The International made the changes to the reports due to the new regulations from the labor deparment, the International had new software developed to simplify the process of the DOL mandated reports.
The Landrum-Griffith Act is the law that mandates what reports are done by each level of a union, which is enforced by the DOL.
The Dues Structure is set by the International, and the District. The way dues are calculated are voted upon by each local under the five differant ways under the Constitution. I think I know how it is done since I have been a Trustee and a Recording Secretary.
The District gets their money first from the company as it is in the CBA and the District sends the rest to the locals, and the locals send the International their portion.
I guess you dont understand the company is under NO obligation to make any improvements to the CBA, all they have to do is negotiate the transition of the west to the east cba.
Guess you never sat across from the table in negotiations, you cant get blood from a stone and the union is not in Section 6 Negotiations, therefore no threat from a strike.
For the longest time before the DOT under Elizabeth Dole let the outsourcing of maintenance the M&R was the largest part of the Transportation Dept, under the IAM. With all the organizing, US and UAL, AMFA played upon the M&R that the IAM was not representing their best interests. So when the big threat came at NWA, they International came up with the idea of seperate districts, not seperate locals.
It did not divide the membership, it meant mechanic and related represented mechanic and related and fleet represented fleet.
Just like fleet did not like mechanics negotiating their first CBA, so then when the districts split you had all your own classification representing and negotiating for you.
And if you read AMFA's constitution, they are not m&r only, they do have fleet mentioned in it.
The members wanted the seperation, guess you dont remember what happened in PHL when the 141 Mechanic AGCs had the first agreement meeting.
I for one voted against the seperation, but bottom line the International was looking out for its dues money in my opinion.
But once again the membership were the ones that voted on it and passed the seperation of districts.
The District does not run local lodges, they are in charge of the CBA.