IAM Talking Tough at USAirway

[Real tired]

The TWU will also go out of their way to tell it's members that we are under contract and we will continue to work. Do NOT count on the TWU for any support.

That's what we were afraid of.  In fact, shop talk has it you'll backfill us if we go out, and you'll do more to our planes than just "on-call".  I don't think its in your contract to legally honor a "legal" picket line without some sort of recourse from the company.

 

[Bob Owens]

Dont worry. We have no intentions on doing your work, can't even keep up with our own. I think more and more guys realize that whatever they do to you they will do to us. Your fight is our fight.

 

[Bob Owens]

The TWU will also go out of their way to tell it's members that we are under contract and we will continue to work. Do NOT count on the TWU for any support.

If asked, which I hope and expect will be the case, will you support them?

 

[JABORD]

If asked, which I hope and expect will be the case, will you support them?

Bob, your correct. The Union mindset requires us to walk in lockstep with all Union members, and rightly so. But, toward our demise and contributing to the TWBoo's ability to deepen their roots here over our generation, the Union has NEVER put in place any type of education to teach us our roles as Union members. This absolutely has contributed to the buzz word for our time, APATHY. As an Organizer, I plan to change that. I believe here is a good place to begin:
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/the_red_tail

 

[bigjets]

If asked, which I hope and expect will be the case, will you support them?

Of course I'll support USAair mechs, I'm just warning them not to count on the TWU. In 2003 ORD wasn't doing field trips, but DFW mechs were going, after TULE lost the 757s, the MRO did a really bad job, so the TULE mechs were doing field trips to fix the MROs mistakes. We have no leadership to make Us act as one.

We might as we be non-union. It's not like we have a good contract

 

[swamt]

I remember the DFW boys doing the field trips.  And I believe the union did nothing about it.  Great work TWU. 

 

[chilokie1]

Has there ever been a better example of the "Divide & Conquer" strategy that we A&P's at the new AA
find ourselves in. Is the management not negotiating in good faith with the IAM because they now have
the ultimate backup plan in the "company friendly TWU".  This duel union plan that the IAM/TWU have 
concocted is a total f--- up, we will always be in this situation as long as we allow this unholy alliance 
to continue we need a single union, period !
 If I had my choice it would be neither the IAM or the TWU , It's time people sign an AMFA card today.  

 

[MetalMover]

 
 If I had my choice it would be neither the IAM or the TWU , It's time people sign an AMFA card today.  

No question about that...
Just get ready for the same old rhetoric when the AMFA filing arrives....You're gonna hear how AMFA outsourced more work than  anyone, .... AMFA has no money to be effective......AMFA is going to allow companies to get rid of OH completely........blah blah blah blah
 
I have some  advice for the anti-AMFA crowd.....GET A NEW PLAYBOOK....YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH BRAND NEW ARGUMENTS AS TO WHY WE SHOULDN'T DUMP THE TWU!
 
 
Oh...one more thing.....and this is to anyone who is thinking of reviving an IBT drive at AA....DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MY TIME!
 
Same goes for IAM.

 

[Kev3188]

Bob, your correct. The Union mindset requires us to walk in lockstep with all Union members, and rightly so. But, toward our demise and contributing to the TWBoo's ability to deepen their roots here over our generation, the Union has NEVER put in place any type of education to teach us our roles as Union members.

+1

Just about any union member can rattle of their rights under a CBA, but ask 'em what they're responsibilities are, and that discussion usually comes to a grinding halt.

This absolutely has contributed to the buzz word for our time, APATHY. As an Organizer, I plan to change that. I believe here is a good place to begin:
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/the_red_tail

A great movie. I would encourage everyone-AMT or not- to check it out.

 

[Bob Owens]

+1Just about any union member can rattle of their rights under a CBA, but ask 'em what they're responsibilities are, and that discussion usually comes to a grinding halt.A great movie. I would encourage everyone-AMT or not- to check it out.

I agree, and I'm not surprised you feel that way because you are a true Union Man. You see past factionalism at whats really important, the impact on workers and the real Labor movement and not all the noise.
In the end the other unions at NWA screwed their members as well. They failed to see the obvious, that management would not stop at AMFA, management may have hated AMFA, but they hated the other unions too, just not as much. EAL was the last time Unions got it right in this industry. NWA set to make an example out of AMFA, in the end NWA disappeared but false unionists within the labor movement, like Overspeed, try and make the claim that had AMFA agreed to all the cuts, including 53% of the jobs, that they would have been better off.
Things have changed a lot since 2005, we have them. They have done such a good job at destroying our pride, our morale, our standard of living that many have left, and very few are coming in. Their business plan is dependent on OT, at least 12% of all hours worked are at OT rates. They have outsourced whats worth outsourcing and at other carriers the trend is starting to go the other way. The biggest challenge faced by airlines is getting people to do the work. Look at all the airline mergers that have taken place in the last ten years. How many mechanics have been laid off as a result of these mergers? NONE. The synergies from the mergers were needed to offset the loss of skilled workers, if the mergers had not happened the shortage would be much more apparent. Management from USAIR revealed that even though their overhaul shrank by 35% they didn't lay off one mechanic, they were all absorbed. In Tulsa they are offering Stand in steads and they throw out a layoff threat every couple of months to get the union to jump through hoops no involuntary furloughs are on the horizon. The wont offer anything to the line to get them to leave, they cant afford to let them leave. As far back as 2009 when they offered a SIS to Tulsa but not the line they admitted that they can not afford to lose more line mechanics and that the attrition rate was several hundred mechanics per year (much to the frustration of Don Videtich who claimed that attrition was extremely low). On the line they are hiring. Most come from Eagle where they carry their company seniority and Vacation.

NWA had scabs because in 2005 there were literally thousands of A&Ps who had recently lost their jobs in the aftermath of 9-11. In the film they mention how NWA had already cut 5000 jobs, AA had cut almost the same, UAL, at least that, even Delta that had for years maintained a policy of no layoffs had deep cuts. The market was flooded, and even at that NWA was only able to scrounge up half their target number of scabs. That pool has long since dried up. We are in a better position now to make gains than ever before, we just may have to violate a few court orders to do it though.

If we had a pair we would realize we have them by theirs, if we stick together.

We, as individual Union men, forget the name, have to stick together with our Union brothers at US. Instead of coming here and saying "Don't count on the TWU" people should be saying "I dont care whether our leaders tell us to support you or not I will, and I will not work your airplanes and we will not work overtime either. Instead I will come out and walk the pickets with you". If they are going without a paycheck to engage in a fight that benefits all of us the very least we can do is go without OT and spend that time walking the pickets with them. That is a personal choice, it is the choice of acting like a a Union man regardless of what the name of the Union is. The Government will not be on our side, no doubt management will seek injunctions prohibiting the Union leadership from saying you should stop working OT but we are all grown men, we know what must be done. Those who use the excuse of the TWU now would find another excuse should some other union come in.

 

[Bob Owens]

Three months ago the most Junior person was #7854, now the most junior person in the system is #7800 and the company has not laid off anybody, in fact the Junior person from two months ago has seven people under him and has moved to #7793. People are leaving faster than they can hire them. 61 guys over a few months may not seem like a lot but this is not that long after the final Early outs left. The monthly rate will likely increase as we get further away from the surge generated by the Early out offer.
 
In 2002 we had 14039, our headcount has gone down by 6239 and they hired at least 505 guys since then. Attrition since 2002 has reduced the headcount by 6744 . Saved jobs?
 
So the attrition rate between 2002 and 2014 has been 562 mechanics per year, so over the next 12 years AA will need to replace pretty much every mechanic they have on payroll. The system only generates around 3000 A&Ps per year, AA will need roughly 19% of them, but AA is not alone, Delta will need around the same, so will United, Jet Blue and UPS will need some, so will Fed Ex and Southwest and lets not forget that Boeing is ramping up production and they will want a piece of the action as well, -ALL of them pay better and offer better benefits and working conditions than AA, ALL offer at least two weeks vacation, paid Holidays and more sick time.. Then you have General Aviation and Corporate Aviation, helicopters and MROs,which would likely need the whole crop of 3000  per year combined. With the worst deal in the industry, worse than General Aviation when you factor in the need to live in a large city, commute and work odd shifts AA is going to have a hard time getting people to fix their planes and as the workers they have get older they wont be as willing to work OT anymore either.
 
So Wall Street is popping the corks and ready for a party to celebrate how AA is going to record profits, well it probably wont be long till we hear about them cancelling flights because they don't have anyone willing to fix their airplanes.

 

[Real tired]

If I might ask, what was your (our) "Early Out Offer" and what was the surge it created?
 
We (you) don't get them on the US side.
 
Just interested on what we (us) are missing out on.

 

[2ndGENAMT]

http://twu514.org/blog/2012/08/16/mr-and-stores-early-out/

http://twu514.org/blog/2012/10/10/tulsa-breakdown-of-early-out-and-stand-in-steads-per-classification-for-title-i-and-title-v/

http://twu514.org/blog/2012/09/24/mechanic-related-and-stores-early-out-numbers-as-of-9-24-12/

Basic breakdown..I believe this is what Bob was referring to..

 

[Bob Owens]

Real Tired;
We were able to get the first 1113 concessionary deal rejected. But it was by a narrow margin, so certain International officials who are no longer here got together with the company and put in an Early out offer with the hope that it would provide just enough YES votes to get the contract passed, and unfortunately it worked.
 
It was a one time only deal where they got $40 K, (UAL offered $75k) if they were old enough and had a minimum number of years with the company. It was crap, they offered bottom level managers more than double that. But the buyout wasn't really to reduce heads, it was to get a yes vote.
 
It created a surge of people leaving the company because many had stayed longer in anticipation of a buyout and some had left early because of it. This surge offset their announced RIF. So for the media it looked good, them cutting heads and reducing costs through BK, but in reality the heads were being reduced through attrition like most of the other 5000 or so jobs that were eliminated since 2002 and the next 2000 through 2018. Every A&P mechanic who was laid off had the opportunity to fill a vacancy in the system and that will likely be the case going forward, the fact is on the line they can not afford to lose guys. years ago they could RIF people whenever they wanted, and in a few months when they called they would return, that's not the case anymore. Here in NY Jet Blue is hiring as well as several other outfits. When you lay off a guy who has one week of Vacation, just five Holidays where he has to work for half pay and low wages (even at step 3) odds are he will find something better while he is out. This has been going on for a while, I know of two somewhat recent cases where the company fired two mechanics just to send a message to the guys over sleeping and attendance, both were very good mechanics with a lot of time with the company, one in his mid 40s the other in his mid 50s, both won their jobs back in arbitration and both had found better jobs while they were out and quit AA after winning their jobs back. That message surely backfired, they lost two very good mechanics, heavy hitters I'd say, and the message is if you get fired you can use it like a partially paid leave of absence to find a better job, and if you don't you can come back.
 
Attrition will likely remove 500+ guys per year from the headcount. Like I said the FAA only certifies around 3000 A&Ps for the entire Aviation Industry per year, more than half the A&P schools are gone. We have them. Time to squeeze them, we should start by supporting you guys and making sure you get a fair contract.
 
What are you guys asking for again? I hope its at least $40.

 

[Kev3188]

I agree, and I'm not surprised you feel that way because you are a true Union Man. You see past factionalism at whats really important, the impact on workers and the real Labor movement and not all the noise.

Thank you for the kind words!

If we had a pair we would realize we have them by theirs, if we stick together.

We, as individual Union men, forget the name, have to stick together with our Union brothers at US. Instead of coming here and saying "Don't count on the TWU" people should be saying "I dont care whether our leaders tell us to support you or not I will, and I will not work your airplanes and we will not work overtime either. Instead I will come out and walk the pickets with you". If they are going without a paycheck to engage in a fight that benefits all of us the very least we can do is go without OT and spend that time walking the pickets with them. That is a personal choice, it is the choice of acting like a a Union man regardless of what the name of the Union is.

+1

Both of these are 100% true, and extend not just through commercial aviation, but through America's entire Working Class. We have our work cut out for us, but it's not too late...