Time For A New Union For The Rampers

[robbedagain]

just got the paper this morning that the IAM union dues are going to be the following: Ifyou're making over 12.00 an hr, the new dues starting in Jan 2004
will be $43.86 and for those that are making less than $12.00 an hr will be $29.95
Now why in the heck should we be paying these lazy bones who sold us down the river this kind of money and leaves us, especially me and my fellow rampers in an express station go home with nothing in our freaking checks? It is definetly time to get a real union who wont keep raising the freaking dues!

 

[Old PSA]

Well at least you have a semblance union.

The folks inside have something but it certainly isn't a union. The layoff language is the same in both contract. The IAM interprets the its to try and give seniority some options. The CWA interpretation is so convoluted, it protects the junior people.

Looks like both groups though could use a new union. In 2 years mainline employees will only be in 15 or so stations. The rest will be mainline/express. Seniority dates could be up into the 70s or more probably the senior folks will just go to the street. Hm... That sounds like Dave's plan. Perhaps the IAM and CWA are really fronting for Dave. Anyway you look at it, station personnel are going to be shafted "big time" in the next couple of years. The other work groups have given theirs but the station folks keep giving and giving for years to come.

 

[E-TRONS]

Sounds like your Bylaws need some work such as Dues will be 2x the hourly rate regardless of the payrate :huh: .
The union is attempting to reduce the possibility of unrest within the membership by splitting the dues rate.

You can also bet your lifesavers that the union will preserve it's OWN INTERESTS when facing concessionary talks(see above statement). To believe anything else is naivety in it's truest form :unsure: .

A union is a necessary evil........one that has become plainly more evil as of late :down: .

 

[delldude]

just got the paper this morning that the IAM union dues are going to be the following: Ifyou're making over 12.00 an hr, the new dues starting in Jan 2004
will be $43.86 and for those that are making less than $12.00 an hr will be $29.95
Now why in the heck should we be paying these lazy bones who sold us down the river this kind of money and leaves us, especially me and my fellow rampers in an express station go home with nothing in our freaking checks? It is definetly time to get a real union who wont keep raising the freaking dues!

if you are upset,you should look into the prospect of becoming an"agency fee payor" per the IAM constitution. B)

 

[robbedagain]

oh I am not upset as much but I dont believe we should be giving up MORE when Our UNION has already sold us down the river without the life preservers. I do however think we should have some kind of union that will protect us but it will most likely never happen. Someone suggested this morning to me that may be why not have one union represent the rampers and the inside. I do not know how that would work.

 

[delldude]

i don't see how any other unions could or would have faired any better or worse.this climate since 9-11 has management on the offensive and labor fighting while trying to regroup on all fronts.
corporate america has "seized the moment"...if you will.i think they had this all schemed out in the backrooms and were ready to act as soon as some type of economic situation arose...enter 9-11...
the industry and not just ours,were already teetering..this was the icing on the cake so to speak...don't misunderstand me that they were wishing for 9-11,they were looking for some major economic downturn....just got a little more than they bargained for.

 

[wings396]

I agree that this is indeed the Great IAM Rip-off. They negotiate? A crap wage of $13.01 an hour for us, and then charge us for their disservice. Funny how they just got us over the $12 an hour rate to qualify us for the higher dues rate. That $43 would help put food on the table instead of going to these Boneheads slush fund. Mark my word that as more stations get “Expressedâ€￾, the Outrage with the IAM will grow immense. I use their monthly newsletter as toilet paper. I would vote in the Grocers union over these bubbling Idiots any day. I can’t wait for the IAM rep to visit my station, as he will leave town in a hurry with several boot marks on the seat of his pants!!! This will be after we show him the Non-Union CO rampers earning $16+ an hour WITHOUT PAYING DUES:down:

 

[usfliboi]

.....and what union would that be????????? Name one union in this industry that hasnt had to give give give????? Im a member of the union as well but what do you guys expect from a union????????/ What about the word bk do you not understand??? Get real man do your job well which im sure u do and you wont have to worry about needing a union .... They are only good for certain things...

 

[wings396]

When this wonderful union of ours has the gonads to raise our dues after we took a $7 an hour paycut, it is time for them to pack. CO Express is Non-Union and they make more than us after 2 trips to BK Court....BK is one thing, but when your top scale employees with over 20 years need food stamps to survive, something is wrong. I would be better off with my Express pay and No union. I am paying these idiots $43 that I could use to feed the family, and for what??? Security. This is worse than paying $1000 a year for car Insurance when you own a 1975 Buick worth $500. I would wager to say that we are the lowest paid IAM represented workgroup that exists. When I say this, I mean at top scale not starting rate.
Let us not forget the payback that the IAM took from the company for their efforts during the negotiations. Did any other union on the property get repaid for their time????I don't think so. When my pay is going down, the dues should not be rising.

 

[N628AU]

This story is all too true. Ask the members of the planner group who were shang-haied into the IAM without a vote, did not get to vote on the contract (which left many with less money going home after union dues), and then left those of us who got furloughed out in the cold without any sort of recall rights, getting to interview to come back to jobs they once held.

 

[Kev3188]

Robbed Again & others--

Check out www.the-agw.org

They're already organizing at US. Not a panacea to be sure, but maybe better than what you've got? By the way, are you guys actually paid less than Swissport?! Say it ain't so!

 

[ClueByFour]

Asking somebody who takes home $2000/month to eat a $43 charge is entirely different than asking somebody taking home $100,000 to eat a $20,000 grand charge.

Further, it's entirely reasonable to compare the two groups to their peers. I'll bet US (and certainly MDA) mechs are no better than median in terms of salary and bennies among other groups at other airlines.

Dave is paid far more than the executives of airlines than lose less, and waaaaaaaay more than the executives of airlines that actually make money.

 

[Old PSA]

I think some of the folks on the boards don't yet understand the situation that the station personnel are facing. US has laid off just about all the pilots, flt.attnds. and mechanics it is going too now. The company needs the current staffs to handle the mandated 279 aircraft. Reduction below the 279 is a whole different subject. Pilots, F/A and Mechs. will begin being "called or recalled" to work for MDA. Station personnel on the other hand will continue to be laid off station by station. There will be no recall of agents in the foreseeable future. In two years mainline agents will only be in appoximately 15-20 cities. The rest will be mainline/express topping out at $13.

The unions representing the agents were more concerned with there own survival than they were the best interest of their members. Under these contracts the unions will continue to receive dues from appoximately the same number of members(most lower paid members).

So the question I pose is: In whose best interest are the ramp and psgr. svc. contracts? The members of the unions or the unions themselves?

If it's not the members then perhaps a different union would be more oriented towards representing the best interest its members.

 

[BIGDOG]

When will the AGW start coming around with cards to sign ?

It's time for a NEW UNION.....AND NOW....

WE GOT SHAFTED BY THE COMPANY AND NOW BY THE IAM....

....ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MORE MONEY IN MY PAY AND LESS
UNION DUES TAKEN OUT AND NOT MAKING 13 PER HOUR....

..JUST WORD OF ADVISE IN TIME EXPRESS STATIONS WILL HAVE THE MAJORITY VOTE AND MAYBE THINGS WILL BE BETTER.

...MAYBE THE IAM BIGSHOTS SHOULD TAKE A PAYCUT...
LET'S SEE THEM LIVE ON 13 PER HOUR....

 

[delldude]

.
Let us not forget the payback that the IAM took from the company for their efforts during the negotiations. Did any other union on the property get repaid for their time????I don't think so. When my pay is going down, the dues should not be rising.

you are very mistaken....all unions negotiated a clause in which the company absorbed the legal costs of negotiating[if ratified]....if not and we or you were,say... amfa.....you would have gotten a huge dues assessment ,take it to the bank.
if you are upset with your representation...i suggest you solicit other labor unions for a representation drive,however please be advised:if you cannot muster a vote of 50 %+1 of the employees ...you may have quite a dilema.ask anyone from ramp....
also if you acheive the representation vote...there is virtually no guarantee you will have dues at a less rate.take it to the bank.....