2015 AMT Discussion

[Overspeed]

MetalMover,
Total employees doesn't really give you a clear indicator of how many jobs were kept in-house. MX employees per aircraft is probably the best you can get without seniority lists and doing the math on ratios. Per the DOT the ratio of MX employees to aircraft was 16 to 1 for AA and 15 to 1 for US. In 2014 the ratios are AA 17 to 1 and US 10 to 1. Filtering out management and support brings that number down a few heads but AA would have to RIF about 40% of their staff to get to the US number. The TWU list has 7500 names on it not all AMTs. A 40% reduction in HC is about 3,000 people. Now that number does not take in to account that AA has about 100 widebody aircraft compared to about 20 for US. 767/777/787s take more people to maintain so I would lower that 3,000 by about half (swag). Still, the US/IAM scope clause that is in place after going through the same BK process as AA/TWU would  allow AA to outsource more work. But the proposal from the Association was to go with the IAM scope.
 
Winning!

 

[Buck]

One thing I have learned as a member of the TWU is a strike fund is not something the union funds.
 
And it is not  TV and Dominoes much anymore, Laptops and Tablets playing Tank Wars and Fantasy games....
 
The latest fantasy game is called Association....

 

[lineguy43]

Bad mouthed how they weren't prepared for a strike.

No strike fund, they had to beg other unions for donations.

They never let the members vote in the final offer.

And you can't tell me that someone didn't know NW was training a thousand or more scabs.

 
I will concede some of these facts to you since I lived it. Except the final offer vote. I don't think I have to tell you that if a company proposal is to eliminate 53% of the membership and a 26% pay cut for the remaining it is pretty obvious this offer was intended to force a strike. No group is going to pass a vote to eliminate their job it was designed that way. The way the NMB class and craft is structured the mechanics are screwed in a union even AMFA. The only way out and this is my opinion only is until the class and craft is changed to put licensed A@P's in a unique skill class of their own and not "mechanics and related" Licensed A@P's  can get a better deal being non-union. I have seen enough and lived enough under the IAM to see that industrial catch all unions are a losing deal for AMT's.

 

[Buck]

 
I will concede some of these facts to you since I lived it. Except the final offer vote. I don't think I have to tell you that if a company proposal is to eliminate 53% of the membership and a 26% pay cut for the remaining it is pretty obvious this offer was intended to force a strike. No group is going to pass a vote to eliminate their job it was designed that way. The way the NMB class and craft is structured the mechanics are screwed in a union even AMFA. The only way out and this is my opinion only is until the class and craft is changed to put licensed A@P's  can get a better deal being non-union. I have seen enough and lived enough under the IAM to see that industrial catch all unions are a losing deal for AMT's.

Why can't the "and related" stand on their own two feet?

 

[ThirdSeatHero]

Bad mouthed how they weren't prepared for a strike.

No strike fund, they had to beg other unions for donations.

They never let the members vote in the final offer.

And you can't tell me that someone didn't know NW was training a thousand or more scabs.

 
Typical anti-AMFA IAM talking points.
 
Strike Funds are the often touted yet next-to-never used red herring arguments spouted by the industrial unions. Consider, that other than AMFA at NWA, when was the last time an industrial union took a mechanics group out on strike? Once a strike "IS" called, how much time must elapse before your beloved IAM starts paying out of the Strike fund? Here's a hint - it numbers in the "WEEKS".  BTW - How much would this fund pay to the average mechanic? To get this payment, how much time is the mechanic required to spend on the picket line?    
 
The final offer argument is sheer and utter nonsense - the NWA mechanic group overwhelmingly shot down the last offer presented to them and overwhelmingly authorized a strike. It is only demented IAM nonsense that would try to make a "last offer" argument when said offer called for the elimination of over HALF the membership.
 
Whoever said AMFA didn't know about the scabs?  Until AMFA was released there was nothing they could do.   Nevermind the fact that the FAA inspector that cited many of the scabs maintenance related errors after the strike started, was removed from the property, and only exonerated AFTER the strike was over.

 

[700UW]

After one week the IAM strike pays.

 

[Buck]

After one week the IAM strike pays.

Where does this strike fund originate?

 

[conehead777]

700 I would take amfa any day over your pos iam . Your iam canceled our vote on the association They knew mechanics would not go for it they might of got votes from us air mechanics because of the iampf . But we at aa have more members to overcome there vote. The great thing about amfa is they did what there members want . The mechanics voted to strike . And another you can vote out the leaders unlike the association.and all airlines do are try to hire scabs in a strike. The iam may have a strike fund. But the iam/ twu will not strike they do what's best for them not the members. You can spew all your hate on here but your a typical amfa mechanic hater . Your very rude and condescending .you try to sell the iam to delta on the delta threads. And you bad mouth them over there when they know the truth about the iam. Just look at the iam contract with Boeing . They agreed to freeze the penision when Boeing is very profitable and not in bk . Like I said iam is a pos for agreeing to that again the best interest for them not the members. Boeing put South Carolina as a threat and iam fell for it . Boeing is tooled in Everett to build the 777x and would cost them a lot of time and money to move it to South Carolina so again the iam got worried not for there members but for there selfs union dues so they agreed to let Boeing freeze the members hard earned pensions

 

[700UW]

Canceled the vote?

Proof.

 

[700UW]

The IAMNPF is funded to 101%, explain how that is underfunded.

 

[Buck]

The IAMNPF is funded to 101%, explain how that is underfunded.

What does Actuarial Value and Fair Value mean?

 

[700UW]

The strike fund is funded by dues money and is a separate fund controlled by the International.

 

[Buck]

The strike fund is funded by dues money and is a separate fund controlled by the International.

Why does the International hold  and control this money?

 

[700UW]

Why wouldn't they?

Every union that has a strike fund controls it.

The IAM constitution governs the strike fund,but is fiunded by dues money and interest and investments. The interest funds the operation of Placid Harbor.

 

[ThirdSeatHero]

After one week the IAM strike pays.

 
Unless you have a newer IAM constitution than I do, strike benefits don't start until the THIRD week