737823 said:
Fair enough cargo, but why were so many willing to agree to this language that decimates your craft? Sure the holidays, pay raises and all are great but without scope it amounts to nothing. Is it that so many senior employees at the stations protected with Cinderella dates know retirement is near and figured they'd be gone come 2018? Voter apathy? Misleading information from international and district? Maybe it's just a numbers game and there is simply a greater mass in the hubs? Whatever it is I'm shocked so many people were willing to agree if this agreement.
Josh
Josh,
intellectual dishonesty by the District eboard and INTL. The "Top Experts" came in and manufactured the opinion. Meetings with all the Local chairpersons, and the general membership had the AGC's and "Top experts" all lying and hoodwinking most members. Most of what was written is still locked in facebook and even on this site. Even Ira Gottlieb's [IAM's top attorney] infamous anti union letter suggesting that unions are powerless and that congress may come in and force a contract much worse on the membership, is still online to read. I imagine Delta airline management has already copied that garbage letter and I suspect that Mr Gottlieb himself was even bothered to write such anti union trash. The few AGC"s who posted on the United airlineforum claimed 98% protections, no full timer being reduced to part time except for "Severe Operational reductions" [Joe bartz infamous lie], only moderate health care increases [lol, wait until March], and a host of other lies, including waiving of scope. They got ramp stations that had scope, for mainline, to vote "Yes" and to lose their mainline scope by convincing them that their scope was of no value since it didn't protect express work. Now it doesn't protect express or mainline. The Cinderella dates are going to pop, and there are more land mines in that contract than a Vietnam battlefield.
at the end of the day, the IAM chased 7,500 more dues payers. Some have asked why the IAM gave so many stations up. It's simple, with its support of United management to enhance and spread part time, the IAM 141 eboard figured it would still increase dues since two part timers = twice the revenue as one full timer.
Remember, when the IBT dropped from 1.5 to 1.1 million members, it signed the infamous UPS deal which allowed unlimited part time. Although it took some time, today, UPS is 80% part time and the IBT is now made up of mostly part time members and has increased its ranks back up to 1.4 million. The IAM and TWU redoubled their efforts by slashing contracts and middle class jobs by supporting management and waiving part time limits. As the United contract unfolds, United may very well end up over 80% part time. If you have time, you might want to read the LOA "Full time commitment". It was a brilliant concoction by the IAM to hoodwink its own members. Although the title gives the appearance of a commitment, the actual LOA gives no protections whatsoever and is only a 'back to back part time' exception.
Same thing happened at US AIRWAYS. The IAM produced a letter called the "1113" letter. It hoodwinked the entire membership into thinking it was protected from any further cuts. I told folks that the 1113 letters weren't worth the paper it was printed on but Canale wrote a letter claiming that I didn't have a law degree and was not certifiable. Unfortunately, members have always rented out their brains to "Top People" who are paid by the IAM to protect the interest of the IAM, not necessarily the members. Hindsight, the rest of the membership now knows that the 1113 letters were a scandal. Two more rounds of concessions followed and seniority cleansing was in full swing.
