Burchette's Assertions

[High Speed Steel]

And no doubt it will remain as ineffective as ever for the members.

The best way to avoid arbitration is to get clear and precise language. The TWU rarely gets that, in fact the only place you see it is with union security, making sure the TWU gets their dues. Often the only means to get clear and precise language is to be willing to strike for it, well we know thats something the TWU will never do-Ed Koziatek told me that back in 2000. Jim Little is even more terrified of the "S" word than Koziatek, after all Jim has never experienced a strike.

In the past we have seen the TWU sell concessionary agreements with false promises "Dont worry we have a me too clause"(1995), and pure lies "AA might go straight into liquidation" (if the concessions are not passed-Jim Little 2003). So the TWU and AA sit down, create vague language to make the members believe that the contract provides them something it doesnt, then when the issue comes to a head and they lose in arbitration they write it off as "a tough break", but they still keep the arbitrators that ruled against them. On the rare occasions when the TWU wins a language dispute the company changes the language during the next round of "negotiations".

Try to spin it any way you want HSS, Burchette is the one who claimed that confrontation is not the way to go. Its much easier to sit back and collect your dues without doing anything for it. In essence he is saying that we do not need a union, because if there is no confrontation then the company is meeting the needs of workers. If the needs of the company are the unions primary concern then perhaps the company should pay dues to the TWU, oh yea, they already do $3.1 million a year! The question is if the company is allowed to unilterally set terms, as they did in 2003, then why do we need the TWU?

Wow Bob, The best way to avoid arbitration is clear and precise language, that would be great in the perfect world!

But what if the company failed to properly execute that language. What if the company made mistakes while executing Company policies, Contractural issues, Federal policies, disparate treatment upon our members, there are too many scenarios to list.

You should know this Bob! You sound very trusting in your view of management to not make any mistakes.

Are you sure you were an Officer of the TWU?
Or were you only dreaming and living a fantacy while the "Care Bears" danced in your head?

 

[TWU informer]

Wow Bob, The best way to avoid arbitration is clear and precise language, that would be great in the perfect world!

But what if the company failed to properly execute that language. What if the company made mistakes while executing Company policies, Contractural issues, Federal policies, disparate treatment upon our members, there are too many scenarios to list.

You should know this Bob! You sound very trusting in your view of management to not make any mistakes.

Are you sure you were an Officer of the TWU?
Or were you only dreaming and living a fantacy while the "Care Bears" danced in your head?

What are you talking about now?

It is Burchette and your sell out TWU Union that claims we can "TRUST" the company.

Now you play it out as if they are not in bed together.

Tell me again WHAT PART OF UNION DON'T I UNDERSTAND?

You need to get off that fence before the bard rips your nads.

 

[Bob Owens]

Wow Bob, The best way to avoid arbitration is clear and precise language, that would be great in the perfect world!

But what if the company failed to properly execute that language. What if the company made mistakes while executing Company policies, Contractural issues, Federal policies, disparate treatment upon our members, there are too many scenarios to list.

You should know this Bob! You sound very trusting in your view of management to not make any mistakes.

Are you sure you were an Officer of the TWU?
Or were you only dreaming and living a fantacy while the "Care Bears" danced in your head?

I'll repeat the question:
And what percentage of those so called "disputes" does the TWU win?

The fact is we dont have clear and precise language because the TWU is not willing to fight for it and that is why the TWU loses a vast majority of the cases they take to arbitration. When it comes to language interpretation the union has to prove its case and they nearly always lose.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Don't feed the troll. Let him go back to writing on bathroom walls.

 

[High Speed Steel]

Don't feed the troll. Let him go back to writing on bathroom walls.

Scribble,Scribble....

 

[TWU informer]

TULSA WORLD
Be honest
By Staff Reports
10/22/2006



I have worked at American Airlines for more than 20 years and have not witnessed a single confrontation between AA management and the Transport Workers Union. I challenge the TWU leadership to give one example of a confrontation that Dennis Burchette references in "Past TWU concessions concern AA employees" (Oct. 8).

Workers at American Airlines have given negotiated concession after concession for 29-plus years. What we really need at the Tulsa Maintenance Base is management to manage, workers to do their jobs, along with some accountability. We have lost hundreds if not thousands of jobs in Tulsa through retirements, deaths and resignations.

This after we gave industry-leading concessions to save the jobs and Tulsa voters offered to save the jobs via Vision 2025 balloting that offered some corporate welfare. It appears our leaders are being less than honest with the media.

David Stewart, Owasso

http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID..._Op_g2_LtrBeh22

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

TULSA WORLD
Be honest
By Staff Reports
10/22/2006
I have worked at American Airlines for more than 20 years and have not witnessed a single confrontation between AA management and the Transport Workers Union. I challenge the TWU leadership to give one example of a confrontation that Dennis Burchette references in "Past TWU concessions concern AA employees" (Oct. 8).

Workers at American Airlines have given negotiated concession after concession for 29-plus years. What we really need at the Tulsa Maintenance Base is management to manage, workers to do their jobs, along with some accountability. We have lost hundreds if not thousands of jobs in Tulsa through retirements, deaths and resignations.

This after we gave industry-leading concessions to save the jobs and Tulsa voters offered to save the jobs via Vision 2025 balloting that offered some corporate welfare. It appears our leaders are being less than honest with the media.

David Stewart, Owasso

http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID..._Op_g2_LtrBeh22

I believe that twu "leadership" is being honest. Just listen to burchette. He said he wants to fill AA's pockets with cash and then put his hands in their pockets. He did not say which pocket, or what he was going to do with his hands once they were placed in said pockets.

Another honest indicator is when the twu international leadership was singing the "Shared Sacrifice, management will share our pain." mantra. They were being honest. You see, AMTs took a pay and benefit cut and the twu international officers did too. Wait a second. The twu international officers did take a pay cut equal in % to the AMTs they represent. Right?

 

[TWU informer]

TWU STOOGE WRITES LETTER TO TULSA WORLD EDITOR.
PRINTED IN TODAY's TULSA WORLD

Let locals speak
By Staff Reports
11/7/2006

View in Print (PDF) Format


"Past TWU concessions concern AA employees" (Oct. 8) describing the Transport Workers Union initiative to build up the heavy overhaul operation at American Airlines in Tulsa, also quoted the views of several mechanics from AA stations in big cities who criticized the entire effort.

The article omitted that, without exception, each quoted person was a leader in Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association's attempt to displace the TWU as the AA mechanic representative. In fact, they are on record as advising the TWU membership to take their chances in bankruptcy rather than agree to the 2003 concessions; several even took out ads in the Tulsa World to that end.

The results of their advice are illustrated by the fiascoes on AMFA's watch at Northwest Airlines and United Airlines. No mechanic work group at a bankrupt carrier has ever emerged from bankruptcy with its heavy overhaul operation, pension or retiree medical intact. None have negotiated snap backs on their concessions. Mechanics' pay at these carriers is significantly below that at AA, which is second in the passenger industry. Only AA continues to perform the majority of its heavy maintenance in house.

The concessions continue to hurt, but it should be obvious that following the advice of Chuck

Schalk, Bob Owens and Ken McTiernan would have had devastating consequences for my coworkers and this community. Why are they given a regular forum in the World?

Rick Mullings, Claremore

Notice NO MENTION of one single example of a TWU Confrontation with AA to answer the challenge that was posted and printed earlier in the Tulsa World.

These guys are so damn proud of the concessions that they piss themselves everytime they read their diatribes defending the concessions.

Also notice, the TWU faithful still refuse to look at the 20+ plus years of concessions prior to the 2003 restructure concessions. Of course folks like Mr Mullings who are without skill and knowledge and only work at AA because their father's were employed and retired from AA certainly do fit the profile of someone that is without question "lucky to have a job".

Maybe Mr. Mullings would like to explain the 1995 six year labor agreement with a whopping 6 1/2% raise, along with the industry leading Shop Repair Person sub standard wage scale.

Or maybe the 1989 FLex Benefits that now cost us out of pocket, which the TWU claimed was an "improved medical" plan.

Tulsa Stooges like this are hopeless to have as Union Brothers. Experts at comparing Bankrupt Carriers to our demise, but always failing to look and the lengthy history of TWU Industry Leading Concessions.

 

[TWU informer]

Quote of the Day...

There is no shame in fighting and losing – there is only shame in accepting the unacceptable without a fight.

Something the TWU membership will never know.

Shame on Scabs, Shame on TWU Concession propagation experts.

 

[local 12 proud]

Quote of the Day...
Something the TWU membership will never know.

Shame on Scabs, Shame on TWU Concession propagation experts.

The only ones who carry the shame are the members, the union/compAAny keep getting the shared sacrifice all the while bonus's are paid out and we are fed with 'at least you have a job' Brother from the company stooges like birdshit.

 

[Bob Owens]

I have no need to put words in anyones mouth. Your posts make that unnecessary. And it is you who keep bringing up the past with your crying.."but Ozark got DOH".

Ozark got DOH because AMFA would not back down from their contract, unlike the IAM who did in order to make the deal go through.

If the IAM wasnt more concerned about the money that TWA owed them instead of their members then the TWA guys could have blocked the deal from going through until the company convinced the TWU to dovetail, which they no doubt would have(there is no way the TWU would have passed on the opportunity to pick up 7000 new dues payers).

I attended the first integration meeting, there I met Ed LaClaire and Sito Pantoja, two reps from the IAM who addressed the integration meeting. They told us that we should dovetail due to AFL-CIO affiliation. They told us that they backed down from the contract because TWA owed the IAM back payments towards the IAM pension fund and lease payments on a engine that the IAM owned. TWA threatened that if they didnt back down they would liquidate and the IAM would lose a lot of money. If I recall the figure was quite high.

I had worked with Sito in the early eighties at Capitol Air and we went out to eat after the meeting. I told him that the TWU had decided to have a vote among the members as to what they would do and of course the members would vote to staple. When AA aquired other carriers such as Trans Carib,Air Cal and Reno Air the TWU never allowed the members a choice, but the TWU wanted to have the combined membership blame each other instead of the International. It was a logical move. If the TWU had said "dovetail" as they did with TransCarib and Air Cal, it would have pissed off most of the 35,000 AA members, most of whom dont care too much for the TWU anyway, if they would have said staple like they did with Reno it would have pissed off the 7000 TWA members and probably given AMFA the vote. By putting forth a phony vote that had no real authority the TWU got to sit back and tell the TWA guys that "its not our fault, this is what the members decided and we are a democratic organization". They got to collect even more dues while promoting division, which has been their strategy for over 50 years at AA.

You two keep bickering about something where even if we could change it it would not help us pay our bills, which is the main reason why we go to work in the first place. The path you two are taking is exactly what the TWU and AA were banking on. Lets try and fight to make this job something worth fighting for by getting rid of the TWU and putting in a union that will try and unite us instead of divide us into 21 powerless locals, a union for all airline workers.