The following is from a transcript from the Lou Dobbs show where they interviewed Andy Stern, head of the SEIU, the largest union in the country.
Andy Stern;
"The labor union is divided. We have 30 unions in hospitals, 15 in transportation. We've seen what's happened when we're not organized and united in the airline industry. So I think there is a plan. We've seen it in our own union. We've made the tough choices. And now we're going to build a global union at SEIU, because in a new global economy, we need global unions that reward work for workers around the world."
Seems that Andy agrees with me. The divided labor movement is responsible for the state we are in. Is it the members fault that their leaders keep them divided? Maybe, partially but what options were they given?
My constant push for uniting airline workers got me removed from office, not by my members, but by the International.
Five years ago I wrote a letter to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney urging him to assist in uniting airline workers.
John Sweeney came from the SEIU.
His office contacted me about the letter right away. The person who contacted me now works for the SEIU once again.
This contact person told me that Sweeney was very much in favor of my ideas but that the AFL-CIO could not push for such a reform, the organization is not structured that way, they do not have authority over unions. He did however encourage me to pursue this from within, which I did.
In our last conversation this contact told me that there is no way that airline workers will ever be united unless they leave the TWU, IAM, IBT etc and form a new union. He said that the leaders of these unions would never voluntarily give up dues payers even if the workers in this industry would benifit.
Over the four years that I was in office I had discussed this idea of merging all the airline workers into one union with Jim Little, Mike Bakala, Sonny Hall, Sito Pantoja and any other union leader I came across, along with any airline worker I came across. Not one person ever said it was a bad idea and everyone said they would like to see it, even Sonny Hall.
So why wont it happen?
Greed.
When I reapproached Sonny Hall with this idea, two months before he removed me from office under the charge of dual unionism, (the trial committe concluded that my push to unite airline workers under one union could "only" mean that I was pushing for AMFA since "no such union exists")he said that he thought it was a great idea, in fact he was trying to work out a merger between the TWU and the ATU (Two transit unions). He claims that the resistance was from "those just below" him. That he could not get those under him to agree to a move that could lessen the opportunities for other International officers to move up. I told him to bring it directly to the members, that he should not put the greed of a few dozen well paid International officers ahead of the welfare of thousands of workers (these are the same officers who claim that we should all take massive paycuts so the company might not lay off as many workers.)
The reason why Airline workers remain divided is to keep a few dozen union leaders very comfortable. These guys are the "epitomy of hypocrisy". Every one of them knows what should be done, what needs to be done, what MUST be done but they will fight tooth and nail to make sure that it will never happen.
Jim Little, the Master of deciet, more slimy and repulsive than an East River eel sent us literature claiming that we should stay with the TWU because they are AFL-CIO affiliated, yet at every oppoirtunity he shifts blame for his inaction on the AFL-CIO. He knows damn well that if he asked the AFL-CIO to do something they would try, but he wont ask.
Last week workers at AA asked Bobby Gless why all the AFL-CIO unions dont get together and fight, he said "It will never happen, there is no way you will ever get all these unions on the same page".
Sonny Hall shed a little more light on this during a recent deposition where he claimed that AMFA is not a competing Union because they dont play by the rules of the AFL-CIO. The IAM and Teamsters are competitors. AMFA he said "Is a raiding organization. (Sonny feels that raiding is worse than lowering wages in a race to put other companies out of business)
Ok, so how do these AFL-CIO unions compete if they can not solicit members from each other? He said they were competitors, not allies, as we have been led to believe, but competitors.
They compete by helping the companies grow at the expense of their competitor unions thats how! So who benifits from this type of competitions? THE COMPANIES!!!!!
One of the things that unions like the TWU,IAM and IBT love about having airline workers is the RLA which supersedes state RTW laws, all workers under the RLA are bound to a union security clause and the vauge class definitions and geographic disbursement of members makes it hard to organize any systemwide movement for change, at least until the internet.
Andy Sterm is right, the airline workers are suffereing because the labor movement is so fractured, and they adhere to an abomidable twisted form of competition where the companies benifit at the expense of the workers. We can not change this system from within, the barrieres to change are too formidable and the best results that could ever be expected fall short of what is really needed. We need to start anew and join unions that will consolidate the labor movement in this industry into an effective force. At this time we can work towards that by joining the AGW or AMFA.
While Any Stern may not be politically courageous enough to come right out and say "join AMFA and the AGW" it does fit in perfectly with what he is saying. Airline workers need to consolidate, and it will only happen if we leave unions like the TWU, IAM and IBT.
Andy Stern;
"The labor union is divided. We have 30 unions in hospitals, 15 in transportation. We've seen what's happened when we're not organized and united in the airline industry. So I think there is a plan. We've seen it in our own union. We've made the tough choices. And now we're going to build a global union at SEIU, because in a new global economy, we need global unions that reward work for workers around the world."
Seems that Andy agrees with me. The divided labor movement is responsible for the state we are in. Is it the members fault that their leaders keep them divided? Maybe, partially but what options were they given?
My constant push for uniting airline workers got me removed from office, not by my members, but by the International.
Five years ago I wrote a letter to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney urging him to assist in uniting airline workers.
John Sweeney came from the SEIU.
His office contacted me about the letter right away. The person who contacted me now works for the SEIU once again.
This contact person told me that Sweeney was very much in favor of my ideas but that the AFL-CIO could not push for such a reform, the organization is not structured that way, they do not have authority over unions. He did however encourage me to pursue this from within, which I did.
In our last conversation this contact told me that there is no way that airline workers will ever be united unless they leave the TWU, IAM, IBT etc and form a new union. He said that the leaders of these unions would never voluntarily give up dues payers even if the workers in this industry would benifit.
Over the four years that I was in office I had discussed this idea of merging all the airline workers into one union with Jim Little, Mike Bakala, Sonny Hall, Sito Pantoja and any other union leader I came across, along with any airline worker I came across. Not one person ever said it was a bad idea and everyone said they would like to see it, even Sonny Hall.
So why wont it happen?
Greed.
When I reapproached Sonny Hall with this idea, two months before he removed me from office under the charge of dual unionism, (the trial committe concluded that my push to unite airline workers under one union could "only" mean that I was pushing for AMFA since "no such union exists")he said that he thought it was a great idea, in fact he was trying to work out a merger between the TWU and the ATU (Two transit unions). He claims that the resistance was from "those just below" him. That he could not get those under him to agree to a move that could lessen the opportunities for other International officers to move up. I told him to bring it directly to the members, that he should not put the greed of a few dozen well paid International officers ahead of the welfare of thousands of workers (these are the same officers who claim that we should all take massive paycuts so the company might not lay off as many workers.)
The reason why Airline workers remain divided is to keep a few dozen union leaders very comfortable. These guys are the "epitomy of hypocrisy". Every one of them knows what should be done, what needs to be done, what MUST be done but they will fight tooth and nail to make sure that it will never happen.
Jim Little, the Master of deciet, more slimy and repulsive than an East River eel sent us literature claiming that we should stay with the TWU because they are AFL-CIO affiliated, yet at every oppoirtunity he shifts blame for his inaction on the AFL-CIO. He knows damn well that if he asked the AFL-CIO to do something they would try, but he wont ask.
Last week workers at AA asked Bobby Gless why all the AFL-CIO unions dont get together and fight, he said "It will never happen, there is no way you will ever get all these unions on the same page".
Sonny Hall shed a little more light on this during a recent deposition where he claimed that AMFA is not a competing Union because they dont play by the rules of the AFL-CIO. The IAM and Teamsters are competitors. AMFA he said "Is a raiding organization. (Sonny feels that raiding is worse than lowering wages in a race to put other companies out of business)
Ok, so how do these AFL-CIO unions compete if they can not solicit members from each other? He said they were competitors, not allies, as we have been led to believe, but competitors.
They compete by helping the companies grow at the expense of their competitor unions thats how! So who benifits from this type of competitions? THE COMPANIES!!!!!
One of the things that unions like the TWU,IAM and IBT love about having airline workers is the RLA which supersedes state RTW laws, all workers under the RLA are bound to a union security clause and the vauge class definitions and geographic disbursement of members makes it hard to organize any systemwide movement for change, at least until the internet.
Andy Sterm is right, the airline workers are suffereing because the labor movement is so fractured, and they adhere to an abomidable twisted form of competition where the companies benifit at the expense of the workers. We can not change this system from within, the barrieres to change are too formidable and the best results that could ever be expected fall short of what is really needed. We need to start anew and join unions that will consolidate the labor movement in this industry into an effective force. At this time we can work towards that by joining the AGW or AMFA.
While Any Stern may not be politically courageous enough to come right out and say "join AMFA and the AGW" it does fit in perfectly with what he is saying. Airline workers need to consolidate, and it will only happen if we leave unions like the TWU, IAM and IBT.
