NewHampshire Black Bears said:
skygoddess;
My answer NOW, was the same it was THEN.
"N F W"
first word NO
third word WAY
NH/BB's
I think as time goes by you will have trouble finding anyone who will admit to voting Yes.
Whats done is done. Time to start working on the next votes, the recall votes for the APA and the APFA and the representation votes for the Dispatchers (PAFCA), Mechanics (AMFA), Fleet Service and other ground workers (AGW). In a years time all the workers at AA could be in non-affiliated unions. UAL mechanics are already AMFA. USAIR workers are signing cards for AMFA and the AGW. We all must clean house as much as possible. Any leader who said YES must go, no excuses, we need leaders, not excuses.
Even though the AGW is brand new with no resources the fact that Fleet Service workers are spread out more evenly between high cost areas and low cost areas, unlike the mechanics who are concentrated in low cost areas, means that a swift change over to the AGW is very likely. They could come from nowhere and be out of the TWU before the mechanics!
If this movement spreads to UAL you could find most Fleet Service workers in one union, the way it should be, the way the IAM,TWU and IBT should have done it. Then you too could petition to join the AFL-CIO.
Maybe then mechanics and Fleet Service can work together without being forced upon one another. Old wounds would finally heal. Each group could pursue its own interests and work together to reinforce each other. Instead of being told what to do by people who never even worked in this industry our top union guys would be one of us, and who better to represent and fight for us than one of us?
Maybe true unionism, and true solidarity can blossom from the ruins of todays business unions. Once established, airline unions, true airline unions, both affiliated and not should form an association so that we can finally have the power to ensure that nothing like we have just gone though ever happens again.
