To me the bottom line is most of the guys that are talking smack would most likely be the first ones to cross the lines causing a failure of a strike. They have no faith in the union leadership, (me neither), no faith in their co workers, (me neither) and no faith in themselves because they are in hock up to their eyeballs. I for one do not fall into the latter category.
I remember back in the late 90s we had in incident that involved the TV tabloid show "Hard Copy". Prior to that there was a lot of discontent over the 6 year 6% conract that Koziatek sold with the Lie of a "Me Too" Clause tied to the Pilots contract (sound familiar, can you say "Wage opener"). Just like this time the TWU sent something the company probably wrote for them that included all the reasons to vote Yes but omitted the reasons to vote No. However much of that discontent was vented off by turning on each other and the TWU instead of the company. Guys said the same things about each other and stated that we would never stick together. You had the company lackeys who blamed the union for all of it as they jumped through hoops trying to please management, you had the slugs that really didnt want to do anything if it involved a tool other than a pen, and you had everything in between. The only near concensus that existed is that none of us would ever see the day when we would stick togther, well a management blunder put an end to that. Management did something that the guys saw as unfair that they could not pin on the union. Lo and behold the seemingly impossible happened , the guys stuck together, sure there were a few weak links however they eventually towed the line because they did not want to be forever branded.
We paid a price for it, they eventually sent us Cobbett who has been busting our chops ever since, but most still feel it was worth it. The company even staged their own in 2000 in order to try and get a TRO against us.
Where you guys are now is where we were then, in hock, fustrated, and left with a feeling of hopelessness with as you say no faith in the union, no faith in their coworkers and no faith in themselves but sometimes people suprise you for the better. A lot of guys were suprised here, management was totally suprised, the pilots were shocked (for the most part we got a lot more respect from those guys after that, after a day they started writing up more and made it even easier) our guys are willing to do it again, I get asked all the time, I tell them I cant give an order, so now they are waiting to see if anybody else is ready. Are they? Its hard to tell, the mood changed in an instant when the Hard Copy Incident occurred, many at first were hesitant, afraid, but when people realized that this was management, and management alone, there was no way to spin the blame to the TWU, the International or the Local leadership there was no stoping it.
The company made threats, the guys didnt care. The company flew the B-checks to Tulsa, and diverted work away in an attempt to frighten the guys, we were unfazed. A week earlier and most would have sh!+ themselves, not this time. The guys were determined to do it till the issue was settled no matter what. When the East Coast Director flew in with all his threats they simply all got up and walked out of the room on him. He had a fit. When they flew in Supervisors from all over the system to bird-dog us someone called the Port and told them that AA had guys without Port Ids on the ramp, the Port came over and threatened the company with the arrest of those without Port IDs and a fine for each person against AA. The company was very determined as well, they even released false reports which where broadcast by the corporate media, I remember hearing the radio on my way to work 'American Airlines is reporting weather related delays and cancellations at JFK ". What? Was there a big thundercloud over the AA Terminal but clear everywhere else?
It may happen again, it must, if it doesnt then things will continue to get worse for us. Basically our professionalism is our undoing, as long as we continue to produce at an acceptable rate the company, the NMB and even our own International take that as proof that our conditions are acceptable. This International administration will never call for it, it didnt come from there during Hard Copy. In fact they sent Gless to the floor to try and put a stop to it. He soon realized
that was a mistake. They will never do anything to piss off AMR, that conviction became more grounded when I saw the insert in the ballott. While Jim Little would insist that this was not a good deal in E-mails he refused to say so publically, instead he authorized the pro passage insert to be stuffed into the ballotts and claimed it wasnt an endorsement.
