NO. the the goal is NOT the best "deal" possible. It is the best deal that maintains the strength of the UNION. I am offended at your inclusion in this group. Greeter. PERIOD.
[post="204366"][/post]
[/quote]
The best deal that maintains the strength of the union would assume that there is a flourishing viable and yes profitable company for said same union to garnish its dues revenue from or did I miss something?
[post="204371"][/post]
[/quote]
Piney, Obviously you did miss something here...The whole BIG picture.
If the managements in this industry are to be permitted to continue to mismanage their companies over decades, then simply go to the employees for continuous cuts, where does it end?
If they are unable to convince us to allow them to terminate our pensions, outsource our work, raise our medical benefits, remove our vacation, and lower our pay, over and over, and in this case, over again, then they simply go into bankruptcy for approx. nine months to have a judge do the dirty work.
Let's not forget that prior to entering bankruptcy for the second time, they take over 23 million dollars to fund management's pensions. (Many of this said management team that has been here for under four years, now have fully funded pensions as though they have been here for thirty years!) While the employees that have actually done the work for thirty years, are left without.
If you follow this through to it's logical conclusion, then any struggling company in any industry in this country, can do the same, with impunity. With the blessings of their BOD!
Not all of us are in the same position as 320. For many, it truly is a matter of "do I eat this week, or pay my bills?"
So for many, it has come down to the point where the corner we have been placed in is no less comfortable than the alternative, should we seek self help.
Will I place my job in jeopardy? My job is already in jeopardy! Will I lose my medical benefits? I can't afford my medical benefits! Will I damage my pension? What pension! Will I lose my vacation days? Oops, they are already taking them! Will I be able to pay my mortgage? We'be been robbing Peter to pay Paul for months now, and I still have trouble paying my mortgage.
The outcome of this situation will be watched closely by every labor group in every industry in this country. If the BK laws allow for any company that has been poorly managed, to absolve themselves of their responsibility to manage, then the laws need to change. It's not going to happen during US Airways' bankruptcy proceedings. It won't happen during United's time in the BK courts. It may take years to change those laws, but if organized labor does not put their foot down sometime, it will never happen at all!
And if organized labor continues to lose, then non union labor will be right behind us.
What I have seen suggested by some posters on this board is that we must all continue to roll over AGAIN, to protect the company at all costs. Rolling over again only appears to protect the managers of this company. Because by rolling over again we are agreeing that 23 million to their pensions is okay. We are agreeing that bonuses to bumbling outgoing CEO's is proper. We are agreeing that mass furloughs and outsourcing is the direction that we want our company and our country to go. We are agreeing to devalue ourselves to the point that we cannot meet our financial obligations. We are agreeing to be volunteers rather than victims in this latest fiasco.
Many of us understand that if the changes to the BK/Labor laws are not made now, then our children have no future in this country. Their futures will be outsourced to the cheepest workers in the poorest countries. That's not okay by me.
I will not gamble away my future, my children's future, or my fellow employees future, to make the likes of A320 more comfortable. As far as I'm concerned, it is to the point where we have to make a stand. Even if we have to face the judge and the Congress in order to make that stand. This is simply NOT RIGHT. Somebody, somewhere has to say ENOUGH! I have!
