Interesting Tidbit

[Steve Connell]

*taken from a letter dtd 12.08.92 to Capt. Richard LaVoy, Allied Pilots Association, from John Peterpaul, General Vice President of the IAM

This organization has frequently been confronted by Martin Seeham when he has represented foreign carriers on labor matters against the IAM and it's members. Both his aggressive conduct against us at the bargaining table and on the picket line tells you where he stands. For instance, Mr. Seeham represented El Al in their effort to break our union during a 28 month strike in which the company recruited strike breakers and scabs. He also represented SAS when we picketed that company in an effort to stop them from providing funds to Frank Lorenzo during the Eastern strike.........
I firmly believe that the entire airline industry, including every American Airlines employee is the beneficiary of Lorenzo's demise. In fact, members of both labor and management at other airlines made no secret of their hope that we could defeat Frank Lorenzo and expel him from the airline industry. However, at the time, Martin Seeham was helping Lorenzo by enjoining picketing at SAS, our lawyers were successfully battling Lorenzo in various federal courts and agencies....

....Recently, at Northwest Airlines we were involved in a representation dispute with AMFA and obtained evidence that one of their organizers quit because AMFA was requiring it's organizers to be trained by The Right to Work Foundation. As you know, despite it's name, the Foundation has only one objective--the undermining and elimination of unions. AMFA and the Foundation share a common purpose--the weakening of unions in this country by whatever means neccessary.

*end of copy


Comments anyone?

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

Management suckass Steve where is this evidence? Show us this B.S. conspiracy theory you've created! What does Martin Seeham have to do with Lee Seeham? They are two different people!

 

[Decision 2004]

What does Right to Work for Less have to do with those of us working under the Railway Labor Act?

The Right to Work for Less Law passed in Oklahoma and the TWU has done more to lower wages and destroy unionism than any Anti-Worker groups could ever hope to accomplish with an Amendment to 14b of Taft-Hartley.

Comments anyone?

Truth of the matter is Steve, the advocates of right-to-work laws contend the law creates jobs, while organized labor contends that the law reduces wages. You and your TWU Officers seem to now accept the idea that lowering wages for jobs is not only fine, but also constitutes outstanding union leadership. Who is it that has philosophical alliances with the right-to-work for less think tanks? More Jobs - Less Pay, looks to me to be exactly what you advocate more than anyone named Seham.

 

[Steve Connell]

Correct Princess, they are indeed two different people, well done! They are two different people who represented your dear AMFA. And might I add that your cussing on here really distracts from your good looks. B)


And really Dave, since when has the term "the truth of the matter" and your name with it ever existed? Try again oh spin master, you organizer you, NOT!

 

[Steve Connell]

April 24, 2002



Who did AMFA serve?



Greetings. I noted a letter I authored in the summer of '98, when I was president of an AMFA local, regarding the profession of aircraft mechanics has appeared on various bulletin boards. In that letter, I concluded aircraft mechanics needed AMFA to protect their profession, for "As goes your profession, so goes your job."



Just to set the record straight, I still believe mechanics need involve themselves in a union to protect their profession, however, I was gravely mistaken in my support of AMFA and regret getting others to go along with an organization that, when I needed defense against the pencil whipping of aircraft maintenance, (not by union members working as mechanics), AMFA became an instrument of retaliation against me.



How is it that an organization that states in the opening precepts of its own constitution that the public trust and air safety is of prime concern, when one of its own members keeps that trust, that member is retaliated against?



I was actually put on trial for going to the FAA, though that "trial" was thinly disguised as a recall. In this "trial," (organized by persons that were friends of, worked for and/or received favored treatment by one or more of the individuals, [again, not union members employed as mechanics], being investigated for falsifying maintenance records), words such as "FAA," "FBI," "DOT," "investigation," etc., occurred 200 times. I requested of the AMFA National Director only a fair and impartial hearing, which I never received.



One of the persons who ran the recall campaign 1) organized the trial committee, 2) served also as an accuser at this same "trial," in addition to 3) giving a "summary" of the trial to the membership with only 4) his own opinion of matters.



Not once, as required by the AMFA constitution, did I receive a reply to my request for an appeal from the National Director.



AMFA, instead of filing a grievance against management personnel pencil whipping aircraft maintenance, came after one person willing to stand up against such illegal and ultimately fatal activities.



Sincerely, John Liotine







note: John Liotine was an Alaska Airlines Lead Technician, AMFA organizer and President of AMFA Local 37 in Oakland, CA. He was removed from office by AMFA for reporting safety violations by Alaska Airlines management to the FAA. Specifically, he cited management pencil-whipping his order to replace a jackscrew on Alaska Airlines aircraft 963. On January 31, 2000 that aircraft flew as Flight 261, which crashed due to failure of the jackscrew assembly, killing all 88 people on board.

 

[Decision 2004]

Again,

Change the subject away for the topic because the TRUTH is unbearable. You can't even stay on topic when you create the thread!

The TWU Lowered Union wages to save jobs just like the Right-to-Work for less advocates campaign on.

Tell us Steve, who has lowered wages and benefits more, the TWU or Right-to-Work Laws?

 

[Steve Connell]

Actually Dave your 17.5% loss of pay was due to AA, not the TWU. I do not believe the TWU ever brought to the table,as their initiative, a request to lower wages. How about the Right to Work?

Ever think of just welding for a living and leave the union business to unionists?

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

Management "SCAB" STEVE, Martin Seham represented the Allied Pilot's Association for almost 30 years. The link I'm posting here blows holes in your theories Steve. You IAM types tried this garbage at Northwest and United. Guess what? IT DIDN'T WORK! and IT WILL NOT WORK AT AA!

http://www.the-mechanic.com/nonsense.html

 

[Decision 2004]

Let's make it easier for everyone to read the TRUTH...

 

[Rusty]

"because of his unwillingness to compromise his integrity"

 

[Decision 2004]

Actually Dave your 17.5% loss of pay was due to AA, not the TWU. I do not believe the TWU ever brought to the table,as their initiative, a request to lower wages. How about the Right to Work?

Ever think of just welding for a living and leave the union business to unionists?

You are an absolute liar Steve.

Everyone knows that AA wanted $620 Million from the TWU and that is was a "UNION" decision regarding how much of that $620 Mill. the Mechanic and Related work group would give.

And in addition, it was a "UNION" decision by the M&R Negotiating Committee how our part of the $620 Million would be sacrificed.

To state otherwise is simply telling lies and living with your head buried in the sand!

You are willing to place your credibility on the line, to defend the industry leading concessions. Go have a sit and say with your Local 530 negotiators and ask any one of them to sign a letter stating that is was not a TWU deicison how to give-up the $318 Million in concessions that the M&R group sacrificed. Redeem yourself and post that letter instead of letters from disgruntled union members from other airlines.

My Gosh, some people I know need to have their heads dug out of the sand. You on the other hand are in need of a back-hoe.

 

[Nightwatch]

My Gosh, some people I know need to have their heads dug out of the sand. You on the other hand are in need of a back-hoe.

Again sir I ask, are you really an AMFA organizer?

Possibly Decision you should read his post carefully. Steve stated "Actually Dave your 17.5% loss of pay was due to AA, not the TWU. I do not believe the TWU ever brought to the table,as their initiative, a request to lower wages. How about the Right to Work?"

I read that as the TWU did not initiate the loss of wages and benefits. Most members realize how the package was derived. Why do you find this so irritating?

 

[Buck]

Actually Dave your 17.5% loss of pay was due to AA, not the TWU. I do not believe the TWU ever brought to the table,as their initiative, a request to lower wages. How about the Right to Work?

Ever think of just welding for a living and leave the union business to unionists?

You forget sir that only those who were topped out received a 17.5% pay cut. Those bumped to the OSM classification received a greater reduction in their salary. I do not know what the TWU brought to the table, but they left with fear for their membership. The membership listened to the leadership and now.....

June 7, 2004

Robert Gless
International Representative
Air Transport Division
Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
1791 Hurstview Dr.
Hurst, TX 76021

Bobby,

I appreciate your due diligence on the class 2 stations and obtaining the
letter from Danny stating that there won’t be any “changes through the
summerâ€, although we already knew that from his VP update to the field.

The concern as you could imagine is after the summer; i.e. picture a guy in
Philadelphia, Houston, San Jose, and Nashville not knowing whether the
station was going to stay open after the summer.

As I had stated at the last few Presidents’ Council meetings, all of the
maintenance stations have been scaling down headcount, (some at a high
rate), and the company does not want to backfill at this time. The very
prevalent rumor that seems to abound is that there will come a time in the
very near future when there will be a shuffle of the headcount; which, by
the way, includes the closing of some class 2 stations.

This is exactly what was discussed during the concessionary negotiations at
which time the M&R Committee decided to go the other direction to save the
company money. If the company is considering closing some of the class 2
stations then they need to know this will not fly with either the TWU
leadership, (clinched fist with pointed finger), or the members.

Thus, the request for the meeting with Reding. The Maintenance presidents
discussed this at the May Presidents’ Council meeting because we wanted to
ensure he realizes that he does not get two bites at this apple. He does
not get to close stations and enjoy the contractual relief we agreed to.
Now, if AA completely pulled out of a station operationally there would be
no argument.

A few Presidents’ Councils ago I requested the International go forward to
the company and get an agreement for the duration of this collective
bargaining agreement for the class 2 stations. The purpose being that our
members have given up a lot and due to what transpired during those
concessionary discussions, (class 2’s or money and other contractual items),
they shouldn’t have to worry each day whether or not they and their families
will be able to stay at their stations. With what we gave up and all we
have done to help this company, this is the least they can do for these guys
at these class 2 stations. This is not even considering the fact that they
out perform the class 1 stations and have successfully completed any and all
maintenance that was requested of them. Some stations have been operating
for decades under this premise.

You and Gary Yingst have both stated that you thought the company was
looking at closing some stations. This cannot happen; we have to take a
stance.

Most members know that the Maintenance and Related Committee’s initial
proposal to AA was to reduce headcount and keep the 2001 agreement intact,
except for relief from the system protection provision.

In response, the Company, (Jim Weel), stated, they would need to close all
heavy maintenance facilities, eliminate B-Checks, close the Class II cities,
and eliminate Title II, etc. Again, this was a successful ploy to frighten
committee members to find ‘cost savings’ through ‘work rule changes’,
(a.k.a. trash the agreement).

Currently, the implementation of reductions in accordance with the
concessionary agreement has been completed by the company and in the spirit
of ‘assisting the company through the financial crises’, all the layoffs
should be over. Unfortunately, the Company is heading towards the number of
headcount reduction as we initially proposed.

American Airlines’ style of conducting its business has created an
environment that breeds distrust among its employees. This has in turn
translated to our turning on each other, while the Company slips to the
background, and calculates the next move that will cause strife. We cannot
allow this company to continually play games with the class 2 stations, we
must get an agreement. If I can be of any assistance please contact me.

Fraternally,

Donald M. Videtich
President
Local 565, Air Transport Division
Transport Workers Union of American, AFL-CIO

Steve why do you hate welders?

Are all welders non-unionists?

Is this your feelins alone or do all of the TWA people feel this way?

Are there any welders at MCI that know how you feel about them?

 

[RUM@AA]

This pisses me off! I'm supposed to be an organizer and I recieved no such RTW training.
Think Art Luby will help me sue AMFA? :blink:

 

[Nightwatch]

This pisses me off! I'm supposed to be an organizer and I recieved no such RTW training.
Think Art Luby will help me sue AMFA? :blink:

Well sir, I'd guess either you are not much of an organizer, thus not needing the training, or AMFA has changed policy. You decide which.