Accept Contract or Authorize a Strike

[jetmechjer]

If this POS passes I am sure we on the line will be willing to do our best to move On time percentages in the right direction. We only have 3 spots to go!!!
As the company and the FAA preaches....."BY THE BOOK!!" "VERBATUM!!!" "SAFETY FIRST!!"

On-time arrival rates



1. Hawaiian Airlines, 94.3 percent

2. Alaska Airlines, 91.5 percent

3. US Airways, 85.3 percent

4. United Airlines, 84.8 percent

5. AirTran Airways, 84.7 percent

6. Mesa Airlines, 83.9 percent

7. JetBlue Airrways, 82.7 percent

8. Continental Airlines, 82.5 percent

9. Skywest Airlines, 82.4 percent

10. Atlantic Southeast Airlines, 80.4 percent

11. Southwest Airlines, 80.3 percent

12. Frontier Airlines, 80.2 percent

13. ExpressJet Airlines, 77.3 percent

14. Pinnacle Airlines, 77.2 percent

15. American Airlines, 76.6 percent

16. Delta Air Lines, 75.6 percent

17. American Eagle, 73.1 percent

18. Comair, 67.1 percent

 

[TWU informer]

Another one that doesn't accept majority rule unionism??

....."BY THE BOOK!!" "VERBATUM!!!" "SAFETY FIRST!!"

This should be your professional way of life daily. Instead you use it as a threat. I am impressed.

 

[jetmechjer]

Another one that doesn't accept majority rule unionism??

....."BY THE BOOK!!" "VERBATUM!!!" "SAFETY FIRST!!"

This should be your professional way of life daily. Instead you use it as a threat. I am impressed.

I do everyday but we all know there are a lot of gray areas! You back shop people have no idea of real life on the line and the cost of living in a real city! You know where the rubber meets the road???? Oh ya you have no idea! Back to your machine!

 

[TWU informer]

I do everyday but we all know there are a lot of gray areas! You back shop people have no idea of real life on the line and the cost of living in a real city! You know where the rubber meets the road???? Oh ya you have no idea! Back to your machine!

You're one of those ready to get rid of overhaul....Admit it

 

[toroshark]

Quote " Better come up with a solid plan to send this message, the membership tolerates this because one group is always bought off to screw the other group. That isn't going to change. For the first time ever, I am in the small minority group being given the carrot. After being the victim of others taking the carrot and screwing me in the past, I am not feeling guilty at all about " I got mine Brother." " It sounds like the TWU informer should be looking into a International position! How is this any different than Luis, Zimmerman, Videtich, or Little? It's not!

 

[Bob Owens]

Simply think about the NWA Strike - Overhaul was not on strike by itself, Scabs committed a stampede at the picket line and the ecoomic power of the line AMT was blasted away as useless. That is fact and you know it.

You are leaving out the fact that NWA had been training guys for over a year prior to the strike. AA hasnt been doing that.

I am not saying that if the company offered $45 to get rid of overhaul that the line AMT SHOULD vote YES, I am saying they WOULD VOTE YES.

Well you are probably right. But thats not whats before us is it? This offer hits the bases harder than it hits the line, you may be getting off better than most at the base but you still arent doing too good, you still wont be up to what you were making in 2003. Retiree medical, well if you arent out of here within three years you will probably lose that too.

The current wages at AA may not be a magnet for a SCAB but at NWA they offered a higher wage with no benefits and the scabs came running across the picket line.

That was five years ago, how does that wage compare to what you are agreeing to?

You are using the philosophy that because recalls say no to current pay/benefits a scab would say no. I am saying the payscale offer would change once a scab is requested just as what happened at NWA and the AMT Scabs would again appear out of nowhere.

I'm using the philosophy thats its easier to recruit someone who already has time in the company than a raw recruit from the street. In 2005 the market was saturated with somewhat recently laid off AMTs. When is the last time you saw mass layoffs of mechanics? The scabs didn't appear from nowhere, 18 months prior to the strike NWA started hiring and training them, when the strike started they were still short, they slashed their operations and later merged with Delta.

It is true I have made up my mind, and that is based on postings I see here give me a gut feeling that I do not trust you, any line AMT, or any O/H AMT in a game of self sacrifice to save the other guy. You do personally make statements contrary to this judgement but the challenge has not played out yet and talk is cheap. Just as you know the overhaul AMT for years has taken theirs you to would also take yours. Regardless of your personal opinion I belive that to be a fact and words and debate will never prove out who is correct. I really don't want to find out the truth on that myself by living the test bed when the current agreement as you say doesnt screw me as bad as others. I know for a fact that you personally have blamed Tulsa for your inadequate financial position and you also would be more than willing to accept a union structure that would go against majority rule representation if this would put you and your members in a more powerful economic position.

The whole point is this agreement isnt good for any of us, just because you dont get screwed as bad as the next guy doesnt make this a good deal. Who said anything about self sacrifice? Thats what I'm trying to prevent, us sacrificing for a company that has seen revenue per employee increase by over $100,000 per year since 2001 (2001=$147046 per employee, 2009 =$252433 , 2008 =$282592) yet they claim they have nothing left for us. A company that just announced they are putting new seats in scores of 737s and over $30 million to spruce up the terminals at JFK and LGA. They have money for everything else but us, we should hold out for a decent share of that extra $100 k we bring in for them. I'm saying this deal is bad for the base and its not good for the line, sure we get $2 more than the base but that doesnt make it good.Its a bad deal for all of us. This time we really have something in common.

To me it seems that this is more about punishing your coworkers who failed to support your AMFA drives than even your economic self interest. You keep going on about the greed and selfishness of mechanics as if this is a trait that only applies to them. Are you concerned that we may fare better under a Democratic PEB than our brothers and sisters did under Bush? I find it odd that you are willing to take a bad deal simply because you arent getting hit as bad as your coworkers.

 

[Bob Owens]

Q. Could the company prevent or not agree to wage adjustments after a comparator surpassed a Line AMT or a Line Plant Maintenance Mechanic?

A. If a comparator surpasses the AA rate during the life of the agreement, then the TWU will trigger the right to open on wages, with the intent to adjust the wage accordingly.

Remember these answers were put together by the company. The only adequate answer would be "NO". But it doesnt say NO does it?

I'm sorry, I thought you were here in 1995 and in 2003. In 1995 we had the ME TOO clause which was put in because they felt the membership probably would not pass a 6 year 6 percent contract. So they put in the ME TOO clause and said "Dont worry, when the pilots get their wage we can piggyback off them". In 2003 they slipped in the 2006 early opener clause when we were told "we would get it all back in 2006". Neither materialized.

I sent this attachment to a lawyer, he said its weak, all they really have to do is agree to talk. There is no defined timeline in the language, all it agrees to is to negotiate. They cant simply turn around and say NO, but they could drag it out forever. Look at the USAIR contract, it clearly says that if the company does not come to an agreement by July 1 after the amendable date the membership automatically gets a 3% increase, and the same thing the following July 1. Its clear, this is vague, in vagueness the company has the advantage. If we grieved it the arbitrator would simply ask has the company agreed to meet and discuss? If they did then they would have complied. Knowing this company they would demand some sort of concession in return, such as expanding the use of SMAs in the bases to 50%.

Lets say that they did honor this and not slip out of it like they did in 1995. The comparators are too narrow and distorted. You have to factor in the real wage we are getting after you subtract the value of the Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time that we lost and some of our competitors still have, that breaks down to around $3,40/hr, then factor in the shortened MRT, subtract another $1.50. So our wages using the companys narrow comparators leave us inflated by around $4.90/hr, we could be earning around $4.90/hr less in real compensation but according to their comparitors we are earning more.

 

[Bob Owens]

Another one that doesn't accept majority rule unionism??

Do you? Fleet Service, Dispatch, Stores and Sim Tech are all in the same union, should majority rule?

I believe in democracy but not strict majority rule. The rights of the minority must be protected as well. Majority rule put in laws that said that Black people had to ride in the back of the bus, go to seperate schools and use seperate toilets and drinking fountains, was that right?

Our Federal government doesnt go by strict majority rule either. The county I grew up in has more people (1.3 million) than the state of Alaska yet they have two Senators representing them, we have to share ours with 19.5 million other New Yorkers. Is that fair? Yes, because we have more Congressmen. But in the Senate the two Senators from New York representing 19.5 million New Yorkers have no more voting power than the two from Alaska who represent only 700,000 people. This is a check that prevents the more populated states from using strict majority rule over less populus ones. Since the majority of the population is in a less than majority of the number of states in order for things to pass through both houses in its progress towards law the less populated states Senators have to be agreeable to the law. It forces compromise with the less populated states representatives.

We should have a similar set up in our union. The Presidents coucil should be like the Senate.

 

[Birdman]

I also believe that you and others would proudly take $45.00 per hour and send the Overhaul Bases packing if given the chance. My point is this union is already so divided up, I don't want to end up the financial victim of your desire for personal or professional gain. You know as well I do the company and the TWU agree that overhaul needs to be cost wise closer to Timco and AAR in pay and benefits. I have even read some postings from line AMT's making reference to this in their sarcastic attempts to express their objection. I am not willing to "fight" when the outcome will only mean you get more and I get less.

Exactly!! The compAAny and their union will never bust up this rivalry. Can you imagine the utter chaos that would exist if the line and ao ever got on the same page? Arpey and Little would jump from atop their office buildings if the contract failed by even a 70% margin. Feelings are strong among those on these boards, but sadly they only represent a fraction of 1% of the total membership. The rest, in apathy, will just accept poor leadership.