American Airlines workers try to dump union

[AAquila]

Unhappy with a recent contract that significantly cut wages and benefits, some mechanics and other workers at American Airlines are trying to dump their union in favor of one that focuses on their craft.

Don Rodgers, who works at the maintenance base in Tulsa, is co-organizer of the campaign to replace the Transport Workers Union with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. He said more than 7,000 workers at American have signed cards to replace the TWU. That figure includes more than 480 of the 814 affected members based at Lambert Field in St. Louis.


http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/...y+to+dump+union

 

[RV4]

We're not going to TRY,

we're going to succeed in the dump of the TWU!


in business
Unhappy with a recent contract that significantly cut wages and benefits, some mechanics and other workers at American Airlines are trying to dump their union in favor of one that focuses on their craft.

Don Rodgers, who works at the maintenance base in Tulsa, is co-organizer of the campaign to replace the Transport Workers Union with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. He said more than 7,000 workers at American have signed cards to replace the TWU. That figure includes more than 480 of the 814 affected members based at Lambert Field in St. Louis.

Campaign organizers want verified cards from about 10,000, or 60 percent, of the eligible members before seeking an election. National Mediation Board rules require challengers to obtain authorization cards from 50 percent plus one of the eligible members.

Regardless of which union represents the mechanics and other craftsmen, the new contract that gave American $620 million a year in labor concessions from employees represented by the TWU will remain in effect until its amendable date in 2008, said Julia Bishop-Cross, a spokeswoman for the airline.

Gary Schaible, campaign organizer at American's hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where the AMFA campaign began in March, said those who support replacing the TWU know they must live with the contract for now. He said they don't want a union whose leaders make decisions for the membership instead of letting members vote on all issues.

The members control AMFA," Schaible said. "Here, we're controlled by a couple people at the top that make all the decisions." He was referring to a decision by TWU leaders to accept an amended American Airlines contract in the spring, even though members were promised another vote on the deal after learning of retention bonuses and pension guarantees for the airline's top executives.

TWU International Representative Robert Gless denied any one person or a few control the union. He said the TWU presidents council, which is made up of elected presidents who represent locals around the system at American, make most of the decisions that affect members.

TWU officials said they aren't surprised that mechanics at American are upset over the contract that cut their wages by at least 17.5 percent. But they believe AMFA is trying to exploit difficult decisions TWU leaders made to keep the airline out of bankruptcy and its members working.

TWU General Counsel Arthur Luby said a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit to block the new labor agreement because the judge determined the TWU acted in the best interests of the company, its workers and travelers.

James C. Little, TWU's director of air transport, said a lot of misinformation is circulating among TWU members at American. He said the TWU is mounting a campaign to explain to members why it agreed to an amended contract without letting members vote again and why TWU can represent mechanics and other craftsmen at American better.

The TWU, which has represented workers at American since 1946, represents about 31,000 active employees at American, including about 14,500 mechanics and other workers.

 

[DFWCC]

The AGW union for ramp workers is trying to make headway at DFW. There are a lot of irate FSCs who voted against the contract. I'm beginning to see info taped in hallways. TWU may go out and be replaced by AMFA and AGW.
You never know in this business.

 

[RV4]

Post removed by RV4, stand back and watch this one.

 

[Checking it Out]

Welcome to AMFA Watch Dogs - The truth is out there!!
AMFA Watch Dogs bring you the truth about AMFA dispelling the lies and half-truths and exposing their misrepresentation.
Airline Rep. at Horizon Air takes long weekends on membership's money.
August 6, 2003
The Horizon Air Airline Rep. for AMFA in Portland, OR has been taking weekends off and justifying it as Union Business. AMFA Local 17 has paid Jerry Holiday, the Airline Rep., for a total of 15 Saturdays and Sundays where he was not doing union business but rather staying home or traveling for pleasure.
These 15 days added up to a total of 9 weekends where 2 of the weekends coincided with holidays and one other that started off his vacation.
What union business does he do on the weekends? As far as I can tell he is just extending his weekends so he can have a 3 or 4 day weekend at the expense of the membership. Jerry's response is that he had to do union business on his day off so he is being compensated for it by taking the weekend off.
I know for a fact that the officers and stewards for the TWU did union business on their days off but did feel like we needed to use the members money to extend our weekends. They just thought that it was their responsibility as officers and stewards. Unlike Jerry Holiday they where doing it to help the membership. But then again maybe the TWU officers and stewards have a higher level of integrity and moral values then their AMFA Airline Rep.
Jerry Holiday has set in nicely with his AMFA brethren following the same beliefs and principles set forth by their fearless leader O.V. Delle Femine. Where it is about money not the membership. I guess you could say the attitude is more like - It's all about me, and it's all about money - with these AMFA guys.
Thus far Mr. Holiday has been paid $2880.00 to stay at home and extend his weekend, holiday or vacation. What a racket.
If the membership is smart they will hold him accountable for this and remove him from office for misappropriation of funds and make him pay the money back to the membership. Many members already are upset that their money is going to the Jerry Holiday Weekend Fund and not to representing them.
The Watch Dogs
We are Watching!
amfa at nwa has allowed super senority of at least 2 of their officers to add to this list. Is this really what you want?

TWU SOLIDARITY! Is the Best Choice!

 

[RV4]

Post removed by RV4, stand back and watch this one.

 

[Checking it Out]

From Dave Stewart, Amfa Organizer Tulsa Welder.
This quoted posting is just for legal reference and to insure that this post is in it's original format from alias "checking it out" and that it is also documented and saved!
In addition, a complete html source code data version has been saved and sent to AMFA National and Local 17.
The TRUTH will come out on this one!
Dave freedum of Speech? Ever heard of this?
Remember the Last time?
How Many posts did you eliminate on Plane Business?
dave does this mean you intend on pursuing the replacement of the amfa rep in Portland? Will you enclude the two At NW also? Looks like your going to stand up and do the right thing?
TWU SOLIDARITY! The Best Choice in Representation!

 

[RV4]

Post removed by RV4, stand back and watch this one.

 

[Bob Owens]

----------------
On 8/9/2003 10:42:59 AM DFWCC wrote:

The AGW union for ramp workers is trying to make headway at DFW. There are a lot of irate FSCs who voted against the contract. I'm beginning to see info taped in hallways. TWU may go out and be replaced by AMFA and AGW.
You never know in this business.

----------------​

Back in December of 2000 I closed a letter to Sonny Hall with the warning "That which cannot evolve with a changing enviornment eventually becomes extinct".
I urged Sonny to make democratic reforms he failed to do so. Now he may lose much of the division that kept him in power, the ATD. In the ATD instead of putting through reforms and granting the members reasonable requests his response is to label any one who talks about reform, democracy, accountability or transparency an AMFA organizer. The fact is Mr Halls problems are not just AMFA, or the AGW or that Dispatchers union, he has problems with the 36000 member Local 100, the 7000 member Local 234 and raids by the IBT in I think PA. In those locals he brands them Communists for asking for the same things as us. What's ironic is that from the reports I've heard at least one of his top guys was a member of the Communist party, I think he is now the Legislative director who also heads Sonnys RED smear campains. The recent moves to purge the airline Unions are nothing new to many other locals in this union that have dared defy Sonny's edicts. The SWA flight attendants, one of the few workers who work for a profitable company have gone how long without a contract-18 months? He needs to do something real soon, retire.
Sonny and Little set us back 50 years with this last contract, I guess he wont be satisfied until he brings the union back 70 years, to before the TWU even existed? The TWU was founded by Mike Quill in 1934. Mike copied the structure of the IRA which he learned as a young freedom fighter in Ireland. I always took pride in that as my grandfather was also in the IRA, 4th Northern Division South Armagh, still known to the Brittish as "Bandit Country". Its a shame what Sonny Hall and Jim Little have done to this Union. A union founded by a fighter, now under the control of yes men who never saw a concession they did not like as long as it was for their members. Sonny and company are likely going to destroy this once proud union, a union that Aircraft mechanics sought even though they had a mechanics union. I'm sure they tucked away enough of our dues to pay him his $100000/year pension that he is due to recieve. The question is as O'Brien patiently wait his turn for the prime spot will there be anything left or will he have to go back to work?
I'm leary of O'Brien. I dont know him so I cant say anything bad about him but when one looks at what qualities it took to move up in the Hall regime a Hall picked replacement is not good news. We wanted Koziatek gone and we got Little, and now the worst contract ever. While we know Sonny must go, we have to be sure that who ever gets put in his place is better. We must demand democratic reforms to bring accountability. The IEC or IAC or whatever had better stand up soon and send Sonny back out to Sag Harbor to collect his $100,000/year pension before they all end up out of a job.

 

[RUM@AA]

----------------
On 8/9/2003 2:42:38 PM Checking it Out wrote:



Welcome to AMFA Watch Dogs - The truth is out there!!
AMFA Watch Dogs bring you the truth about AMFA dispelling the lies and half-truths and exposing their misrepresentation.
Airline Rep. at Horizon Air takes long weekends on membership's money.
August 6, 2003
The Watch Dogs
We are Watching!And making this stuff up as we go
amfa at nwa has allowed super senority of at least 2 of their officers to add to this list. Is this really what you want?

TWU SOLIDARITY! Is the Best Choice!


----------------​

This is a joke! It's not even a real news article! I can make up xxxx like this about some TWU e-board stooges too but that would be a huge waste of time. How about this:
TWU LOCAL PRESIDENT PURCHASES $80,000.00 HORSE WITH PAYOFF FOR CONTRACT SELL-OUT.


Sound about right?

 

[RUM@AA]

----------------
On 8/9/2003 4:48:07 PM Checking it Out wrote:



TWU SOLIDARITY! The Best Choice in Representation!


----------------​

Yes, that's why so many airline's mechanics have switched to the TWU. That's why Delta is holding a TWU card drive. NOT! That's why NWA is about to throw AMFA out and vote in the TWU. NOT! That's why Alaska mechanics are ready to throw out AMFA and switch to TWU. NOT!
CIO, you're an embarassment. I've been at AA for 18 years and all I hear is one work group M.F.ing the other. Mechanics hate fleet service, Line hates Overhaul, OSMs envey Mechanics, Stores hate mechanics, etc. etc.
TWU is the most divided union on the face of the earth AND YOU KNOW IT! You're not fooling anyone but yourself.
TWU SUCKS!
You make me want to puke :-()rrraaaaaallllffffff

 

[Hopeful]

The TWU is running scared. Why else would they suspend local presidents as well as Bob Owens, citing his 1200 posts on this board. They know the end is near. The IAM has been advising the TWU on these MCCARTHY like tactics because the IAM ignored the plight of their mechanics. I hope my brothers in TULSA keep those AMFA cards coming. We got screwed the worst with the TWU of all the major carriers. We have nothing further to lose!

 

[MCI transplant]

----------------
On 8/10/2003 7:46:28 AM Hopeful wrote:

The TWU is running scared. Why else would they suspend local presidents as well as Bob Owens, citing his 1200 posts on this board. They know the end is near. The IAM has been advising the TWU on these MCCARTHY like tactics because the IAM ignored the plight of their mechanics. I hope my brothers in TULSA keep those AMFA cards coming. We got screwed the worst with the TWU of all the major carriers. We have nothing further to lose!

----------------​

Hopeful---What kind of funny Cigurettes have you been smoken boy? The IAM? Give me a break!!!!

 

[Hopeful]

By way, MCI, the IAM is a NON-ISSUE at UAL!

 

[Checking it Out]

This is what Dave is sensoring himself for;

This quoted posting is just for legal reference and to insure that this post is in it's original format from alias "checking it out" and that it is also documented and saved!

In addition, a complete html source code data version has been saved and sent to AMFA National and Local 17.

The TRUTH will come out on this one!
------------------------------------------------------

When push comes to shove dave has always failed to go the extra mile! This is typical of an amfa Representative. It is all about money to them and not fighting. This is one of many examples, The members understand what this means and this is why the members have choose on ocassion not to elect this Individual to hold office.

Qoute; Post removed by RV4, stand back and watch this one.


Think about this :"Are these the Individuals you want to represent You?" when the times get Tuff they run and hide. This is one of the biggest complaints at NW right now!

TWU SOLIDARITY!