IAM Thread for the week of 2/19-2/26

[The Bagfather]

Quiet everyone. ...The "Cult of Canale Sleeps".

 

[pjirish317]

Quiet everyone. ...The "Cult of Canale Sleeps".

LMAO

 

[The Bagfather]

Freedom and Fuzz and others in that possition. I really don't
have anything to say. I don't even feel like blaming the
company or the union in regards to your current fate. All
I can do is to tell you that I value your pressence here
and in the workplace.

 

[necigrad]

AND THE COMPANY DIDN'T WANT TO CONTINUE SECTION 6 SO WHO'S HE GOING TO NEGOTIATE AGAINST? HIMSELF? DON'T BLAME RANDY FOR NOT DOING SECTION 6 AT AMERICA WEST, BLAME THE EAST SIDERS WHO DECIDED TO LISTEN TO INTERNET LIES AND BECAME TOO GREEDY FOR THEIR OWN GOOD.

OK, first off, if the Company isn't interested in negotiating, great. THat's THEIR problem, not ours. They don't want to do it, fine, we'll go to mediation. Still not negotiating? Fine, we'll go on strike. Pres Bush calls his board together and stops the strike? Fine, within 90 days of an impas being declared we can strike no matter what. THAT is how you get the Company to do what you want. Canale won't fight for us for whatever reason. The East employees don't have anything to do with that. Maybe from some perspectives (admitedly mine as well) the may appear to be "greedy" as you put it. But they're trying to take back what was taken from them. You cna't knock them for that.

 

[crushed]

If we can only get what the company wants to give us then why have the IAM around at all?

 

[pjirish317]

If we can only get what the company wants to give us then why have the IAM around at all?

Because the I'LL ASK MANAGEMENT is good for the company's bottom line. They try to get as little as possible for Fleet Service. Heck, they even pay the company for improvements through the I'LL ASK MAMANGEMENT'S concession stand, Fleet Service section. Opens anytime dougweiser and co. want it to. They refuse to negotiate on behalf of the west, bring back concessionary agreements, and continually side with the company. Sounds like the current administration that the I'LL ASK MAMANGEMENT likes blaming things on. And I thought that they were pro-union, not pro-company.
Boy was I wrong!

 

[freedom]

Freedom and Fuzz and others in that possition. I really don't
have anything to say. I don't even feel like blaming the
company or the union in regards to your current fate. All
I can do is to tell you that I value your pressence here
and in the workplace.

Well thank you bag father , that’s about all any of us can really say to each other anymore anyways … we’ve sat here and said all that there is to say , and our current crop of negotiators have talked and talked endlessly to this company and vice versa with little positive or productive effect .

PJ , you misinterpret me , I think you wrongly believe that I feel there is a chance of something coming out of this next meeting , I do not … how many countless times have I held my breath in baited hope that we might make progress with the “next†meeting … we will not … I now feel that it will be many long years before we even see justice , if we ever do … I would say I’m now in the same camp with isitok as far as sentiment goes …

It is not self pity I feel , it’s the cold emptiness of realization ….

 

[orioleman]

Pj
"If another one comes around, I will, and I hope the rest of the east does also, vote it down with a resounding NO! We will see come the beginning of march."

PJ you know CLT is on the same page.... and of course PHL is to.....SO for the Canalites out there. Don't waste OUR dues money

going back to the table to bring back the same S*ity Rag that WE voted DOWN . and YES we did understand the last T/A . we weren't

misguided just because we don't agree with the what the 100,000.00 dollar club THINKS we should get.

 

[roabilly]

Attention Districtforce, Shocker… ‘n all ya’ll detractors ‘n distracters.

This membership is focused on one thang ‘n one thang only!
We gonna fight for a fair, equitable, ‘n industry standard agreement to tha bitter end!

If ya’ll would put yer time ‘n energy intah tha same goal, instead of tryin’ tahh
discredit other posters like Nelson… tha fight would be over sooner!

Instead ahh callin’ out Nelson… call out tha Company ! That’s what we payin’ yahh to do !

Stay solid boys ‘n girls… negotiations cummin’ up this month…26th 27th ‘n 28th !

 

[orioleman]

for freedom and others from the west

let me say that waiting can be very difficult sometimes trust we on the east know and understand this. during BK's we had to wait

for the company to trickle down to us. they went to the pilots/mechanics/ flt attendants/ then c/s and us.. so working in that

environment back then and not knowing if we were even going to have a job much less a contract is very stressful. However this

time the company can wait for us and let their little A** holes pucker when the inversters/bod and other merger partners come

knocking.. Just like we sweated to pay our bills when the bills collectors came knocking..

Also keep in mind . Doug publicly said in the AZ republic back in 05 . when asked Why haven't you brought the labor groups together

his reply was .. IT'S CHEAPER to run them seperate. and I WILL RUN THEM SEPERATE FOR AS LONG AS I CAN.. that's why

we didn't hear anything about a T/A until almost 2yrs after the merge. HELL the PI/US merger had all that in place BEFORE The

merger.. SO I say to DOUG you can WAIT ON US NOW>>

sorry for being long winded

 

[diogenes]

Let's talk a little about how Canale serviced the FS contract.

In some locals with class II stations in it, not ONE grievance progressed beyond step III from 1999 - 2005, and precious few step II's were responded to. This includes terminations, including one termination as egregious as you could ask for.

The company knew they could break the contract at will, because IAM had already sold out the class II stations and had no intention of spending dues money on the membership. (LAS junkets OTOH,,, ) Ask ANY class II ramper from that era how well IAM represented them. The answer will be profane.

Contrast this with all the $$ IAM spend protecting their thugs.

Just one more reason for Canale and his hangers-on to be ousted.

If you think Canale won't sell you out to secure his paycheck, you are dreaming. He's done so on a regular basis.

 

[Jester]

OK, first off, if the Company isn't interested in negotiating, great. THat's THEIR problem, not ours. They don't want to do it, fine, we'll go to mediation. Still not negotiating? Fine, we'll go on strike. Pres Bush calls his board together and stops the strike? Fine, within 90 days of an impas being declared we can strike no matter what. THAT is how you get the Company to do what you want. Canale won't fight for us for whatever reason. The East employees don't have anything to do with that. Maybe from some perspectives (admitedly mine as well) the may appear to be "greedy" as you put it. But they're trying to take back what was taken from them. You cna't knock them for that.

Time for a Reality Check... Wake Up!

You don't think Parker can replace ramp agents with a vendor? Even at $12/hour plus benefits, there would be applicants out the door and it would be a higher pay than most West rampers are making presently and FAR cheaper than what most of you THINK you are worth! Hell, it might be West rampers who eagerly take those "new jobs" if offered at that pay!

Don't think it could happen? Ask the Alaska Airlines ramp agents in SEA or ask the Midwest ramp agents in MKE. Northwest replaced it's striking mechanics (and it is much more difficult to replace an aircraft mechanic than a ramp agent).

It is pretty basic economics if you think about it. When the cost of something becomes too high, then buyers begin to look for substitutes. It is only a matter of the direct and indirect costs of the substitute and the availability of the substitute. In both cases here the cost savings would be huge for the Company and the availablity of ramp agents would be large at that starting pay.

Also here is something else to consider... the Change in Control language has many loopholes to it, and if I was Parker, I would structure any future deals such that to avoid the conditions for which the snap backs would take effect. Maybe I would find multiple "independent" buyers (again) or maybe I would have it as a "merger" and not a buy out. I am sure there are far greater legal minds than mine to figure ways around the poorly constructed CIC within the CBA. My point being if you are looking for leverage with the CIC, you might be trying to force a string instead of a lever.

Parker can continue to run fleet service as two different organizations for as long as he wants. If you think about it that's what vendors are in reality throughout the US Airways system, only difference being they don't directly work for the company and it works okay for management there. I am no fan of Boss Canale, but he might be facing this reality but is not going to tip his hand to either an enflamed work force or to a Company which already has a deck stacked in its favor.

We now return to your collective groupthink.

So Offers Jester.

 

[orioleman]

jester,
"Parker can continue to run fleet service as two different organizations for as long as he wants."

SO why then the hurry to get back to the table. Remember HE didn't even want to talk with the IAM for at least a year and a half

after the merge. NOW twice in 2 months. As far as contracting out.. Sorry we under contract for another 18 months..

so that holds no water. F/S has something the company wants and WE will hold it HOSTAGE until we get a fair shake at the table

plain and simple. that's not a pipe dream thats reality .........

 

[b737200]

Time for a Reality Check... Wake Up!

You don't think Parker can replace ramp agents with a vendor? Even at $12/hour plus benefits, there would be applicants out the door and it would be a higher pay than most West rampers are making presently and FAR cheaper than what most of you THINK you are worth! Hell, it might be West rampers who eagerly take those "new jobs" if offered at that pay!

Don't think it could happen? Ask the Alaska Airlines ramp agents in SEA or ask the Midwest ramp agents in MKE. Northwest replaced it's striking mechanics (and it is much more difficult to replace an aircraft mechanic than a ramp agent).

It is pretty basic economics if you think about it. When the cost of something becomes too high, then buyers begin to look for substitutes. It is only a matter of the direct and indirect costs of the substitute and the availability of the substitute. In both cases here the cost savings would be huge for the Company and the availablity of ramp agents would be large at that starting pay.

Also here is something else to consider... the Change in Control language has many loopholes to it, and if I was Parker, I would structure any future deals such that to avoid the conditions for which the snap backs would take effect. Maybe I would find multiple "independent" buyers (again) or maybe I would have it as a "merger" and not a buy out. I am sure there are far greater legal minds than mine to figure ways around the poorly constructed CIC within the CBA. My point being if you are looking for leverage with the CIC, you might be trying to force a string instead of a lever.

Parker can continue to run fleet service as two different organizations for as long as he wants. If you think about it that's what vendors are in reality throughout the US Airways system, only difference being they don't directly work for the company and it works okay for management there. I am no fan of Boss Canale, but he might be facing this reality but is not going to tip his hand to either an enflamed work force or to a Company which already has a deck stacked in its favor.

We now return to your collective groupthink.

So Offers Jester.

STOP NEGOTIATIONS NOW. This is a total waste of time, wait 18 monthst then file sec 6 for the east.

 

[The Shocker]

I was glad to see he went back to work yesterday. We have our disagreements but he's on the negotiations team and that is 'sacred ground' as far as I'm concerned. We must have the backs of our negotiators if the company dispatches one. A foul against them would be a foul against all.
We can handle our internal union squabbles within the union through democracy but If any outside institution messes with our negotiators then they are cutting our sacred with profanities and worthy of reward. It's called respect.

regards,
Tim Nelson
IAM Local Chairman, 1487, Chicago

This is an issue everyone agrees on. I'm delighted to see the entire negotiating team finally on 'sacred ground' Woo Hoo Solidarity Forever!