Is an Association a union?

[Bob Owens]

For years on this blog we have heard some in the TWU say that other organizations are not Unions because they dont have the word UNION in their title. Well interestingly enough the TWU has aligned themselves with an Association (AFA) thats aligned with another Association(CWA) and formed yet another Association, the ADFA. The following is off the TWU website;

Alphabet Soup


Are you confused by all the union acronyms out there? Tired of being told what’s best for you?

Join us for our first Atlanta house party where we’ll be discussing where we are in our campaign for representation and how you can make your voice heard! It’s happening Thursday the 24th from 4-6pm.

Our question today comes from Nancy at MSP, “By ‘combining’ two separate union bodies into one…how will that work?”

Great question Nancy; this is something new and different so it can be a bit confusing. AFA-CWA and TWU are not “combining,”(yet-added by me) but rather launching a joint venture, the Association of Delta Flight Attendants (ADFA).

As most of you know, AFA-CWA ran a campaign to represent the combined Delta Flight Attendants in 2010 following the merger with Northwest Airlines. That campaign touched thousands of people throughout the system, but ultimately lost by a few hundred votes. In early 2012, TWU began receiving signed union authorization cards from Delta Flight Attendants who wanted the rights that come with having a union. In the fall of 2012 AFA-CWA and TWU helped Delta Flight Attendants launch ADFA, because they recognized that only by working together could we win an election and raise standards at our carrier and across the industry.

ADFA will not be run or governed by AFA-CWA or TWU; it is its own organization. It was made of Delta Flight Attendants, by Delta Flight Attendants and for Delta Flight Attendants. We will just have the advantage of being supported by the resources and expertise of over 70,000 Flight Attendants who already have a voice at work.

Remember if you want to request bag tags or get involved email [email protected].

I wish them luck, but hope for their sake they dont end up losing their "voice" as we have to Jim Little. I wonder how they would react if they heard how the TWU is forcing most of the line mechanics, without any say, or voice, into one Local mainly so Jim can eliminate seven likely hostile delegates from the convention in September? Its bad enough losing your voice to the guy who pays your salary, its even worse when you lose it to the guy whose salary you pay!!!

 

[WNMECH]

http://www.cwa-union.org/
The Communication Workers of America is a union.

 

[FWAAA]

The Transport Workers Union is some evidence that simply having the word "union" in your organization's name doesn't necessarily make it a union.

IMO, anyone claiming that an "association" is not a union is pandering to the uneducated. To paraphrase some golden oldie posts, you could call your group the Amalgamated Fixers Club and as long it operated with transparency, respected seniority, hired effective professional negotiators and delivered at least industry-average (instead of your current industry-lagging) wages and benefits, that would be a union of which you could be proud. Instead, you've got the Liar-Little-led crap you call a union. The TWU gives legitimate unions a bad name.

 

[787nightmare]

The Transport Workers Union is some evidence that simply having the word "union" in your organization's name doesn't necessarily make it a union.

IMO, anyone claiming that an "association" is not a union is pandering to the uneducated. To paraphrase some golden oldie posts, you could call your group the Amalgamated Fixers Club and as long it operated with transparency, respected seniority, hired effective professional negotiators and delivered at least industry-average (instead of your current industry-lagging) wages and benefits, that would be a union of which you could be proud. Instead, you've got the Liar-Little-led crap you call a union. The TWU gives legitimate unions a bad name.

Exactly.
And how about AFA, APA, ALPA etc..........ahh never mind. It's pure BS to even argue the nonsense...

 

[700UW]

IAMAW, International ASSOCIATION of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

 

[Bob Owens]

IAMAW, International ASSOCIATION of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

According to some people who post here they arent a union, doesnt say Union in their name.

 

[700UW]

Well I guess some people are stupid, if they werent a union they would be registered with the DOL and file an LM2.

 

[comatose]

The worst are the pretend to be unions.