Ufau Campaign Launches Today!

[UFAU_FlyBoy]

Look for volunteers from the United Flight Attendant Union all around the system today! They will be handing out flyers about UFAU and signature cards. The signature cards are not votes for or against any union. The signature cards simply ask the government to hold a democratic election as prescribed under the Railway Labor Act. You risk nothing by signing a card, because you can vote for either union when the election comes. You also risk nothing with your AFA representation or standing because the signature cards are confidential, and the Railway Labor Act prohibits AFA from failing to protect you just for exercising your democratic rights.
Look for hot topics on the UFAU website, www.UFAU.org!

 

[Fly]

This shouldn't be too difficult to get the necessary amount of signatures. The flight attendants I've spoken with are very eager to see some change in the union. It's time to form a union with the UNITED flight attendants as the main concern. Go UFAU!

 

[nwa_dc10]

Just curious. What percentage of the entire AFA membership is UA F/As? I suspect losing them would be a huge blow to AFA.

 

[Bear96]

You are correct. UA used to make up over 50% (but less than 2/3ds) of the total AFA membership. Not sure what the latest figure is given the shrinking at UA over the past couple of years but I think it is still around or somewhat more than 50%. Then if they lose U too in a worst-case scenario given U's financial situation, there won't be much left of AFA.

 

[UFAU_FlyBoy]

Sneak peek for those of you on this forum:
That info and MUCH MORE is probably coming to www.UFAU.org as the movement progresses. You'll have to wait for some of it, but WHOA is it gonna be good!
By the way, if you haven't gone to www.UFAU.org today, set aside an hour and GO! TONS of good info about the movement. Looking for AFA-bashing opportunities? Not gonna find 'em on UFAU's site. This looks to be a clean fight, boys!

The UFAU campaign launch today was apparently a HUGE SUCCESS! There is one thing absolutely certain after today, and you guys already knew it: THE UNITED FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR THIS CHANGE!

Please visit the site and tell your friends to do the same!
SIGN A SIGNATURE CARD AND MAIL IT IN!
The sooner UFAU gets the number of signatures they need, the sooner we get on with the show (and see the goods on their website)!

ps- I think we at UAL are about 2% of CWA. We are a small enough percentage of AFA (Oops, I mean AFA-CWA/AFL-CIO) that our 76% "NO" vote didn't mean crap!

 

[firstamendment]

Hey guys,
Just a quick few question. When was they last time there was a MEC officer change? Has there been a recall of any of your MEC officers OR LEC officers? If so, when? Thanks.

 

[Bear96]

There are MEC and LEC officer elections every three years. The LEC elections are on a staggered schedule. I believe the next MEC elections are in 2005.

However the problem is not at the LEC and MEC levels. Most UA F/As feel the real problem is our powerlessness on the int'l and BOD levels of AFA. Case in point, the CWA election, which seems to have been the final straw. Around 80% of the UA vote, the LARGEST part of AFA, was AGAINST the CWA merger, yet that didn't matter-- we are now part of CWA, because of how AFA is structured which takes all the power away from the largest group. So the problem isn't so much the MEC and LEC levels but rather our lack of a voice at the BOD and now CWA levels.

Another point... at the last election for Int'l President, the UA contingent was pretty strongly against Pat Friend being reelected. But look who was reelected.

The direction of the other airlines that make up AFA appear to be going against what UA F/As want. So maybe it is time for a divorce from them.

 

[firstamendment]

Bear

What are the core issues that you feel the UAL F/A's are being ignored on? I hear you guys speak of not feeling fairly represented, but may I remind you that even in the US Senate, we have equal representation of 2 Senators per State. The reason I prefer the way of doing business that the Senate does as oppose to the House is that the Senate protects the less populated States by putting them on equal footing. I'm sure many who live in California feel they aren't well represented because they are much more populous then, say Wyoming. But could you imagine how overlooked little Wyoming would be in regards to population if we went by size?

I think it's great you guys want to leave. If you don't want roommates living with you, go build your own house.

I hope the best for your attempts. Oh..if by chance your membership were to vote this down, who will you then blame? ...AFA? CWA? Santa? How about the second gunman in Dallas? <_<

 

[Fly]

That is EXACTLY why! Great post Bear.

 

[Bear96]

firstamendment,

What is your agenda / why do you care what we do as UA F/As? It is our right to determine who represents us. Is there something you would like to share as to why you seem to be asking very aggressive questions that appear to have some sort of an agenda? (Of course if you are a UA F/A yourself I didn't know that and apologize.)

But anyway. First I should clarify that I am not entirely sure if I support UFAU at this stage. I am leaning towards it, but as the effort is still in its infancy, I would need to learn more about it before I can really commit to supporting it all-out.

To attempt to answer your questions:

1. The core issue is that we do not feel that CWA/AFA listens to what the UA group wants. It started years ago with continued DL funding despite evidence that it was a failure and we wanted it to stop. The way the CWA merger and vote was carried out was despicable and as I have mentioned seemed to have been the last straw. In addition, recently Council 21 President Michael Ely (DCA) was basically forced to resign by Pat Friend and the BOD because he was voicing our concerns a little too articulately and the Int'l Office thought he was becoming too much of a threat. That did a lot to galvanize people.

It really comes down to this: we are over 50% of AFA (or at least were as of a couple of years ago; I don't know what the exact number is today with all the furloughs, etc.; but whatever, we are definitely the largest contingent within AFA). We pay the most in dues. But the way AFA is structured, we as the largest group-- and the group that FOUNDED AFA TO BEGIN WITH-- have now seen an international president reelected who we believe does not have the best interests of UA F/As in mind; and we have now been forced to merge with CWA. Though CWA may be a great organization, we feel it is a step in the wrong direction towards an even more remote group of leaders who will make the concerns of UA F/As even less of a priority.

(I should note I am using the term "we" when I should probably be saying "I" but I am finding a lot of UA F/As agree with me on these items so let's define "we" as "many UA F/As I know who have had enough of AFA.")

So to recap, my biggest beef is the structure of AFA, which cannot be remedied at the LEC and MEC levels. In fact I am quite happy with the MEC and LEC representation I am getting. But a lot of that will not change with a new union. We have been making our larger concerns known to AFA for some time but they are unable or unwilling to change because the smaller airlines do not want to give up the power they have under the current structure (and you need a 2/3 vote on the BOD to really make structural changes, which we do not have).

2. Your comparison with government-- OK, let's go with that. We are not saying get rid of a union completely. We are simply saying lets have an election and basically give an opportunity to switch parties, if the majority wishes to do so. It is part of the democratic process.

3. I will support whatever my colleagues vote for. When the last (unsuccessful) challenge came up at UA a few years ago, I was a die-hard AFA supporter but still felt that if a new union were voted in, I would respect the desire of my colleagues. I still feel that way. I will support whichever union wins in a valid election.

I am not 100% sure about UFAU at this point, but I am 100% sure we need to be exploring other options out there for more effective representation. When it comes down to a vote if I think overall AFA will do a better job than UFAU then I will support AFA. But right now it's not looking too good.

 

[firstamendment]

Hi Bear

Thanks for your very thought out posting. There is no agenda. As Fly once pointed out, these forums are open to all, regardless if one works for that company or not.

If you perceived my statements as aggressive, then that was your perception. The internet unfortunately, is a difficult place to judge emotion unless outright hostile.

I agree with you 100% on your feelings about the DAL organizing, so that is not localized to just UAL. Many of us at Uair are over that issue. I try to not categorize all members to all airlines, but I sometimes see more complaining about AFA then action. If I was your MEC, I would really raise hell on issue I cared about. I think you would find many agreeing parties where the other airlines are concerned. What my own experience about all this is is that appears that many on the boards feel all the other carriers in AFA hate you(UAL) and are working against you. I just don't believe that. And if that were true, I'm sorry, but there IS alot of fence mending to do where the UAL/US relationship alone is concerned. Mark my words, that last statement alone will draw venomous reaction. I don't know how the other airlines feel, but my experience with working together is that why stand up for a membership group that worked so much against us..and that WAS the case at U...like it or not, that was the way many of us felt and still feel. I'm sure there's alot of passive aggressive behavior where the US MEC is concermed. The f/a's collectively made it clear what they thought of the merger and tied that to their distain for AFA. That became very clear .

Yes..honestly..I am ready to let you guys go. If you truly want to be independant, then I wish each and every one of you good luck. I mean that. So good luck to you, Bear. I'm sure your descision will be well thought out.

 

[Bear96]

Hi firstamendment,

My apologies if I read too much into your postings or intentions.

Actually I think many UA F/As are over what other airlines think of us. At this point our main concern is simply getting a union that puts UA F/As at the top of its agenda, and listens to UA F/As' concerns. It is not so much an anti-other-carrier feeling towards other AFA airlines as it is simply just wanting our concerns to be listened to, if that makes sense.

 

[firstamendment]

Hi firstamendment,

My apologies if I read too much into your postings or intentions.

Actually I think many UA F/As are over what other airlines think of us. At this point our main concern is simply getting a union that puts UA F/As at the top of its agenda, and listens to UA F/As' concerns. It is not so much an anti-other-carrier feeling towards other AFA airlines as it is simply just wanting our concerns to be listened to, if that makes sense.

Well, the very best to you!

 

[Fly]

These are numbers we have verified that may be used if helpful:

* United Flight Attendants make up about 45% of AFA(-CWA).

* UAL is the largest of 26 AFA-CWA airlines.

* United Flight Attendants make up about 2% of CWA.

* United Flight Attendants (who voted) voted 75% against the CWA merger.

* Umbrella unions (AFA-CWA/AFL-CIO) take over 75% of our dues
(over $5.5M annually).

* Only 24% of our dues go to AFA-CWA budgets exclusively for UAL (16% - LEC, 8% - MEC).

* AFA-CWA dues will go up four years after the merger.
No other union, affiliated or not, has ever gone out on strike in support of
AFA. Even though AFA went out in support of ALPA.

***

*UFAU has no funding besides the personal pockets of UFAU volunteers.

*CWA has a war chest fund set aside exclusively for fighting the democratic
election of independent unions like UFAU.

* AFL-CIO also has a separate war chest fund set aside exclusively for
fighting the democratic election of independent unions like UFAU.

* These anti-democratic superfunds are subsidized with our dues.

* UFAU is already in the red and needs $$$ now to fight the good fight!


Highlights of the AFA 2002 LM-2:

· The LM-2 is 73 pages long.

· The 2001 raise that AFA International President Patricia Friend received was still paid to her in 2002. Her 2000 salary was $90,768, her 2001 salary was $105,989, and her 2002 salary was $106,254. This does not include the $13,179 that she received this year for “Disbursements for Official Businessâ€. See page nine.

· The AFA had $416,029 in cash at the start of 2002. It ended with $40,668. See page three.

· In 2002, the AFA received a total of $20,159,648 while it disbursed a total of $20,535,009. This is a deficit of $375,361. See page four.

· UAL paid the AFA $232,588. See page twelve.

· USAirways paid the AFA (renegotiations) $465,547. See page twelve.

· The AFA paid $592,203 for affiliations. See page twelve.

· The AFA paid the Baltimore - Washington Newspaper (Union??) $38,656. See page twelve.

· The AFA “admin manager†had a salary of $64,466 and received “Disbursements for Official Business†of $165,882 for a total of $230,348. See page ten.

· Pat Friend has an assistant. Her 2002 salary was $79,328, plus a Disbursement for Official Business of $1,830 for a total of $81,158. See page sixteen.

· A secretary had a salary of $75,741. See page seventeen.

· The AFA had 52,738 members in 2002 (see page two) for a dues income of $18,350,233 (see page twelve). For comparison, last year’s dues (2001) amounted $19,911,328. See page four, 2001 LM-2.

· The AFA disbursed $9,817,425 to employees, $4,091,877 for “office and admin†fees, and $1,783,080 for “professional fees.†See page four.

· The AFA paid $1,010,710 for occupancy, $730,842 for communications, and $531,331 for printing and duplications. See page eleven.

· The AFA paid $486,207 for hotels. See page sixty

 

[firstamendment]

Fly,

Great homework!! If I could I would vote you for PRESIDENT. Good luck.