The ATSB Trap

Bob Owens

Veteran
Sep 9, 2002
14,274
6,112
What is the ATSB?
The Air Transportation Stabilization Board is presented to airline workers as a means for the airlines they work for to gain economic support to enable them to recover from the double whammy that the airlines were hit with, weak demand compounded by the effects of Sept 11. However the real intent of the board can be seen by looking at who really has control over the board. Two members are Cabinent members of the most hostile anti-labor administration we have ever seen. The Presidents family history includes ancestors who were part of the NAM and close freinds with Frank Lorenzo. The Chair of the board is under the control of the Federal Reserve Board or in other words Alan Greenspan. Now the Federal Reserve is not your typical government agency, this extremely powerful organization is one of the greatest threats our Democracy faces. Past Presidents have realized this, Reagan and Clinton even tested the waters at limiting this un-elected unaccountable bodys influence but backed off. Senate Democrats proposed in 1993 to end the participation in the Federal Reserve Board money supply decisions by the Federal Reserve Bank presidents, who were “accountable not to the people or their elected representatives, but to their boards of directors, which are dominated by commercial banksâ€￾. Kevin Phillips in his book Wealth and Democracy says of Greenspan, its Chairman-who also has control of the Chair of the ATSB;His choice to protect accumulated wealth through slow growth, which requires minimizing wage increases, has been a formula for favoring holders of financial assets and accepting a concomitant steady increase in economic inequality and polarization.In laymens terms 'Screw the workers, reward the investors'.
That is what this is all about. Bringing down wages to reward and insure that investors see an ROI. All risk is transferred to the worker and all the benifit goes to the investor. All the rush, all the huff, all the threats are meant to get you to walk into this like sheep into the slaughterhouse. Your not supposed to think and ask questions, you are to just do as your told-for your own good. Hurry, hurry, hurry there is no time!Why are the ATSB's terms so punitive to the workers? Why are such long term concessions required? Why? Because the intent of this board goes one big step beyond Kevin Phillips observation. Greenspan wants to ;enhance accumulated wealth through wage regression, a fomula for favoring sharehoders at the expense of working families. So far, only the mechanics have paused from walking into this trap. They courageously have said No despite being pressured by their coworkers, the company, their union and the press. While few if any may have said anything about the ATSB as their reason for voting no most must have had a sense that something was not right about the whole deal. Their caution is is well founded because as soon as they step in the trap will be sprung, and with it the rest of the airline labor movement.
In a way its like life immitating art. If you have ever seen the movie 'Wall Street' you see where the Pilots and the Flight Attendants eagerly suck up Gordon Geckos slick sales pitch while the mechanics are very wary. Their wariness proved to be well founded.
Good luck to my brothers and sisters at UAL on Thurs. Hopefully you will not let Greenspan, Bush and all their millionare cronies, that feel we all just exist to make them richer, win by walking into their trap.
 
Just who is Bob Owens? I think he is not a mechanic as he claims. I think he is not at home sick with the flu as he said at 12:20:11PM 12/3/2002: Post # 291: (Bob Owens thread - UAL board)

"I've been homebound the last couple of days with the Flu ---"

Sick ? -- Yet he responded to almost every post and added a new topic. Interesting. He claims to be an AA mechanic; but, he has only posted topics to the US Airways and United Airlines boards. I have not found one single post from him on the AA board. Who is Bob Owens? I am beginning to think he is a skunk in the woodpile, or a fox in the henhouse, etc.
 
To all UAL MECHANICS, (not Bob)

Please keep in mind that Mr. Tilton has addressed some of your concerns since the first vote. (ie: quality of work life, and clarification of the vacation changes) Please keep in mind that although it is not a great deal, it is still better than CH11, and it is the last deal before we run out of time and options. For those who think UAL might file or CH11 anyway, keep in mind that if there wasn't a strong possibility of ATSB approval and staying out of CH11, Tilon would have pulled the trigger on December 2nd.

Don't let an AMERICAN AIRLINES employee sway your opinion. I certainly hope you vote yes. But in the end, just vote what's in your heart and in the best interest of your families. Maybe when we get through this, we can finally start to stick it to American, Continental, NWA and all the people lobying so hard for our collective failure. Our best revenge to them and the former management who put us where we are is our success.
 
Bob Owens, writes, among other things: "Now the Federal Reserve is not your typical government agency, this extremely powerful organization is one of the greatest threats our Democracy faces...Greenspan wants to enhance accumulated wealth through wage regression, a fomula for favoring sharehoders at the expense of working families. So far, only the mechanics have paused from walking into this trap. They courageously have said "No" despite being pressured by their coworkers, the company, their union and the press. "

Yes, Bob, you've unearthed the real truth! The ATSB is just part of the fiendish plot by the evil bourgeoisie capitalist holders of wealth to reap their rewards off the sweat of the hard working proletariat masses. You must resist them at all costs! Vive la Revolution!!

Eh, but what do I know? I'm a tax guy, and I hobnob with evil corporate BK attorneys. I must be part of the evil plot, trying to convince the courageous mechanics to give in! I even work for a multinational corporation. Heck, you might have seen me on X-Files as an agent of the evil "capitalist lenders" who are secretly controlling the world, working under the edicts proclaimed by the Gnomes of Zurich who sit in a small room in large leather chairs, trying to track down the Bob Owenses of the world who resist as they move capital through the money Matrix. In real life my name is Agent Smith, and I try to keep the workers Under Control.

Which is all good for a chuckle and a chance to reference one of my favorite recent movies, but as I mentioned in another thread, in BK the mechanics (and other IAM members) will also be secured creditors with regards to the retro pay, and they will learn that life as "accumulators of capital" ain't as great as one might think.. [img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/7.gif']

-synchronicity
 
Just remember, as you read Bob Owens posts, he is an American Airlines employee and stands to benefit both directly and indirectly from the bankruptcy of United Airlines.
 
Assuming that is Bob, it says a whole, whole bunch about his true motives. I wonder why he never mentioned that on this board.
 
[STRONG][FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3]whos bob?[BR][BR][A href="http://www.twu562.org/"]http://www.twu562.org[/A][BR][BR]look who the sec/treas is ...[BR][/FONT][/STRONG]
 
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On 12/4/2002 12:10:41 AM ual06 wrote:

Assuming that is Bob, it says a whole, whole bunch about his true motives. I wonder why he never mentioned that on this board.

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[/blockquote]

Because the TWU is a company union and he has a small amount of shame within him.

It's true! Bob Owens is the Sec/Tres of the TWU Local. I will also confirm with personal knowledge that he is an AA mechanic. My guess is that he is on paid union leave and therefore surfs the internet at work and home, thus the number of postings.

Claims to be pro-mechanic, but swears oath to one of the most docile unions in the industry.

Now be prepared for the regular speech. "He is just giving his members the best representation he can at this time and they elected him to do this job".

I have always taken issue with his pro-mechanic stands while he holds office in the Docile TWU Local which was setup as a farse to weaken AMFA during a strong organizing effort. The TWU has been the leader in the past for mechanic concessions and now he is their camp drawing a paycheck.

Never the less, he is correct in my mind about concessions for the mechanics profession and the reversal of hard work and sacrifice of others. This isn't to say that UAL employees are not facing sacrifice also. Just remember who has stood their ground in the past (NWA/AMFA Mechanics), and watch what happens.

Face it, the IAM will declare a yes vote regardless of the actual count.

Just my opinion... which IAM entitled too?
 
[blockquote]
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On 12/4/2002 12:10:41 AM ual06 wrote:

Assuming that is Bob, it says a whole, whole bunch about his true motives. I wonder why he never mentioned that on this board.

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[/blockquote]

Strange isnt it when people who hide behind an alias accuse others of not offereing for disclosure every detail of who they are? My position is irrelevant to the arguement and would be intact whether or not I was the Treasurer of Local 562. The fact is all this information is easily available and common knowledge. I know who RV4 is, and his motives and perpetual support for even the most extreme Right wing causes are well known among AA mechanics and is the primary reason for the failure of the AMFA drive there. He supports RTW, Sen McCain & Lotts efforts-S-1327. However the moderator will not allow me to post who he is. But most know any way.He is not an A&P mechanic.

Ual106- how come you have never mentioned who you are, what you do or where you work? Perhaps your phone number, address and work schedule?

Say what you want and make your accusations but at all costs remember to avoid the topic. RV4 is a pro RTW Conservative stooge who supported the Presidents PEB against both the NWA and UAL mechanics and ual106 is a scared puppy. They both seek to avoid the truth and divert the conversation. You should have put this on the Bob Owens thread. Your off topic. Try debating what I've posted.
 
[blockquote]
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On 12/3/2002 11:29:27 PM ual06 wrote:

Just who is Bob Owens? I think he is not a mechanic as he claims. I think he is not at home sick with the flu as he said at 12:20:11PM 12/3/2002: Post # 291: (Bob Owens thread - UAL board)

"I've been homebound the last couple of days with the Flu ---"

Sick ? -- Yet he responded to almost every post and added a new topic. Interesting. He claims to be an AA mechanic; but, he has only posted topics to the US Airways and United Airlines boards. I have not found one single post from him on the AA board. Who is Bob Owens? I am beginning to think he is a skunk in the woodpile, or a fox in the henhouse, etc.
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[/blockquote]

Come on you can do better than that cant you? As I said I was homebound because of the Flu, on my days off.

I post on the boards where the concessions are taking place.
Who is ual06? Is he/she management? You can verify who I am. How could we ever verify who ual106 is?
 
Bob,
What's up with the weird flight display [A HREF="http://www.twu562.org/"]info[/A]? Seems like the TWU takes a page from corny, uninformative IAM webmaster notes.
 
Dear Bob,

You recently wrote:

"Ual106- how come you have never mentioned who you are, what you do or where you work? "

If you read the posts, you would not have to ask that question. The answer has been posted.

ual06
 
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 12/4/2002 5:01:01 PM Segue wrote:
[P]Its all a moot point now. [BR][BR][/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][STRONG][/STRONG][/P][STRONG][FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3]let the amt and owens bashiing begin.[BR][BR]owens has no sway with the atsb.as odious as his posts may be,wasnt his fault the govt said no.[/FONT][/STRONG]