Teamster's Card Drive Successful?

[Bob Owens]

Im wondering if we vote out the TWU before AA exits bankruptcy will they keep our portion of the equity stake any thoughts on this

Since the $2.2 billion that was paid for the paltry 4.8% equity stake came from us I doubt that legally they could do that.

 

[Bob Owens]

IMO I think that the TWU wants M&R to go to the IBT.

Why?

Because it will allow the International to ride their gravy train that much longer.

The TWU is headed towards BK.

In 2001 they had around the same number of members as they have now, but they had $60 million in the bank.

Now they have $25 million.

Despite the plunge International employees continue to get annual increases that far outpace inflation, unlike their members. When the money got tight they laid people off, they did not cut wages and benefits to save jobs.

They get less than $2 million a year in dues from M&R.If M&R leaves they get at least $10 million by taking over the monies in all the M&R Locals.

So if we leave not only do they get rid of a headache, Line Maintenance, but they get to walk away with a sum of money equal to more than 5 years worth of dues without the expense.

When the money runs out the TWU will merge, either with the CWA, with whom they are already sharing space, or the IBT which is in joint efforts with both the CWA and the TWU. Its possible that all three unions would merge into one.

As the 777 heavy checks wind down, the 767s get outsourced and AA starts stepping up retirements of the MD-80s the TWU will lose Tulsa. As Tulsa sees their numbers decline they will realize that they were duped. Without Tulsa the TWU has no chance of fending off a raid from any union, would likely even lose a decertification drive to go non-union. Why would anyone want to pay dues to have the worst deal in the industry, a deal worse than Delta, Jet Blue or Virgin? Do we like Bobby Gless and Don Videtich that much that we would want to keep financing their six figure salaries and fund their six figure pensions as we suffer under the worst contract ever in the airline industry? I dont think so.

 

[TWU informer]

My bet is the since the Teamsters are no longer under Government over sight in exchange for Obama campaing money that Organizied Crime is now back running the IBT and they are currently in the process of forging signatures on enough cards to call for an election. They will not win, but they will create a one year bar to save the TWU more time.

 

[comatose]

My bet is the since the Teamsters are no longer under Government over sight in exchange for Obama campaing money that Organizied Crime is now back running the IBT and they are currently in the process of forging signatures on enough cards to call for an election. They will not win, but they will create a one year bar to save the TWU more time.

And the TWU would never give the IBT a list of their membership including their signature.

 

[Bob Owens]

My bet is the since the Teamsters are no longer under Government over sight in exchange for Obama campaing money that Organizied Crime is now back running the IBT and they are currently in the process of forging signatures on enough cards to call for an election. They will not win, but they will create a one year bar to save the TWU more time.

Not so sure about that. While I hear that most guys will not fill out an IBT card here in the Northeast if there is a vote they would vote for anything that would stop them from paying dues to Bobby Gless, Don Videtich et al.

Title II up here is split between IBT and AMFA, more towards IBT, but if there is a vote the same applies, TWU would not get any votes out of Title II IMO based on the guys who have come and spoken to me.

Maybe they (TWU and IBT) hope that by saying they are close that they get AMFA to file too early and not have enough signatures?

I do believe though that the IBT will file if they get enough cards because I really do believe that theTWU wants us to leave. To paraphrase Jim Ream "I'm done with you". Like I said they get to walk away with $10 million free and clear vs keeping us and getting less than $2 million a year.

Let me ask you, when the company announces that they are sending out the 767s to Asia to fill in the spots once all the 777s are done with their heavy checks what will the response in Tulsa be?

I think we both agree that 35% of Maintenance spend can easily result in more than 50% of jobs being outsourced.

 

[Bob Owens]

Since the $2.2 billion that was paid for the paltry 4.8% equity stake came from us I doubt that legally they could do that.

Will AA be worth $45 billion when they exit BK? If not then we really got the shaft with our measly 4.8% equity stake.

If AA comes out of BK worth $10 billion we basically are paying four times the value of the shares we recieve. In other words we will be paying $40 for a share that sells for $10/share.

In the meantime Sharon Levine and her team negotiatied for the TWU to get 100% of what they spent during the BK process, anywhere from $2 million to $5 million.

No doubt the Judge will continue to allow AMR to keep everything secret so we wont find out how much we were shafted in this process and how disproportionate the screwing really was. I'm sure Judge lane and his corporate buddies will laugh it up on the links.

 

[Kev3188]

I have never liked the TWU,since hiring on.They were weak in 1991 and good riddance,I will admit my attitude is pretty piss poor,but it's the culture AA has en grained in our heads along with the TWU.

To be fair, AA pays you in exchange for your services. YOU pay the TWU in exchange for theirs. From what I see on the sidelines, neither are meeting your guys' expectations.

When the money runs out the TWU will merge, either with the CWA, with whom they are already sharing space, or the IBT which is in joint efforts with both the CWA and the TWU. Its possible that all three unions would merge into one.

This is certainly plausible, as the TWU and AFA-CWA are already working together to support an organizing drive for F/A's at DL.

 

[Bob Owens]

This is certainly plausible, as the TWU and AFA-CWA are already working together to support an organizing drive for F/A's at DL.

The TWU currently rents space from the CWA for their headquarters, and the CWA and IBT jointly represent the agents at USAIR. A "Ménage à trois" of sorts. So in effect a vote for the IBT is pretty much like saying "heads or tails" except that if we get the IBT we will be paying even more in dues for the worst deal in the industry.

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

Now that the TWU is looking for help to battle the IBT/AMFA card drives. It should make it alot easier for the TWU to find the IBT supporters since in a flyer here under the AMFA stations thread posted by Overspeed you can see who signed IBT cards at LAX.

The IBT is now posting the names of IBT card signers.

Lets hope that when you sign a card for the IBT your name ends up on A IBT Flyer so that Bobby Gless and the TWU Intl will find YOU..

 

[swamt]

Now that the TWU is looking for help to battle the IBT/AMFA card drives. It should make it alot easier for the TWU to find the IBT supporters since in a flyer here under the AMFA stations thread posted by Overspeed you can see who signed IBT cards at LAX.

The IBT is now posting the names of IBT card signers.

Lets hope that when you sign a card for the IBT your name ends up on A IBT Flyer so that Bobby Gless and the TWU Intl will find YOU..

Then what will happen when the TWU finds out who they are??

 

[1AA]

Then what will happen when the TWU finds out who they are??

Regardless what happens when they find out. It is a violation of Federal Law to disclose the names.

 

[swamt]

Regardless what happens when they find out. It is a violation of Federal Law to disclose the names.

Regardless what happens when they find out. It is a violation of Federal Law to disclose the names.

If it was my information that got posted, I assure you, someone would be charged for doing so.

 

[Bob Owens]

From the IBT website;

http://www.teamster.org/content/frequently-asked-questions-faq#faq05
</h5>

<h5> How much will I pay in dues?

Teamsters Union dues are 2.5 times the hourly wage rate per month. For example, if you make $12 an hour, your dues would be $30 per month. However, if you make less than $11 an hour, then your dues rate is 2 times your hourly rate. And if you are a public sector employee, your dues rate is 2.25 times your hourly rate.
Also, some locals may charge initiation fees and these vary by location. Talk to a local union representative for details.

So at the very least your dues will be 2.5 times your hourly rate, we pay 2 times our hourly rate now. So your dues would go up by $15/month and we would still be stuck with this contract.

The IBT can demand that the company open up the contract, and the company can say "NO see you at Section 6 per the CBA". The company may open up the contract if they could not get people to take the job or if the people they had refused to do their job but not because the IBT demanded it.Keep in mind that our contract allows the company to hire people at top rates wherever they want to. .

Why would we want to fork over another $180/year to the IBT if we have to live under this deal anyway? Most other Unions only charge 2x your hourly rate, thats what we are paying now. So we would be paying even more in dues for the most inferior contract in the industry for six years before we would get the chance to see what they could do.

 

[Bob Owens]

Regardless what happens when they find out. It is a violation of Federal Law to disclose the names.

I saw the list, its not 90% of LAX, its people who are organizers, or must have agreed to be listed as organizers.

 

[brownmech]

i didn't see Mighty Mouse in the parking lot @ LAX. Maybe because he was to busy eating cheese.