Don Videtich Moves Up

[ch53D]

June 21, 2007

To: All TWU/AA Local Presidents 501-590

Re: Don Videtich

Dear Brothers:

On June 20, 2007, President Little notified me that he was appointing Don Videtich as an International Representative, and that he would be assigned as part of the ATD staff. His assignment will become effective on July 9, 2007.

Don will primarily be assigned as the International Representative for the Overhaul Bases, as well as all of the Line stations for Aircraft Maintenance. Additionally, he will be responsible for direct oversight of the Stores
Agreement and will continue to be directly involved in his current special projects and initiatives going forward.

Don will report to the American Airlines System Coordinator.

I hope that you will all join me in congratulating Don and that you will give him your full support.

Fraternally,


Joseph C. Gordon
Acting Director, ATD
C: J. Little

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Yeah. I saw that letter. Of the names in the column on the left side, how many of them were elected by the membership? Of course, V will be added to the non-elected list.

 

[ch53D]

Yeah. I saw that letter. Of the names in the column on the left side, how many of them were elected by the membership? Of course, V will be added to the non-elected list.

Zero

 

[AMFAMAN]

The more un-electable they get at the local level, the higher they move up in the International.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

Yeah. I saw that letter. Of the names in the column on the left side, how many of them were elected by the membership? Of course, V will be added to the non-elected list.

ZIP

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

Another twu lackey who will no longer share in the pain

:down:

 

[Chuck Schalk]

Don V. always played both sides of the fence. He used everyone for his own benefit and this solidifies his intentions all along! He is just another subservant to the International and their corporation.

 

[Bob Owens]

Three threads about three unions, two democratic, and one about the TWU.

The APA votes out their top officers (http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=36114), the APFA {http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=36100} has an emergency meeting of officials elected by the members and the TWU releases a letter from an APPOINTED rep(Gordon) about the APPOINTMENT of yet another unelected official(Videtich) by yet another appointed official(Little).

When do we get to vote on who controls our(?) contract like the pilots and flight attendants do?

When we get a union, thats when.

Unions are organizations where members unite together with one another, choose their representatives and negotiate a contract.

With the TWU the members seperated into over 20 seperate districts, because thats how the International says they want it and the TWU International decides who represents the membership to the company. Basically AA/TWU members have as much say in who represents them as they do who manages them. Being "represented" by the likes of Videtich, Gordon, Connelly is like being "represented" by Arpey, Horton etc. Just as we have no real say in choosing the CEO we have no say in who controls our contract. Basically all our dues do is provide us the right to vote for local reps, not the right to choose, but the right to vote, should the International not like who the members of any particular district(local) chooses they simply remove them, however, since Locals are not party to the contract they rarely need to do this. Even if all the local reps got together they still have no authority over the contract. The contract belongs to the International just like the contract with Rockwell Collins belongs to Rockwell Collins and not the workers of Rockwell Collins.

Sure, now we see our local reps going through contract negotiations training but for what? The fact is that they have no say in the contract. When negotiations start they will spend most of their time negotiating with the International over what they will be asking for. The next batch of Videtich's, Gordon's, Connelly's, and Gless' will be in the ranks to make sure that whatever the TWU/AMR International wants is rammed through, if not, then its time for roll call. The only reason why they do any of that is to give them plausible denial and the appearance of there being a union in place, but make no mistake, its a farce, the TWU is a company union. Its head, Jim Little, who came to the TWU from AA management tells workers to never turn down a TA once the International rams it through the negotiations farce because, according to him and I quote "the company will never sweeten the offer". Could you imagine a real union officials saying something like that?