Kev3188
Veteran
I am saying you need to tell the whole story when trying to make a point.
Is AMFA in Distress?
- Thread starter eolesen
- Start date
I am saying you need to tell the whole story when trying to make a point.
groundcontrol
Veteran
- Oct 17, 2005
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Gee you mention EAL in all the above analogies...How bad is the news for the AMFA aircraft mechanics at NWA? $70 in unions dues (much higher than the IAM) and all they have to show for it is a stupid billboard truck!At least during the EAL strike, the IAM had rented part of a building to conduct all union business including the strike. What did AMFA conduct their strike from? Was it a tent and/or an old trailer?
During the EAL strike, Bryan worked very hard to bring new investors/ management to EAL and almost succeeded twice. Has Delle done anything similar? At EAL, Bryan held meetings periodically during the two year strike to keep the members informed. The AMFA membership at NW are desperately trying to figure out where their leadership is.
At EAL, Lorenzo tried to outsource ALL ramp jobs by spinning the ramp off into a separate entity called AGS. The IAM's legal team successfully prevented Lorenzo from doing this as to where AMFA had lost it's biggest and most important cases.
here's a question...
Where is EAL now?
DEAD AND BURIED... TO MY COMPLETE GRATIFICATION! As it very well should be. Lorenzo transferred assets from EAL to CO and Texas Air. The point of my post was to compare the IAM of yesteryear to the AMFA of today. With much higher union dues and promises of superior representation, one would expect that the AMFA could at least equal the IAMs performance at EAL from 1989-1991 in terms of creative strategies, informing it's members, legal victories, financial assistance, and the proper facilities to conduct it's strike; a tent, trailer, and a billboard truck are woefully inadequate.
Then you tell me the hole story. All I can see is that amfa lost over 3000 jobs.
Kev3188
Veteran
I'm not debating the job losses. You posted an article with only half the story-I called you out on it. Simple as that.
groundcontrol
Veteran
- Oct 17, 2005
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- 0
Funny how your point was just as effective in these 6 sentences than in the ramblings above. Whats the point in comparing IAM of 1989-1991 to AMFA of today? Whats the point of comparing AMFA and the IAM? There just isn't any point!!!!! Your just ranting....OK I'll let ya.
groundcontrol
Veteran
- Oct 17, 2005
- 716
- 0
Nope I don't agree...
the thread is "Is AMFA in Distress"
So who gives a crapola about the IAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The same IAM that is scabbing AMFA work at NWA by your same workgroup Fleet Service. Hey but don't let your fellow workgroups actions at NWA get in the way of the facts. Never mind that the strike just began when your beloved scab union the IAM negotiated to take over much of AMFA's work, that's okay with you, isn't it.
To see if "AMFA is in distress" you must look at it's present situation and compare it's performance to a union that was in the exact same situation. The IAM at EAL fits that discription perfectly. Then, like now, both faced a government very hostile towards labor. The IAM at EAL, had old man Bush while AMFA at NW has baby Bush. Both refused to issue a PEB before the strikes. Both EAL and NWA managements WANTED their mechanics to strike. It just so happens that the IAM was the union that AMFA replaced at NW which makes the EAL comparison even better. Given the fact that there has been absolutley NO strategic planning AMFAs part (where there definately was with the IAM at EAL) and the fact that many of the AMFA leaders have either abandoned their posts or are in hiding (unlike the IAM leaders at EAL) it is no wonder that the AMFA picket line crumbled after only four months. At EAL almost all IAM members remained on strike for TWO YEARS until the company shut down. If an AMFA picket can't hold for 4 months compared to a 24 month IAM picket line at EAL, then AMFA is without a doubt "in distress".
local 12 proud
Veteran
- Mar 5, 2004
- 4,265
- 4
Im taking groundcontrols position on this one.
Now with that said, what good are we accomplishing by constantly bashing fellow union brothers/sisters for supporting the union of they're choice. Im a die hard Trade Unionist and make no excuse's for it, However we dont need to be constantly devided over which union out performs the other. We are dieing a slow death in this country as our numbers decline and Big Buisness/government bleed us dry. We have enough people willing to piss on our graves without pissing on each other.
This much you can be certain, if unions are willing to work struck work then the power of unity is gone and its just a matter of time till ALL Unions become obsolete.
Who said the strike was over?
BTW...pickets and I know I walked them with EAL starting disappearing within the same timeframe due to the fact many mechanics were already re-employed - just look at the AA seniority list.
The only thing that kills a strike is SCABS, that you can thank the other unions, including the twu and the iam who crossed the one sacred thing us unionists have, a PICKET LINE. Let's not forget that numerous AMT's on layoff from AA were amongst the first to cross the line, a good example of the twu's leadership when they worked at AA. You know, the "I GOT MINE" style of solidarity the twu preaches. The AMFA may have its faults but if you can't see what is going on then you are truly blind or just plain ignorant.
Much of AMFA's work? Since when are "bagsmashers" wrenching aircraft at NWA terminals? Sounds illegal to me. Those wrenching are A&P scabs, many of whom were AMFA pushers at NW. You must be talking about pushbacks. According to some, the very liberal farm out language allowed NW to do this even before the strike. It is my understanding that before the strike, that at some stations NW ramp service pushed planes and at other stations AMFA represented mechanics pushed planes. However, if I was given a directive by management to push an aircraft at a station where this was done before the strike by an AMFA mechanic, I would refuse. If then threatened with termination due to insubordination, I would push the aircraft and file a grievance. We all know how AMFA feels about the "bagsmashers" so I would not take termination to defend an organization that feels I should make far less than what even NWA wants to pay and who tried to get NWA to get much more from the IAM so they would take smaller or no cuts. AMFA lost the strike because of NWs detailed planning and AMFAs gross incompetence which led to the collapse of their own picket line.
By the way, did AMFA ever agree to any protection language in the post strike proposals to the few "bagsmashers" and F/As who did honor their picket line?
In MIA the picket line was strong. Yes, it thinned out some but there still was a good number picketing until the end. Also, don't forget the EAL/IAM picket line also consisted of thousands of ramp service people, stock clerks, etc. So there were thousands more people overall on the lines than there were at NW. It is said that the NWA pickets are non-existant, with the exception of 2 or 3 people, and NWA has all the mechanics it needs with a long list of people waiting to go back. Seems to me that when a strike is called "inactive" that it means it is basically over. And speaking of picket lines, didn't the state of Minnesota unemployement rule that the mechanics can get unemployment if they stop picketing entirely?
AMFA is the poster child for the "I GOT MINE MENTALITY". Nothing illustrates this more than the fact that the #2 man at AMFA, who used to work at NW, was able to get a job at another AMFA carrier just so he can keep his high paying AMFA position while many of the strikers languish in lesser paying jobs. As far as scabs at NW who were AA mechanics, they are probably bitter towards the TWU and unions in general about being laid off at AA. They feel that they got screwed by the TWU after the TWA asset purchase. The nAAtive scabs at NW feel they were raped by the TWAers (and they were) and the union did not protect them. The ex-TWA scabs feel they were raped by the nAAtives and the union did not protect them. So it is possible both groups see this as getting revenge on the unions they feel abandoned them.
Ok what is the story?
Name: It's about time
Email: Someone Spoke up
Employer:
Station: Mpls
Date: Sunday April 09, 2006
Time: 03:08:07 PM
Comments
Name: scab Email: Employer: nwa Station: Date: Saturday April 08, 2006 Time: 01:48:11 AM Comments why do all the strkers get so mad at the scabs? Dont you guys understand that it was amfa that dicked you, not the guys that crossed. The guys that crossed could see the handwriting on the wall about 3 months into the strike. It was either lose our jobs to a bunch of out of staters or go back to work. There are currently hundreds of applications from a&p mechanics waiting to take the next job openings at nwa after the airline settles with its other labor groups. Nobody who crossed the line was happy about it, most have said they never ever thought there was a chance they would be a scab.The company with alot of help from AMFA forced us into this. The big majority of the guys that crossed are mid fiftys with less than 10 yrs. to retirement, can you really blame them ? The general public [sadly] is on the companys side. They see the striking mechanic as a bunch of greedy bastards that were overpaid anyway. Oh, by the way, to those of you who think the strike would have succeeded if nobody crossed. Think again, the majority of the mechs the company has hired have 20 plus yrs exper. and there alot more waiting, The time has come to shitcan AMFA and get your jobs back. Comitted and unified is great but most of us needed our jobs back!! ***Amen!!****
