Scabs

[Bagbelt]

They could pull the plane off the gate with a rope to save fuel too, come on. I know, everything takes 10 mins. There is a lot of down time, but there is a lot of nasty physical labor and the cushy jobs are allready outsourced. It's gone from being a desirable career to a job few seem to want. Great, you got flight benefits, where are going when you can't even pay your bills?

 

[Opus]

Pay is dictated by supply and demand then comes education level required for the occupation then comes experience. There are a lot of mechanics out there that would do very well at this job but couldn't even get in the door because they didn't have an A&P certificate. Unions by-pass these fundamental rules of economics and inflate or invent positions to the point companies have no choice but to retaliate.

The rampers here are a unionized position that in my opinion could be totally eliminated. The Mechanics could easily pick up their duties with no problems at all. Then the company could increase the mechanics pay or bring on additional mechanics. All to often we are sitting by the gate waiting for the rampers to marshal in an aircraft. It would be nothing for us to pick up a baton and marshal in the aircraft, then while the passengers are unloading there would be plenty of time to hook up the external power and air. As far as supplying amenities for the passengers the gate operators are perfectly capable of handling that task. The guys that are supposed to handle the maintenance on our ground equipment could just as easily be replaced by the mechanics here. As far as I can tell they do absolutely nothing. We have red-tagged equipment that has been sitting around since I have been here. All we need is the manuals and parts lists for our equipment and a contact number to order parts and we would never have down equipment for extended periods of time. Once again you could then increase your AMT work force that has a much broader scope of duties that they can perform.

I see a tremendous amount of waste here that if eliminated could save the company millions possibly hundreds of millions a year.

You want another example of union initiated waste, here is a real kicker. Overtime clerks!!! I mean come on, some clerk makes phone calls and decides who works ot, what a sick sad waste of time and money.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Not in this case Bagbelt. It doesn't take ten minutes to walk out of the break room and marshal in an aircraft, especially when the pilot is flashing his landing lights right in to the window of the break room. Then the rampers finally casually waltz out like your going to wait as long as I want you to.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

I found this flyer in the break room and was told it was passed out by AMFA at Halloween, I thought it was pretty funny and thought you guys might like it also. Sorry that I do not have a scanner.

WELCOME TO THE HAUNTED TERMINAL FOR NORTHWEST “SCARELINESâ€
EST. AUGUST 20TH, 2005

BEWARE ALL WHO ENTER HERE SCARY SCAB MECHANICS ON DUTY TURN OVER FOR THE REST OF THE STORY…IF YOU DARE AND REMEMBER THEY DON’T CALL IT A “TERMINAL†FOR NOTHING….

THE LEGEND OF NORTH WEST “SCARLINESâ€

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT ON THE EVE OF AUGUST 20TH, 2005. LIGHTNING FLASHED AND THUNDER BOOMED. MEANWHILE, IN THE BASEMENT LABORATORY WIHTIN HIS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MANSION, THE OGRE CEO OF NORTHWEST “SCARELINESâ€, DOUG “GREED†STEENLAND AND HIS DISFIGURED, YET FAITHFUL ASSISTANT, ANDY “IGOR†ROBERTS (VICE PRESIDENT OF MAINTENANCE) WERE DEVISING A DIABOLICAL PLOT TO BUST THE MECHANICS’ UNION-AMFA.

“I WANT TO CRUSH THEM,†CRIED STEENLAND IN HIS WHINY, EVIL VOICE. “WE’LL LAY OFF HALF OF THEM AND CUT A QUARTER OF THE WAGES FROM THE REST. WE’LL SEND EVEN MORE PLANES TO PLACES LIKE CHINA AND SINGAPORE TO BE FIXED BY THE SLAVE WORKERS THERE. ONCE WE’VE DESTROYED AMFA, IT WILL BE THAT MUCH EASIER TO BREAK THE WILL OF THE OTHER UNIONS ON THE PROPERTY.â€

“MASTER, MASTER,†IGOR CHIMED IN, “LET’S FILE BANKRUPTCY PREMATURELY TO GET EVEN MORE CONCESSIONS FROM THEM ALL.â€

“EXCELLENT IDEA!!!†STEENLAND RESPONDED, “I KNEW I KEPT YOU AROUND FOR A REASON. IT CERTAINLY WASN’T FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENACE OR YOUR LOOKS.â€

“I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA, MASTER,†CROAKED IGOR. “LETS STOP CLEANING THE BLANKETS AND PILLOWS ON THE PLANES TO SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY FOR YOUR RETIREMENT HOME IN THE BAHAMAS.â€

“ANOTHER GREAT THOUGHT!!!! I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU MANAGE IT WITH YOUR PEA-SIZED BRAIN!†STEENLAND SAID.

SO WHEN THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT, THEY PUT THEIR PLAN INTO ACTION, AND WITH THE HELP OF SOME SCARY SCAB MECHANICS, THEY FOOLED THE FLYING PUBLIC INTO THINKING THAT ALL WAS RIGHT WITH NORTHWEST “SCARELINES.â€

BUT BEWARE ALL THAT ENTER HERE!!!! THIS TERMINAL IS HAUNTED BY GREEDY OGRE CEO’S AND SCARY SCAB MECHANICS THAT ONLY WANT TO TAKE YOUR MONEY AND CARE NOTHING FOR YOUR SAFETY. AND IF YOU LISTEN CLOSELY AS YOU WALK DOWN THE JETWAY TO YOUR PLAN, YOU CAN HEAR THE EVIL LAUGH OF THOSE GREEDY OGRE CEO’S AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE BANK…â€MUU-WAAH-AAH-AAH-AAH!!â€

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

This was printed on orange paper with some little Halloween icons on it. There is no identifying author or copyright logo. I was told it was given out in front of the terminal at DTW by striking AMFA mechanics dressed in Grime Reaper costumes.

 

[local 12 proud]

1001 post since sept.01,2005 pto, you must be one bored dude! run out of super hero comic books to read?

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Actually I am a Dean Koontz and Steven King fan with some sci-fi thrown in there. I also enjoyed reading the Earth children series by Jean Auel. Never have been a big comic book fan but I did like the Calvin and Hobbs comic strip. I also like reading your post local you’re a decent comic yourself. Big E isn't far behind you and Dead Bird is running dead last.

 

[Opus]

Actually I am a Dean Koontz and Steven King fan with some sci-fi thrown in there. I also enjoyed reading the Earth children series by Jean Auel. Never have been a big comic book fan but I did like the Calvin and Hobbs comic strip. I also like reading your post local you’re a decent comic yourself. Big E isn't far behind you and Dead Bird is running dead last.

Ever read any Terry Pratchett??? I have heard good things about the Earth Children series may have to have a look at it as I have run out of books.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Never read Pratchett before, you should enjoy the Earth Children series.

What do you think about all the AMFA boys coming back? The integration is going relatively smooth but I am getting a lot of "that’s not the way we did it." You really have to keep an eye on a few of these guys, You can give them a job to do and they are either going to milk it for a ridiculously long time or do it quickly and not tell you they are done and the next thing you know they are sitting in the break room reading magazines. I throw all the magazines I can away but there is an endless supply of them being left on the aircraft. Most of the guys are pretty good and happy with the situation but some are having a difficult time with it. They have that heavy union mentality engrained into their brains. Some are really having a hard time with this mentally. It is like they have sold their souls to the devil or something and are really troubled deep down inside. I hope they come around otherwise they are not going to make it. I’m disappointed with their skill level though, don't get me wrong some are very good but most are just average mechanics. I'm not so sure what I was expecting but it was much more than what I have seen here. All in all I think the integration is going well and there is a tentative camaraderie starting to develop between the scabs and AMFA boys. It is going to be very interesting to see how this place performs during the Thanksgiving Holidays.

 

[Opus]

Never read Pratchett before, you should enjoy the Earth Children series.

What do you think about all the AMFA boys coming back? The integration is going relatively smooth but I am getting a lot of "that’s not the way we did it." You really have to keep an eye on a few of these guys, You can give them a job to do and they are either going to milk it for a ridiculously long time or do it quickly and not tell you they are done and the next thing you know they are sitting in the break room reading magazines. I throw all the magazines I can away but there is an endless supply of them being left on the aircraft. Most of the guys are pretty good and happy with the situation but some are having a difficult time with it. They have that heavy union mentality ingrained into their brains. Some are really having a hard time with this mentally. It is like they have sold their souls to the devil or something and are really troubled deep down inside. I hope they come around otherwise they are not going to make it. I’m disappointed with their skill level though, don't get me wrong some are very good but most are just average mechanics. I'm not so sure what I was expecting but it was much more than what I have seen here. All in all I think the integration is going well and there is a tentative camaraderie starting to develop between the scabs and AMFA boys. It is going to be very interesting to see how this place performs during the Thanksgiving Holidays.

Some of the amfa guys coming back are great; however this last group is causing some issues, many of which you just covered. They are having real problems with the "this is the way we did it" and being told that " that isnt how its done now" and they dont seem to be very willing to work and there seems to be an abundance of attitude. Like they came in here thinking they were going to be the bosses and they dont seem to like the fact that they are not. They blatantly dont care about the job they are doing, but as I said afew of them are really good, but sadly the bad ones out number the good ones. Our managers are quietly asking us to let them know any issues with the crossers. I dont want to see these guys escorted out, but they are going to have to actually work, I am trying to give them some time to adapt, but there are limits on everything. There are some cases of possible "new sabotage" that are being investigated things that happened yesterday. I guess what I am saying is I am for giving them a break, but they are gonna have to get out of the break rooms and freaking work.

 

[AP Tech]

I’m disappointed with their skill level though, don't get me wrong some are very good but most are just average mechanics.

And this statement comes from a person who states a brake is a brake, a pneumatic system is a pneumatic system, ect,ect. The same person who can service a IDG by "winging it". Just pump till there is a puddle!!What is the AMM. They only way a person of your caliber could get on with a major airlines is by scabbing!! And they are just "average"....This comes from a person whose claim to fame is posting over 1000+ replys on an airline forum in a little over two months. Enjoy now as when you return to 3rd party nobody cares what you think!!!

 

[Crapdog]

Name: NWA MECH ON STRIKE
Email:
Employer:
Station:
Date: Wednesday November 02, 2005
Time: 01:39:49 AM
Comments
Has anyone heard from AMFA? When are they going to tell us what their plan is to get us back to work? I thought they were going to explain why we weren't allowed to vote on the last three company offers. We've been ON STRIKE for 9 weeks and haven't had one single meeting yet. What kind of solidarity can we expect to have when AMFA never tells us what they're doing? Where is Jim Young? He took us out on this strike, how come I never see him? I know he's not negotiating so what's he doing?

Is this how unions treat their members? Do all of you AMFA supporters still think AMFA is still so great? This mechanic knows he has been screwed by AMFA but is so brainwashed he refuses to cross the picket line. The poor soul actually thinks AMFA can actually do something about getting his job back. He reminds me of a fawn hovering over its dead mother waiting for her to get up and guide it through the dark woods. Is it true that AMFA has lost almost 10,000 jobs since it began representing the AMT's, custodians and cleaners at NWA? I guess you guys with names like AMFAMAN and proAMFA think this record is really something to be proud of. I really do wish I could sucker 10,000 suckers to send me forty dollars a month for just one month, are people actually so gullible to do it for years and some for their entire careers?

HAVE YOU BEEN TO YOUR MAIL BOX LATELY??????????
YOUR UNION GOT YOU FIRED!!!!
YA GOTA BE NICE TO THOSE SCABS SO THEY CAN VOTE ANOTHER UNION BACK IN.
IF I WERE YOU I WOULD CROSS THE PICKET LINE AND WORK AS AN INSIDER TO GET THE SCABS TO VOTE A NEW UNION IN. THAT WOULD TEACH THOSE WRINKLE NECKS A FEW THINGS ABOUT ORGANIZED LABOR.
IN THE OLD DAYS UNIONS USE TO SEND A LOTA BUSINESS TO THE LOCAL PHYSICIANS TO MAKING LEG AND ARM CAST'S.
WHERE IS JIMMY HOFFA WHEN YA REALLY NEED HIM......................

 

[PlayTheOdds]

AP Tech, yes all of that and more. What I was saying is that I was expecting a bunch of preMadonna's to come in here and show us how it is done. I'm just saying that I feel kind of let down. You guys had it made out that "the real mechanics" and the "unionized mechanics" or the "AMFA mechanics" were just so great and superior to us. I was expecting to see some kind of supernatural mechanical abilities from them. I'm either at the same or a bit above the skill level of these guys after only being here not even two months. These guys are supposed to be the mechanics that made it to "the majors". Maybe I just feel let down because I had them really pumped-up in my mind and they are not performing to my expectations. As you pointed out, I said anyone with a little common sense can do this job and once again I have been proven right.


Crapdog, We scabs don't call them scabs, we call them the "AMFA boys". I find it curious that you also don't view them as scabs. Why is that? After all they are THE SCABS, they did cross their own picket line. If you union guys aren't careful you will have so many union scabs in your ranks you won't be able to say the word much less call someone a scab. You will have to call it the S-word in public.

 

[Bob Owens]

What I was saying is that I was expecting a bunch of preMadonna's to come in here and show us how it is done.

What is a "preMadonna"?

By the way, more than likely the ones that you are seeing are probably the least talented ones who were marginal mechanics.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Come on Bob, they were union, they were the best of the best, the elite, the special forces of the aviation industry. There are no marginal unionized mechanics. You guys had the AMFA Boys pumped up to be some kind of aviation mechanical gods that would have fit right in any Hercules/Xena episode. Are we now back peddling on the mechanical abilities of the Unionized AMFA Boys? The Almighty AMT's that made it to the "Majors"?

Bob, pleas do not put yourself on the same level as Big E, proAMFA, DEADBIRD and NH/BB. I have read many of your posts and I consider you to be much more educated and civil than that. If I'm wrong let me know.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Hey Kev, If you would pass this along to some of your buddies at DTW. I haven't had to marshal any aircraft in for the past few days. The rampers are out there waiting on the aircraft to roll in. The Pilot doesn't even have to stop anymore. He just makes his turn an pulls right up to the gate. It's looking very professional out there lately. I wonder if they got a good ribbing from management or did they realize that we would take over that job if they didn't get on the ball.

You also might want to add that them leaving their equipment running all night is getting noticed. It really doesn't run all night because I turn it off for them. I wouldn't want them to get into trouble because I was to lazy to walk over and flip a switch. Well just tell them to keep up the good work we are watching.