lasts or what benefit it brings. We are not getting retroactive raises, so the longer we drag this out, the longer we work at concession wages!

The company has made it clear they don't want to give us anything. The last contract proposal the union gave the company, they scanned it and gave it back to the union saying "we are miles apart."