If we see something as not working why wouldn't we want to change it??? You take us for folks who don't have common sense Buck. I for one am doing my part right now and am going to vote for new officers at Local 514.
And what do you think that will accomplish? What are the "new" officers going to do that the old ones have not tried? Didnt Burchette get elected on a "change from within" platform? What happened?
When it looked like Burchette was aligning with a few of the other big locals to push for change from within, the International split up the other locals and made seperate locals. Burchette apparently either heeded the warning or sold out, he did after all end up becoming an International rep, we wont bother going into how he ended up back on the floor again. ( He does still hold an International position, and no doubt if he plays his cards right they will have a paying spot for him down the road. Getting back in the top slot in Tulsa will be a big plus for him.) The company fired most of the militant Local 501 board while the International stood by and did nothing-their lawsuit is still pending. Looks like the TWU will be paying out some money. Needless to say the International got its way but in order for 23000 members to support 22 locals (7000 in Tulsa) the TWU needed financial assistance from the company. The company then started to pay 40 hours UB for the Presidents without reimbursement. This illegal payout probably helped quiet everyone down. Most Local Presidents rolled that extra pay back into the Treasury or were finally able to come off the floor full time-did Local 514 roll it back in? Or did they just pocket it as a bonus and continue collecting their full Presidents pay from the Local plus the 40 hours from the company? Maybe thats what quieted Burchette up and made him Sonny's boy? Ironically I was told that Burchette griped about the company paid UB. I was told he said 'How will it look to the members with Local Presidents on company payroll', or something to that effect.
The fact is that it does not matter who you elect, control is at the top. As big as Tulsa is they are small compared to some other Locals in the TWU. Didnt Tulsa, and all the other Presidents vote against seperate locals? Sonny put them in anyway didnt he? Did you read the lawsuits from Local 562, Local 501, Boston-502(?) and the Lawsuits against the seperate Locals? In all cases it was determined that the International has control and is not subordinate to the Locals or the members. The Presidents council has no authority over the contract or the ATD. Its a fascade, meant to make the members feel that they have some control and input but there is only one signature that really counts on our contract, and thats Jim Little, and he is accountable to no member or local.The Constitution, the contract, everything, is under the control of the International.
Tulsa with their 7000 members is not going to change that because the other, larger, and even smaller locals in the TWU, who are not under the AA contract simply do not face the same thing we do. While they may, or may not, suffer from interference from the International they are not under their thumb like we are.
In other cases the contract only applies to one Local and the contracts name that Local as a party to the contract, their Presidents sign the contracts, ours only sign as witnesses.
The International has 30,000 members fractured and powerless and they will not give that up. They want us to be all split up so that no matter what happens they will have control. Even if Tulsa elected a radical it means nothing as long as they have a few other locals under their thumb. And they do, a lot of these guys who made it to President are not that bright and are totally dependant on the International. Many are sucking up for an International spot, a six figure paying, benifits that they would never consider getting for you, lifetime job where you never have to run for office again.
You obviously believe that change from within will be attainable through Tulsa and Tulsa alone. Tell me what do you really think is going to change through your election? Better quality popcorn and hotdogs at the hall? Maybe see them walking the floor a little more often? Well thats about all your Local can do. Get you double time back?-no contractual issue-under the control of the International. Get you your sick time back?-NO-see previous. Get you a better wage?-no again, see first item. Retore language?-No-see first item. Should I go on? The fact is the answers are out there in the various lawsiuts that have been heard over the last 4 years. The fact is that the TWU, under their Constitution does not even ever have to let the members ratify contracts. If they run a sham vote-like the last one-no big deal because technically you dont have the right to a vote. Their own statement in court is that the Constitutional provision for membership ratification only applies to NEW contracts, and as we all know, or should, under the RLA our contracts never expire, they are only modified.
Go ahead and vote your concious. You are simply playing into the Internationals game. There is nothing that they like better than to see a new face at the council. It just means that their system of having the members blame the Presidents, while getting the Presidents to blame the members is working like a charm for them. We still have not caught on, and as long as we are content to be limited to voting for witnesses to the contract we never will. Just dont get your hopes up too high. After nearly twenty years thats one thing I've learned with the TWU.
