Today, a Rival Union petitioned to oust IAM at United

Joesy if they had 70% they would have filed months ago, get real, if you been reading the-mechanic.com you would have seen AMFA begging for cards the past two weeks to get to 50%.

Reuters
Rival union seeks to organize UAL mechanics -IAM
Friday March 7, 5:57 pm ET


CHICAGO, March 7 (Reuters) - The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has filed another petition to represent mechanics at bankrupt United Airlines, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) said on Friday.The IAM currently represents some 12,000 mechanics at the UAL Corp.'s(NYSE:UAL - News) United, which filed the largest bankruptcy in aviation history in December. The IAM also represents a larger group of baggage handlers, ticket agents and ramp workers at United, the No. 2 U.S. airline .

AMFA, a smaller rival of the IAM, represents employees at the No. 4 U.S. carrier, Northwest Airlines Corp. AMFA has courted mechanics at United for years, filing a petition to organize in 2000.

An AMFA spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

The IAM is engaged in restructuring negotiations with the bankrupt airline, which is seeking major concessions from all its labor groups.

Unions are scrambling to seal permanent deals with United before a March 17 deadline when the company has said it will take the next step in voiding its labor agreements if concessions are not finalized by then.

United's unionized workers are currently working under temporary pay cuts.

United spokesman Jeff Green said the airline would respect the voice of its employees with regard to union representation.

"We are confident that this will not interfere with our ability to reach a consensual agreement or reach a timely resolution," he said.

In a note to members on Friday, the IAM said it remained unclear how the AMFA's petition with the National Mediation Board would affect its negotiations with United. But the IAM noted that negotiations with United were halted in 2000 when the AMFA filed its last petition.

"AMFA's intrusion at this critical stage introduces potentially fatal distraction into an already precarious situation," Robert Roach, IAM general vice president, said in a statement.

After a petition is filed, the mediation board conducts an investigation to determine if enough employees are interested in organizing with the AMFA. If a simple majority of IAM employees show interest, an election would be held to determine which union would represent the group, a process which could take months.
 
Roach is full of dookey.The IAM is worthless as tits on a boar hog.
Sometimes you have to flush the toilet. and get the waste down the line
to oblivion.CIAO IAM AND TAKE ALL YOUR STOOGES AND LACKEYS
WITH YOU !!
 
Transportation NewsWire

IAM Transportation Department

General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr.

9000 Machinists Place

Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

www.iamaw.org

March 7, 2003

AMFA Raid Threatens UAL’s Future

"This selfish action by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) places United Airlines and its workers in peril," said Robert Roach, Jr., General Vice President of Transportation for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

The New Hampshire-based raider group filed a petition yesterday with the National Mediation Board (NMB) seeking representation of United Airlines’ Mechanic and Related employees. The IAM is currently engaged in essential restructuring negotiations to save the employees at the bankrupt airline.

"AMFA’s intrusion at this critical stage introduces potentially fatal distraction into an already precarious situation," said Roach. "They have placed the futures of the very employees that they propose to represent in dire jeopardy."

"AMFA has claimed the demise of United Airlines would greatly benefit Northwest Airlines, where the overwhelming majority of their members are employed," said Roach. "Now they are taking steps to make their wish come true."

Steve McFarlane, representing AMFA’s largest local in Minneapolis, MN, said in a January 19, 2003 Minneapolis Star Tribune interview that United’s continued existence is harmful to Northwest Airlines. On the possibility that United may cease operations, the AMFA officer said, "…that's the fix that the industry needs right now, because there are way too many seats flying around."

McFarlane also said if United "went away today," Northwest and other airlines "could actually sell a seat for a profit again." "The Machinists Union will continue to fight to protect our members’ jobs, while AMFA is trying to put United Airlines out of business," said Roach. "They may succeed where terrorists have failed."

The NMB will conduct an investigation and determine if an election is warranted. IAM District 141-M represents United’s Mechanic and Related employees. For more information visit ww.iam141m.org.
 
Lavman, It's amusing that the Toy union with Roach is already using rhetoric.
Maybe if the IAM started representing people instead of themselves then there wouldn't have been a rival raid.

love
 
For once I have to agree with oldie, very bad timing, I think everyone at UAL is gonna lose!
 
Seems like a particularly bad time to appear "un" united to me. The AFMA may have just driven another nail into UAL's coffin. Seems to me it's more about who you elect to represent you than what union collects the money. Infighting among the labor groups themselves just makes the job of fixing the airline that much harder. Just my take, of course.
 
Most of the mechanics I know want them booted
out and now is as good a time as any.How could it
possible make any difference to the bk situation?
Lots of rampers want them out also.There are many
times in the past like our last card drive were
they had the management maintenance controllers
put in with us even though they are management.
Thats just the typical treachery they are capable
of.That sort of thing would never fly at ALPA,and
no union represented employee should ever be done
in by their own organization just to keep a grip
on all that dues money.
 
Well...since so many people don't want the IAM - why should the IAM care anymore? Give the company everything they want and more. What better way for them to teach the "raiders" - as they call them - a lesson than to show no loyalty to a group a people that aren't loyal to them. This would leave AMFA a mess and by all accounts, very little time to fix things. Say IAM gets an agreement with the company, sends it to membership to vote - they reject it (duh) and "forces" the company to 1113 the mechanics. Mechanics then end up striking...and voila...AMFA finds out that they now have no one to represent, since the mechanics just screwed themselves right out of a job.

Good things come to those who wait...don't try to rush them. Get the company out of bankruptcy first...then play the union games.
 
Well we arent going to wait,and by the way UAL is in BK
so UAL from what I've heard is just going thru the motions negotiating they are going to get what they want
anyway.
 
[blockquote]
----------------
On 3/8/2003 7:59:16 AM ualflynhi wrote:

Well we arent going to wait,and by the way UAL is in BK
so UAL from what I've heard is just going thru the motions negotiating they are going to get what they want
anyway.
----------------
[/blockquote]
The ONLY folks that win when the employees fight among themselves IS MANAGEMENT! In this case, switching horses in mid stream (even if it IS yellow water...) just makes it MORE difficult to unite the employees to accomplish the goal. It really proves to me that the AMFA is not at all concerned about the employees of UAL, but that they are opportunistic. They saw a weakness and jumped at it.
 
Who filed for the representational change? Was it the AMFA National or the UAL mechanics who are AMFA organizers on site? If I was the National I wouldn't touch UAL with a ten foot pole, but if the UAL membership filed the cards the national wouldn't have much of a say, as it is a NMB matter. Maybe AMFA can turn them down, like when Kittyhawk pilots voted in ALPA and ALPA refused to represent them.
 
We arent fighting among ourselves by now most
mechanics have gotten a clear picture of the IAM
and what they really are.I predict this will pass
by a landslide
 
The judge will abrogate the contracts because I do not see the mechanic and related at UAL passing any concessionary contracts. So you will be at the mercy of the company either way, all the scamfa filing does is play into UAL's hand to get exactly what they want.

Look at what the scamfa filing did to the negotiations last time. Prolonged you from getting a contract.

And you have to realize something, the judge's repsonsibility is to the creditors and the company, he has no responsibility to the employees.
 
We(the mechs) started and carried out card drives
and now AMFA has filed with the NMB on our behalf.
Lovely how democracy works.People who dont like their
union or government should vote those weasels out,and
vote in a representative they want working for them.