Todays News, Should We Be Worried?

Checking it Out

Veteran
Apr 3, 2003
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Plan worries mechanics
Pioneer Press (subscription)
...The union representing Northwest Airlines' mechanics is pushing for the replacement of repair facilities that would come down as part of a proposed $860 million airport terminal expansion, fearing the project could cost its members some 2,000 jobs.. ...

Cash payment at airport parking ramp may cost an extra buck
Pioneer Press (subscription)

... leaders of Local 33 of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association urged the commission to replace maintenance hangars that Northwest has begun to demolish for the proposed expansion of the Lindbergh terminal. Local President Jim Atkinson said union members fear the airline is trying to outsource their jobs to other states or countries. The mechanics, who perform maintenance on Northwest's planes, typically earn $60,000 to $100,000 a year, he said. Atkinson said that the union has about 3,100 members working for Northwest but that 2,000 previously have been laid off, and about 2,000 more could be laid off if the airline expansion proceeds. ...

Independence Air facility closure to affect 100 jobs
Macon Telegraph
All Columbia workers have been offered jobs at the airline's maintenance center in Washington, DC, Independence Air spokesman Rick DeLisi said. ...

US Airways: Workers should not count on pension
USA Today

... Leitch, the airline attorney, said US Airways' plans will be frozen or terminated, "And there's no scenario where the plans will be maintained.". ...


US Airways, unions spar over proposed pay cut

Bradenton Herald
- US Airways' unions say the bankrupt airline is "barking up the wrong tree" by seeking to ensure its solvency by imposing a 23 percent pay cut on its workers. ...

Smith Barney sees Delta bankruptcy soon
Reuters
... its pilots. Delta's pilots are among the highest paid in the industry and the airline's only major unionized work group. A giveback ...

Delta's stock plunges on bankruptcy warning
Memphis Business Journal
Delta Air Lines' stock dropped by 10.4% to $3.45 a share Thursday on record volume, following an analyst's report suggesting the airline is close to filing for ...

Delta call center on bubble?
Kentucky Post
... 11 call-in reservation centers for closure -- possibly including one in downtown Cincinnati that employs 709 workers -- as the struggling airline retools to ...

Delta CEO: Financial performance deteriorates
Wichita Business Journal
... including regional flights, had a load factor of 70.5 percent. A load factor is the percentage of seats on an airline that are filled.

Delta stock seen as 'sell'
Bizjournals.com
... million shares traded. Atlanta-based Delta (NYSE: DAL) is the largest airline flying from Dayton International Airport. Last year ...

UNITED US CUTS TO CAUSE LAYOFFS
New York Post
... UAL Corp. unit said in a statement. In total, the Chicago-based airline will offer 3 percent fewer seats for sale. The carrier will ...

United Flies Away
Motley Fool
... The carrier has arguably the best international route network of any domestic airline. ... I know the airline will keep its domestic routes. ...


$53 oil creates darker skies for airlines
USA Today
Oil prices surging above $53 a barrel on Thursday sent airline stock prices tumbling further and increased the growing sense of doom surrounding the ...


US pension agency may go bust

CNN International
... Belt said in written testimony prepared for a Senate Commerce Committee hearing into the effect of pension policy and bankruptcy law on the airline industry. ...

Airline woes threaten viability of pension guaranty agency
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription)
... "The problems of under funded pension plans extend far beyond the airline industry, to steel, automotive-related manufacturing and other sectors," Walker said. ...

Bombardier to Cut Production and Fire 2,000 Workers
Bloomberg
... be able to turn the company around eventually, but it's taking more time than originally thought because of the environment for the airline industry,'' said ...


FAA targeting repair mistakes
Charlotte Observer (subscription)
Federal regulators are stepping up efforts to prevent airline maintenance errors, such as the type that contributed to the crashes of commuter planes in ...

Is it time to worry? The Industry is a mess, what will happen next?
 
Is it time to worry? The Industry is a mess, what will happen next?


Worry about what????????? :huh:

More concessions from the twu... YES :unsure:


Worry about the going out of business chapter eleven threat :lol:


The only thing that changes is the color on that tail :up:


If your worried go find another profession. I hear the TSA job is pretty secure :D
 
Or, if you are represented by the amfa and out of work (surprise surprise :blink: ), you can go to work for 3rd party maintenance. Don't worry about competing with the aproximaitely 4800 layed off NWA (amfa) mechanics or the aproximately 6000 UAL (amfa) mechanics out of work or the most recently 360 Alaska Air (amfa) mechanics that have been layed off for those jobs. The amfa represents about 18,000 mechanics that still have a job. The amfa represents about 11,000 mechanics that have been layed off. Almost 38% of the mechanics that are represented by the amfa are out of work! Maybe those "green cards" the amfa sent us can be used as work visas in Singapor.


Name: Benched@UAL
Email:
Employer:
Station:
Date: Wednesday October 06, 2004
Time: 07:01:26 PM

Comments
I called my local AMFA lodge Monday to inquire about a withdrawal card as I am now on inactive (laid off) status below is the conversation.

Me - Hello I would like to stop in an sign a withdrawal card.

Pres - There is no need to come in here I can just mail you one if you like ?

Me - Well actually I would like to come in and sign the card and then look at your job posting bulletin board.

Pres - Job posting board ? We don't have one.

Me - You don't have a job posting board ? your kidding right ? I just got laid off and thought for sure the local would have some job postings for us !!

Pres - No we do have a board but there are no jobs on it however, if you are willing to go to the "DARK" side T.I.M.C.O is hiring ?

Me - What ?

Pres - T.I.M.C.O is hiring as they are about to get all of our 3 services and are hiring .

Me - That's great but I do not, nor have I ever had any desire to work on Aircraft !!!!

Pres - What ?


I could go on but should not have to , the Point is that the president of my local is telling me to go apply for a job with the 3rd party facility where our planes are being outsourced to.

I would like to here some comments on this for I find it rather odd that he would recommend this course of action at any time !!!!
 
Dont worry:

Strake will help the TWU [edited by moderator] while they send it in again!
 
Name: The Right Thing to do.
Email:
Employer: NWA
Station: MSP
Date: Friday October 08, 2004
Time: 09:07:48 PM

Comments
For God's sake people, for your families sake, you must stop AMFA. You must see through them before we're all ruined. AMFA GIVES AWAY JOBS. AMFA NEGOTIATES FARM OUT LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS FARM OUTS! What in God's name else do you need to know? Help yourselves and STOP AMFA now! Jim Atkinson MSP President is so brainwashed that he complains in the press about Farm Outs, yet it was his Union that allowed them! Ask Atkinson if NWA is over the limit that AMFA allows them to farm out! The answer will be no. So what's he complaining about? Please ask any AMFA rep. if NWA is over the cap yet. If they say yes ask them what they're doing about it. It's not rocked science, just AMFA misdirection. Don't leave without getting some satisfaction in their answer. Demand an answer....."Is NWA over the Cap?" If not, then what is AMFA complaining about? If they are then what is AMFA doing about it? It's just that simple.

The simple truth is like it or not, there is no limit on how much NWA can subcontract, there is only a penalty for anything subcontracted over the 38%. Our current subcontracting language is completely based on “total labor dollarsâ€. Assuming that subcontracting facilities can perform maintenance at half the cost of U.S. major airlines, NWA is allowed to subcontract 76% of our work and stay within the contractual limit of 38%, of the total labor dollars spent on Outside Vendor Labor plus in-house Labor. In addition, article 2(F)3,c, gives NWA numerous exceptions to the 38% subcontracting limit that “…shall not apply…â€.

If NWA is subcontracting more than 38% of the total labor dollars, not including the exceptions, there
would be a violation of article 2(F)3,d and I believe that AMFA would file a grievance.

“If the Company exceeds subcontracting limits, the Company will compensate the Association 100 percent of the dollar amount of the excedent.â€

In my opinion, NWA would present the facts to an arbitrator before paying any penalty. NWA would argue that the listed exceptions are not all-inclusive and therefore, would have the right to add additional exceptions. The statement “includes the following†located in Paragraph(F)3,c,1 will be at the center of attention. An arbitrator will decide if “includes the following†is an all-inclusive list of exceptions or not.

If AMFA was successful (they're record speaks for its self) and the arbitrator rules in our their, who wins? The monetary settlement does not go to the members that are laid off, it does not return the members back to work. The monetary settlement goes to the AMFA National (per national policy). So, who really wins? According to our national policy, the only real winners are the AMFA National.

In the end the only way to know for sure is to obtain the LM-10 forms from the Department of Labor, for those years AMFA has represented the Mechanics and related.
 
Well we know we can always count on the TWU to foster fear. Then afterwards blame the members for following their lead.

Remember 1995? The TWU locked us into a six year concessionary contract just as the Airlines were entering into their greatest ever era of profitability. They spent the rest of the 90s blaming the members.

Its time to hold the TWU accountable. As they foster fear through misinformation they hide the true facts from the members.

We know from past history that with the TWU we will never get real progressive leadership. The TWU has been a training ground for management and the International. As leaders are rejected by their members they normally choose either management or an International appointment.

Lets hold them accountable. Return your signed card today!