What Happened To The Restructing Of The Atd

[TWU informer]

I remember not long ago, that some of those Officers that signed the true and faithful allegiance pledge met with Sonny Hall and proposed some changes to the ATD.

Sonny, set up a committee.

Randy McDonald even asked for ideas in Tulsa.

SILENCE.

What happened?

VIA FACSIMILE


September 29, 2003



TO: All AA Local Presidents Local 501-590.



RE: Follow-Up to Special Presidents Council Meeting – 9/25/03.



Dear Brothers:



This letter is in follow-up to our Presidents Council Meeting in Pittsburgh. Specifically, the request by President Hall to establish a sub-committee made up of five members of the AA Presidents Council to review and recommend changes within the AA ATD structure within 45 days. The tenets are as follows:



Sub-Committee to be established of 5 (Five) AA TWU Presidents of which 2 (two) will be from the 6 (six) Locals 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, and 567 that originally requested the meeting with Sonny on August 21, 2003 regarding changes within the ATD. The other three members will be selected from the Presidents Council by the ATD.


The Sub-Committee will be tasked with the following:


Review and recommend changes to the AA Negotiations Policy and Procedures.
Review and recommend suggestions to Local autonomy.
Review current policy and practice within the AA-ATD and make recommendations.
The sub-committee will forward a report to Gary Yingst, AA System Coordinator. In turn, Brother Yingst will advise President, S. Hall and ATD Director, J.C. Little of the Committee’s recommendations.
G. Yingst will schedule a special meeting within the next 45 days with the AA-Presidents Council to discuss and vote on the recommended changes.



September 29, 2003

Page 2





Locals 561-567 will notify Brother Yingst no later than Friday, Oct 3rd of the two participants from their group of Locals that will participate on the Committee. The additional three participants will be a cross section of the Council - Local 521 President Jack Madish, Local 513 President Tim Gillespie and Local 514 President Randy McDonald.



Sincerely and Fraternally,







James C. Little

Director Air Transport Division

Intl. Administrative Vice President



JCL:cjw opeiu-153 afl-cio



C: S. Hall

ATD AA Staff

 

[1AA]

The idea fell on deaf ears. As usual from the misleading TWU International.

 

[AMFAMAN]

From the Local 565 website; scroll down to bottom:

Reorganization update: The small committee that was established to discuss the issues of reorganization of the TWU had several phone conferences. Most of the ideas were met with resistance. Todd Woodward (President, Local 561) and Paul McCormick (President, Local 563) will continue to discuss issues with the committee and attempt to expand their understanding of the aircraft mechanics diversity throughout the A/A system. The committee did forward a report to Sonny Hall in November and we are awaiting his further direction. We hope to have an opportunity in 2004 to develop a productive relationship with the International in order to better represent the membership.

 

[Calvin]

Quick question. If you people are so much "for AMFA" then why do you care about the developement of ATD proceedings to transpire in the future? I do not mean any offense by asking this, just curious, unless you mean to "sling more mud" at the ATD/TWU. Thank you.

 

[TWU informer]

Quick question. If you people are so much "for AMFA" then why do you care about the developement of ATD proceedings to transpire in the future? I do not mean any offense by asking this, just curious, unless you mean to "sling more mud" at the ATD/TWU. Thank you.

We don't care! We are simply pointing out what "change from within" is within the TWU.

Get it? Yeah, you get it, more mud slinging, if that is what you call pointing out the TRUTH! <_<

 

[Calvin]

Not being part of the "in" crowd I can only surmise that the TWU/ATD is currently focussing on AMFA due to the advocates of AMFA at AA. Unless their resources are unlimited I might suggest that it is due to the AMFA raid that their priorities are changed. I look forward to seeing, as you, what changes are to be brought forward. By mud slinging I was referring to the adjectives used is all. I believe you already were aware of that. Thank you.

 

[Buck]

Why would the ATD focus on AMFA?

AMFA is not a threat, AMFA is not a threat, AMFA is not a threat, you are getting sleepy, you are getting sleepy......

 

[Calvin]

Buck, huh?

 

[Buck]

The TWU has always stated that AMFA is not a threat. I guess since there are more members who favor an election, now AMFA has become a threat.

 

[Calvin]

I understand now, and hopefully my avatar is not offensive. I know of a lot of card signers that state they would not vote for AMFA but just wanted to send the TWU a message by signing a card. Does this make sense? That is why I will not sign I guess, I do not want to mislead others that want other than I do. Thank you.

 

[Bob Owens]

Buck, huh?

They may no longer have the luxury of focusing on AMFA, with each passing day word about the AGW is spreading.

Unlike our class and craft the other groups are more spread out. With us they can focus on Tulsa and MCI, both low cost areas where mechanics still live reletively well.

With fleet service the opposite is true, they make much less than mechanics do and are concentrated in many high cost of living areas. Places like NY are loaded with part timers which means that they end up with a disproportionately high number of members. While most part timers take little interest in the union the fact that going to the AGW offers them the opportunity to cut their dues in half will likely get most to sign cards and vote for the AGW.

 

[Raptor]

Bob it seems that the TWU has fires all over the place it just to bad the fire chiefs are sitting in there ivory towers afraid to come out and fight them.

They don't want to get burned but they have no problem with the firemen getting burned.

 

[Calvin]

Mr. Owens, one thing I have noticed from your posts is your knowledge on a lot of facts everywhere, does that make sense? I have also noted that you evidently live in NY from your posts. You are upset or uncomfortable with the wage/cost of living factor in your city. I commend you on raising your family as I am mine. Hope they all had a good Christmas sir. I could not imagine living in NY with 5 kids, perhaps that is why I do not. My brother lived in Arlington, Vermont for 15 years, beautiful country up north I must admit, but the cost of living is out there. Living in the KCMO area as I do you must admit I still make payments on all schools and a mortgage without undue distress. I am providing for 5 children, along with my wife who also works full time locally.

I have read posts from TWU people that state you want a line only union. Is this true or did I misread this? As previously stated, I am ony high-school educated and taught my trade from my father. I hate to see any family struggle. I realize the TWU handed us a concessionary package that was requested, $$$ wise, from the company to deter bankruptcy. I believe the TWU took the total amount requested and cyphered the negatives needed to obtain the bottom line figure. I do not like concession, do not misread my posting, but I cannot and will not face my family, with chest expanded, and explain to them " I have no job, but in the event the company recalls me, I'll return at full pay and benefits". Mr. Owens, perhaps I have mismanaged my money, but I do not know where. I can not go on the street or my children will abort college and my home kids will suffer. My allegiance is to family first sir. Thank you.

 

[Bob Owens]

Mr. Owens, one thing I have noticed from your posts is your knowledge on a lot of facts everywhere, does that make sense?

I'm not sure what you are asking me?

I have read posts from TWU people that state you want a line only union. Is this true or did I misread this?

I dont want a "line only union". I want a union that will provide me what it provides you. SEveral times I've mentioned the fact that not only did I propose to join all aircraft mechanics in one union but all airline workers into one union. I proposed this to John Sweeney, Sonny Hall, Buffenbarger and Hoffa. While FAR 145 will and has had more of an affect on overhaul than line maint I've contacted my representatives in DC several times voicing objections to it. I do not want to see these jobs leave. I would prefer that all mechanics stay together and join together in one union but I'm also to the point where I have to consider if we can not convince our brothers at overhaul that with the TWU we are on the wrong path, and have been for a long time, that we may have to seek a means of seperating ourselves from overhaul as a means towards saving our careers. This card drive has given us hope, the internet has allowed us to penetrate the Iron curtain your leaders have erected around you and slowly but surely the card count from overhaul is telling us that we do have brothers in overhaul who are willing to fight for something better.

As previously stated, I am ony high-school educated and taught my trade from my father. I hate to see any family struggle. I realize the TWU handed us a concessionary package that was requested, $$$ wise, from the company to deter bankruptcy. I believe the TWU took the total amount requested and cyphered the negatives needed to obtain the bottom line figure.

The union took the number that the company gave them. They did nothing to dispute it. I do not feel that the company or the union was completely honest. I feel that the concessions were more than what was needed, if indeed they were needed at all and the cyhering was done by people who would not be making the sacrifices or held accountable. I've good reason to be suspicious. I was here in 95 when the company and the union pushed though a concessionary contract with the promise of a me too clause that proved to be useless. Thoughout that whole contract AA made record profits quarter after quarter, year after year. Around that same time AMR gave the TWU more new members.

I belive that AAs financial difficulties were exaggerated by prepaying leases, accellerating depreciation and using legal accounting gimmicks like Goodwill(nearly 1 billion of the losses for 2002). (AA claimed that they were losing 5 million a day, goodwill, an imaginary loss, accounts for around 2.7 million a day)The union not only failed to question this but they also let it slide by that as we were giving all these concessions that the executives were rewarding themselves.It was a Wall Street Journal reporter that exposed it, not the union.

I also believe that the company continued to spend money on an overly ambitious expansion plan long after it was clear that the market was receading. I beleive that this was intentional. As I said quite a few years back, sometimes in this industry it pays in the long run to lose a ton of money in the short run if they can turn that loss into long term labor concessions. And they sure as hell got them didnt they?

I believe that the things used by the union to determine this was their botttom line, not ours. While telling us that the concessions were there to save jobs the concessions in fact enabled the company to layoff thousands. The concessions rolled back system protection and made us all work an extra week for free. For every 50 workers working an extra week the company could layoff one more worker and still maintain the same productivity. Obviously this was not a job saving concession.

The union made the cuts as deep as possible in ways that would impact its per capita dues as little as possible. By cutting out doubletime, shift pay, holiday pay, one week of vacation sick time, IOD time(all things that the other carriers that actually went bankrupt kept) they lowered our pay by thousands of dollars per year (in addition to the paycut) without proportionately reducing the dues we pay to the union.


I do not like concession, do not misread my posting, but I cannot and will not face my family, with chest expanded, and explain to them " I have no job, but in the event the company recalls me, I'll return at full pay and benefits". Mr. Owens, perhaps I have mismanaged my money, but I do not know where. I can not go on the street or my children will abort college and my home kids will suffer. My allegiance is to family first sir. Thank you.

I'm not really sure how to read this. Are you saying "Screw you and your family, I got mine?"At what point do you say NO? At what point would you be willing to fight? We were there a long time ago. At what point would you guys be willing to join us?

 

[Calvin]

Mr. Owens, I will be willing to join "us" when "us" is one union again , not two as I see now. As I stated, my family's existence is number one priority, not who's name is on the door at the local.
***********************************
Mr. Owens, one thing I have noticed from your posts is your knowledge on a lot of facts everywhere, does that make sense?

I'm not sure what you are asking me?
************************************
Just my way of stating you seem to be knowledgeable, wasn't really meant as a question sir. Thank you.