Company/ Union Propaganda

Bob Owens

Veteran
Sep 9, 2002
14,274
6,112
I was just reviewing the company/union propaganda sent to our homes. It hurts to think that my fellow unionists here in 562 give the International $200,000 of our hard earned money so they can work so hard against our interests and mislead us.

In Overview of the Airline Industry, they included many misleading statements.
Ticket taxes have increased dramatically,,,,A large portion of the ticket price tax 'increase' is due to the decline in ticket prices as those rates are a flat fee.

â€as much as 47% for those who remained.†Pilots are the only workers that were cut by 47 percent. If we accept this we wont be far behind at nearly 40%. The only difference is they will still be making six figures. Plus USAIR has been in trouble for a long time and in reality is a competitor against American Eagle now, not AA.

and are now poised to abrogate its agreement with IAM employees so permanent, court imposed rates can be implemented. This statement is wildly inaccurate. The court cannot impose permanent cuts. The cuts that the court did impose, on a temporary basis are significantly lower than what this union†wants us to accept. United troubles are not comparable to ours either, they have courted bankruptcy before and their costs are higher and work rules more restrictive.

Our own union absolves the company of blame, endorsing the company’s business plan of slashing wages to profitability.

While the attorneys and analysts may not be intentionally deceiving you they are obviously delivering an opinion based upon confined parameters. These parameters can change dramatically in a relatively short period of time. We saw such a change in the 90s when we were led by the same union to accept a six-year deal that enabled AA to make record profits year after year at our expense. Attorneys and analysts were also used at that time. When we take information from such people we have to know all of the assumptions they used to come to their conclusion, in the end, predictions for the future are merely just assumptions. Personal experience has more validity than analyst’s assumption when it comes to predicting the future. Personal experience in this industry has shown that the so-called permanent changes are not always so permanent. We have seen low cost carriers and fare wars before.

“For the past month, TWU joint Committee of 34 elected TWU officers, and our Maintenance and Related committee of 26 elected officers, met with the company in good faithâ€. Another inaccurate statement. Only the Presidents were elected officers. Appointed officials who told the committeees what they could and could not do controlled the meetings. There was no good faith bargaining only debate over how to meet the company’s demands. The result nearly mirrored the company’s “Vermont†plan with a few exceptions. Many of the negotiators were not elected but rather appointed by the Presidents. The M&R Committee rarely met with the company, perhaps a total of 16hrs even though the “negotiations†were conducted ON COMPANY PROPERTY! One has to wonder if the company was monitoring the discussion all along, unknown to the committees? One should also wonder what would motivate the International to choose such a place?

According to the company/union if AA experiences a 3% RASM we will get a grand total of $12465.78 over the next 5 years, that is if we agree to give the company $138000 in givebacks. The Union was careful to not make this point too obvious. Instead they showed how many millions would be put into the plan if these goals were achieved. I don’t know about you but to give up $138,000 in order to MAYBE†at best get $12465.78 does not sound like it would be a good selling point. Why not just cut the pay cut by 1%?

Figure base on 38000 members. However if the company expands by 3% per year there will likely be more employees, which would dilute the $12465.78 even more.

Upon reading 'Terms of Bankruptcy Protections Agreement Between TWU and American Airlines I thought that they modeled it after the treaty of Versailles. It even uses the phrase unconditionally ratified.

At Local 562 we have had our own Lawyer on retainer for quite a few years. He has an excellenmt reputation and was involved in the recently successful musicians strike on Broadway NYC. He said after looking at this agreement that we would be much better off rejecting it and taking our chances in court. In court, once the agreements are abrogated we have the right to self help. This right in itself, especially if we inform the court that we are prepared to use it, provide a deterrent to abrogation or the implementation of such onerous terms.

We are already prepared, our Strike Vote passed unanimously yesterday. Our guys are ready to shut it down if the company abrogates our agreement! With or without the International. The only question now is are we alone? Will you fight to protect what we have fought for? Will you insure that your coworkers who return from Iraq do not come home to a paycut? Will you fight for them as they fought for others? I will not tell our members that we allowed the company to rape their families while they were over there without a fight! Vote NO, Lets roll. Lets not submit to the company's terroristic dictatorial threats.
 
Question of the Day:

What is the difference between the company and the TWU?

Answer:

The Union takes 2 1/2 pay per month to screw you and the Company Collects it for them and screws you also.
 
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On 4/11/2003 9:28:48 AM xlurker wrote:

You are getting screwed by your union and your company?

And you come back for it every day?

That says more about the individual rather than the union and company.

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To be fair, Dave tried to kick out the TWU, but to no avail. Seems not enough of his coworkers agreed.

I agree - it sure would suck to go to work every day hating your employer and your union (and all your loser coworkers who wouldn''t toss the TWU).
 
You are getting screwed by your union and your company?

And you come back for it every day?

That says more about the individual rather than the union and company.
 
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On 4/11/2003 9:49:22 AM FWAAA wrote:

To be fair, Dave tried to kick out the TWU, but to no avail. Seems not enough of his coworkers agreed.

I agree - it sure would suck to go to work every day hating your employer and your union (and all your loser coworkers who wouldn't toss the TWU).
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Who said anything about "HATE"?

To be even more fair. The Company defended the Company Union during the last drive and I believe the current sellout and the propagation of company fear is the evidence of why AA favored the TWU in a dispute which they had no business being involved in.

The new drive is under way and even the hardcore TWU supporters are seeking out cards and change. To bad they waited so long, but at least they are moving now. At least this time, they are aware of the lies, intimidation, fear, and threats used by their own union leadership, and they do not seem to be phased by those tactics any longer. We did at least change that.

It doesn't suck that bad when I am working on a plan that will allow myself to leave the industry and stupididty behind. It just takes time and effort.

I have no need for prozac or other mind altering substances, I am doing just fine with faith and action.

Have a good day! I am!
 
xlurker has a good point here:

"You are getting screwed by your union and your company?

And you come back for it every day?

That says more about the individual rather than the union and company."


The fact is, we all have good jobs here at AA, if we didn''t we would all leave for something better. That is not happening with great numbers from the TWU. The only exodus we have seen is from people retiring. If I were retiring age, I would have already put in my papers. I have seen several agents though, over the last few years, who have quit and moved on with no regrets.
 
While the attorneys and analysts may not be intentionally deceiving you they are obviously delivering an opinion based upon confined parameters. These parameters can change dramatically in a relatively short period of time. We saw such a change in the 90s when we were led by the same union to accept a six-year deal that enabled AA to make record profits year after year at our expense. Attorneys and analysts were also used at that time. When we take information from such people we have to know all of the assumptions they used to come to their conclusion, in the end, predictions for the future are merely just assumptions. Personal experience has more validity than analyst’s assumption when it comes to predicting the future. Personal experience in this industry has shown that the so-called permanent changes are not always so permanent. We have seen low cost carriers and fare wars before.
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Bob you are getting too personal in this discussion, either argue for yourself or stand back and argue policy, otherwise you are going to sound like the lawyer who represents himself in court.

I like that you state that things do change quickly in this industry, which is why there has to be a wage negotiation opener in the T/A, and the vote had better be done quickly.

Does anyone know if AA is facing some hard deadlines from the financial community? I have not seen anything in the WSJ, or our local "worldy" Tulsa World.
 
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On 4/11/2003 2:43:40 PM j7915 wrote:

Bob you are getting too personal in this discussion, either argue for yourself or stand back and argue policy, otherwise you are going to sound like the lawyer who represents himself in court.

I like that you state that things do change quickly in this industry, which is why there has to be a wage negotiation opener in the T/A, and the vote had better be done quickly.

Does anyone know if AA is facing some hard deadlines from the financial community? I have not seen anything in the WSJ, or our local "worldy" Tulsa World.


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There is no doubt that there is a lot at stake personally in this vote.​
 
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On 4/11/2003 2:43:40 PM j7915 wrote:

I like that you state that things do change quickly in this industry, which is why there has to be a wage negotiation opener in the T/A, and the vote had better be done quickly.

Does anyone know if AA is facing some hard deadlines from the financial community? I have not seen anything in the WSJ, or our local "worldy" Tulsa World.


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This wage negotiation opener is it as "Ironclad" as our merger protection, or the "95 Me Too" or the 95 Early Out or our Part 66 protection or our "S" protection? Or when the company goes BK do they or the DIP simply say we have to give that up too? At what point would you say "No Way, that is uneceptable, we will strike first"? Let me guess, no more Union Leave or UBP and no more check off collected by the company.
 
Bob,

Dont worry about j7915, he has been well trained by the TWU Local 514 thought Police and he seems to think that philosopy works everywhere else also. He doesn't know that everyone outside of the 46 mile radius of Tulsa can actually think for themselves.

He just wants to control your thoughts and words spoken by using fear about "what others might think". This is a classic example of how the "union" in Tulsa sperates it's own members from the "union" as an institution and tries to control their thoughts,

He has also been the biggest union man advocate of lower wages in exchange for jobs, Thus we have NO QUESTION of how he has already voted.
 
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On 4/12/2003 7:09:34 AM Bob Owens wrote:




This wage negotiation opener is it as "Ironclad" as our merger protection, or the "95 Me Too" or the 95 Early Out or our Part 66 protection or our "S" protection? Or when the company goes BK do they or the DIP simply say we have to give that up too? At what point would you say "No Way, that is uneceptable, we will strike first"? Let me guess, no more Union Leave or UBP and no more check off collected by the company.
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OUCH! That just might do it.

BTW, what happend to that proposal by the company to eliminate UBP, and what was the
VALUE of that proposal?