Is It Time To Stand-up And Tell Amfa And Twu!

Wondering

Newbie
Sep 28, 2003
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Is it time to chart a new course for Mechanic’s and Related?

I have watched the debate between the two rival organizations vying for our dues for many years. In 1962 Delle-Femine and a group of mechanic’s charted a new association and went up against the Union representing employees at American Airlines. Their endeavor failed, in 1989 and 10 years later continued to fail, now the drive continues non-stop like the commercial with the energizer rabbit. Have you ever noticed? The rabbit just fades into the sunset?

Amfa seems to prey on our emotions and tells each individual what they want to hear whether it’s the truth or not. Now the desperation has sunk in and they have resorted to extreme measurers. Toolboxes are hidden, tires are being slashed and intimidation has set in. Many of the potential members who are eligible to vote have signed cards, simply put; they are tired of the harassment from the organizers and the concessions we took in our last contract. The card signing is a form of expression and distaste for the contract we had no choice but to except. Like United the members are tired of the BS. With the low participation in the elections at United, it was evident the majority did not favor wanting AMFA but they were tired of the constant beating from every corner. Will this happen at American?

The TWU has been working hard to Represent us at AA and on many occasions have gone the extra mile to preserve our jobs. Even though they are undermanned. There has been a committee setup to recommend changes for the long term and may not go anywhere unless there is a true sincerity from the leaders of the TWU. Is this possible? The members have repeatedly asked to have change and there continues to be reluctance on the part of our leadership. Will the necessary changes be quick enough for the members? Only time will tell?

Both the TWU and AMFA live in a world, which was created over 40 years ago? If you listen to Delle he continues to talk about what happened 20 years in the past. Amfa claims to be democratic, but in reality is just as restrictive as the TWU! Amfa sub-contracts out most of their day-to-day functions to a corporation making millions off the backs of the membership, Even AGW understood this and have ceased or choose not to have a relationship with Seham and McCormick Groups.

The TWU has a bureaucracy that is totally out-dated and does not really give the authority to the members. All you have to do is look at the powers of the President and you can see the dilemma. Their is provisions in the constitution which provides an avenue to setup a division separate within the TWU and still be able to enjoy the benefits of the long years of experience, and the political clot the TWU holds with the Politicians. The TWU has an opportunity to change and has given the members the tools to suggest change.

You need to ask yourself why do both these entities continue vying for our dues? It’s simple, in AMFA’s case look at the wording? Who is making the millions? Look at the section concerning the power to purchase real estate? Finally, look at the professions the leaders are involve in and you can put the pieces together. Lets look at the TWU they have the same constitution from times past and have not made any significant changes for 20 years. The TWU was established to preserve the workers rights against the corporations of America.

Have you ever actually looked and understood the constitutions of either of these groups? Both have over 70 pages of rules to control the members and officers. If you look close you will find out under Amfa you actually have less control then you currently have under the TWU.

In the last few weeks there has been a hint or two about starting a group separate from the National TWU and AMFA? Is it possible to start an Independent Organization, which preserves our rights as members and gives us control of our own destiny? Is their sufficient interest in breaking away from the norm and starting an Independent Association?

-Association started from a grass roots effort
-Association that has the trust of the membership
-Association where the members have a choice who they want to represent them
Without the worry of other entities influencing your decision
-Association where the local will always have your best interest in mind
-Association that holds the elected officers/members accountable for their actions
-Association that believes the members should decide the politic agenda
-Association, which elevates the Professional Technicians within American Airlines
-Association that does not allow the appointments or contracts going to anyone
that May have a conflict of interest
-Association that requires the officers to know who they represent and have
Working knowledge of the jobs the members perform.
-Association that believes in allowing members to voice their opinions
-Association that does not ignore member’s opinions
-Association that provides Information to the members concerning current issues
-Association who is willing to change with the industry and still have the best
interest of the members in mind
-Association where the members elect their own Title Group Negotiators
-Association which collects dues equal to 1.5 times your hourly rate per month
-Association where the members decide who to be affiliated with
-Association where the members are the Supreme Authority
-Association for the members who are tired of being used as pawns
-Association who is tired of AMFA and the TWU vying for our dues
-ASSOCIATION WHO IS CONTROLED BY THE MEMBERS AND THE
MEMBERS WHO ELECT THEIR OWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO
REPRESENT US!


We want to see if there is sufficient interest in starting
“An Association for the Members by the Members.â€
For American Airlines Mechanic and Related



Many of the Pilots and Flight Attendants have their own Associations and still associate themselves with larger organizations in the political arena.

Is it Time?

Interested in your views?
 
I believe most of us want the same things and I think AMFA can give them to us.
I do not think that a TWU separate maintenance division will accomplish our mutual goals.
 
I think its an idea that has merit. Nothing against the TWU, they do an OK job but I think I would prefer OUR own union like the Piliots and FA's have. And I'm not talking about that Joke amfa. We've seen them in action and its a disaster! Besides that, who wants employees from other airlines getting in our business? Our own INDEPENDENT union just might be the way to go.
 
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!

Wonderbox, you people again treat the membership with complete contempt. I cannot believe you don't think people can see right through your TWU DELETED BY MODERATOR
 
It appears that most Mechanics think we need a change and I do not see a problem with giving an established Union like AMFA a chance AMFA has 8 Airlines and thousands of Mechanics.
I have heard that there is going to be a debate between Dell and Art Luby if the TWU really does have some good points then I guess we will hear them at the debate, I for one love a good debate.
I realize that changing Unions is a big step, but can we trust the TWU anymore ?
 
AAmech said:
Our own INDEPENDENT union just might be the way to go.
Just wondering if you're going to front the money to get this new union going. Better yet, why don't we contact Art Luby and join the AMTU. Art should be able to get us the cards. :shock:
 
Grass Roots Effort....Where did we hear that before? Face it. What ever the Ring Masters of the TWU three ring circus come up with now is too little and too late!. It is the TWU who is in desperation, not AMFA, fool.
The TWU sure has saved alot of jobs. Lets see...
When I started working here we had our own fuelers, our own building cleaners and our own cabin cleaners. Where are they now? I suppose those don't matter to the TWU.
Don't worry clown, you won't be Wondering much longer. AMFA is comming!
:up:
 
Torrent Star said:
I believe most of us want the same things and I think AMFA can give them to us.
I do not think that a TWU separate maintenance division will accomplish our mutual goals.


Torrent Star and CIO,

I believe a separate Association is the best way to go, If the membership wishes at a later time to vote and affiliate with an organization then it will be our choice not some individual who was elected by 7 or more groups.

Locals could be established which will be controlled by American Airlines Brothers and Sisters. Not by Which Airline's have the most employees at any particular city.

This is true autonomy; the expertise is in the members.
 
Wondering said:
Torrent Star said:
I believe most of us want the same things and I think AMFA can give them to us.
I do not think that a TWU separate maintenance division will accomplish our mutual goals.


Torrent Star and CIO,

I believe a separate Association is the best way to go, If the membership wishes at a later time to vote and affiliate with an organization then it will be our choice not some individual who was elected by 7 or more groups.

Locals could be established which will be controlled by American Airlines Brothers and Sisters. Not by Which Airline's have the most employees at any particular city.

This is true autonomy; the expertise is in the members.
Like AMFAMAN asked, where would you twu clowns suggest the millions would come from to start your "separate association"?

Don't worry, you and CIO will go back to your box when AMFA comes in, or the company will find management jobs in HR for deposed twu lackeys, just like in the past. :down:
 
Seperate union? Gee, let me see. Does cio mean a union for skilled AMTs? He already has the twu. What's wrong cio, (and all the other alias cowards that slam AMFA), feeling the heat? There will be a seperate union for AMTs and Related at AA. That union will be AMFA. But don't worry, the ramp will be able to have thier own union for skilled ramp workers.
 
Breaking news some of you will be happy to hear that I have decided to give up the bulletin board game for awhile, it has been fun but I have some more important pressing business to take care of so have fun hammering on each other ;)

but if someone tells me my name was brought up on one of the boards as Arnold once said I will be backso leave me out of it and I will not be back. :D
 
Well I guess they realize that their "#1 reason to stick with the TWU/ATD" did not resonate that well so they are starting a new campaign to divide and conquer- no not a company speciality, a Sonny Hall speciality.

So now their strategy is to try and split the AMFA vote by promoting a brand new Independant union, probably the brain child of Art Luby.

Well okay, if you dont want AMFA then go ahead and fill out a card!

Sonny Hall loves to divide and conquer. While the two faced bastard talks about Solidarity, unionism and democracy he has spent his entire sordid corrupt career doing the opposite.

There are a lot of good union people in the TWU, most of them are sueing Sonny Hall and the International.

Sonny Hall fractured the AA system. He deliberately left the maint workers formation of seperate locals half done, an abortion in mid stream. Some of the larger Locals like 501 were resisting the International, while most of the smaller local leaders, like Jack Maddish, the ultimate lapdog, remained obedient. So he split maint off the larger locals but left maint with the smaller Locals. This meant that we still had Fleet Service Presidents voting on a maint contract. Title 1 was still a minority of the M&R contract even though they are the overwhelming majority of the contract group.

He tried to split up Local 100 in a similar way, only there he was shocked when the members voted to stay with Rojer Toussaint and rejected the formation of their own local under the leadership of one of Halls hand picked lackeys.

Why do you think we have so many small Locals?

Why do you think at AA would agree to pay the Salaries of all these Presidents?

I believe this makes our union an illegal company union. The company is not supposed to pay the salaries of union officials on strickly union business.How do they get away with this? It was something that always puzzled me as a TWU officer. How can we have our President on the company payroll?

The fact is that this policy helps smaller locals that would otherwise not be financially viable. Smaller locals also make the International more powerful. Smaller locals are easier to bully. That was probably part of the arguement that the International used to get the company to agree to pay these salaries-small weak locals.

If you remember the elimination of company paid union officials was one of the optional concessions that the company "offered" the union back in March. How magnanimous of them!

The International decided that we should give up Holidays and vacation instead.

The International knew that more than likely there would be an increased risk of membership backlash. This way if we leave there will be more money in the Treasuries when we go to PAFCA, AMFA or the AGW that will go directly into the International coffers.


Start a new union instead of AMFA?

Why bother?

If we go to AMFA we will make that a new union. We will be the biggest airline in the union. No other group will be bigger. Besides what ever happened to the arguement "stregnth in numbers?" Once we go to AMFA, along with USAIR, AMFA would be one of the strategically most powerful Unions in the country.

Forbes or one of those business magazines had an article about "The 10 most dangerous union leaders in the country". Rojer Toussaint of Local 100 was on the list because his strong militant union beliefs and the fact that his members could cripple the financial center of the world-NYC. Since gaining office Sonny Hall has been trying to undermine Toussaints efforts to elevate his members working conditions and pay. Sonny stabbed Local 100 in the back during contract talks. All the other Unions in NYC saw it, now you know why Sonny doesnt want to show his face among "his own" in New York, instead he attends functions with management and gives them awards.

If AA and USAIR go AMFA Delle Femme would be added to the list next year, his "no surrender" beliefs and the fact that a huge percentage of the commercial airline industries mechanics would be in his union would send shudders through those who are so used to dealing with submissive unions such as the TWU/ATD.

Brand new Independant union? What would the advantage be over joining our fellow mechanics in AMFA? The shortcomings of AMFA that the TWU has either made up or exaggerated could be attributed to its small size, if we go AMFA it would no longer be that small but it would still have the advantages of accountability and democracy, two things tyhat we will never really get with Sonny Hall and Jim Little.
 
I don't really care what Union we have as long as they get me a decent contract,
and are constantly moving forward not backwards, I did not have a problem with the TWU untill this massive concession, if they would have atleast tried to stand up to the company then I would have supported them, but as it was they did nothing but say yes sir to AA.
If the majority of the Mechanics want a different Union than AMFA thats ok with me but I believe we need some serious change before 2008. :up:
 
Torrent Star said:
I don't really care what Union we have as long as they get me a decent contract,
and are constantly moving forward not backwards, I did not have a problem with the TWU untill this massive concession, if they would have atleast tried to stand up to the company then I would have supported them, but as it was they did nothing but say yes sir to AA.
If the majority of the Mechanics want a different Union than AMFA thats ok with me but I believe we need some serious change before 2008. :up:
If you do not get a raise that at least equals the rate of inflation then in reality you are taking a pay cut.

With the exception of the 2001 contract, every contract that we have had since 1983 was concessionary. Even the 2001 agreement included concessions for the 10 hour day.

Along with pay raises that did not keep up with inflation we have been giving massive concesions as far as work rules and benefits go for over 20 years.

Its time for a change.

If we make the change to AMFA, and are dissatisfied we can always start a new union or go back to the TWU.

We gave the TWU 20 years to straighten up their act, they could/ would not do it.

Give AMFA one contract before starting something else.