Pfaa Determined To Take It's Fa's Down All By Themselves

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Jan 20, 2003
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Special Message from PFAA President Guy D Meek.

October 28, 2005

Dear PFAA Flight Attendant:

When you elected me, I promised to be diligent in my leadership and be completely honest with you. As such it is critical that you realize that we are facing incredible obstacles. NWA is seeking horrendous concessionary givebacks and is requesting that the Bankruptcy Court gut our contract, pay, and benefits through the 1113© process. I assure you that your PFAA leadership is up for the fight. It is critical that we keep you fully informed about our union's strategic plans as well as answer the memberships' questions.

We have assembled a nationally recognized team of strategic advisors to assist us. They include the following:

Dan Akins is a Transportation Economist who trained at the London School of Economics. He has recently worked for other large aviation unions at United (AFA-CWA), USAirways (AFA-CWA), American (APFA), as well as Southwest (TWU).

Claude Poulin is a pension actuary who consults nearly exclusively with labor unions, governments and law firms representing plan participants in pension litigation. He is an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA and has been a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries for more than 30 years. He has provided actuarial expertise and consulting service to the UAW, the CWA, the AFA, the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers), the IRS, AARP and the EEOC, amongst other organizations.

James Reed and Craig Keizur of Milliman Global Consultants and Actuaries, an international organization of financially and legally independent actuarial and consulting firms represented in more than 100 principal cities worldwide, with a long-standing reputation for excellence, based on experience, expertise and integrity. Mr. Reed and Mr. Keizur are working with our Negotiations Team at costing out medical benefits under Section 29 of the Flight Attendants Agreement.

Mark Richard has just recently been added to our team. He is a labor attorney, who is considered one of the foremost Flight Attendant advisors in the country. Mr. Richard, a college law professor, was the lead strategic advisor to the Southwest Flight Attendants during their recent industry leading negotiations and is a key advisor to the American Airlines Flight Attendants. Mr. Richard was general counsel to the Eastern Flight Attendants during their bankruptcy and strike. Currently he is also representing the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) union in the UAL bankruptcy.

Seham, Seham, Meltz & Petersen, our long time law firm will be handling our bankruptcy legal matters. This firm has represented airline labor groups continuously since 1963, including employees at American, United, Continental, Southwest, Alaska, and Airtran. Their experience with bankruptcy representation spans the proceedings from Continental to more recent cases at United and ATA. This highly respected firm has served PFAA since our inception and is intimately aware of our contract and issues.

However, having exceptional strategists on our side is not enough. We must also have a viable strategic plan in place. Our initial plan has already been developed. We are taking a three pronged approach. First we shall work as hard as we can to maintain as much of our contract and as many jobs as possible. Obviously this is a challenging task. Second we seek to maximize our leverage in bankruptcy court by intelligently advocating for our membership. Bankruptcy courts are often not worker friendly so we are preparing for quite a struggle. Finally, we must be prepared to expose management's offensive and incompetent actions in the public arena. This vengeful management team must treat us fairly or be held accountable.

The most important component of our strategic plan lies not with our superb advisors and our committed leaders. Rather, the key to our success is the activism and unity of the membership. Tough times truly bring out the best in us. Now more than ever we must stand united. Please ignore rumors, stay informed through PFAA communications, and ask questions before rushing to judgment. I am counting on you as much as you are counting on me.

As you may or may not be aware we have received offers of assistance from three unions. IAM, AFA-CWA and TWU have offered to provide our membership with assistance to bolster our position through these challenging times. We will take legitimate help, where needed, that is offered in good faith and without conditions by our colleagues in the labor movement. Our advisors have urged us to carefully scrutinize these offers to make sure they truly benefit our members.

PFAA by no means is closing the door on any offer of assistance. In fact, we are conducting an inquiry into these offers of help. IAM (which represents Continental Flight Attendants) has offered legal and other assistance without at the same time raiding our union. This offer of assistance was conveyed in August and appears to be above board. TWU (which represents Southwest Flight Attendants) has offered strategic advice that we are now evaluating. However, TWU has attempted to raid us and we must look at this contradiction as we make our decision.

AFA-Communication Workers of America has attached conditions to its "unconditional" offer of help. First, in a phone conversation with AFA International President Pat Friend on October 21, 2005, Ms. Friend said that the AFA bankruptcy legal advisors would be the counsel of record in charge instead of working cooperatively with the PFAA team. Second, Ms. Friend requested that PFAA submit a document to AFA-CWA advising that no affiliation/merger talks are being conducted by PFAA with other unions. This request is in reaction to AFA-CWA's protest against TWU concerning which union has the primary right to organize the Northwest Flight Attendants under the AFL-CIO Constitution (Article 21). Lastly, AFA-CWA is actively attempting to raid our union at this most precarious of times.

Any assistance we take must be of the kind and quality that is sincere and unconditional. Obviously, for an offer to be sincere it cannot come from an entity that is at the same time raiding and undermining our union. Moreover, if we elect to take any assistance we must first fully understand under what conditions and promises PFAA will have to make in exchange for such aid.

Sincerely,

Guy D. Meek,
PFAA President

Please review the timeline, ordered by the most recent replies and offers, documented though letters and emails at http://www.pfaa.com/PFAA/Defend/unionsolidarity/Default.asp. We urge you to carefully read these communications, and believe you will conclude we have taken the path offering the best benefits for our collective future.
 
I see Mr. Meek as a responsible, communicative union leader.
Personally, I am a member of one of the union's listed in Mr. Meeks letter, and I am impressed with his candor, planning and communicating.
How do you view this as "taking down the flight attendants"?
NORTHWEST IS TAKING DOWN THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. NORTHWEST IS ATTEMPTING TO BREAK EVERY UNION.
Hang in there, you guys! STICK TOGETHER, no matter what!
 
Northwest flight attendants don't have a future no matter who's representing them. NWA F/A's don't have the guts to strike, so what makes you think changing unions will some how stop EVIL NWA management from outsourcing most ,if not all, of you. The AFA didn't do anything for United or USAIR F/A's except agree to more concessions multiple times. The TWU will save your jobs alright, but you'll have to live on welfare and food stamps. NWA F/A's should have walked off the job with the mechanics. If they had done that,maybe it would have forced a major management shake up at NWA,where Doug Stealin would have been fired along with his cronies.
 
PRINCESS,

I agree with you that Unions "overall" have lost a LOT of their Punch.
BUT,
I disagree with you, that NW F/A's don't have the Balls to strike !!
YES, BY ALL MEANS, PFAA should have "walked" when AMFA went out !!

Keep in mind a couple of things.

NW has a TON of senior "mama's", who will "walk" before they're forced to give up their MSP/HKG, for MSP to MCI domestic 3 times a day, 4 days a week

NO airline, over the years has logged more strikes than NW.

And BY far, this SHI* proposal by "DOUGIE", is so far "off the charts", that it will invite the "unthinkable", " A WALK OUT" !!!!!!!

Look at the AMT's

No balls at US, No BALLS(AMFA) at UA, BUT the AMT's "walked" in a NY-Minute, which I attribute mostly to the fact, that a lot of "Old Dog' Amt's at NW, REMEMBER how to "WALK"

For sure It's going to get Interesting !!

But like it or not, the PFAA is faced with the likes of a threat, NEVER EVER seen by a F/A group.

It's one thing to hire SCABS(PTO ARE YOU LISTENING, you piece of "DUNG") Amt's to keep operating, It's entirely another to try and operate, with out any cabin crews !!


"PFAA,
GRAB A BAT, and get UP TO THE PLATE, The whole F/A WORLD is watching, AND, AT STAKE" !!

Good Luck

NH/BB's
 
Northwest flight attendants don't have a future no matter who's representing them. NWA F/A's don't have the guts to strike, so what makes you think changing unions will some how stop EVIL NWA management from outsourcing most ,if not all, of you. The AFA didn't do anything for United or USAIR F/A's except agree to more concessions multiple times. The TWU will save your jobs alright, but you'll have to live on welfare and food stamps. NWA F/A's should have walked off the job with the mechanics. If they had done that,maybe it would have forced a major management shake up at NWA,where Doug Stealin would have been fired along with his cronies.

To be honest, AMERICAN was the leader in the concession hit. Everyone else just followed YOUR lead. Why didn't YOU walk Princess?
 
Well, Fly, it's like the old saying. You can lead a horse(AA TWU members) to water(AMFA), but you can't make them drink it(Vote NO to concessions and go on strike). I walked with the NWA AMT's and will soon be walking away from AA. I'm sick and tired of working with people who have attitudes like PTO,OPUS!. Get ready for the next wave of concessions airline people. The TWU is "talking with AA" as we speak. As other posters have stated before the situation here at AA is hopeless. I do wish our line maintenance people here at AA would defy the TWU and the RLA and strike this company down. I would love to see the faces and reactions of the AA "yes voters" in Tulsa,AFW,MCI when it happens.
 
Yea Princess me too. I would like to see the faces of the TWU members as I crossed their picket line with an ear-to-ear grin on my face. That might not happen, for Monday I shall present yet another deal to NWA for my permanent employment. We shall see. I want so bad to bring this contract to a close but I am having a difficult time just letting this job go. I wish all the positions were filled so they would just tell me to go home.
 
You can hire the greatest minds in the country and it won't make a difference in BK court!! The courts have already prostituted themselves to big business. You can't win. Don't look to the unions either. They are only interested in dues money. Take matters into your own hands. Does CHAOS mean anything to you. The End
 
Yea Princess me too. I would like to see the faces of the TWU members as I crossed their picket line with an ear-to-ear grin on my face. That might not happen, for Monday I shall present yet another deal to NWA for my permanent employment. We shall see. I want so bad to bring this contract to a close but I am having a difficult time just letting this job go. I wish all the positions were filled so they would just tell me to go home.
A scab "negotiating" with NWA...oh I wish I was a fly for one day!!! "Would you prefer Vasiline or KY Mr. Cods"? :up: :up: :up:
 
Hackman, once again you display your limited social skills. Although you are sometimes somewhat comical you really need to get a grip on reality. If you think your precious unions are going to negotiate with your best interest in mind you are a fool. They are going to do what is best for them. Unions calculate their success by how many suckers they can get to send them a check on a monthly basis and for how long. I’ll be willing to bet there isn’t even an option for you guys to pay by check but that it is mandatory that you pay by payroll deduction. You guys are the KING’s of FOOLS.
 
nh/bb, you cheered the AMFA AMT's into oblivion and now you are going to do the same for the F/A's. I would really like to see how much cheering you would do if it was your job a stake.


Go home SCAB! You're the biggest SCAB and the puss is coming out at a rapid pace.
 
Hackman, once again you display your limited social skills. Although you are sometimes somewhat comical you really need to get a grip on reality. If you think your precious unions are going to negotiate with your best interest in mind you are a fool. They are going to do what is best for them. Unions calculate their success by how many suckers they can get to send them a check on a monthly basis and for how long. I’ll be willing to bet there isn’t even an option for you guys to pay by check but that it is mandatory that you pay by payroll deduction. You guys are the KING’s of FOOLS.
.....and you display your limited grey matter on unions again Mr Cods. Although, I will agree to a point about some unions officers (twu, iam) put themselves before the membership, they are still far and above what you will ever achieve as a scab against the likes of the NWA management monster. You think NWA gives a s##t about you and your well being? I guess you will learn the hard way.

If you knew anything about labor law, you wound know about your rights as a dues paying union member under the RLA. You might want to read it before you open your foolish uneducated scab mouth, and taste shoe leather again. :blink: