I ask because the AA agents are trying to push a union drive and it seems to be falling on it's ass. My last trip through MIA I had a couple of agents tell me they hadn't heard squat since joining, but the dues are flowing out of their bank accounts. I told them I could ask people who know about CWA . . . and I did.
Thanks to those who responded thus far! Appreciate it.
We Are the Union, The Union is NOT a 3rd Party.
The Association of Passenger Service Agents is a union started by agents at American Airlines. Our Officers and Executive Board is made up of agents like you that are elected by our members. We do not limit the amount of participation in our union like the Agent Advisory Board and Employee Advisory Councils do. In addition, we choose the issues that want to work on and collectively come up with a plan. Our union was built by American Airlines agents, and is run by American Airlines agents.
The Anti-Union campaigns that the company ran during our last election convinced many of us that the union is just a 3rd party that we pay dues to and we let them do whatever it is they think we want. This couldn't be further from the truth. Currently as a union without collective bargaining we pay a minimal amount of dues, $10.00, $15.00, or $20.00 dollars a month based on our salary and full-time or part-time status, which goes to run our local. We pay office expenses, and our Executive Board decides and votes on how to best spend our money to increase our membership, while working toward another election and collective bargaining. Three dollars per member per month is paid to the International Union in Washington DC, which is still paying a large portion of expenses including the majority of a full time organizer dedicated to our campaign. This makes us full members of the Communications Workers of America.
Once we get to an election and win collective bargaining rights, the process becomes even more democratic on a much larger scale. After winning an election we will elect a bargaining committee consisting of representatives from different areas of the class and craft of eligible employees. For example at US Airways the agents elected agents from different departments and areas within these departments. Part-time and Full-time agents from reservations, part-time and full-time agents from airports and agents from different areas within each of these departments were needed to get a good sense of what agents wanted negotiated in their contract. All members of the union are encouraged to participate because our union is run by our members, American Airlines agents, and is only as strong as it's members.
We are the officers and executive board, the bargaining and negotiating teams, and as members we will always have a say in how are union is run, and we will always vote on a contract before it is ever signed. To find out how you can get your station more involved contact us at 817-868-9933 or by email at cwa4aa@sbcglobal.net for more information. In addition watch your email this week for more information pertaining to how contracts can benefit workers at the same company with different needs, how CWT/AHT in reservations is dealt with at other airlines, and watch for more information on what's going on around the system and how we can effectively change it.
Is Your Station or Reservations Office Ready to Join Us?
Over the past two months agents at MIA realized how critical it is to move forward and expand the Association of Passenger Service Agents. More and more agents are finding themselves working flights alone, and finding more of their work being turned over to contracted help and self-service kiosks. They are also finding that with the majority of agent jobs at airports being part-time that they are being forced to work mandatory overtime instead of being given the option to move to full-time status. Agents are scrambling to pick up hours and work overtime and then being forced to work mandatory overtime and in some cases working over 14-16 hours a day and having to return 4-5 hours after they leave.
The MIA airport has a major problem with rats, mice, cockroaches, and other bugs that are biting passenger service agents and in one case landing a person in a doctor's office. Mold is growing out of the air conditioning vents in Terminal C. These problems coupled with the fact that the union groups will be renegotiating their contracts in 2008, and the over $200 million dollars in bonuses paid to just over 800 managers has made the agents realize that it's time to take control of our own destiny. Agents in MIA realize that unless we build our organization and unite to take on issues that we will be the last to see changes in our working conditions, benefits, and wages.
In just a few short weeks over one hundred agents in MIA realized that joining the APSA Local 6001 means that we will be stronger and better positioned to enact changes where we can and to move closer to wining an election and collective bargaining rights. Is your reservations office or stations ready to meet with other agents to jump on board and help? If so, contact us at 817-868-9933 or via email at cwa4aa@sbcglobal.net to set up a meeting for your city.
http://www.apsa6001.org/about.html
