AMFA Organizing Drive to Replace Association
- Thread starter TWU informer
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richardhead
Member
- Aug 3, 2012
- 48
- 18
His letter is complete BS. Completely political 100%. Just shows where the representation at AA cares about the union and asso. more so than the individual members themselves.
His description of how, supposedly, Southwest pays fewer mechanics to offset the payments to fleet is completely made up BS. Not at all how it happens here at all. He better described exactly how it is done at AA between their mechanics and fleet to a "T". Just another example how their minds are so focused on the fleet group at AA and the mechanics groups are just a small thought in their minds and always put on the back burners.
1AA, I too was in hopes of "something" coming out on AMT day, however, it would still be appropriate anytime this week during AMT Day week...
Most all the leadership in the asso./IAM/TWU are not too smart. They will do their very own harm to themselves during this upcoming vote as they always do, and it will get really bad this time around as they get more and more desperate.
AMFAinMIAMI
Veteran
Continuing the Fight for AA Mechanics and Related Employees
May 26, 2021
Dear American Airlines Mechanics and Related Employees:
We are at the six (6) month mark since AMFA filed your signed authorization for representation cards with the National Mediation Board (NMB) in November 2020, and we remain in a holding pattern awaiting the conclusion of the NMB’s investigation to verify and commence a representation election. During the course of the investigation process, AMFA continues to work diligently on your behalf to get you the vote you were promised and deserve.
Throughout the course of your grassroots organizing campaign and the ongoing NMB investigation, the TWU/IAM has recurrently distributed deceitful propaganda to its members. On November 30, 2020, AMFA addressed the “IAM Poison Pill” in our Position Statement and Continuing Interference of the RLA’s Laboratory Conditions, where AMFA raised the issue regarding the new Mechanic and Related Employees Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Article 29 — Benefits language, which in effect violates the Carrier’s legal obligation of neutrality. AMFA reiterated that this CBA provision was intended to impede AMFA both in its efforts to collect authorization cards, but also to adversely affect AMFA’s chances in an NMB election with certain employees who stand to lose certain health benefits should the TWU/IAM Association lose its representation rights at American Airlines.
On April 22, 2021, AMFA requested that the NMB direct American Airlines to take corrective action to remedy its prior and continuing interference with the “laboratory conditions” required under the RLA, or alternatively, that the Carrier take corrective action on its own initiative to remedy its interference with the “laboratory conditions” required under the RLA by affirmatively stating in writing to the NMB that it now intends to remain neutral in this representation dispute and therefore will not enforce any language in the CBA to the detriment or loss of benefits of any employee in this craft or class resulting from any change in representation in this NMB case.
In addition to the mistruths disseminated to their members, the TWU/IAM has further submitted inaccurate information to the NMB. In response, AMFA has filed an abundance of exhibits, 20 years’ worth of data and documentation, and necessary substantive evidence required to disprove the TWU/IAM’s numerous frivolous requests to manipulate the eligibility list by requesting to add thousands of ineligible employees not employed under the Mechanic and Related class and craft.
AMFA still believes the NMB investigator will determine there are more than enough cards to get you the long overdue and well-deserved union representation election. Furthermore, it appears the TWU/IAM has lost confidence in their recurrent false claims of AMFA not providing adequate cards to induce a representation election, and they are coming to realize an election is anticipated.
Most importantly, your unexpired, current CBA with American Airlines will remain in effect for your group, and this hold true even when an election is conducted and you are represented by AMFA. As you approach the amendable date of your CBA and section 6 negotiations in approximately three and half (3 ½) years, we are confident AMFA leaders who are all from the mechanic and related class and craft will be a unified front, negotiating to achieve the desires of the AA membership.
AMFA remains eager to represent your group and unify your power under one craft union. AMFA is always transparent with our union members because we respect employee choice and never forget that our power as an organization comes from you ─ AMFA Powered By Our Members. For further updates and information, please visit AMFA at the American Airlines page or the AMFA National website.
In Solidarity,
Gene Painter
Assistant National Director
iluvaa
Veteran
- Mar 22, 2007
- 1,228
- 811
I haven’t heard of anything for about 2 weeks now
Yea, just oddly quiet after 6 months post filing
AMFAinMIAMI
Veteran
June 4, 2021
Dear TWU-IAM Association member,
The National Mediation Board (NMB) is still in the process of determining if a representation dispute exists among the Mechanic and Related class and craft at American Airlines, based on the AMFA filing representational cards. We have also been asked if the NMB determines a representation dispute does exist, who will be on the ballot. If the NMB does conduct a representation election, the options will be the TWU-IAM Association, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, no-union, and write in.
We understand that many American Airlines Mechanic and Related workers signed AMFA authorization cards because they were extremely frustrated with the pace of joint contract negotiations between the Association and American Airlines management. However, even with the AMFA trying to divide us during such a critical time, our unity and solidarity endured and we were able to negotiate and ratify the best Mechanic and Related contract ever negotiated in the airline industry. And, through that unity and solidarity we are poised to make future gains, which will benefit us, our families and our communities.
Not only were we able to negotiate industry top wages and cash compensation, we also fought for and achieved industry-leading benefit, retirement and work/job protections. That's the hard stuff and the issues that American management pushed back on with all its might. It became so adversarial that a Federal District Court in Texas slapped a bogus injunction on us and threatened us with hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. Through all of it, we stuck together, engaged in concerted actions to make our voices heard and won the best contract ever negotiated in the airline industry. We should be proud.
However, during this time, AMFA began to prey on the frustrations of Association members, during our negotiations, often telling members we could never achieve the contractual gains our membership eventually ratified. At the same time, AMFA achieved almost nothing, other than backpay, after nearly seven years of negotiations at Southwest. In true AMFA fashion, AMFA organizers bought into company propaganda telling members to demand a vote on American management's proposal, seeking to divide and dilute our collective strength. That's not what a real union does.
There are serious risks to AMFA representation based on its representation model and its history. Simply, the AMFA sells work for wages because it does not have the resources to fight for everything. Currently, AMFA contracts at Southwest and Alaska Airlines, allow for the most outsourcing of aircraft maintenance and related work in the airline industry. The AMFA allows for so much maintenance and related outsourcing that at Southwest and Alaska Airlines, there are only 3 and 4 mechanics per aircraft, respectively. By contrast, because we fought American tooth and nail to protect our work, we have about 16 mechanics per aircraft employed. That's a lot of work and jobs protected.
The AMFA's history also tells us that under AMFA representation, jobs will be lost. After their membership raids at Northwest over 9,000 jobs lost, United about 3,300 jobs lost, and at Alaska Airlines AMFA agreed to allow the contracting out of ALL heavy maintenance work for a loss of nearly 500 jobs. All of these examples are due to the AMFA's lack of power to protect work. Click here to read more about the AMFA's historical failures.
Also, let's just look at the last year. With the largest decline in air travel ever in the airline industry due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, TWU and IAM members mobilized and led the way, with other AFL-CIO affiliated unions, to achieve the Payroll Support Program (PSP), which has kept every single airline worker employed during the worst crisis in aviation history. We didn't just write a letter, we mobilized. We met with the US President, US Senators and US Representatives and ensured we achieved job protection for all airline workers. The AMFA didn't lift a finger to make that happen.
The bottom line is, all American Airlines Mechanic and Related workers face great risks to our future if the AMFA is our representative.
Let's continue to strengthen our unity and solidarity and get ready for the fights that will undoubtedly come in the future. Together we have already demonstrated the power and resolve to achieve our worth and value we rightly deserve.
In solidarity,
Gary Peterson Dave Supplee
Dear TWU-IAM Association member,
The National Mediation Board (NMB) is still in the process of determining if a representation dispute exists among the Mechanic and Related class and craft at American Airlines, based on the AMFA filing representational cards. We have also been asked if the NMB determines a representation dispute does exist, who will be on the ballot. If the NMB does conduct a representation election, the options will be the TWU-IAM Association, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, no-union, and write in.
We understand that many American Airlines Mechanic and Related workers signed AMFA authorization cards because they were extremely frustrated with the pace of joint contract negotiations between the Association and American Airlines management. However, even with the AMFA trying to divide us during such a critical time, our unity and solidarity endured and we were able to negotiate and ratify the best Mechanic and Related contract ever negotiated in the airline industry. And, through that unity and solidarity we are poised to make future gains, which will benefit us, our families and our communities.
Not only were we able to negotiate industry top wages and cash compensation, we also fought for and achieved industry-leading benefit, retirement and work/job protections. That's the hard stuff and the issues that American management pushed back on with all its might. It became so adversarial that a Federal District Court in Texas slapped a bogus injunction on us and threatened us with hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. Through all of it, we stuck together, engaged in concerted actions to make our voices heard and won the best contract ever negotiated in the airline industry. We should be proud.
However, during this time, AMFA began to prey on the frustrations of Association members, during our negotiations, often telling members we could never achieve the contractual gains our membership eventually ratified. At the same time, AMFA achieved almost nothing, other than backpay, after nearly seven years of negotiations at Southwest. In true AMFA fashion, AMFA organizers bought into company propaganda telling members to demand a vote on American management's proposal, seeking to divide and dilute our collective strength. That's not what a real union does.
There are serious risks to AMFA representation based on its representation model and its history. Simply, the AMFA sells work for wages because it does not have the resources to fight for everything. Currently, AMFA contracts at Southwest and Alaska Airlines, allow for the most outsourcing of aircraft maintenance and related work in the airline industry. The AMFA allows for so much maintenance and related outsourcing that at Southwest and Alaska Airlines, there are only 3 and 4 mechanics per aircraft, respectively. By contrast, because we fought American tooth and nail to protect our work, we have about 16 mechanics per aircraft employed. That's a lot of work and jobs protected.
The AMFA's history also tells us that under AMFA representation, jobs will be lost. After their membership raids at Northwest over 9,000 jobs lost, United about 3,300 jobs lost, and at Alaska Airlines AMFA agreed to allow the contracting out of ALL heavy maintenance work for a loss of nearly 500 jobs. All of these examples are due to the AMFA's lack of power to protect work. Click here to read more about the AMFA's historical failures.
Also, let's just look at the last year. With the largest decline in air travel ever in the airline industry due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, TWU and IAM members mobilized and led the way, with other AFL-CIO affiliated unions, to achieve the Payroll Support Program (PSP), which has kept every single airline worker employed during the worst crisis in aviation history. We didn't just write a letter, we mobilized. We met with the US President, US Senators and US Representatives and ensured we achieved job protection for all airline workers. The AMFA didn't lift a finger to make that happen.
The bottom line is, all American Airlines Mechanic and Related workers face great risks to our future if the AMFA is our representative.
Let's continue to strengthen our unity and solidarity and get ready for the fights that will undoubtedly come in the future. Together we have already demonstrated the power and resolve to achieve our worth and value we rightly deserve.
In solidarity,
Gary Peterson Dave Supplee
AMFAinMIAMI
Veteran
The above post is the latest BS from Peterson, Don't fall for this line of crap stand fast with your dedication for a better representative Union, which will be AMFA when the NMB does give M&R work group a VOTE. AS you know the current contract was signed last year YET they still are working out all the kimks as they say. Why in all the time they had during the negotiation process didn't they do that. They are just trying to find a way to keep your dues. The ASSociation cares NOTHING about the M&R work group. It's time for them to GO.
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