Facts

[MCI AFL-CIO]

Facts



Unions are far more than a kind of Employment insurance policy for working people. True one face of unions is that they are an organization to which dues must be paid regularly, like insurance premiums are paid to insurance companies, and that these dues buy help in the event that something goes terribly wrong on the job.

But unions are capable of accomplishing a lot more than that. Plenty of union members and union officials have learned the hard way that when workers come to think of their union as a business that provides a service rather than a group of people banding together to fight for common interests, the union (amfa) quickly loses the clout and credibility needed to defend and advance the members interests. When an employer looks and sees only a small handful of paid union staff or elected union leaders, and no one standing behind them, pretty soon the employer starts thinking that “the union†isn’t really much to contend with. And the truth is, that’s right.

You need to stop and think about the organizers for amfa! The majority are out for their own self-interest. They are the ones that continue to complain and are unwilling to fight for a cause that affects us all. Ask them what would be different if they would happen to get in? Ask them what they would do different? Ask them about the laws the Individual Legislators are fighting to destroy the working class? Ask them about the clout they would have when they go in to fight for your rights in an Arbitration case! Ask them about past Performance of other Airlines they represent? Ask them why they are allowing Farm out of Work? Ask them about local Autonomy? What does this really Mean? Unions were built on Unity! When you divide you conquer! This is exactly the reason the Companies are so successful at eliminating your position when amfa comes in!

Its all connected, Needs of the Individual are net successful in a today’s environment, Labor’s needs- decent wages, fair working conditions, Livable housing, old age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community. That is why Individuals support labor’s demands and fight laws which help Labor, Stop and think about what amfa Organizers are saying? If you notice they create distrust of your current Union by making things up and exploiting a single issue. Than they attempt to say amfa would do different! In reality these Individuals are doing far more damage to All of Us than you can ever envision.

Look at the Past performance. Reality is they do far worse than the current union in place! They have been in existence for over 40 years and still lack the Education that is necessary to fight off the company! Look at the farm out language at the different airlines they represent! This has been destroyed! Now look at what happened during the last Negotiations at Alaska! Their retirement has been destroyed and you will slowly see this evolve into other Airlines they represent. Watch Horizon they will be next!

One example is the Legislation on foreign Maintenance! Because amfa lacks the clout in the Legislation arena, NWA was successful at sending work overseas. Eliminating union Jobs. The AFL-CIO and other Unions now have to fight twice as hard to stop this from happening. Millions of dollars is going into this that would not have been necessary.

Another example; Baseball style Arbitration. The AFL-CIO and other Unions have been fighting for years for this not to happen in the Airline Industry! Thanks to amfa they were successful at adding this to Alaska Contract the first time and now on the second Negotiations the Arbitrator virtually ruled in the Companies favor on everything that had to do with money.

The Unions representing the Airline Aviation Technician were very successful at Not allowing Heavy Maintenance to be Farmed out to Low cost centers. Again thanks to the lack of Education and Lack of experience on amfa’s part! Language was inserted in the NWA contract that virtually allowed unlimited Farm out of Heavy Maintenance work! Than amfa started inserting Language in other Airlines they represent! Once the Big Airlines got the taste, United followed thanks to the amfa organizers and American, USAir and others are pushing for this.



Learn the Facts! Get Involved! You will see Amfa is a Company Union for one purpose only! To destroy the Aviation Technician as we know it! In conjunction with Management while taking your Union dues.

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

MCI AFL-CIO,

You need some serious psychological help! Your quote:"AMFA organizers are in this for their own self interest"? Who do you think you are kidding?! The AMFA organizers,supporters are in this thing for the MECHANICS and RELATED! We are tired of our CLASS and CRAFT being sold down the river because of LOSERS like you! I'm sorry,but your going to lose your union position and are going to have to go back to your toolbox! So deal with it! Oh by the way, where were you in 2001 when I and other AMT's from all the airlines picketed the major airports around the country in support of our fellow AMT's at NORTHWEST. It was AMFA's tough stance and our picketing that got the MECHANICS and RELATED their much needed raises!
AMFA fought for our profession, and then EVIL TWU,IAM gave everything away!

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

American attendants make over union leadership

By Trebor Banstetter

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH _ American Airlines flight attendants have voted to throw out three of their union's national officers, and the top job remains too close to call.

According to initial results, which were tabulated late Wednesday and released Thursday, John Ward, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, defeated challenger Tommie Hotto-Blake by 7 votes, out of nearly 15,000 cast.

Under its constitution, union officials were required to do a manual re-count of all the votes, because none passed by a margin of greater than 10 percent.

But it appears likely that there will be new leaders in three of the four national officer positions. Brett Durkin defeated union vice president Ted Bedwell by a margin of 1,037 votes; Greg Hildreth defeated secretary Linda Lanning by 865 votes and Cathy Herman Lukensmeyer defeated Treasurer Juan Johnson by 817 votes.

Hotto-Blake, Durkin, Hildreth and Lukensmeyer ran as a slate, criticizing Ward and his fellow offices on a variety of issues ranging from last year's concessions deal to bread-and-butter labor issues like financial accountability.

If Ward loses, he will be the second of American's three top union leaders who negotiated concessions to leave the job. John Darrah, president of the pilots' union, said earlier this year that he will not run for re-election.

Jim Little, who oversees American's ground workers for the Transport Workers Union, is an appointed, rather than elected, official.



JIM LITTLE, WHO OVERSEES AMERICAN'S GROUND WORKERS FOR THE TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION, IS AN APPOINTED, RATHER THAN ELECTED, OFFICIAL.

jim little was appointed? But I thought the twu was democratic. Well, I guess the last paragraph was part right. jim does oversee ground workers. He sure isn't going to oversee, represent or control AMTs at AA any longer!
The twu smells fear... and it is their own!

 

[Bob Owens]

Facts



Unions are far more than a kind of Employment insurance policy for working people. True one face of unions is that they are an organization to which dues must be paid regularly, like insurance premiums are paid to insurance companies, and that these dues buy help in the event that something goes terribly wrong on the job.


Do you mean like if the company tries to use an economic downturn in order to take back benifits and $660 million in concessions and lock those concessions in for five years?

But unions are capable of accomplishing a lot more than that.

I'm sure they are, and hopefully when we get one, AMFA, we will find out.

Plenty of union members and union officials have learned the hard way that when workers come to think of their union as a business that provides a service rather than a group of people banding together to fight for common interests, the union (amfa) quickly loses the clout and credibility needed to defend and advance the members interests.

How about when union officials start to think about and treat the union like a business? When they put dues ahead of the members standard of living? How are the interests of workers, who are trying to scrape by on $50,000 to $60,000 common to those of the union officials who collect multiple paychecks that carry their incomes comfortably into the six figure range? When is the last time that these leaders have made the call to fight? Has a call to fight by the leaders ever been rejected?Or has no such call ever been made outside of a rhetorical speach? Its time to stop blaming the members while the leaders make themselves rich while failing to prevent or lead a resistance to our decline.

When an employer looks and sees only a small handful of paid union staff or elected union leaders, and no one standing behind them, pretty soon the employer starts thinking that “the union†isn’t really much to contend with. And the truth is, that’s right.

Well when they see paid union staff, who they are paying, they definitely know that the union is not much to contend with. When the union accepts $3 million in financial aid from the company they know they own the union. There is no question at all.

You need to stop and think about the organizers for amfa! The majority are out for their own self-interest.

Not like the TWU right? They do it because they love the members who they say 'Dont participate", "have 15 minute attention spans", and are "unthankful", not because it gets them off the floor and can eventuate into a nice six figure salary with the International.

They are the ones that continue to complain and are unwilling to fight for a cause that affects us all.

The fact is we all have suffered under the TWU and the last time they fought was 1969. Begging and bribing is not fighting.

Ask them what would be different if they would happen to get in?

Plenty.-
-For starters;
- We would belong to an organization that has already demonstrated that they feel we are worth more, unlike the TWU that tells us we should be greatful that we are not earning TIMCO wages. The average TWU member makes $15/hr while every TWU International officer and most International employees earn over six figures.
-We would belong to an organization that would be able to focus on our unique issues such as the FARs.
- We would belong to a union that would not be willing to trade off our interests for the sake of other workers interests in other industries.
- We would belong to a union that is accountable, where ever officer of power is held accountable by the ballott box that is open to every member and or the Constitutional right of recall. Neither of these options is available to TWU members.

Ask them what they would do different? Ask them about the laws the Individual Legislators are fighting to destroy the working class? Ask them about the clout they would have when they go in to fight for your rights in an Arbitration case! Ask them about past Performance of other Airlines they represent? Ask them why they are allowing Farm out of Work?

How about asking the TWU any of those questions? Should we really be satisfied with twenty years of concessions? I have presented many questions on this board to TWU supporters, most have gone unanswered.

Ask them about local Autonomy?

What about it? Like when Sonny Hall removed the President and Treasurer of Local 562? You mean like how when the Presidents council voted against seperate locals the International overrode them, put it in place and got the company to relieve the Locals of the financial burden of paying the Presidents salaries to buy them off?

What does this really Mean? Unions were built on Unity! When you divide you conquer!

Thats what I said to Sonny, Hoffa, Buffenbarger and Sweeney! Only Sweeney agreed. The other three are determined to keep us divided. The fact is that I am a mechanic. Have been for 25 years. Worked Teamsters, worked non-union, and worked TWU, same as non-union. I could never understand why mechanics were not all in the same union. I could never understand what the advantage was for mechanics to stay divided up between three unions that could care less about our profession. The fact is that we do not benifit from our assocition within this union with fleet service, and contrary to many of my fellow mechanics beliefs they do not benifit from their association with us. During negotiations each group sits seperately, and negotiations center around what other companies pay workers doing the same job. Well if my pay is going to be directly affected by what other mechanics make, and not by fleet service, either there or here, then shouldnt I be in the same union with thpose mechanics who in effect are influincing my negotiations? The same for the other workgroups.

This is exactly the reason the Companies are so successful at eliminating your position when amfa comes in!

As opposed to our building cleaners, cabin cleaners and the thousands of A&P mechanics that were displaced by the loss of R&D Deicing and OSMs?

Its all connected, Needs of the Individual are net successful in a today’s environment, Labor’s needs- decent wages, fair working conditions, Livable housing, old age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community.

These are the things that JIM Little by signing the contract "without further ratification" took away from us so he could keep his share of the $3 million.

That is why Individuals support labor’s demands and fight laws which help Labor, Stop and think about what amfa Organizers are saying? If you notice they create distrust of your current Union by making things up and exploiting a single issue. Than they attempt to say amfa would do different! In reality these Individuals are doing far more damage to All of Us than you can ever envision.

Oh really? So the graph of mechanics pay was not the fault of the TWU? Fight? Do you know what the word means? You cant fight if you are afriad of taking the hits and possibly losing. There has been no fight, and with the TWU ATD there never will be. The only thing that the TWU will fight is a battle against their own members to keep the dues coming in. If the TWU was so great then why did you guys stay with the IAM, the union that sold out your succorship clause so they would not get left holding the bag for $750 million?

Look at the Past performance. Reality is they do far worse than the current union in place! They have been in existence for over 40 years and still lack the Education that is necessary to fight off the company! Look at the farm out language at the different airlines they represent! This has been destroyed!

True AMFA was founded over 40 years ago. However it was dead as far as a representational organization until revived a few years ago. In fact they were not even listed in the Official "Directory of US Labor Organizations", put out by the Bureau of National Affairs until 2000. So 40 years, give us a break. The fact is they were not a factor during most of the period of our decline. However the same can not be said of the TWU. Amfa came on to the scene with the NWA contract. Under a PEB they were able to argue and win a $10 per hour increase in mechanics wages. They cleared the way for the rest of us. The price that they paid was that they were not able to get everything they wanted, like the TWU lket the company get.

I still fail to see how submitting to every demand that the company makes is "fighting off the company".

As far as farm out language the only real protection we had was our system ptotection. Over the years I've seen this company farm out at will. The only way the union could get it back is by convincing the company that we could do it for less. This was the case with the Airbus engines that we used to ship to Europe and Canada. Our farm out language also did not count foreign workers as outsourced. So the company could get rid of union jobs by having non-union AA workers in other countries doing our work and it would not even be considered outsourced!

Now look at what happened during the last Negotiations at Alaska! Their retirement has been destroyed and you will slowly see this evolve into other Airlines they represent. Watch Horizon they will be next!


If we have the TWU we will be next. When are our "openers", when does the deferment for pension funding expire? 2006. Has this company ever failed to get what they wanted from the TWU? Has the TWU ever stood up to the company, as far as a PEB in the last thirty years? The only reason why the TWU did not give the pension back already is because the company was able to defer payments. As any TWU member who has been around for any lenth of time knows "With the TWU, what the company wants, the company gets".

One example is the Legislation on foreign Maintenance! Because amfa lacks the clout in the Legislation arena, NWA was successful at sending work overseas. Eliminating union Jobs. The AFL-CIO and other Unions now have to fight twice as hard to stop this from happening. Millions of dollars is going into this that would not have been necessary.


Nice try, but that has been going on at NWA since they had the IAM. In fact it is going on here at AA. Its been going on for a long time. Why didnt they fight it all the way back when Bush the 1st changed the FAR?

Another example; Baseball style Arbitration. The AFL-CIO and other Unions have been fighting for years for this not to happen in the Airline Industry!

How many years? This was a scare tactic because the unions, and more importantly the members were becoming impatient with the company's ability to delay negotiations for years under the RLA. By introducing that BS law they successfully quelled any talk about reforming the RLA.

Thanks to amfa they were successful at adding this to Alaska Contract the first time and now on the second Negotiations the Arbitrator virtually ruled in the Companies favor on everything that had to do with money.

I think you are confusing issues. Interest based arbitration vs baseball style arbitration.



The Unions representing the Airline Aviation Technician were very successful at Not allowing Heavy Maintenance to be Farmed out to Low cost centers.

Yes they made us the lowest paid mechanics of all the legacy carriers with no holidays, less vacation, no shift differential, no doubletime, less sick time with half pay for the first two days, less uniforms that we have to take home an ruin our home machines while tainting our childrens clothes and exposing them to the hazardous chemicals that we work with.

Again thanks to the lack of Education and Lack of experience on amfa’s part! Language was inserted in the NWA contract that virtually allowed unlimited Farm out of Heavy Maintenance work!

Thats a lie! And it was clearly demonstrated at UAL where under the IAM they contracted out a majority of their heavy maintenance.


Than amfa started inserting Language in other Airlines they represent! Once the Big Airlines got the taste, United followed thanks to the amfa organizers and American, USAir and others are pushing for this.


As opposed to the TWUs "open contract concept" where they will open the contract and lower wages and benifits to whatever number the company throws at them to keep the work in house, and if the Council says "no givebacks, lay off" the company says no and counters with a more severe threat such as cutting off the $3 million and sends them running to give up $660 million in concessions? Then the union struts around about how they "saved jobs"?

Learn the Facts! Get Involved! You will see Amfa is a Company Union for one purpose only! To destroy the Aviation Technician as we know it! In conjunction with Management while taking your Union dues.


Thats right a bunch of Aircraft mechanics have gotten together, on their own time, with their own money and said "Lets form a company union and destroy our profession." But we should not worry because we have Sonny the Bus driver and Jim Little the dispatcher looking out for us right?

Do you know how rediculous you sound? Everyone knows that the TWU is a company union. With a little bit of research you will see that despite its limited history AMFA mechanics have been involved in more strikes and PEBs than TWU represented mechanics. AMFA is the organization that first propsed Liscence premiums. Their contract at OZARK surpassed the AA contract of the time in every way. They set the new standard for airline mechanics pay at NWA, just months after the IAM brought back paltry increases. Even CIO admitts that the company does not want AMFA. The company is reportedly allowing the TWU to run its anti-AMFA compain on company property and on company time, and evidently, when you consider the $3 million, with some company funds. Now if AMFA was a company union why would they do all that? Seems to me that its obvious to anyone which union is the company union-the TWU.

 

[High Speed Steel]

It was AMFA's tough stance and our picketing that got the MECHANICS and RELATED their much needed raises!
AMFA fought for our profession, and then EVIL TWU,IAM gave everything away!

Princess, Ask those Northwest mechanics that took the 100% pay cut. If the decision to " give up seniority right's for the money" as quoted by Kevin Wildermuthe in the AMFA informational video of the Sep. 12, 2003 info meeting in Tulsa, Okla. was the right thing to do? They took the money and sold their SOUL...!

--------------------------------------
AMFA: The YUGO of the labor movement
Where bargaining means YOU GO....!

 

[Johnny Lunchbox]

AMFA's tough stance, now that's a joke. How about AMFA's stupid stance? There lies the puddin'. My guess would be that it will be the AMFA organizers that will be first out the door, job well done, now go sell TV Guides.

 

[Thrustfuljet]

Seems to me if you would take out the AMFA letters and install twu you can understand how we got the concessions we got.

 

[Johnny Lunchbox]

As if the name on the door has anything to do with the floor and it's vote.

 

[Decision 2004]

AMFA's tough stance, now that's a joke. How about AMFA's stupid stance? There lies the puddin'. My guess would be that it will be the AMFA organizers that will be first out the door, job well done, now go sell TV Guides.

I know what is in the lunchbox !

F-E-A-R-!

 

[Bob Owens]

Princess, Ask those Northwest mechanics that took the 100% pay cut. If the decision to " give up seniority right's for the money" as quoted by Kevin Wildermuthe in the AMFA informational video of the Sep. 12, 2003 info meeting in Tulsa, Okla. was the right thing to do? They took the money and sold their SOUL...!

--------------------------------------
AMFA: The YUGO of the labor movement
Where bargaining means YOU GO....!

HSS First of all there is no such thing in this country as a 100% pay cut. Are those you speak of working for no pay? No, they are either collecting unemployment or working somewhere else.

You keep bringing up the laid off NWA mechanics as if we dont have any that were laid off, but we do dont we? But you dont want to talk about them do you? Well those that were laid off before the concessions were clear- "Dont give concessions, we want something worth coming back to".

The fact is that the President councils position was to leave wages and benifits alone, shrink the company if need be, but it was the company that said no. They knew the union was weak and the leaders were greedy. Once they threatened to cut off the $3 million it was all over, the company could and did write their own ticket to the sum of $660 million and the TWU delivered every penny of it, and then some.

 

[MCI AFL-CIO]

AMFA organizers are in this for their own self interest"? Who do you think you are kidding?! The AMFA organizers,supporters are in this thing for the MECHANICS and RELATED! We are tired of our CLASS and CRAFT being sold down the river because of LOSERS like you! I'm sorry,but your going to lose your union position and are going to have to go back to your toolbox


Princess..........I consider every AIRLINE EMPLOYEE, Fleet Service Ground Workers, Stores, Plant maintenace as belonging to MECHANIC and RELATED. Thats where you and I differ, I dont pretend to be BETTER than others as the AMFA faithfuls do. I feel that each employee is just as valuable to the success or failure of our future. AMFA is not a union, but an ASSOCIATION, choosing who they would serve, I know, the NMB decides who AMFA represnets, but did AMFA claim or ask to represent these other classes? I am an AMT, a professional as you, but I claim the other work groups are PROFESSIONALS as well.
Princess............I will go to my tool box monday as usual, I dont hold office, unless you consider my tool box office? Why is it, when a TWU supporter makes a statement, the AMFA hopefuls reply with name calling? Princess, I didnt claim you to be a loser, I did not claim you need psychological help.
Princess........... the FM1 was lost, the ground work has been established, AMFA will not win FM2,

 

[Hopeful]

Your argument didn't work at United and NWA when their AMFA vote took place and succeeded. Face it, boyz, TWU is history!

 

[Bob Owens]

AMFA organizers are in this for their own self interest"?

That is a fair enough statement. Of course there is self interest. However is it narcissistic self interest? People do good deeds because of self interest too. They go to church because of self interest. There are very few selfless acts, any action that we take usually has a reason and nearly all of them could be catagorized as self interest. But is it economic self interest? Is it at the expense of others? Does it involve a violation of trust? These are the things that must be considered.
Are mechanics who are pushing for AMFA acting in their own self interests? Yes of course they are, but they are doing so to benifit not only themselves but all other mechanics. Are TWU officials acting in their self interests? Yes, of course they are, however they are acting in a way that only benifits themselves. They are being dishonest and violating the trust of the membersghip. While the members pay has declined they have done nothing to stop that decline other than arranging scams for themselves such as splitting up the company provided $3 million.

Princess..........I consider every AIRLINE EMPLOYEE, Fleet Service Ground Workers, Stores, Plant maintenace as belonging to MECHANIC and RELATED.

Oh really? And you feel that twenty years of concessions is acceptable? You can honestly say that you believe that these unions have put the interests of the members ahead of themselves? Let me ask you something. What do you think of the idea of merging all the AFL-CIO unions into one new Airline union? Why do you think it has not happened? The IAM suggested it years ago. It wont happen because the heads of these unions will not do it because it means that they will lose dues. Sad but true. In a discusion I had with an AFL-CIO official in DC he agreed that airline workers are at a disadvantage being spilt up between three unions. He also agreed that there is no way that any of those unions would be willing to give up members to form a new union. He also agreed that the best path for airline workers to take if they ever want to be united was to leave their unions, form a new one then come back to the AFL-CIO. So your claim about caring about all airline workers may be sincere, but the organization you are defending does not feel the same way.

Thats where you and I differ, I dont pretend to be BETTER than others as the AMFA faithfuls do. I feel that each employee is just as valuable to the success or failure of our future.

Its not a question of being better, its a question of posessing a skill that commands better pay. Its a question of belonging to an organization that wants to preserve the value of that skill. Why dont you blast the pilots and the flight attendants for having their own unions?

AMFA is not a union, but an ASSOCIATION

Like the International ASSOCIATION of Machinists?

choosing who they would serve, I know, the NMB decides who AMFA represnets, but did AMFA claim or ask to represent these other classes?

Like ALPA and the AFA.

I am an AMT, a professional as you, but I claim the other work groups are PROFESSIONALS as well.

Fine, I agree, and we should help them to all get into a union that will unite them and represent their interests. The AGW.

I will go to my tool box monday as usual, I dont hold office, unless you consider my tool box office? Why is it, when a TWU supporter makes a statement, the AMFA hopefuls reply with name calling? Princess, I didnt claim you to be a loser, I did not claim you need psychological help.

There no doubt is a lot of emotion flying around. The name calling is unwarranted. The fact is that we are trying to save our careers. You can sit back and relax because you live in one of the cheapest areas of the country to live. How can you call yourself a union man and talk about you care about all airline workers when you could care less about our suffereing, about the difficulties we all face(not just mechanics) and defend those who pull down well into the six figures from our dues plus what they get from the company? If you were as you claim then you would consider that most are not as fortunate as you, and realize that something has to be done.

 

[MCI AFL-CIO]

How can you call yourself a union man and talk about you care about all airline workers when you could care less about our suffereing, about the difficulties we all face(not just mechanics) and defend those who pull down well into the six figures from our dues plus what they get from the company? If you were as you claim then you would consider that most are not as fortunate as you, and realize that something has to be done


Bob I didnt claim I dont care about others, I do care and I do agree we all face problems, yes others have it worse than I, I agree, It is a problem to be in New York with higher cost of living, but as Dave Stewart said last saturday in Kansas City, that "AMFA IS NOT THE ANSWER"
Bob in reality what could AMFA do for your cost of living that TWU has not tried?
While AMFA dont want the LOWER classification, Fleet, Stores etc riding on their coat tails, Bob what will your views be about the AMT who does not possess an A&P? Do you realize that the AMT out numbers the A&P? How many years before AMFA treats the AMT as they do stores or Ramp?
To motivate the AMT to secure his A&P AMFA is talking of incentives to motivate, to re imburse for your tuition, upto, $1500.00, dependingon your grade, while you go to school after work for 25 months and spend upwards of $20,000.00 just to secure that $1500.00 re imbursement, and oh, another incentive Bob, Kevin Wildermuth said AMFA will raise the pay amount between AMT and A&P to motivate. Bob if we the AMT outnumber the A&P and the A&P feel threatenedby the AMT as the AMFA supporters feel now about Stores and Ramps, can you claim you wont feel threatened by the AMT?




Are mechanics who are pushing for AMFA acting in their own self interests? Yes of course they are, but they are doing so to benifit not only themselves but all other mechanics




Self interests Bob meaning they are trying to rid themselves of Stores, Fleet and Ramp. Witht eh TWU Bob, all classes are represented with separate title groups, no coat tail riding






Its not a question of being better, its a question of posessing a skill that commands better pay. Its a question of belonging to an organization that wants to preserve the value of that skill




Bob I disagree, I beleive that fleet, stores and ramp are skilled as I or you are. I know for a fact that many in those classes do have college degrees, and could be doing other jobs but they are happy where they are and it is not my place to judge them or to judge you, How many mechanics, had the availability starting thru the airlines, startig as Fleet, Stores, or ramp, and moved up to the mechanic class? Under AMFA this will no longer be accepted? SO, with out this option no longer available, when the time comes for reduction, now, that person no longer will be able to exercise his/her senority to obtain a job he/she once occupied?
Value Bob? No, Im nt any more valuable than the person doing Stores or fleet, are you?



AMFA is not a union, but an ASSOCIATION

Like the International ASSOCIATION of Machinists?[/co



Bob, AMFA is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO, IAM is. Bob, can you honestly say that having involvement with politics is bad? Can you say that because of that involvement, you or anyone you know has not gained any benefit from political involvement? Why Bob, if AMFA does not want be involved, why did KEvin Wildermuth make known at the Kansas City Meeting, he had been contacted by the GAO office to ask his advice on guidelines? Where does the dues money go Bob if not to politics?


If you were as you claim then you would consider that most are not as fortunate as you, and realize that something has to be done.


Fianlly Bob, I do agree somehting has to be done and it is being done, we were making great strides until the RAID by AMFA came along, now, for every step we took forward, we have gone in reverse 3 steps, its goig to take time Bob, and I ahve siad before about you, you are very intelligent, and if you, Dave and the others would use your energy to help all of us and the TWU as you do for AMFA, we would have found the problem and corrected it by now.
I only wish I had half of your talent and contacts asyou do, Bob I appreciate your reply, with honesty its always an honor Bob to view your posts

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

mci,

"Bob in reality what could AMFA do for your cost of living that TWU has not tried?"

The answer to your question is negotiate from a position of strength and listen to the membership's needs.


"Fianlly Bob, I do agree somehting has to be done and it is being done, we were making great strides until the RAID by AMFA came along, now, for every step we took forward, we have gone in reverse 3 steps, its goig to take time Bob, and I ahve siad before about you, you are very intelligent, and if you, Dave and the others would use your energy to help all of us and the TWU as you do for AMFA, we would have found the problem and corrected it by now.
I only wish I had half of your talent and contacts asyou do, Bob I appreciate your reply, with honesty its always an honor Bob to view your posts "

NOTHING is being done by the twu to protect our profession mci. Don't you see that? What was the , "Change from within!", slogan all about? Bob and Chuck tried that. Guess what? sonny did not like it.

As for taking steps backwards we have not. What has happened is the twu got in their bus and DROVE miles backwards. They passed the exit for SNAP BACK CLAUSES once they saw the exit for COMPANY REIMBURSED UNION PRESIDENT SALARIES up ahead.

If Bob is so talented and intelligent and has so many contacts why do you refute what he posts about the twu's ineptness?