April/May 2013 IAM Fleet Discussions

[roabilly]

The IAM is 'not for long' if it continues to put politics ahead of the membership. Our NC, non agc's, need to stick together and demand more of a relationship with the other IAM district instead of the IAM making us all look like jackasses to your company. By John john's reasoning, the only way IAM141 will get up off of its ass is if there is a raid. Why hasn't IAM141 asked for a release? What can anyone expect when the NC has their collective fingers up their asses and have NOT done any prelim???? regards,

You gotta be s***in’ me! If anyone puts politics before the membership it’s YOU! Since things did not work-out for you politically, and you were fired, your deep hatred for the IAM and Unions in general has escalated to a frenzy not seem in decades! I love the way you attempt to present your arguments… always attempting to single out an individual as corrupt, inept, etc. I have followed your rants for decades-- Actually since “The Big Picture”… and nothing has changed. Essentially, your whole argument is ”Burn down the Union-- lynch the leaders”… it’s not very hard to figure out what you’re up to.

Your agenda is starting to be revealed. It's happening. regards,

Here is my ”agenda”… retire in less than a year, and not give a s*** about what you think!

 

[roabilly]

ROA be sure I know please. would like to make it if I can.

I'll pm those that I know that are actual fleet members... you will be on the list!

 

[Harry Callahan]

I'll pm those that I know that are actual fleet members... you will be me on the list!

Thanks bro. It's nothing like that last walk to the door or however they do where you work.

Edit to add the only reason I even read here (or skim it) is because I care about all my friends still left there.

 

[roabilly]

@700-- Can you please re-post the history related to the various disruptive, detrimental, and devious campaigns Nelson has orchestrated over the years? I think there was a 'filing short' that almost lead to a complete loss of representation?! This history needs to be brought to the forefront!

 

[700UW]

Tim filed short on cards in like 91ish, since he filed short there was a one year bar by the NMB for any election, this lead to the bloodbath of 92 when the company did the following:

1. Downgraded 40% of the workforce to part-time.
2. Eliminated Vacation, sick, and OJI protection and replaced with PDOs and five of them had to be banked for sick time use.
3. Outsourced, Express ground handling, and Express inside work.
4. Outsourced Mail and Cargo.
5. Outsourced majority of catering.
6. Increased medical insurance of family coverage for part-timers to $300 a month.
7. Limited part-time hours to 20 hours a week.
8. Increased use of split shift for full timers.
9. Froze the pension plan.
10. Loss of work resulted in system-wide layoffs.
11. Pay progression frozen for one year/
12. Paycuts for one year.

Tried to sell his name list to the IBT for a union position.

Started FSU and put Mike Pruitt (who was totally clueless) and himself in charge.

Started the Big Picture web page and was almost terminated for calling for a work slow down on and and Carr and Rusk saved his job.

Started the AGW tried to raid US and failed and tried to raid AA and failed, all of this during contract negotiations which weakened the bargaining position at the table.

Was removed from the ORD Grievance Committee for dual unionism.

Led the campaign to remove Canale and elect Delaney and now he claims Delaney and his team are worse than Canale. Also pushed for Crowell and O'Donnell for AGCs and according to him they are failures.

I think this pretty much sums it up.

http://www.airlinefo...ion-tim-nelson/

Tim on the TWU:
Tim Nelson
Mar 14 2005, 11:58 AM

Post on the former AGW site

http://64.233.187.10...W..."twu"&hl=en

Dear American Airline FSC;
I am often asked what is the difference between Labor Representatives, i.e., the AGW and the TWU. Or to put it another way, why should someone consider switching from the TWU to the AGW.

First off, the primary reason to have a Union is to negotiate and secure a Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA]. As I have talked to several American Airline FSC’s I have realized the cruddy, undemocratic, yet calculated job the TWU has done in representing you. In fact, I would categorize it as the TWU representing the company to you instead of you to the company. At any rate, I am not going to insult you and tell you what you already know about the TWU.

What I can tell you is what the AGW Constitution allows under the exact same circumstances. In any AGW negotiations, YOU negotiate your contract because your Negotiations team, including its chairman is from your airline and department [far different from the TWU]. Further, the Negotiations team can’t even enter into negotiations unless and until the majority of workers prioritize contract proposals. For instance, if American wants further concessions from you and you had the AGW, then any elected AGW Negotiations team can’t even enter concessionary negotiations unless the majority of workers approve and prioritize contract proposals. Remember, your Labor Representative represents you, is your advocate, and shouldn’t be in concessionary talks with your company if the members didn’t authorize them! Does this mean anything to you?

At any rate, negotiations are the ‘sacred’ for the workers so all AGW negotiations are fully disclosed to the members it represents. Each company proposal and AGW counter proposal from your Negotiations team must be on display on the AGW website for full disclosure! Further, the AGW, by Constitution, can’t sign confidentiality papers with a company because it does not allow secret, ‘cant tell ya’ negotiations. Confidentiality agreements always protect the company and always keep information from the rank and file. Further, no AGW officer has the power or authority to sign a letter of agreement without being authorized by the majority of workers.
As a side, the highest salary for an AGW officer is $61,000; Officer elections have minimal restrictions to promote greater participation; The AGW will service you with the same resources you give the TWU…your dues; And the AGW has retained a Nationally recognized law firm to represent you in arbitration cases and for other professional matters.

It’s all in the AGW constitution and I encourage you to read it. In closing, you can’t afford to keep the TWU along with its undemocratic systems. The quicker you sign your AGW card then the quicker we can replace the TWU!
Onward!
Tim Nelson, Interim Director, Allied Ground Workers


Tim states that:
“In any AGW negotiations, YOU negotiate your contract because your Negotiations team, including its chairman is from your airline and department [far different from the TWU].”

Fact: The AGW NEVER negotiated…anything!!!!




Now the President of TWU Local 512 – President Report:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the risk of breathing new life into what should be a dead issue, I would like to use this month’s President’s Message to express my thoughts on the group that calls itself the Allied Ground Workers. I am aware that some of our Local 512 members have been distributing literature about this organization and have solicited others to sign cards authorizing the AGW as the collective bargaining agent for fleet service. Some of you who are reading this may have signed one of these authorization cards. Members who were approached by these AGW supporters told me that they thought they were signing a petition the purpose of which was to show their displeasure with the TWU. In case it was not fully explained to you at the time, let me assure you there is more at play here than just sending a message to your TWU leadership.

This is what could happen.

As stated above, these cards indicate that the signatory authorizes the Allied Ground Workers to be the sole collective bargaining agent for fleet service employees at American Airlines. In the event that AGW were to obtain signatures from a majority of the bargaining unit system wide, they could petition the National Mediation Board for a representational election. There are three possible outcomes of such an election. If the TWU gets the majority of votes cast, the TWU would win. If the AGW gets the majority, it would win. Both of these outcomes are predicated on at least 50% plus one members of the bargaining unit casting votes for one or the other representative. The third possible outcome would occur if less than half the bargaining unit were to cast votes. If that were to happen we would have no union.

OK. That last scenario is too sickening to even contemplate so we’ll leave it be for now.

Let’s talk about the Allied Ground Workers. Who are they? Whom do they represent? What are their credentials and experience? If you visit the AGW website, you will find that their "Interim Director" is Tim Nelson and their "Interim President" is Mike Pruitt. Who are they and who elected them to their positions within the organization? The website does contain a brief "bio" on Nelson (nothing on Pruitt) that raises more questions than it answers. It appears Tim Nelson is very good at making sweeping general statements but is very stingy with supporting facts. With this in mind, one of our Local 512 representatives wrote Mr. Nelson an email respectfully asking him to clarify some of the things he states in his biography. While I give him credit for a prompt response, Nelson failed to answer any of the direct questions posed by our rep. He was, however, quick to take offense when the irony of his characterization of another Union’s system of governance as a "one man band" was pointed out to him. I am starting to suspect that Mr. Nelson is what our brothers and sisters at Local 513 might call "All hat and no cattle".

So what do we know about Tim Nelson, Mike Pruitt and the AGW? Nelson apparently works for US Airways (which just emerged from bankruptcy) though he states this nowhere in his biography and does not answer this question in the email although he was asked this directly. Nor does he answer the question of what work he does for the airline. He does not respond to a question if he was elected to his position or if he is self-appointed. He does not answer the questions of how and when the AGW was founded or whom the AGW represents. (Note: I do not believe the AGW is the bargaining agent for anyone and has never negotiated a contract.) He seems prone to making self-aggrandizing, vaguely messianic statements such as "…having Justice as a core basis of my faith and doing my best to serve it by God’s grace alone…" and "…the courtroom is empty and I am free to serve Justice."
And what do we know about "President" Mike Pruitt. Zip.

The targets of the AGW’s organizing drives are the ramp service employees from US Airways, United Airlines and American Airlines. All of these employees have suffered through painful restructuring either in bankruptcy, in the cases of US Airways and United, or under the threat of bankruptcy in the case of American. All of these employees are currently represented by either the IAM or the TWU. Apparently, the AGW is not interested in organizing employees who have no Union representation. The TWU is currently engaged in an organizing effort at Continental Airlines and spent years working to organize Delta’s ramp employees. The TWU has led successful drives to organize Southwest’s flight attendants and clerks and America West’s clerks. All of these employees lacked Union representation when the TWU began their drives. The AGW, by contrast, are nothing but a bunch of Union-busting predators. Don’t think so? Then why is one of the AGW’s biggest proponents in ORD supplying a link to the National Right to Work Foundation, an organization whose sole purpose it is to undermine organized labor, on the AGW forum website?

If there were to be a representation election and the Allied Ground Workers win, then what would happen? First of all, the contract would remain in force. A new Local would be formed and new officers elected. The AGW Constitution allows for members from more than one employer to makeup a Local so you could be in the same Local as US Airways and United employees. We could end up being led by officers who work at a different airline. An "employer specific" Local could be formed at the discretion of the National Executive Board. (I thought the AGW was supposed to have a "bottom-up" system of governance.) The TWU Local 512 treasury would revert to the TWU International and the new AGW Local would start out with zero dollars. (Under the AGW Constitution, 40% of dues money goes to the International and 60% stays with the Local. The split of initiation fees is 50-50. In the TWU, 70% of dues and 100% of initiation fees remains in the Local.) The new Local and International AGW would be subject to the same federal laws that govern the TWU and all Labor Unions in the airline industry, chiefly the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).

As an officer of Local 512 I am bound by an oath to "…bear true and faithful allegiance to the International and Local Union…" and my Union is the TWU. I take that oath seriously and I do my best to live up to it. The TWU has been the …"exclusive and sole collective bargaining agency…" for fleet service at American since 1946 [TWU/AA Agreement, Article 1(a)]. No organization is perfect, just as no leader is perfect. Just as I am not blind to the internal problems of this organization, I am aware of the external forces that have plagued the industry, particularly the "legacy" carriers such as American, and have created downward pressures on industry wages and benefits. Those pressures are not only economic but political as well. The TWU has weathered many a storm in its half-century of representing employees in the industry. We have been through strikes, airline deregulation, Crandall, the demise of Eastern and Pan Am, 9/11 …but we have survived and we have prospered.

There is no question that this past year has been a horrible one for our members. There is no denying it. The TWU membership made the tough decisions necessary to keep the Company solvent and it appears that American is no longer at risk of filing for bankruptcy. Compare our situation with United, still in bankruptcy, and US Airways, just emerged from bankruptcy. Both of those airlines are asking their employees for further concessions with the threat of seeking relief from a bankruptcy judge if they fail to agree. Both United and US Airways have cut back considerably more of their operations and their workforces than American. American is poised to make a profit this year and the sooner it does so the sooner we will start to recover what we lost in the restructuring agreements. Money-losing companies do not agree to wage and benefit increases in negotiations.
Fraternally,

Glenn Harmon
President
TWU Local 512

 

[blue collar]

So, it's Tim's fault that the company did all that in '92? I didn't realize he was calling the shots.

 

[mike33]

So, it's Tim's fault that the company did all that in '92? I didn't realize he was calling the shots.

I didn't take it as a matter of fault! I believe it invalidates the validity of some claims and the disruption of a process. Hell US NC committee hasn't finished their process yet and it implies we change the negotiator. I say for US........show me something on paper first and I will judge from there as all my fellow workers will do the same. Don't show me something with UA OR HA on it because I don't have a voice in its outcome. Hell maybe US FLEET will change this industry for the better? Don't sell yourself short on someone else's TA. Even if the top negotiator is the same. So lets get on with it already. And this is directed to all those at the CHAIRMANS CONF this week!

 

[737823]

Tim filed short on cards in like 91ish, since he filed short there was a one year bar by the NMB for any election, this lead to the bloodbath of 92 when the company did the following:

1. Downgraded 40% of the workforce to part-time.
2. Eliminated Vacation, sick, and OJI protection and replaced with PDOs and five of them had to be banked for sick time use.
3. Outsourced, Express ground handling, and Express inside work.
4. Outsourced Mail and Cargo.
5. Outsourced majority of catering.
6. Increased medical insurance of family coverage for part-timers to $300 a month.
7. Limited part-time hours to 20 hours a week.
8. Increased use of split shift for full timers.
9. Froze the pension plan.
10. Loss of work resulted in system-wide layoffs.
11. Pay progression frozen for one year/
12. Paycuts for one year.

Tried to sell his name list to the IBT for a union position.

Started FSU and put Mike Pruitt (who was totally clueless) and himself in charge.

Started the Big Picture web page and was almost terminated for calling for a work slow down on and and Carr and Rusk saved his job.

Started the AGW tried to raid US and failed and tried to raid AA and failed, all of this during contract negotiations which weakened the bargaining position at the table.

Was removed from the ORD Grievance Committee for dual unionism.

Led the campaign to remove Canale and elect Delaney and now he claims Delaney and his team are worse than Canale. Also pushed for Crowell and O'Donnell for AGCs and according to him they are failures.

I think this pretty much sums it up.

http://www.airlinefo...ion-tim-nelson/

There are two sides to every story, why are you attacking Tim? Where are facts to back up these claims? Besides all of this allegedly occurred 20+ years ago, you get upset when people bring up previous failures of the IAM only five years back and call them obtuse, this is no different.

Josh

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

Jeeze,between the dog #### UAL TA deftly negotiated by the IAM and this ongoing pissing contest I'm thinking convincing anyone at AA other than former TWA members to vote for the IAM is a losing proposition.

TWU isn't much better but they don't hand job you for years on grievances.And what is an AGC,how many are there and do they really make $180K a year?

 

[ograc]

Jeeze,between the dog #### UAL TA deftly negotiated by the IAM and this ongoing pissing contest I'm thinking convincing anyone at AA other than former TWA members to vote for the IAM is a losing proposition.

TWU isn't much better but they don't hand job you for years on grievances.And what is an AGC,how many are there and do they really make $180K a year?

Assistant General Chairperson. They report directly to the Directing General Chairperson (President of the District). Each responsible for a number of stations in representing grievances at step3, mediation or arbitration. Each responsible for District communication to their respective station Grievance Chairpersons in their assigned stations. Each can be assigned to special assignments by the President such as serving on Negotiating Committees, assisting with organizing drives etc... Currently there are, I believe, 4 AGCs on US property and one VP at Large assigned by the President to assist. Annual compensation is in the neighborhood of $100k a year. IMO... if they dilegently fullfill the responsibilities of their elected position they are fairly compensated. If an AGC does their job with due diligence it requires lots of travel, time away from family, extensive preperation for grievance cases etc... And when things are nor going well AGCs become the scapegoat and sounding board. It can be a thankless and politically scrutized job.

 

[ograc]

Assistant General Chairperson. They report directly to the Directing General Chairperson (President of the District). Each responsible for a number of stations in representing grievances at step3, mediation or arbitration. Each responsible for District communication to their respective station Grievance Chairpersons in their assigned stations. Each can be assigned to special assignments by the President such as serving on Negotiating Committees, assisting with organizing drives etc... Currently there are, I believe, 4 AGCs on US property and one VP at Large assigned by the President to assist. Annual compensation is in the neighborhood of $100k a year. IMO... if they dilegently fullfill the responsibilities of their elected position they are fairly compensated. If an AGC does their job with due diligence it requires lots of travel, time away from family, extensive preperation for grievance cases etc... And when things are nor going well AGCs become the scapegoat and sounding board. It can be a thankless and politically scrutized job.

Spell check. Scrutinize. My apologies. Grievances that are long in the tooth, so to speak, without resolve are not being given their due diligence by the respective DL 141 AGC. The estimated numbers apply only to the DL 141 represented Fleet Sevice group at US. They are most likely different for the DL 142 represented employees in US MTC. & Related.

 

[700UW]

Its not an attack on Tim, Roabilly asked me to post what happened in the past, did you not read that?

And ask anyone on the ramp in 1992, and they will back up what I posted.

 

[Tim Nelson]

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22928371/united-airlines-work-groups-reject-contract-agreements#ixzz2PLvWoNNn

 

[Tim Nelson]

So, it's Tim's fault that the company did all that in '92? I didn't realize he was calling the shots.

700 must be drunk or intellectually dishonest. I never ever filed any cards for the US AIRWAYS ramp. There was a bloodbath in early 1992 but there was an election that year in which the steelworkers lost. Yes, I formed the AGW because the IAM sucked and I firmly believed it was easier to change the union than the leadership. Is that a crime? Nope. The AGW actually was formulated to organize AMR workers but I had personal health issues within the family and I hadn't the time to continue it. Whatever the case, The IAM certainly didn't have a problem with me, nor roabilly when I got hired to preserve the IAM and win every organizing drive I attempted. Before that, the IAM couldn't win any organizing drive. I met with them in INTL headquarters and pleaded with them to allow me to do the Delta campaign because after seeing their plan I realized it was gosh awful. They said, "They got it". So I stayed in ATL and won the AirTran workers as the IAM promptly screwed up the Delta campaigns. Then they finally turned to me to plan the United ramp campaign and I kicked the Teamster ass for them. But, along the way, Delaney lied and tossed the UA contract talks out....and that is when I rose up against the IAM once again. Yes, I have been Mayhem for the leadership once again as this bunch has turned into the last bunch. I have no friends when they get in the way of Justice. Thus, Mr Roabilly kept his political ties even though he initially supported me [see his post] until his allegiances got a hold of him and he promptly rented out his brain once again. The thing is that I don't have to get paid. I still carry the flags. When the UA TA got voted out, the IAM leadership that Roabilly still supports decided to not support the voice of the members and told the media outlets that it had 'no further comment'. I initiated a media blitz to get out the United rejection so the brothers and sisters voices could be heard. I started with the trib and Greg Karp and his article, after several emails, initiated the AP wire a few hours later. I delt with the Denver Post. This is what I do and have done, paid or not....I fight for members and I don't fear management or the union. I actually enjoyed kicking Atkinson ass in this campaign as he spent $1 million and I spent $12. And I will continue kicking their asses all over the place if they continue to F with my people. I gave them a chance but they failed so they will be removed. http://www.denverpos...s#ixzz2PLvWoNNn

 

[Tim Nelson]

There are two sides to every story, why are you attacking Tim? Where are facts to back up these claims? Besides all of this allegedly occurred 20+ years ago, you get upset when people bring up previous failures of the IAM only five years back and call them obtuse, this is no different.

Josh

How does someone 'almost get terminated'? LoL. I never was terminated. I was put on a level but the IAM didn't even represent me nor have a contract in place. Ed Milson was the guy I chose to represent me. 700 is intellectually dishonest. The big picture was a publication I started in 1998 to block the IAM agreement since it did not protect catering. It also called for the successful picket of IAM INTL headquarters. The Big Picture shut down the contract and then the ensuing picket I organized forced the IAM to put up a fence around the 'compound' so nobody else could ever picket. At the end of the day, Catering finally got protected in the next contract. Not surprisingly, 700 was suppose to be organizing for local 1725 but sat on his ass and didn't even know that the IAM filed short on cards in 1998 for the ticket agents. Nothing is wrong with filing short as it forces airlines to cough up key information but 700 was their organizer and he was awol and didn't even know the IAM filed short. In fact, the only time anyone has seen 700 is since he lost his job and started posting on here. I hope he truly does get a job because there ought to be no excuse to be sitting at home eating potato chips and ranting over spilled milk. regards,