Nlrb Rejects Amfa Cessna Bid

[scorpion]

I'm not sure who wrote this article but it looks like the the IAM side of the story. I'm one of the 400 or so workers who was hoping to have a chance to vote on my representation and this decision is very troubling to me. I am also very well informed on the so-called amfa side of the story.

To set a few things straight, in this situation AMFA is not "raiding"...IMO we are very low on the AMFA priority list. WE called amfa, they would not be here had we not asked for them so I dismiss the raider notion out of hand.

This is not quite over yet however, the way this was handled by the nlrb leaves the situation wide open to legal challange. A hearing had been granted and schedualed for Weds the 30th, and was cancelled on the 29th with no warning and no reason other than the request was to be denied.

The entire question to be answered at the hearing was to see if our job was enough different from the factory in order to be represented differently. For those that don't know we are the service center, Cessna repair station etc.

Today we were shown the letters sent to the nlrb by the IAM and one from the company. The IAM letter was typical blather, nothing important and nothing to sway the board. The letter from Cessna to the nlrb was very interesting, the basic jist was that we are exactly the same as the factory, do exactly the same job and are inherently interchangable with factory workers.

All of which is hardly the case, nevermind that we are not allowed to work on AC until they leave the factory and factory workers visa/versa (FAA says so) nevermind that over 80% (my estimate) of the factory workers are not qualified to work in an FBO type environment (starting with an A&P liceanse)

It doesn't take a genius to realize that factory work and FBO type work is completly different IMHO and it seems rediculus that this letter from the company would sway the nlrb so severly.

I thought the company was supposed to stay out of these things anyway????

I'm not sure what will happen next but I'd bet this isn't over. All we really want is a chance to be properly represented as the IAM has failed miserably and is currently down to less than 10% membership among those trying to seperate. This really has nothing to do with AMFA but everything to do with the IAM, I personally would vote for no representation before IAM representation. All the Cessna authorized service centers not located in Wichita are none union and they are doing just fine (bonuses and insurance for starters)

any opinions on if there is a craft and class line between the factory and us?? I think the line is clear.

Jocko87
the guy that started this topic (cio) is a twu/AA scab. He voluntarily trained replacements for his shop when the union (twu) negotiated to allow a non licensed mechanic called an SRP to work in selected shops at the Tulsa overhaul facility. The union had a grievance filed on his particular shop because it wasn't supposed to have SRP's in it but this guy went ahead and started training these guys anyway. So much for union solidarity, so take anything this guy posts with a grain of salt.
We here the AMFA raid b.s. all the time here also but the truth be known this is a revolt from within.
Your job on the line requires an A/P license just like our line mechanics, AA would love to get the FAA to change this but haven't been successful so far. Once this happens (if ever) we will have SRP/OSM's working the line stations if the twu has anything to do with it. This new FAR was going to be called FAR66.
Your going to have a tough time seperating the difference between craft and class on this one even though one job requires a license and the other doesn't.
In our own battle to get AMFA in we had cabin service thrown in with our craft and class in order to water down the card count even though they do no maintenance unless you call picking up trash and changing a seat cusion maintenance work. These guys used to be grouped in with fleetservice (bag smashers) until around 1995 then they went from title 2 to title 3. Now their saying they belong in the mechanic and related craft and class which is title 1. All I can say is try and get your factory people on board but who knows you guys might get a hearing, its not over till you give up! We have the same problem at AA between overhaul and the line. The line guys have had enough of the twu but overhaul has a bunch (but not all) of 60 mile radius homeboys that are for themselves and say screw the line. So much for solidarity.

 

[Checking it Out]

Scorpion, You dont have a clue what your talking about!!!!! Get involved and become educated. You have been on the darkside (Amfa) to long! Come out to the light!!!!

 

[Hackman]

Scorpion, You dont have a clue what your talking about!!!!! Get involved and become educated. You have been on the darkside (Amfa) to long! Come out to the light!!!!

So 'ol kevin was a SRP trainer? Hmmm, that sounds like a good twu company man to me. I know in my former shop back in 1995 we had a twu company man do the same thing, for the extra money and so he wouldn't get his fat ass shoved out on the docks like the rest of us did. He was a twu POS and still has no respect.

Get involved and become educated cio? Like you are? Sorry fool, we've had 20 years of twu education, and most of us unfortunately graduated to a MBA in twu concessions.

You obviously will remain a twu flunky for life, and the dumbest twu bubba on this BB.

How sad.



NO VOTE? NO PEACE!!!!

 

[scorpion]

Scorpion, You dont have a clue what your talking about!!!!! Get involved and become educated. You have been on the darkside (Amfa) to long! Come out to the light!!!!

You thought this was in your past and behind you!!!!!
The only people that need educated are the ones that think your threads have any credibility.

 

[jocko87]

All I can say is try and get your factory people on board but who knows you guys might get a hearing, its not over till you give up!

We don't want the factory people on board with us, we want a contract on our own merit.


You guys are pathetic, why don't you just start one ####-talking post and leave the rest to discuss issues? This sounds like typical union bullshit bickering, I don't have anything worthwhile to say so let me yell really loud so nothing gets done. No woner I'd rather be unreprestented. Sad

 

[Bob Owens]

We don't want the factory people on board with us, we want a contract on our own merit.


You guys are pathetic, why don't you just start one ####-talking post and leave the rest to discuss issues? This sounds like typical union bullshit bickering, I don't have anything worthwhile to say so let me yell really loud so nothing gets done. No woner I'd rather be unreprestented. Sad

I think what is sad is the impression of unionism that the IAM has left you with.

Over the years many unions have become nothing but self-serving enterprises. It should not be this way, unions are supposed to be non-profit institutions that exist to represent workers. Because of that assumption they are tax-exempt.

What you are experiencing is not true unionism but rather business unionism. Why would a "representational" organization scheme and conspire to keep a group of workers who do not want them? Workers that want to remain union, just not "that" union? Why would they scheme and conspire to deny you the chance to have a say? Especially when one of the things that unions typically promise is to "give you a voice"? They do so because you supply these guys with dues, and many of todays "unions" are really just businesses.

Paying dues is a neccissary burden for all union members. But when you are forced to pay dues to a union that is not of your choice, that plots and schemes to deny you the right to vote for the union of your own choosing it becomes an especially bitter burden. So while I dont agree with your feeling of not wanting a union I can understand how people that are stuck with ineffective, corrupt unions feel this way.

All I can say is dont get too fustrated, that is what the system is designed to do, delay and fustrate. Once you get AMFA, run for office and be the type of union leader that you wish you had now. Dont get sucked into the "thankless job" syndrome that is so prevelent throughtout the labor movement and remember the honor that your peers have bestowed upon you.

Good luck.