Are You Paying Cope?

Welcome to the web site of the Transport Workers
Union of America! We are glad you are here.


A Message from International President Sonny Hall (updated regularly) Mobilizing Transportation AFL-CIO Unions and our rank-and-file Sisters and Brothers must be a top priority for us. The terrible economy and mounting national debt, the horror of terrorism and the commitment to defeat those who would destroy America and, frankly, the inability to trust the words spoken by the present Administration in Washington, D.C., are also major priorities.

TWU Leads Campagin To Demonstrate That America Needs Passenger Rail -- Leaders of 6 Amtrak unions, led by TWU, held a press conference and rally on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at Union Station in Washington, D.C. to protest the efforts by President Bush and his Congressional backers to kill the nation's intercity passenger rail system. The officials, including Railroad Division Director Charles Moneypenny, announced that workers will withdraw their services from Amtrak on October 3, 2003, in a one-day political protest. The workers want to give the riding public a preview of what life will be like without Amtrak.

Labor Rallies to Support Amtrak Workers -- The AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department is rallying the troops to defeat President Bush's plans for a privatized Amtrak.

FAA Bill Tries To Trash U.S. Airline Jobs; Tell Senators To Stick Up For Your Job And Support A Filibuster -- The FAA bill reauthorizing aviation spending for the next three years has been hi-jacked in the House-Senate Conference Committee in the dark of night. Violating the votes of members of the House and Senate, Republican leaders of both bodies stuck in three attacks on airline workers over the unanimous objection of House and Senate Democrats.

Defend Against Senate Action To Take Away Workers’ Asbestos Rights -- Everyone, including unions, agree that the system is broken for bringing justice and remedy to workers suffering from asbestos exposure. However, Senate Republicans led by Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah) are trying to use that as an excuse to reward the companies responsible for the problem and deprive injured workers of fair treatment. Write and tell your Senator to OPPOSE S. 1125.

TWU Presses Amtrak on Contract -- Click here to see the first two of a series of flyers outlining the union's continuing campaign to press Amtrak for new collective bargaining agreements.

Another Attack On Overtime Pay -- Having failed to attack overtime pay through the comp time bill, the Bush Administration is pushing a regulatory change that would strip overtime protection from over 8 million American workers.

Democrats Lay Down Conditions For Medicare Drug Bill -- Led by Sen. Ted Kennedy, 37 Democrats have drawn a line in the sand over the Medicare Drug bill, signing a letter saying "Our support for the conference report depends on the satisfactory resolution of the following [six] key issues."

House And Senate Pass (Different) Medicare Drug Bills; Both Deeply Flawed – We Need To Stop The Worst Elements -- The House and Senate have passed different versions of a Medicare prescription drug bill. Both share a number of serious flaws. Click here for more.

Senate Passes Foreign Aircraft Repair Station Restrictions; FAA Bill Goes to Conference -- The Senate passed an amendment by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) that would require the FAA to do a 'security audit' of Foreign Maintenance Bases certified by the FAA to perform aircraft maintenance on planes used in U.S. domestic service. Any bases that fail to provide sufficient security protections would be subject to having their certification lifted.

TWU President Tells Congress: More Support For Amtrak -- Calling on Congress and the Bush Administration to make a long-term investment in Amtrak rather than dismantle it through "bureaucratic shell games" and flawed privatization schemes, TWU International President Sonny Hall, told a Senate panel June 5 that Amtrak should receive at least $1.8 billion in federal funding for Fiscal Year 2004. Click here for more.

Senate Bill Threatens TWU Prescription Drug Benefits -- Republicans and a few Democrats in the Senate have proposed a Prescription Drug Bill for Medicare.

Big Win for Flight Attendants! -- Flight Attendant Certification Included in FAA Reauthorization Bill

TWU Gets Bill Introduced to Outlaw Executive Compensation Deceptions Like the Recent American Airlines Actions -- Congressmen George Miller (D-CA) and 30 others have introduced pension reform legislation that includes language to require companies to disclose executive compensation packages to employees during negotiations. This would make illegal behavior like the recent American Airlines actions in concealing hidden protections and perks for executives while bargaining with the TWU and other unions.

DOL Dismisses Complaint Regarding 21st Constitutional Convention -- The U.S. Department of Labor recently dismissed charges brought by Local 100 President Roger Toussaint that elections conducted at the International Union's 21st Constitutional Convention violated the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA). DOL. Click here for a complete text (PDF) of the DOL ruling dismissing these charges.

White House Tries To Cripple Local Unions -- The Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed regulation changes for labor organizations’ annual financial reporting requirements. The changes are outrageous and will financially burden unions. The revisions will require unions to break down expenses and disbursements by functional categories and flood them with massive reporting that will slow down efficiency and cost members billions of dollars.

This Week on Capitol Hill--9/15/03

Legislative Action Center! Track important bills; Send email to your Representative and Senators; Check up on your state legislature. Updated continuously throughout the day.

TWU Express online! Download actual pages of the Express from this website... get the latest news and views of your international union and its officers.

Learn more about the importance of your cope dollar!!!
 
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[/QUOTE]
[FAA Bill Tries To Trash U.S. Airline Jobs; Tell Senators To Stick Up For Your Job And Support A Filibuster -- The FAA bill reauthorizing aviation spending for the next three years has been hi-jacked in the House-Senate Conference Committee in the dark of night. Violating the votes of members of the House and Senate, Republican leaders of both bodies stuck in three attacks on airline workers over the unanimous objection of House and Senate Democrats.


Any details?

Another Attack On Overtime Pay -- Having failed to attack overtime pay through the comp time bill, the Bush Administration is pushing a regulatory change that would strip overtime protection from over 8 million American workers.


You have some nerve bringing Overtime up!


Senate Passes Foreign Aircraft Repair Station Restrictions; FAA Bill Goes to Conference -- The Senate passed an amendment by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) that would require the FAA to do a 'security audit' of Foreign Maintenance Bases certified by the FAA to perform aircraft maintenance on planes used in U.S. domestic service. Any bases that fail to provide sufficient security protections would be subject to having their certification lifted.

A step in the right direction. Why did they wait 10 years to start putting our money into this one? Still not as restrictive as the original Part 145.

Big Win for Flight Attendants! -- Flight Attendant Certification Included in FAA Reauthorization Bill

Good one, will it survive the line item veto?

TWU Gets Bill Introduced to Outlaw Executive Compensation Deceptions Like the Recent American Airlines Actions -- Congressmen George Miller (D-CA) and 30 others have introduced pension reform legislation that includes language to require companies to disclose executive compensation packages to employees during negotiations. This would make illegal behavior like the recent American Airlines actions in concealing hidden protections and perks for executives while bargaining with the TWU and other unions.

Big deal, so next time we find out ahead of time and Jim signs the contract anyway after the company throws him some free stock.

DOL Dismisses Complaint Regarding 21st Constitutional Convention -- The U.S. Department of Labor recently dismissed charges brought by Local 100 President Roger Toussaint that elections conducted at the International Union's 21st Constitutional Convention violated the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA). DOL. Click here for a complete text (PDF) of the DOL ruling dismissing these charges.

Is this an example of our COPE dollars at work? Sonny smears his political opponent with malicious racist lies and gets away with it, anybody says anything that Sonny objects to and he suspends them from office. But as Sonny is so fond of saying "we are a democratic union". We may soon see true Democracy when AMFA files.

White House Tries To Cripple Local Unions -- The Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed regulation changes for labor organizations’ annual financial reporting requirements. The changes are outrageous and will financially burden unions. The revisions will require unions to break down expenses and disbursements by functional categories and flood them with massive reporting that will slow down efficiency and cost members billions of dollars.

How about some details? At the COPE Conference they said up to a billion dollars, now its billions. From what I read Unions would have to track every disbursement over $2000. So? They also says that it would add 8 new accounting categories, well what are they. Cars cost over $2000, maybe now members could find out who is getting cars, if there is a good reason then there ios no problem, how would information like this hurt unionism? It may well hurt greedy corrupt union Bosses like Sonny Hall who lives in luxury off the members dues while getting them concessionary contracts. They also said that we would all have to file electronically. So? They said that this would hurt small locals who may not nbe able to afford a computer. Well that bull. Every Local has an Embosser for its Financial reports that have to be filed monthly that costs around $300, not much less than a computer. If a local could not afford a computer then how could they afford to bring a case to arbitration? Let us have all the details. I'm sure that Bush is not doing Unions any favors but its union Bosses like Sonny Hall and their abuse of power that bring regulation down on the entire movement.

Tell us how our COPE dollars helped us pay our bills on our greatly reduced income? The fact is they would be better spent at this time paying bills. Let all those six figure earning union reps fund COPE.

When we start getting Democracy within our own Union then we should use our money to promote democracy outside our union. At present they are using our COPE dollars to prevent transparency for the members.
Send a message to Sonny- We want Democracy in our Union, dont pay COPE until we get it!!!
 
CIO,

Maybe the TWU and the AFL-CIo could introduce a bill to stop unions from giving away pay and benefits to mis-managed companies?

Or maybe even one that will require Union Leadership to be held accountable to the membership via certified fair elections?

Or how about, making it illegal for a union to advance the unskilled on the paychecks/backs of the working skilled?

Maybe legislation that requires term limits on Union Leaders that become over paid, out-of-touch rich dictators, that could care less about extorting pay and benefits from workers in an attempt to salvage dues base funding for liberal politics?

How about legislation that would give Federal oversight to union backed insurance policies and funds that have over priced premiums to laundry more worker pay into politcal coffers?

Or maybe they could produce legislation that would codify the Supreme Court Beck decision to further protect workers first amendment rights?

Bottom line, that list of garbage you posted is nothing more than fluff and rhetoric, an "introduced bill" means nothing, a "congressional testimony" doesn;t make law, and protesting something is not getting us anywhere.

When are you fools going to read history and learn how the working man really made advancements? Hint it wasn't accomplished by spreading fear, and it didn't happen with cowards and dictators in control of union leadership positions.

In fact, it was civil chaos which caused advancement legislation passage, not the funding of worthless politicians coffers and posting BS on a wesbite for ignorant supporters to copy and paste to a bulletin board.

Grow some NADS or watch your rights get neutered.
 
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Has anyone noticed that CIO (Gary) does not answer questions?

Perhaps both the unions and the members are better off. Remember his most recent quote about all the bases are staying open?

As an International Rep he is not much use either. I only dealt with him once. It was concerning Flex pay. The company was not paying workers who were riffed into JFK the proper Flex rate. The company maintained that they could do that, even though we had employees with less time on the higher rate. We, and the language of the contract, dissagreed. This was one of the rare cases where there is clarity. Gary however agreed with the company. Our President Bobby Gless just shrugged his shoulders. I wrote to our lawyer who agreed that the contract was pretty clear. Shortly after getting the reply from the lawyer the International changed their mind, and so did the company, the guys were paid.
 
COPE IS FOR DOPES!
What happens when the candidate you back doesn't get elected? Now you grovel to the guy that did and beg he doesn't screw you too hard.
What has all this COPE money gotten us? Let's see. GATT, NAFTA, lets not forget MFN for China. When was the last time you wanted to buy something and it wasn't made in China? Manufacturing jobs, IT jobs all gonig over seas and what has the mighty AFL-CIO done?NOTHING!
You punks and your COPE are pathetic! :down:
 
Thanks for sharing all your wisdom Bob....shows I have made the right move in backing my local....and TonyB...you need face some of these punks in here and continue your personal attacks face to face.
 
More school yard antics from RAT BOY.
Yeah Steve, I'll meet you in the school yard at 3 o'clock.

COPE IS FOR DOPES! :down: :down:
 

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