700UW,
Well, after the problems with this CBA, something needs to change because what was being done in the past has not been working. The attendance policy alone should have raised immediate concerns, so someone was not doing their job. The group has been either incompetent or uneducated... you choose, and I'll give the benefit of a doubt as being uneducated.
I do not know the curriculum vitaes of management's team, but I would be stunned if any of them lacked a bachelors degree or better, and had extensive training and experience in labor relations. We have suffered as a result of this disadvantage during the negotiations, because Management has better experts from human resources, accounting, legal, and economics/finance. Change of Control anyone? Retroactive Attendance Policy anyone? Split Full-Time Shifts in Part-Time Shifts anyone? Less Healthcare Insurance Options anyone?
I understand the importance of "behind the scene" people who are the support staff during negotiations, but I also understand that keeping trained people out of the direct negotiations leads to the "telephone operator" effect of passing along discussions with important parts being left out in the process. The inability of the educated support staff to speak directly with the opposition and raise questions during the negotiations allows Management to manipulate the CBA to their advantage. Frankly, I want someone with a skeptical, critical eye parsing over every word in a CBA directly with Management and with the legal mentality and the confidence the language would stand-up before an arbitrator. That's not going to happen with a guy who spent the prior 20 years loading bags into a plane.
There is a place at the negotiating table for average blue collar types in terms of the issues which are important to the rank and file who are actually performing the work involved, especially in terms of safety matters, bid shifts, pay differentials, etc., but they should not be the ones negotiating the language of the contracts.
So Advises Jester.
