This thread truly represents the feeling on the line about JW ( exception possibly IDF) and his run for office this go around. Laura Gladdings slate is being well received as the only viable alternative and thus, in my opinion, will win.
All the political sniping is part of this game. Search for the facts and cast your vote..
I truly believe she'll lead us straight to the bottom. But, you are right, looks like she will probably win because people have no clue who she is affiliated with, no clue that as negotiator she wanted AVBL gone, and that she and Bott were engaged in sneaky dealings with the company behind the other negotiators backs. Such is life. 4 more years of side letters of agreement and crud for juniors! Hip Hip Hooray!
I'm sure many of you cast your misguided anger ballot and already voted for Glading. This is one final letter from Alexis Boilini directed at Jeff Bott.
Jeff,
This is my final response to your postings. I will no longer get sucked into your childish and outlandish attacks. Ballots have been mailed, and the membership will decide. You can continue to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. You will manage to influence a few, but fortunately not everyone will fall prey to your tactics.
Those who don’t share your beliefs are naïve, disingenuous, or “yes†people. Nobody “gets it†but you and your crew. In campaigning for Laura, you have attempted to discredit the entire negotiating team. You have given her all the credit for the 2001 agreement, yet you’ve distanced her from the RPA. You even said that she was the hardest worker – by whose accounts? Yours?
How many negotiations sessions were you present at – three or four, over a two-year period? But somehow, that makes you the expert. You made several comments about me being absent during the last hours. Ask yourself why those negotiators who had retired to their rooms after wages had been negotiated were not contacted for your so-called “wrapping up the deal.†You present this like major negotiations were still ongoing. Are you suggesting that we walked out, that we left without cause? Everything had been done except a couple of letters of agreement. That was to be concluded the following morning. But somehow, and for reasons that will remain unstated, you and Laura made contact with the Company and began your own negotiations without the involvement of the remaining team members. But that’s how your administration operates. Look at the extension of recall rights for the TWA flight attendants. Will you later pitch this as if some of the BOD members were absent when the decision was made, that they were sleep during the final hours? The truth is they, like us, were not informed about your clandestine dealings.
As far as your remarks about the PEB, my point was that again you were running scared. A PEB is coming, a PEB is coming! We knew what we were faced with. Unlike you, John wanted to get the most mileage out of the deal. At any point we could have agreed to accept the last offer, but you don’t employ those types of strategies. That explains why you campaigned so vigorously in support of the RPA. You were afraid. Then turned around and blamed John. Have you no shame? Now, look at the rules and working conditions we’re operating under. Before you twist this, this doesn’t mean that I wanted a bankruptcy, it just means that I wanted the Company’s claims to be challenged. I’ve spent most of my adult life specializing in the manipulation of numbers and mathematical concepts. There was a limit where we should have been taken before throwing up your arms figuratively and telling the Company that the huge loss to the contract outweighed the risk of threat of bankruptcy.
You also accused Art of wanting to give away the 777 award. Your memory must be fading because it was your idea to begin with. You came to us and told us you had a grievance award to sell. Sound familiar?
The only candidates I believe have all the qualities to inspire our membership to get engaged again is John Ward and his team. Like this country, this membership is ready for an all out revolution! I have been on the line and I hear and feel the anger bubbling. They are ready to take it all back. John is the one leader that has all the natural talents as well as the experience and contractual knowledge. He got this membership engaged to stand tough and demand the industry leading contract that we all won, and he is the one that can get it back.
I’m ready to fight, and I’ll be the first one to walk a picket line. I’ll also support whoever is in office because it’s the unity part of “union†that works.
Thanks for listening and let's hope everyone votes!!!!
Alexis Boilini IOR and former member of the 2001 APFA Negotiation Team
