Election Webboard

[Skyyggoddess]

"This e-group is now available for APFA National Officer election's literature.

All bonafide candidates for office are welcome to post their campaign literature here and to answer questions from the membership. The purpose of this e-group is to ensure that even those candidates in the most modest circumstances get an equal hearing of their message, without the necessity to MAIL every union member two or three high gloss campaign publications.

The group is open to all, no registration is required.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apfaELECTIONS/

tjnorris, esq./dfw
airlinelabor.com"

This e-group site just opened.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apfaELECTIONS/

 

[L1011Ret]

The Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions is an organization that was founded in
1978.In order to have a forum like the airlines have, to share strategy and work
together on important issues that affect all Flight Attendants, like
occupational safety and certification. I think they meet monthly under the
auspices of the Transportation Trades Division of the AFL-CIO. I have learned
that APFA was allowed to participate, even though they weren't an AFL-CIO
affiliate, until about six months ago, when they were removed. They felt that
APFA was too far out of the mainstream for the rest of the labor organizations
and that the main issue causing our removal was and is Ward's handling of the
TWA seniority integration. Every member with these organizations has an official
policy of integration by date-of-hire for all mergers and acquisitions. The
groups on this council are TWU, IBT AFA, CWA and IAM. The Internationals feel
that there is too much risk in dividing the workforce over the issue of
seniority, so there's no discussion, it's DOH.

Also, APFA has been trying for years to get into the International Transport
Federation. ITF is the international equivalent of the U.S. Council of F/A
Unions. This is a very powerful body in Europe, and they go to bat for any
member union that is forced to strike. You get no services in Europe if your
airline is struck, no cleaning, catering, fuel etc. If you're not an AFL-CIO
affiliate, you have to have an AFL sponsor to be admitted. The Teamsters were
going to sponsor APFA for membership, until the APFA's handling of the TWA
seniority integration. Now we have no possibility of membership, because no one
is even talking to us.

We are the largest F/A union in the US, yet a complete outcast.

Summation: When we go into negotiations, the company will get what they want.
Because they know should there be a strike, not one other union will honor it.
If we get certified, (of which the APFA highly recommends) we will be replaced
quickly and easily. We have lost all credibility and power. The handling of the
RPA just summed it up for us.

Plus we have NO strike fund, as we had been promised.


This appears on several other BBs aparantly written by a nAAtve F/A. May the force of justice be with those trying to create something better.

 

[FA Mikey]

If in fact APFA is now longer a member of the collation of flight attendants. It shows what petty useless group it is. To cut out 1/4 of the memberships voice is just plain stupid. Someone might tell the author of the note you posted IBT is no longer a member, they do not represent flight attendants at any carrier. NWA rightfully voted them out.

As for strikes, they are won or lost mainly on the memberships strength and support, far less on the support of other unions. There were many truckers who would not deliver to AA. There were many unions who offered support by stopping by with food drink and walking in with us. The 93 strike by the APFA was won by the memberships overwhelming support, strength and unity. Who ever wrote this is a fool. No other union on the property walked off in support. No one refused to fuel, clean or load any of our planes, and that's fine. Because it wasn't their fight it was ours.

 

[Bob Owens]

If in fact APFA is now longer a member of the collation of flight attendants. It shows what petty useless group it is. To cut out 1/4 of the memberships voice is just plain stupid. Someone might tell the author of the note you posted IBT is no longer a member, they do not represent flight attendants at any carrier. NWA rightfully voted them out.

As for strikes, they are won or lost mainly on the memberships strength and support, far less on the support of other unions. There were many truckers who would not deliver to AA. There were many unions who offered support by stopping by with food drink and walking in with us. The 93 strike by the APFA was won by the memberships overwhelming support, strength and unity. Who ever wrote this is a fool. No other union on the property walked off in support. No one refused to fuel, clean or load any of our planes, and that's fine. Because it wasn't their fight it was ours.

Some of the APFAs policies need to be reconsidered.

I was told that the NWA F/As formed the PFAA because the APFA was not interested in taking on other airlines. Dumb.

The F/As should concentrate on consolidating. The TWU, IBT, CWA and IAM should be given the boot and you should all go into one union with divisions for each airline. Contracts should be under the jurisdiction of each division. This would give you the benefits of a large union with the right to choose your own leaders.

I remember the 93 strike. It was well done. The mechanics that I work with said that "if you lift up them skirts you will find that they have bigger b@11$ than any of us". This of course was meant respectfully.

When you picketed in 2001 we walked with you despite the fact that our union told us not to support you.

Dont let L1011 Ret scare you, if AMFA gets in, all you will have to do is ask. If we go AMFA then the Pilots, F/As and mechanics will all be in Independant Unions. Who knows the baggage handlers may go to the AGW. That puts us all in the same boat. Over the next couple of years the majority of airline workers may no longer be AFL-CIO anyway. How has AFL-CIO affiliation helped us so far? What did the AFL-CIO do to help its members at UAL, USAIR or AA?

You guys still make more than SWA-TWU. So your independant union does better with a near bankrupt carrier than an affiliated union does with a profitable carrier. In another example between these two carriers the mechanics at AA, who are represented by the TWU-AFL-CIO affiliated, make $6/hr less than SWA airlines unaffiliated AMFA represented mechanics. So, it appears that affiliation may in fact be a liability instead of a plus , especially if affiliation comes through TWU membership.

You guys proved that a willingness to fight and withhold your labor is still the most effective weapon that any union can have.

 

[FA Mikey]

Some of the APFAs policies need to be reconsidered.

I was told that the NWA F/As formed the PFAA because the APFA was not interested in taking on other airlines. Dumb.

The F/As should concentrate on consolidating. The TWU, IBT, CWA and IAM should be given the boot and you should all go into one union with divisions for each airline. Contracts should be under the jurisdiction of each division. This would give you the benefits of a large union with the right to choose your own leaders.

APFA is an independent who sole responsibility is to represent the interests of American Airlines flight attendants. There was never an intention to expand to other carriers. If we did we lose our greatest strength. Our ability to concentrate and represent the AA flight attendants. NWA crew members did the smartest thing. They are following the APFA play book. An independent whose interests are the NWA flight attendants and only them. The are not AFL-CIO affiliated. You are right, what has the affiliation done for any of the employees of any other carriers? Nothing.

I do disagree about forming a larger union of all the flight crews. I dont see a benefit, or any great strength that APA or AFA has done for the betterment of there represented than any other union like APFA has. To large a union and too many different carriers and too many different contract. Means to many resources spread way to thin. Its too much of a balancing act, on what to spend on a deal for the ATA crews Vs the AA. IN doing so getting a lesser deal at ATA may set you back at AA negotiations later. The way it is just right.