Nwa Mechanics Strike
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Checking it Out
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Local 12 and Bob, You both work for AA and the majority of the members seen what Amfa has done to our Industry. Who were the smart ones? Amfa does not have the money to weather a strike or the expertise. Like they said its new territory for them.
Thanks to Amfa their is 10,000 AMT's out of work and others caused by 9/11. Don't you think 25.00 dollars an hour is better than 17.00 at the MRO's?
I'm not advocating this because I would not cross a picket line! But the truth is, Amfa has given the majority of mechanic's a bad taste in their mouth.
Amfa is an Association that does not believe in supporting Politicians or Judges and spits on other Unions and classifications for personal GAIN!!!!!!!!!!
Local 12 is Amfa going to continue to pay for the defunct Building in Tulsa while members are on Strike at NWA? Further reducing the Funds need to pay for the officers?
Thanks to Amfa their is 10,000 AMT's out of work and others caused by 9/11. Don't you think 25.00 dollars an hour is better than 17.00 at the MRO's?
I'm not advocating this because I would not cross a picket line! But the truth is, Amfa has given the majority of mechanic's a bad taste in their mouth.
Amfa is an Association that does not believe in supporting Politicians or Judges and spits on other Unions and classifications for personal GAIN!!!!!!!!!!
Local 12 is Amfa going to continue to pay for the defunct Building in Tulsa while members are on Strike at NWA? Further reducing the Funds need to pay for the officers?
Hopeful
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Checking it Out said:
CIO, I ask you!
How much is enough? Under your thinking, shouldn't we all work for $12.00 an hour so we can have 100% employment?
As fuel prices soar near the International Space Station, aren't you concerned that these greedy airlines are going to keep coming back for more concessions over and over again?
How low are you willing to go and still have dignity?
Checking it Out
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What I am concerned about is all the laid off mechanics with families and fresh students coming on board. They like working on Airplanes. Thats why they have taken the time to become trained. It should worry everyone that NWA was able to contract with a company to bring in this amount of people to basically take over. Scabs? You bet! But it is happening.
NWA and Amfa set this stage way back when the language was inserted to allow more work to be farmed out. NWA new what they were doing by downsizing the maintenance operation and Amfa negotiators were instrumental in this process.
I remember years ago our local president (who is retired) commenting that we as mechanics are replaceable and we do not have the immediate effect like the other groups do.
Amfa lacks the ability to understand how to negotiate during the tough times.
NWA and Amfa set this stage way back when the language was inserted to allow more work to be farmed out. NWA new what they were doing by downsizing the maintenance operation and Amfa negotiators were instrumental in this process.
I remember years ago our local president (who is retired) commenting that we as mechanics are replaceable and we do not have the immediate effect like the other groups do.
Amfa lacks the ability to understand how to negotiate during the tough times.
TWU informer
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Checking it Out said:
Funny CIO, I dont see one AMFA represented Airline in the Indsutry conducting a card drive to leave AMFA.
Further more, the majority at AA did sign AMFA cards. Except when you included deceased and TWA Mechanics laid-off 20 plus years ago. You call that a victory and democracy?
You will never have to worry about crossing a picket line anyway. The TWU is in the companies hip pocket, in bed, and there is not fight in that union.
Compare
TWU/AA NEGOTIATIONS = t-shirts "Strike Force Dead Serious" and "Industry Leading Concessions". All building cleaners except for Tulsa now outosurced.
AMFA/NWA NEGOTIATIONS - held out to N.M.B. Presidential Emergency Board and negotiates highest wage in the industry and now acutally on strike to prevent cleaners and custodians job eliminations.
You burned your eyes and your brain, therefore cannot see the truth, nor do you recognize a union willing to fight when you see it.
Why don't you just get back to your Tulsa base Corporate Unionism and leave the real men in the industry alone?
If NW tries to replace the ramp, it will be difficult. They would have to do background checks, drugs tests, and issue airport badges for thousands in addition to training them. Also, their airport, res agents and clerical people are IAM (same union as ramp). They would also have a hard time replacing airport and res agents not only because of background and security checks, but it takes quite a while to learn the many computer codes for those jobs (rebooking, rerouting, etc.) Remember, the British airways pilots and mechanics showed up for work at LHR but the ramp did not and we all saw the result. Just picture this, NWA management and the IAM fail to come to agreement at NW for IAM represented employees; they strike and try to replace them (like what they are doing to AMFA now), planes are going nowhere and there is practically no one at the ticket counter to reissue tickets and hardly anyone at the res offices to answer the phones. NWA would come to a screeching halt. The IAM needs to keep an eye on NW to see of they start training massive amounts of people as replacements like they did AMFA. With AMFA they needed about find about 1900. With the IAM they would need over 14,000!Checking it Out said:
Ken MacTiernan
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NWA and Amfa set this stage way back when the language was inserted to allow more work to be farmed out. NWA new what they were doing by downsizing the maintenance operation and Amfa negotiators were instrumental in this process.
cio, you continue to preach typical twu bullshit. It was the iam that allowed outsourcing at NWA. Regardless of how many times you repeat a lie it still remains a lie. The ONLY thing that happens by thinking a lie is the truth by repeating it over and over is it makes you look like the typical stool that you are. Now THAT'S the truth.
cio, you continue to preach typical twu bullshit. It was the iam that allowed outsourcing at NWA. Regardless of how many times you repeat a lie it still remains a lie. The ONLY thing that happens by thinking a lie is the truth by repeating it over and over is it makes you look like the typical stool that you are. Now THAT'S the truth.
TWU informer said:
I really don't think that AMFA is on strike for the sole purpose of protecting the cleaners and custodians. AMFA is saying that because it is good PR and, in my opinion, they don't want to face a DFR lawsuit. For years AMFA has tried to sell itself as an " aircraft mechanics only union". The only reason the cleaners and custodians are in AMFA is because the government says that AMFA has to cover that class. AMFA really doesn't want them. They are about as welcome as a black person at a Klan rally. The fact is NWA wants to lay off 2,000 AMFA members and cut the pay 26% for those who remain. Since there are 800 cleaners and custodians, that means that NW wanted to eliminate 1,200 jobs of the "master class". I think they are striking more for the "1,200" and 26% paycut than they are for the "800".
I have a question. OK, the IAM let NW outsource some work. When the AMFA took over there was about 10,000 AMTs. Then 4,500, now 0. My question is: If AMFA inherited such bad contract language from the IAM with regards to outsourcing, why didn't their "top notch" legal team close that gaping hole in their last contract when they got the big raises? How hard can it be to make a contract that basically says "we will perform all maintanence"? AMFA would have had a lot more leverage today if 10,000 AMTs walked out.Ken MacTiernan said:
B
B.O.B.
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I wish all of the AMFA represented Northwest Mechanics, the best! Don't give up and hang in there. 
9epnsrip
Member
Yell right, Look at Pro Sports, No the companies just take 20 or 50% of your pay and tell you to Work for Less or Walk. See it works well at DL. Value of people--what the H*ll is that. Try working in the low wage south instead of retiring here it easy to work in the North and midwest and go South. Value of people a good line when the Iraq pilots show up to work for $15 dollars a flight hour, some of you know that what happen when Iran fell in the 1970-80's.PineyBob said:
Hackman
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Stratocruiser said:
You don't know dick about AMFA or Mr O.V. Delle-Femine. He's got more drive and balls for a 71 year old man than you had when you were 20 sucking on mom and dad's tit in college. Not to mention, some attributes you'll never have spineless; truthfullness, leadership, respect for his fellow man.
Now go lick the mans boots for him. Light on the cream, and 3 sugars,....sweety. 😉
700UW said:
You are incorrect.
In the month before AMFA was certified, in other words while the IAM represented the NWA mechanics, NWA had 12 heavy check lines in house - 1 in DLH, 4 in ATL, and 7 in MSP - and 9 farmed out to vendors. In the 1993 IAM concessionary contract, the IAM allowed outsourcing; it was AMFA that managed to put limits on it in 2001.
aafsc,Aug 22 2005, 01:19 AM]
If NW tries to replace the ramp, it will be difficult. They would have to do background checks, drugs tests, and issue airport badges for thousands in addition to training them.
Not really, they would contract with Worldwide or other such outfits to do all that without the IAM even knowing. Do you think the TWU would tip them off when they see their dues volume going up? The IAM lost 25% of their membership between the last two Conventions, TWU membership has increased because of all the low end contracts the TWU has.
NWA admitted that they spent 18 months preparing for this, do you think they spent all that time just on the mechanics?
Also, their airport, res agents and clerical people are IAM (same union as ramp). They would also have a hard time replacing airport and res agents not only because of background and security checks, but it takes quite a while to learn the many computer codes for those jobs (rebooking, rerouting, etc.)
OK, thats a good point, but isnt there a lot of automated check in now a days?
Remember, the British airways pilots and mechanics showed up for work at LHR but the ramp did not and we all saw the result. Just picture this, NWA management and the IAM fail to come to agreement at NW for IAM represented employees; they strike and try to replace them (like what they are doing to AMFA now), planes are going nowhere and there is practically no one at the ticket counter to reissue tickets and hardly anyone at the res offices to answer the phones.
The res office work simply gets transferred overseas with the flick of a switch and management mans the ticket counters.
NWA would come to a screeching halt. The IAM needs to keep an eye on NW to see of they start training massive amounts of people as replacements like they did AMFA. With AMFA they needed about find about 1900. With the IAM they would need over 14,000!
The ticket agents would be the toughest to replace but there are plenty of laid off ticket agents out there and more than likely the job skills of a ticket agent dont command the wage outside the airline industry that it does in the industry so it would not take long to replace them. Unlike the dregs they got for mechanics-guys who remained unable to find employment for several years, they would get a much better pick.
AVJOBS could be doing the same thing for the ticket agents that they did with mechanics. The res agents are the easiest since they could already have them trained and standing by in India for a couple of dollars a day. The ramp workers are also easily replaced because there are plenty of outfits that offer that service where they start workers at minimum wage and top out at $10 to $15/hr. Training is minimal, management will do the jobs and perhaps have the scab mechanics operate the equipement for a few days until the scan ramp workers come up to speed.
While the number may be larger so is the available pool of labor. There are a large number of people who posess the basic skills needed to work the ramp so rep[lacing them would be the easiest of all the groups.When I was in high school I worked as a baggage handler, the only thing I needed was my drivers liscence. My training consisted of about 1 hour, then I was working. When I was hired as a mechanic, after training to get my liscence for a couple of years we spent weeks in training before we ever touched an aircraft.
The only way ramp has a chance of stopping the operation is if they catch them by suprise, which wont happen. The effect of a Ramp walkout will be the opposite of a maintenance walkout. A ramp walkouts greatest effect is immediate, then it would taper off back to normality over time. With the mechanics its the opposite, immediately there appears to be no problem, but as time goes by, and the MELs add up things get worse and worse.
When Continental busted the IAM they were not concernmed about replacing ramp, their greatset concern was the mechanics. Perhaps thats why NWA took on the hardest part first, knowing that the IAMs hatred for AMFA would work in the companies favor. If they are able to maintain operations Ramp is defineately next.
When you look at the third party maintenance providers on the airport they pay part timers an hourly rate in the low twenties, however the real pay works out to be more because of deals. "Hey I need that IDG done for a trip that leaves in an hour and a half, get it done and I'll give you 4 hours". To which the mech may reply "eight", and they settle for six, so he works for the hour and a half, gets six hours pay and leaves. If his regular hourly rate is $20, he in fact got $80.
However the contractors that provide baggage handling services , even in areas like New York, pay slightly over minimum wage to start, they dont make deals, and they have a huge turnover. Many are immigrants who dont even speak English so you have to wonder about how well the 10 year background checks were done,but any way replacements are plentiful and cheap.
If NW tries to replace the ramp, it will be difficult. They would have to do background checks, drugs tests, and issue airport badges for thousands in addition to training them.
Not really, they would contract with Worldwide or other such outfits to do all that without the IAM even knowing. Do you think the TWU would tip them off when they see their dues volume going up? The IAM lost 25% of their membership between the last two Conventions, TWU membership has increased because of all the low end contracts the TWU has.
NWA admitted that they spent 18 months preparing for this, do you think they spent all that time just on the mechanics?
Also, their airport, res agents and clerical people are IAM (same union as ramp). They would also have a hard time replacing airport and res agents not only because of background and security checks, but it takes quite a while to learn the many computer codes for those jobs (rebooking, rerouting, etc.)
OK, thats a good point, but isnt there a lot of automated check in now a days?
Remember, the British airways pilots and mechanics showed up for work at LHR but the ramp did not and we all saw the result. Just picture this, NWA management and the IAM fail to come to agreement at NW for IAM represented employees; they strike and try to replace them (like what they are doing to AMFA now), planes are going nowhere and there is practically no one at the ticket counter to reissue tickets and hardly anyone at the res offices to answer the phones.
The res office work simply gets transferred overseas with the flick of a switch and management mans the ticket counters.
NWA would come to a screeching halt. The IAM needs to keep an eye on NW to see of they start training massive amounts of people as replacements like they did AMFA. With AMFA they needed about find about 1900. With the IAM they would need over 14,000!
The ticket agents would be the toughest to replace but there are plenty of laid off ticket agents out there and more than likely the job skills of a ticket agent dont command the wage outside the airline industry that it does in the industry so it would not take long to replace them. Unlike the dregs they got for mechanics-guys who remained unable to find employment for several years, they would get a much better pick.
AVJOBS could be doing the same thing for the ticket agents that they did with mechanics. The res agents are the easiest since they could already have them trained and standing by in India for a couple of dollars a day. The ramp workers are also easily replaced because there are plenty of outfits that offer that service where they start workers at minimum wage and top out at $10 to $15/hr. Training is minimal, management will do the jobs and perhaps have the scab mechanics operate the equipement for a few days until the scan ramp workers come up to speed.
While the number may be larger so is the available pool of labor. There are a large number of people who posess the basic skills needed to work the ramp so rep[lacing them would be the easiest of all the groups.When I was in high school I worked as a baggage handler, the only thing I needed was my drivers liscence. My training consisted of about 1 hour, then I was working. When I was hired as a mechanic, after training to get my liscence for a couple of years we spent weeks in training before we ever touched an aircraft.
The only way ramp has a chance of stopping the operation is if they catch them by suprise, which wont happen. The effect of a Ramp walkout will be the opposite of a maintenance walkout. A ramp walkouts greatest effect is immediate, then it would taper off back to normality over time. With the mechanics its the opposite, immediately there appears to be no problem, but as time goes by, and the MELs add up things get worse and worse.
When Continental busted the IAM they were not concernmed about replacing ramp, their greatset concern was the mechanics. Perhaps thats why NWA took on the hardest part first, knowing that the IAMs hatred for AMFA would work in the companies favor. If they are able to maintain operations Ramp is defineately next.
When you look at the third party maintenance providers on the airport they pay part timers an hourly rate in the low twenties, however the real pay works out to be more because of deals. "Hey I need that IDG done for a trip that leaves in an hour and a half, get it done and I'll give you 4 hours". To which the mech may reply "eight", and they settle for six, so he works for the hour and a half, gets six hours pay and leaves. If his regular hourly rate is $20, he in fact got $80.
However the contractors that provide baggage handling services , even in areas like New York, pay slightly over minimum wage to start, they dont make deals, and they have a huge turnover. Many are immigrants who dont even speak English so you have to wonder about how well the 10 year background checks were done,but any way replacements are plentiful and cheap.
