All I can say is that the BUF AGC talked the talk and told everyone in BUF that he was going to stand with them in arbitration. Well, I don't mean to be crude but the dude flipped like a pancake after making his TV appearance and supported his "Boss" handing the keys to BUF over to management. Those are the facts. Ironically, it's the same AGC who PJ now supports. I will give some of these AGC points for knowing how to blow smoke up everyone's collective arses with talk on the field, but they haven't produced squat on the scoreboard. As terrible as Canale was, Delaney and his AGC who supported the continuation of the lockout, ended up worse. Amazingly, both are claiming that they actually got the BUF members who are now sitting at home laid off, something they didn't have, i.e., 600 hours in their pensions. But those BUF members would have had that anyways if they still had jobs. Delaney also lied to PJ and all of us in the messenger when he told all the members that US AIRWAYS closed those stations prematurely [again, his words not mine] and that he was going to stand with the members and fast track it to arbitration. Well, the guy flipped like a pancake and each and most of his US AIRWAYS AGC's backed him up 100% and threw their membership under the bus.
It's funny how PJ wants to discount what I did when he was paying me, and then interpret the occupy 141 platform delusionally, and at the same time he doesn't have it in him to stand up and admit how Delaney has limited the resources at US AIRWAYS and admit that there is a backlog of grievances, not because of Canale, but because our AGC's need help that Delaney refuses to give them. Then PJ somehow interjects that if 8 or 9 US AIRWAYS AGC's on the occupy 141 win that somehow the INTL will stomp its feet and not allow it. Folks, if everyone took their political blinders off, I'm convinced that 100% of all US AIRWAYS members would be able to freely admit how IAM 141 has treated all of you like second best, and continues to. You pay the same dues as everyone else and it's high time that the District allow equal distribution of resources. I do agree with PJ that there are a backlog of grievances and that grievances shouldn't take 4 years.....but I wholelheartedly disagree with him that we are still dealing with Canale issues. These guys were nominated 4 years ago next month and even though Canale did have a backlog....there is still a backlog. It's not because of Canale, it's because whether it is Canale or Delaney, the resources that the District President has allowed for the US AIRWAYS dues paying membership continues to be second best. Look at the LM2's and ask yourself, why are the AGC's spending about $25,000 than a UA AGC in travel and per diem cost?? The structure is broken and something is wrong guys. Your AGC's are not only in the sky flying 3 times as much as an UA AGC but it's happening on your dime and it's actually a bad waste of $25,000 in wasted expenses. Actually, if we equalize the AGC resources, we will actually save the membership, objectively with the Occupy platform, $60,000+ a year in hotel and per diem cost. For example, it doesn't matter how great or how terrible an AGC is, if he is spending most of his time in the air and in hotels half way across the country, who is paying for it? You are. And because of all of this additional air time, the US AIRWAYS AGC's are burning twice the amount of YOUR Money but it's money that should not be wasted since it isn't useful money. And it's NOT their faults....it's the increased workloads and the additional cross country flying that is wasting their time also.
Consider the following. NH spent $29,000 in per diems. MH spent 32,000. And MW/MF split the year due to elections but cummulatively they spent: $27,000. Nothing against any of these guys, they simply had to sleep somewhere but the meter was running. Again, it's not because of them, it's just the cross country assignments that they have. Now, the average UA per diem is around $10,000 because they don't have to go across the country and aren't representing as many members. Does anyone think the AGC's want to be away from home across the country without the same help as a United AGC? Of course not.
The Occupy 141 wants to save monies of the members, not just by salary cuts through voluntary deductions, but we have identified $2 freakn million of complete and utter waste that we can cut AND amazingly provide MORE resources! I know that sounds illogical to cut $2 million and gain resources but it's true. And, for members like PJ to not support some 'good sense' things just because I'm saying them is a joke. These things should be happening whether I say it or not. But they aren't.
If we give the US AIRWAYS members equal representation, we will reduce time spent in the air in cross country flights, we will better service our membership, and we will SAVE $250,000 in 4 years with this very basic structure change, SIMPLY BY REALLOCATING RESOURCES with fair distribution. And, although PJ refuses to look at the actual numbers, we actually save $50,000+ per year, or another $200,000 for my 4 year term by firing the outside law firm and bringing in our own professional attorney in house and paying him $100,000 instead of burning $150,000 per year on the outside group that is just a 'phone call away'. FWIW: The average labor attorney makes below $100,000. The IAM's INTL deputy #1 makes the most at $150,000, the associates make around $110,000, and the Teamsters attorneys and other unions in house attorneys make around $85,000 with some topping out up to $150,000.
Folks, you guys have been living under a bk contract and didn't even get a pay raise this year, it makes no sense to keep pimping off your money and keep raising the dues but if that is what everyone wants then just keep the status quo and tell me I'm an #### again. I will agree that I am an #### but I'm also a mover and know how to do the job and it takes someone that is 24/7. As aside, Delaney only spent $6,000 in per diems. That's because that prick sits in his damn office from 9-5 M-F and only spends money when his lame arse goes to conventions. Him, the S/T, the Director of Organizing, and other positions like lehives which have national responsibility should be 24/7 and have per diems over $25,000 and be out of their office. That's why myself, the S/T, Lehive, all had per diems over that amount, we were never in our offices, we were out doing our jobs. Delaney sits in his freakn office till 5 pm unless he goes over to the other side of the building and putts on the putting green he installed.
regards,
