The debate between AMFA and the TWU, as far as mechanics are concerned should boil down to this;
ALL MECHANICS IN ONE UNION vs mechanics being split up between various unions that are not even aviation unions.
All the stuff about Democracy in unions really becomes unimportant when things are going well for the workers. I dont think that the question of all being in one union is debatable. How could any union argue that mechanics are better off being split up and a silenced minority in unions that could care less about our class and craft? We do not see ALPA looking to merge with the TWU. Nor do we see the Carpenters looking to merge with the IAM. The fact is if you have a skill you can better serve your profession as a unified voice with everyone else who offers the same skills. Pilots do it. Carpenters do it. Plumbers do it. Electricians do it. Its time for mechanics to do it. In fact all airline workers have counterparts in other airlines that have similar skills yet they usually belong to unions that are crafted along corporate lines instead of the type of work they do or even the industry they are in.
Can anyone out there say that airline workers, whether they are mechanics, baggage handlers, flight attendants or ticket agents that the current structure of unionism in this industry has protected their standard of living effectively? Clearly there has been a failure and our leaders come up with nothing but excuses, while they enjoy six figure incomes at our expense.
As mechanics we are lucky enough to have a choice. We can chose to stay where we are and hope that the Sonny Halls and Jim Little will metamorpf into leaders (since we do not have the right to remove them) who will fight for us or start anew with an entirely new organization for mechanics.
ALL MECHANICS IN ONE UNION vs mechanics being split up between various unions that are not even aviation unions.
All the stuff about Democracy in unions really becomes unimportant when things are going well for the workers. I dont think that the question of all being in one union is debatable. How could any union argue that mechanics are better off being split up and a silenced minority in unions that could care less about our class and craft? We do not see ALPA looking to merge with the TWU. Nor do we see the Carpenters looking to merge with the IAM. The fact is if you have a skill you can better serve your profession as a unified voice with everyone else who offers the same skills. Pilots do it. Carpenters do it. Plumbers do it. Electricians do it. Its time for mechanics to do it. In fact all airline workers have counterparts in other airlines that have similar skills yet they usually belong to unions that are crafted along corporate lines instead of the type of work they do or even the industry they are in.
Can anyone out there say that airline workers, whether they are mechanics, baggage handlers, flight attendants or ticket agents that the current structure of unionism in this industry has protected their standard of living effectively? Clearly there has been a failure and our leaders come up with nothing but excuses, while they enjoy six figure incomes at our expense.
As mechanics we are lucky enough to have a choice. We can chose to stay where we are and hope that the Sonny Halls and Jim Little will metamorpf into leaders (since we do not have the right to remove them) who will fight for us or start anew with an entirely new organization for mechanics.
