I would change nothing. If you want change start now with agenda and rally support to take forward to the next convention. It takes some effort odie and you might have to miss a little league ball game or two if you really want to change something. But I know and you know you won't put forth an effort to change anything you would rather come here and complain, that's all. Face it odie, your a whiner.... B)
Have you ever been to a Convention? The barriers to change are formidable. You've obviously never been to a TWU Convention (I've been to two, the last was even more undemocratic than the first). For a better understanding and to see through the cult like propaganda that you've been fed, eagerly consumed and now propogate I would suggest reading Stanley Aronowitz's book "From the Ashes of the Old". I know you wont, because that actually requires reading which from your many replys here is an obvious challenge for you but others may. If they do they will get a deeper understanding of the problems with the labor movement in the United States and why it is the way it is.
Here we are at the bottom of the industry. Over the past ten years we have seen our real incomes plummet by around 40% and will likely plummet by another 20% by 2017 yet you say that you would change nothing. That pretty much says it all.
The changes we need are unique to the AA M&R ATD system and there's no point in waiting for a Convention. Changes to the Constitution probably would not address our flawed TWU/AA M&R structure anyway. Why would the other 90% of the TWU support changes to the Constitution where only 10% are affected? The fact is the IAC can make changes to the structure of the ATD, the Constitution gives them the authority to do so, but do they have the will? Historically the answer has been "NO". Six figure salaries lavished upon people who would otherwise not be able to command such salaries with their limited education help maintain their comforts and when people are comfortable they are not motivated to change. Members really dont have the power to change the structure of the TWU/ATD, they can ask the IAC to make changes but they have no authority over the IAC, their options are to accept what the IAC dictates or change to another organization if the IAC does not respond.
The IAC can change
the organization while the members can change organizations. The members final say is whether or not they remain members, thats how the law looks at it. There are limited democratic safeguards in the LMRDA but thats pretty much it. Its assumed that the ability to leave is enough to force the organization to be responsive to the needs of the membership, but then again the law also assumes that companies wont file for BK unless they have no other options as well.
If the IAC is confident the AMFA drive will fail they will not make changes, if they are concerned they might, depending on how they see such changes impacting the next Convention. Politically they may be willing to lose M&R rather than alienate the Fleet Service Locals by making necessary changes to the ATD M&R structure.
Some claim that its pointless to even try, maybe they are right, but like I said before what do we on the line have to lose by asking? Sure we could sit back and just see what happens with the card drives,once again becoming horrified observers passively putting our fate in hands the very same people who have agreed to put us at the bottom of the industry, but I'd rather try and get as many options for change as possible out there than just sit back and see what happens with Tulsa and Title II.
So yes the odds are they will not change, but even if the odds are 99% against change theres still 1% chance they will.Obviously the more likely it becomes that an election for representation will materialize the more those odds will change. Accountability is a powerful motivator.
