Afa Wants To Authorize Strike

[ualdriver]

That's my understanding of the strike issue as well. If the judge abrogates under 1113, then that union can strike or CHAOS or whatever.

 

[Borescope]

You don't need the judge to abrogate under 1113. If they vote to strike then they strike. So what if the president stops it. You still have a sick bank and with the lack of the flu shots this year, I would guess that in the winter months around Christmas and Thanksgiving many people will be getting the Flu.

 

[gatemech]

25th & 26th cough cough cough.

 

[JetClipper]

I just read that AFA is taking strike votes at not only United and US Airways, but ATA and Hawaiian as well. While I grudgingly understand the rationale for action at UA and US, how will striking at Hawaiian and ATA, whose only connection to this issue is that they are airlines, help the Flight Attendants’ cause?

 

[JungleClone]

United Senior Mgmt does not control the price of oil. THAT is the reason why you're seeing the gutting of labor contracts. When the price of fuel has doubled since the late 90's in an industry that enjoys razor-thin profit margins even in the best of times, is it any surprise that it's come to this? Look, I personally don't think Tilton and his cronies have a viable plan to turn United into a profitable airline again. Just like I don't think most of the other major airline executives have a plan. BUT, they have no control over what oil is doing to this industry. We're witnessing the long-awaited restructuring of this industry. Nobody knows who the ultimate survivors will be. But it's safe to say that several airlines will not be around when all is said and done.

As for a strike, the AFA is playing the only card it has. In the grand scheme of things, they know what happens if they carry forward with their CHAOS and strike threats. They'll end up grounding US Airways, United, and Lord knows who else, for good, unless Curious George steps in and squashes them. Don't think it can happen? Yeah, nobody thought something like the Patriot Act could ever be passed either. The AFA knows what a strike would do. But as I've been saying all along, we're not living in rational times. Everyone has their breaking point. And when they're backs are pushed up against it, they say enough is enough. It's gonna be far from smooth sailing going forward. And one or more labor groups could very well bring the whole house of cards crashing down for good. It wouldn't surprise me at this point. Remember that this is a race to the restructuring finish line. Not everyone is going to survive. That much is obvious. And all the hubs and great routes are not going to determine UA's survival. It will ultimately come down to the employees who determine United's fate.

 

[Fly]

Your argument doesn't hold water. They have demanded concessions that have no dollar value just for the sake of demoralizing the flight attendants more. So sorry, buh bye.

 

[WorldTraveler]

What is apparent is that UA and US, the two insolvent airlines in the industry, are having to dig much deeper to turn themselves around. I agree with Fly that UA and US mgmt are asking for some concessions which don't cost the company but demoralize the employees. I don't know what the motive is, but in a service industry employee satisfaction is imperative or the customer suffers - and the customer can take his money elsewhere.

It is apparent that UA and US employees will be much less happy because they will be lower paid than their counterparts at other legacy airlines. Personally, I think it is foolish for UA and US mgmt to think the extra several hundred million will save the company when the opposite is likely to be true. At the same time, it is unlikely that any act of labor is likely to stop mgmt from moving forward with these steps and may accelerate the downfall of those airlines. Either way, UA and US employees are finding it much less attractive to work for those companies so it is probably prudent to think in terms of future careers. At the same time, it is certainly true that employees have been more influential at determining the future of airlines in the US than any other factor.

 

[Winglet]

It's ironic that the only group with gonads are the flight attendants. The pilots weasel around like a bunch of enuchs.

What the American public needs is a really really chaotic and inconvenient travel season this year. They ought to save the money, stay home and shop at Walmart for cheap Chinese junk to hang in their house.

 

[Borescope]

Hey, the pilots already know how to do this. They did it in 2000. Let's ask their union bosses to run the strike show.

 

[UAL_TECH]

And now the dangerous game of chicken begins. Who will blink first? I was wondering which union would be the first to play the strike card. As I've said before and I'll say again, now that the AFA has played their hand (other unions could certainly follow), hopefully everyone has their financial house in order and their family prepared for what will probably be an unfortunate outcome if any union on the property decides to burn the house down with a strike or job action.

Not that it matters in the above as I'm sure there would be a job action whether it is legal or not, but does anyone know as FACT as to when or even if a union can legally strike under the 1113 process? From what I understand, there is no legal precedent.

[post="201042"][/post]​

Ualdriver,

No legal precedent but a legal intrepertation:

RAILWAY AND AIRLINE LABOR LAW COMMITTEE
© 2003 American Bar Association
http://www.bnabooks.com/ababna/railway/2003/rlabank.doc

Page 46 and 47

E. Conclusion: The Right to Strike Preserved
When it enacted Section 1113, Congress relieved employers of their Section 6 responsibilities – it provided employers with a shortcut to unilateral implementation. While nothing explicit was directed towards the right to strike, it seems almost absurd to suggest that Congress intended to
(1) relieve employers of their responsibilities under an otherwise valid collective bargaining agreement,
(2) permit debtors to unilaterally implement terms of employment without first adhering to Section 2(First) and Section 6, while at the same time
(3) compelling employees to accept the employer’s proposals and
(4) prohibiting the peaceful exercise of their right to strike without resorting to the RLA procedures they were denied in the first place.

B) UT

 

[UAL_TECH]

I just read that AFA is taking strike votes at not only United and US Airways, but ATA and Hawaiian as well. While I grudgingly understand the rationale for action at UA and US, how will striking at Hawaiian and ATA, whose only connection to this issue is that they are airlines, help the Flight Attendants’ cause?

[post="201422"][/post]​

Solidarity Vote!!!

When is enough - enough?

B) UT

 

[mrfish3726]

JungleClone says, "When the price of fuel has doubled since the late 90's in an industry that enjoys razor-thin profit margins even in the best of times, is it any surprise that it's come to this?"

If your employed at UniTED I quess you don't remember the 450m to 500m UAL was raking in for a total of around 8B in profits from the EFLOP. Those weren't razor thin profits DUDE! That was a lot of scratch that they should have put away for these rainy days. The one thing that most airlines except SWA haven't learned is how to make themselves ressesion proof. But when you ask Glenn about the lost profits, he'll just say lets not live in the past, INCREDIBLE that you would forget that CLONE.

Look at the profits that SWA has posted over it's 30+ years and tell me that they haven't learned to do that. It won't be long down the road that SWA will surpass every legacy carrier to gain the number 1 spot in the industry.

 

[UAL_TECH]

hmmmm, seems to me that our biggest cheerleaders DO NOT work at United. Go F yourselves. Amazing!

Whatever we choose to do will effect all of you.....understand?

[post="201195"][/post]​

Fly,

Not really, I'm a cheerleader!!!

It is a 'industry' thing and we are all being taken for a ride.

It may be interesting to note that the AMFA constitution does not allow crossing of picket lines, so if the AFA strikes and puts a minimum amount of AFA pickets across AMFA lines then..............

Ualdriver,
How about APLA?
Will they cross?

B) UT

 

[Borescope]

APLA may not cross.........But ALPA pilots will cave. Not going to do them much good flying around those airplanes with no PAX's or FA's on them.

 

[AC AA LA FA]

let ALPA fly empty planes APA did it for us in 93-
This issue transends all boundries and all invloved and invested in orginized labor can understand-
You go AFA!! This APFA member understands sympathizes, and supports you all the way!!
enough is enough-