Aa Union Message To Southwest

[wnbubbleboy]

American Labor Unions APA, APFA and TWU Locals 513, 541, 542, 565 and 567 in
Support of the Wright Amendment as Public Policy

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The following message was
released today by Union Leaders of American Airlines:

Labor unions representing pilots, flight attendants, mechanics,
dispatchers, instructors, simulator technicians and ground service employees
of American Airlines expressed their dismay at the public relations
manipulation Southwest Airlines has used in an attempt to convince the public
of the necessity to overturn the Wright Amendment.
The Presidents of the Allied Pilots Association, Association of
Professional Flight Attendants, and the Transport Workers Union representing
more than 50,000 employees of American Airlines have united in an effort to
show that the campaign by Southwest to repeal the Wright Amendment is a prime
example of selfish opportunism rather than a plea for the freedom to fly.
Southwest is trying to change the rules for their own benefit. First in
Dallas, and then Seattle's Boeing Field, Southwest has attempted to avoid
paying their share of the costs for infrastructure while attempting to carve
out niches at nearby airports for their sole benefit.
Southwest has not so subtly claimed that "arcane rules" restrict their
ability to provide service from Dallas Love Field, stifle competition and
impede their "freedom to fly." What they are really saying is they don't want
to pay their share of the cost to develop and maintain modern airport
facilities like other carriers; they don't want to abide by agreements they
have made in the past to accommodate only them; and they want special rules so
they can enjoy government protection from competition.
Delivering petitions collected at bars, restaurants and other non-aviation
related venues to Washington is a cheap publicity stunt that uses the false
promise of low fares to masquerade Southwest's real objective -- to renege on
a compromise they agreed to in 1979 and create a legislatively protected
monopoly at Love Field. What they fail to mention in their campaign is the
negative affect repealing the Wright Amendment would have on the D/FW
Metroplex and surrounding counties from a resulting loss of jobs and economic
strength.
They also conveniently omit the fact that Southwest Airlines has the
"freedom to fly" unrestricted from DFW today, and has been offered lucrative
incentives to do so. Southwest should take advantage of this opportunity and
truly compete by offering customers alleged low fares at DFW, or they should
abide by the agreement they made and promised to uphold 26 years ago. They
can't have it both ways and are welcome at DFW anytime.

Tommie L. Hutto-Blake, President APFA
Association of Professional Flight Attendants

Ralph Hunter, President APA
Allied Pilots Association

Transport Workers Union Local Presidents:
Mark Nelson, President TWU Air Transport Local 513
John Plowman, President TWU Air Transport Local 542
Curtis Gentry, President TWU Air Transport Local 541
Keith Stewart, President TWU Air Transport Local 565
Gary Peterson, President TWU Air Transport Local 567



SOURCE Union Leaders of American Airlines

 

[corl737]

American Labor Unions APA, APFA and TWU Locals 513, 541, 542, 565 and 567 in
Support of the Wright Amendment as Public Policy

I'll be interested to hear the response from the TWU Locals at Southwest.

(I see who signed the letter but I wonder who actually penned the letter?)

 

[SWAFA30]

American Labor Unions APA, APFA and TWU Locals 513, 541, 542, 565 and 567 in
Support of the Wright Amendment as Public Policy

Duh.

 

[USAir757]

Bravo!!!

 

[corl737]

Bravo!!!

Is your "bravo" in response to the union's statment or the "Duh"?

 

[swflyer]

I'll be interested to hear the response from the TWU Locals at Southwest.

(I see who signed the letter but I wonder who actually penned the letter?)

From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram:

"But Thom McDaniel, president of the local chapter of Southwest's flight attendants union, said he was "disappointed in the unions at American" for their statements.

"Unions always need to stand up for the rights of workers," he said. "And the workers at Southwest have a right to access the fair market at Love Field."

 

[skybolt]

and the funny thing is...........the real fight is between the cities and counties of north texas, not the airlines. i can't help but wonder what aa is getting for fighting with wn. has dfw offered aa a few free gates for the next decade?

i hope that wn moves to san antonio, or maybe even houston.

skybolt

 

[corl737]

and the funny thing is...........the real fight is between the cities and counties of north texas, not the airlines. i can't help but wonder what aa is getting for fighting with wn. has dfw offered aa a few free gates for the next decade?

i hope that wn moves to san antonio, or maybe even houston.

skybolt

I'm still waiting for a response to my request to find out the "fine print" of DFW's "free rent" deal. Either (a) AA's such a ferocious competitor that no one wants to accept an invitation to become lunch, or (b ) the deal's really not that great afterall.

If SWA moves, it needs to go outside of Texas. Why continue to appear to support Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn if they don't even support the free marketplace in their own state?

Perhaps the old TWA training faciities in St. Louis or Kansas City are available? Missouri would deserve our HQ if Sen. Bond can get MO added to the Wright-exempt states! (He's still negotiating the end of "through-ticketing" restrictions, too! See a different thread for that story!)

 

[Boomer]

Pay Up Or Get Fired:
Under the RLA, Unions can force the payment of Employee dues as a condition of employment. The TWU has and continues to threaten the termination of Employees that refuse to pay dues.

Unequal Representation:
It is obvious that the TWU has taken sides for some TWU Members and against other TWU Members. How can the TWU claim to fairly represent all TWU Members when they have obviously taken sides in an issue which both sides claim as pivotal to both their futures?

Duty of Fair Representation (DFR):
Southwest Airline Employees represented by the TWU could file a lawsuit against the TWU for failure to represent if the TWU continues to pit TWU Member against TWU Member.

 

[ramper_in_las]

Pay Up Or Get Fired:
Under the RLA, Unions can force the payment of Employee dues as a condition of employment. The TWU has and continues to threaten the termination of Employees that refuse to pay dues.

Unequal Representation:
It is obvious that the TWU has taken sides for some TWU Members and against other TWU Members. How can the TWU claim to fairly represent all TWU Members when they have obviously taken sides in an issue which both sides claim as pivotal to both their futures?

Duty of Fair Representation (DFR):
Southwest Airline Employees represented by the TWU could file a lawsuit against the TWU for failure to represent if the TWU continues to pit TWU Member against TWU Member.

I think its time to get rid of TWU for allowing this statement to become public. I don't think its ethical to pit employees against each other for a soley political issue. Shame on you TWU!!! We pay our dues to arbitrate membership issues not to make political statements. :angry:

 

[swflyer]

Unequal Representation:
It is obvious that the TWU has taken sides for some TWU Members and against other TWU Members. How can the TWU claim to fairly represent all TWU Members when they have obviously taken sides in an issue which both sides claim as pivotal to both their futures?

ACTUALLY, it was pretty clear, from the posted article, that it was individual "LOCALS" making the comment/taking the position on the Wright Amendment, and not TWU International. I would submit that International wasn't briefed on the press release before it went out.

It also shows American Management's efforts to change the formerly poisonous relationships with it's Unions is bearing some fruit.

Although I totally agreed with Thom's response (HUGE surprise), one could also see it as AA TWU Union Local Leaders doing what they believe supports their members.

IMHO, it looks like the kids are fighting over the toy, not the parents taking it away.

 

[Boomer]

ACTUALLY, it was pretty clear, from the posted article, that it was individual "LOCALS" making the comment/taking the position on the Wright Amendment, and not TWU International. I would submit that International wasn't briefed on the press release before it went out.

It also shows American Management's efforts to change the formerly poisonous relationships with it's Unions is bearing some fruit.

Although I totally agreed with Thom's response (HUGE surprise), one could also see it as AA TWU Union Local Leaders doing what they believe supports their members.

IMHO, it looks like the kids are fighting over the toy, not the parents taking it away.

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SWFLYER,

You are revealing your lack of knowledge with regard to the TWU.

The TWU has but one Air Transport Division; the majority, 66%, of which are known to be from American Airlines: Jim Little, John Orlando, Gary Yingst, Joe Gordon, John Conley, and Bob Gless are from American Airlines; I do not know where Mike Bakalo, George Roberts, or Garry Drummond are from but they only count for 33% of the Leadership of the TWU-ATD.

As was proven in Federal Court, the TWU-ATD has the right to unilaterally modify CBAs' at will and the Director of the TWU-ATD is the guy that signs off on those agreements. With 2/3rds of the Leadership of the TWU-ATD belonging to American and accruing retirement rights as AA Employees along with having been paid their AA salaries in addition to their Union Retirements and Wages in the past: is it unreasonable to assume whose priorities they have in mind when they encourage or allow statements to be made when those statements have to be cleared through the ATD before they are allowed to be presented?

The fact is that under the closed shop provisions of the RLA, Employees hired by an Air-Carrier under contract with an airline Union are required to pay Union Dues as a condition of Employment. If you do not pay dues, the TWU will have your airline fire you.

The TWU represents airline workers at Southwest Airlines and American Airlines: The vast majority, 66%, of the Leadership of the Air Transport Division of the TWU is from American Airlines.

The TWU-ATD terminated the elected positions of Bob Owens and Chuck Schalk due to their outspoken disagreement with the methods and operation of the TWU-ATD; the TWU-ATD has obviously allowed the Presidents of the American Airlines Locals to put the TWU-ATD in favor of keeping the Wright Amendment which Southwest Airlines claims is harmful to their present and future operations by failing to discipline their statements of disavow those statements as the official position of the TWU-ATD.

Unless the TWU-ATD censures and removes those Presidents of AA Locals that signed off on retaining the Wright Amendment, they have countermanded the claims they held in removing Owens and Schalk and are failing to represent the TWU Membership at Southwest Airlines whose employees are forced by the RLA to pay dues to the TWU as a condition of employment.

There is an evident conflict of interest.

 

[Diversion]

From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram:
"...the workers at Southwest have a right to access the fair market at Love Field."

No, they don't have the "Wright" to do so.

They do have a right to access the fair market at DFW.

 

[SharoninSAT]

No, they don't have the "Wright" to do so.

They do have a right to access the fair market at DFW.

American...it figures :down:

 

[swflyer]

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The TWU-ATD terminated the elected positions of Bob Owens and Chuck Schalk due to their outspoken disagreement with the methods and operation of the TWU-ATD; the TWU-ATD has obviously allowed the Presidents of the American Airlines Locals to put the TWU-ATD in favor of keeping the Wright Amendment which Southwest Airlines claims is harmful to their present and future operations by failing to discipline their statements of disavow those statements as the official position of the TWU-ATD.

There is an evident conflict of interest.

Boomer, you were giving quite a lesson in Union "interest based" politics, to which I was reading as "ok, ok", until you injected the "obviously" statement. At that point, your opinion overtook your post, possibly influenced by bad past experiences, IMHO.

My experience with Jim Little and Garry Drummond, and the TWU, at Southwest Airlines has been positive and lucrative. You may respond with, "fool me once..." but I've yet to be fooled for the first time.

Again, IMHO, the AA Union leaders (not just the TWU) agreed with AA Management and signed off on the opinion, and good for them for working together. I still think they're Wrong on Wright.

BTW, in Union time, it's hasn't been that long since the post, so I'm also not surprise by a lack of response.

Again, IMHO.