Steve Connell said:
OK Stop, point well made. I actually believe AMFA did all that was possible, why wouldn't they? But in the same breathe man, so has the TWU, but no one has asked your question, well put. Our industry/Company is looking to show a profit to it's shareholders, agree? These times are not for the working class of America. America , through it's divine intuition, has left us to compete towards $28/hr. *total issue* to our $98/hr..
Different issue , different debate...I personally believe AMFA did all it could, but that does not sway my opinion of AMFA.
What is the answer, I do not know. To many independant agendas I would surmise.
Thanks for stepping up to the plate Steve. Do you really think the twu did everything it could for the mechanics during the last go-round?? Do you think if we had a different structure in place the company may have had to come to us earlier and actually negotiate their relief?? The way I see it the company took 100% advantage of our twu because they knew they could get away with it. The structure of the twu favors the company, not the members.
Reasons I'm willing to give the AMFA a shot:
1) We will take our contract with us. Nothing changes except any letter of agreement that comes up will be voted on by the membership. Where our contract says twu, it will be changed to say AMFA.
2) We won't have any bargaining leverage until Jan 2009. Unless our line guys work some "magic" we're stuck with what we have until then.
3) If we do get the AMFA on the property at AA, that will undoubtedly push the rest of the industry over to AMFA. When all the airlines are under the AMFA umbrella, you have got to agree it has the poteintal of being a "political" powerhouse. We have got to get our own porch squared away before it is to late. When we have accomplished that then there will be time to help the gays and strawberry workers fight for what they need.
4) I don't have any loyaty to the twu. Over the last 20 years I have seen the twu do nothing but create diversity through their contracts. They have led the industry in firsts, but they are not the firsts that are benificial to the members. I hold the union accountable just as I do my Lawyer, Banker, Accountant, Plumber, Babysitter, and so on. I look at this as nothing more than a buisness decision.
5) If we don't like the AMFA, we are not bound to the afl-cio's "no-raid" clause. We can get anyone else we want. This would be a first in the industry to get rid of AMFA and get someone else. As bad as some of the AMFA represented airlines have it, they still want to keep the AMFA's structure in place.
6) I know there is that comfy relationship between the twu and AA. They proved that by the lists submitted to the NMB. There is no way that the "relationship" is productive for our members or for our fight to regain any position our profession once had.
If you support the twu and have the "passion" it will take to keep our profession alive, I will always consider you an equal. If your motives are "self-serving" in nature, like many twu supporters are, I wouldn't pi$$ on you if you were on fire.
Look forward to our continuing debate Steve.................
Keep the Faith........VOTE AMFA!!!!!!!!!!!
