This thread reminds me of 4 blind guys describing an elephant - the description depends on what you've got a hold of!
As a ramp rat, I can assure you I wish we were NOT in the IAM - I voted Steel. The reason? We would always play second fiddle to the mechs, and the mechs would never accept us.
This is exactly how it has played out. Our local, run for and by mechs, totally pissed on us from the get-go. Ditto the District. When you look at the timing and issues of our first contract, it was plain we are cannon fodder. When I asked would the mech support our strike if we voted out the first POS contract, the local prez said, you don't have a contract or status quo, we will not honor your strike. As soon as the ink dried on our contract, the District prepped us to support the mechs if they had to strike.
I am also familiar with the "we the unwashed, riding on mech coattails" line of thinking. It might be smarter to compare your wages with your peers across the industry. I'm not holding you back, I'm the piggybank.
And you might want to review your union history. Specialists unions either price themselves out of the market, or because the scope of the contract is narrow to keep the riff-raff out, get bypassed by technology. Unions with a broad base survive longer.
We rampers didn't like this deal, or how the IAM handled it. But most believed Dave will take the shot.