Members Walk The Floors In Tulsa!

[will fix for food]

"The facts so far are that AMFA at NWA has given the company the green light to outsource a minimum of 38% of the work. "

Wrong again. Its a maximum of 38%.

I know that if the 38% cap is exceeded NWA must pay the equivalent of the exceedance to AMFA National. My question is, does this payment make AMFA "whole" and therefore the outsourcing above 38% is no longer grievable?

I have read the NWA/AMFA contract book pertaining to this and it wasn't clear.

I posted this question before and nobody cared to reply (or I missed it).

 

[Bob Owens]

"The facts so far are that AMFA at NWA has given the company the green light to outsource a minimum of 38% of the work. "

Wrong again. Its a maximum of 38%.

I know that if the 38% cap is exceeded NWA must pay the equivalent of the exceedance to AMFA National. My question is, does this payment make AMFA "whole" and therefore the outsourcing above 38% is no longer grievable?

I have read the NWA/AMFA contract book pertaining to this and it wasn't clear.

I posted this question before and nobody cared to reply (or I missed it).

I dont know either.
You will have to ask a NWA employee.

 

[Checking it Out]

To the TWU membership,

I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the TWU and the voters of Tulsa who helped to improve our wonderful city and worked at keeping jobs at American Airlines. It would be a shame if a few miss-guided individuals destroy this by supporting an organization that openly believes the current language in our scope-clause is unenforceable with 100% farm-out capabilities. Think of the track record Amfa has at other carriers and what American Airlines would do with this.

Since Amfa has turned over most of their functions to the McCormick group in 1998,Amfa has been successful at organizing several mechanic groups in the industry. In return Amfa has been successful at keeping a good portion of their members Un-Employed at the major carriers. This shows an unquestionable lack of concern on Amfa’s part.

Amfa boasts about the members sending ten letters to the politicians in their district and they will pay attention. This is the farthest from the truth, you have to be willing to visit the Politicians in their office and have a face-to-face conversation. Reality is, without funds and legislative advocates in Washington and leadership and direction from the international level, that kind of thinking fails. As a member of the TWU we are affiliated with the AFL-CIO and active in politics in Oklahoma and the United States.

If Amfa were to come in, everyone who pushed for this organization would be encouraged about winning. When reality sinks in and they find out it requires 16-hour workdays and a lot of participation, the enthusiasm would quickly disappear. The majority of these individuals aren’t the ones who walk the floors of Congress-the floors of the work area or the streets of our community. These are the individuals that bellyache in the smoke boxes or next to their toolboxes and have never volunteered to participate in the betterment of the membership.

At United Airlines for example, Amfa won after receiving 39% of the eligible voters after the 3rd attempt. This means you have 61% of the members wanting no part of Amfa or not voting at all. This is more prevalent at Southwest Airlines, where the average mail-in ballots equal 318 on a regular basis with over 850 eligible members in the local! The TWU has one of the highest percentage of membership participation in the voting process than any union in the industry!

In Tulsa, the majority of the members believes in politics and is active in the community, from making signs to beating the pavement in support of our issues. At the TWU International level the money is well spent on helping the members thru the political process and support of our issues. At Amfa National approximately the same percentage of the membership dues are received, a good portion of the money goes into the pockets of the McCormick and Seham Groups with no accountability or political involvement. You need to wonder where the money is spent?

Do you want to be employed or increase the likelihood of hitting the street? It’s that simple!

In,Solidarity

 

[Checking it Out]

President's Message

Mobilizing Transportation AFL-CIO Unions and our rank-and-file Sisters and Brothers must be a top priority for us.

The terrible economy and mounting national debt, the horror of terrorism and the commitment to defeat those who would destroy America and, frankly, the inability to trust the words spoken by the present Administration in Washington, D.C., are also major priorities.

If we, working families, continue to divide ourselves, we will not be able to deal with the present situation of little or no job security, small and non-existent wage and benefit increases and the difficult situations of having to choose between our employers going into bankruptcy or accepting a reduction in contract agreements.

Let’s be honest and examine each other’s priorities. We cannot, must not, be in denial. Think about it, are we not spending more time on Union members, Union officers, fighting and being angry with each other, in place of fighting a political administration that continues to spend billions of dollars outside of America while giving billions of dollars of tax cuts for the already rich in America?

What more evidence do we need than the late night meetings of the House and Senate Republican Conferences to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) re-authorization legislation who with virtually no debate or on-the-record votes, Republican leaders of the House and Senate cut a deal on an aviation bill that launches the Administration campaign to open the doors for foreign airlines to raid U.S. markets and embraces a dramatic weakening of cabotage laws at the expense of an already fragile U.S. aviation industry and workers.

All this is compounded by the fact that the Bush Administration has used the Republican House and Senate Republican Conferences to privatize Air Traffic Control.

Many of us remember when President Reagan fired every Air Traffic Controller for daring to strike, not over money issues but safety issues. I think that many people back then felt that the house of labor, for whatever reason, failed to adequately stand up for traffic controllers and President Reagan’s despicable action was allowed to stand.

It must be about all of us, airline, railroad, transit and utility workers; it is about America’s working families.

We must stop pointing fingers at each other and point our finger and our fist at the real enemies -

Full Story: TWU Working for YOU!

 

[Bob Owens]

To the TWU membership,

I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the TWU and the voters of Tulsa who helped to improve our wonderful city and worked at keeping jobs at American Airlines. It would be a shame if a few miss-guided individuals destroy this by supporting an organization that openly believes the current language in our scope-clause is unenforceable with 100% farm-out capabilities. Think of the track record Amfa has at other carriers and what American Airlines would do with this.

Since Amfa has turned over most of their functions to the McCormick group in 1998,Amfa has been successful at organizing several mechanic groups in the industry. In return Amfa has been successful at keeping a good portion of their members Un-Employed at the major carriers. This shows an unquestionable lack of concern on Amfa’s part.

Amfa boasts about the members sending ten letters to the politicians in their district and they will pay attention. This is the farthest from the truth, you have to be willing to visit the Politicians in their office and have a face-to-face conversation. Reality is, without funds and legislative advocates in Washington and leadership and direction from the international level, that kind of thinking fails. As a member of the TWU we are affiliated with the AFL-CIO and active in politics in Oklahoma and the United States.

If Amfa were to come in, everyone who pushed for this organization would be encouraged about winning. When reality sinks in and they find out it requires 16-hour workdays and a lot of participation, the enthusiasm would quickly disappear. The majority of these individuals aren’t the ones who walk the floors of Congress-the floors of the work area or the streets of our community. These are the individuals that bellyache in the smoke boxes or next to their toolboxes and have never volunteered to participate in the betterment of the membership.

At United Airlines for example, Amfa won after receiving 39% of the eligible voters after the 3rd attempt. This means you have 61% of the members wanting no part of Amfa or not voting at all. This is more prevalent at Southwest Airlines, where the average mail-in ballots equal 318 on a regular basis with over 850 eligible members in the local! The TWU has one of the highest percentage of membership participation in the voting process than any union in the industry!

In Tulsa, the majority of the members believes in politics and is active in the community, from making signs to beating the pavement in support of our issues. At the TWU International level the money is well spent on helping the members thru the political process and support of our issues. At Amfa National approximately the same percentage of the membership dues are received, a good portion of the money goes into the pockets of the McCormick and Seham Groups with no accountability or political involvement. You need to wonder where the money is spent?

Do you want to be employed or increase the likelihood of hitting the street? It’s that simple!

In,Solidarity

Gary;

Not bad.

Tell us how all that political influence saved us from bearing the burden of 9/11 and the Bush economy?

Tell us why nothing was done about Part 145 for ten years?

Tell us how giving the company the exact number that they asked for, $610 million I believe, constitutes "bargaining"?

Tell us who brought the rate up to $35/hour?

Tell us, how did giving up vacation and rolling back system protection save jobs?

Tell us do you get the stock too? How much of a cut did you take?

Tell us how low would you go to keep the work "in house"? Why not just put it in the scope language instead of underbidding outside contractors?

Oklahoma is part of the United States.

I've volunteered and put in the time, unfortunately I wanted to improve things for the members, and you guys simply would not have it. You want to cut their vacation, benifits and pay in order to keep the dues flowing. The dues that pay for your six-figure salaries, your cars, your extra pensions etc. The fact is that when we are stuck in a recession there will be layoffs, thats why unions support unemployment benifits, and we still had layoffs despite the cuts, the trick is not to get stuck in a long term contract in the worst of times which is exactly what you guys did. But what do you care? You still get your pay, plus the stocks to boot right?

The fact is that things have come full circle. The TWU replaced a Company union and it in turn has become a company union, and now a new union is poised to replace it.

Too bad. Do you think that the International will keep you on if AMFA wins?

If they do, how likely is it that you will survive the next Convention?

If 16,000 M&R leave, and who knows we might even see the AGW take off too, that means 30,000 members, what would they do with you? Come to think of it, what would they do with Little, again, what happens at the next Convention? Maybe I'm jumping the gun, we will have to revisit this in January, when Local 100s elections are over and AMFA has 60%.

One thing that I do agree with is that AFL-CIO affiliation is desirable. However once the dust settles and AMFA has all the mechanics in one union do you really think the federation would refuse entry to a liscenced group of workers that could bring the air transportation system to a standstill? They let the Air Traffic Controllers in, many of them are scabs that crossed PATCOs lines. All that Craft union bashing probably wont sit that well with the Pilots, Flight Attendants, Plumbers, Carpenters and all the other Craft Union members of the AFL-CIO. Right now they are showing solidarity with the IAM, TWU and IBT because it costs them nothing. If AMFA is successful at getting all the mechanics who do you think the Pilots will side with, the mechanics who they entrust their lives to, or Sonny Hall, Buffenbarger and Hoffa?

 

[Checking it Out]

Bob, I feel you are jumping the gun a little, the campaign is 6 months old going on the forth or fifth drive now and the majority are getting kinda tired of the rhetoric. Amfa has failed and continues to fail, heck they even established guidelines "on how to make it impossible to recall an officer at local 33."

Under the TWU it only takes one member.

The membership in Tulsa are great, the Informer was destributed today and the members took the time to become Informed. their is articles about the upcoming vote on the 7 day 4/10 schedule, along with several other issues.

Keep Informed and become educated.

 

[enough already]

Bob, I feel you are jumping the gun a little, the campaign is 6 months old going on the forth or fifth drive now and the majority are getting kinda tired of the rhetoric. Amfa has failed and continues to fail, heck they even established guidelines "on how to make it impossible to recall an officer at local 33."

7908 Total Signed Election Authorization Cards by Station and Title Group (From system seniority list dated 02-12-2003)
Updated, Monday September 22, 2003 at 03:38:27 PM. Our goal is to obtain 60% of the Craft and Class of Mechanic and Related, and at this time, our estimate of that number, with 'elbow room' is approximately 10,000 cards. Using that number, at this time, we are about 79.0% to our goal, or approximately 48.8% of our Craft and Class. Good job so far, and let's REDOUBLE our efforts and GET THIS DONE!

 

[Bruce]

To you tulsa folks who are collecting cards THANK YOU!
i wish i was there helping but to busy here in AFW collecting!

And yes Dan is enjoying is toolbox again which he really never left since he didnt live on UB time like the rest of the TWU Stoolies! and yes he looks better in his A.M.F.A shirt.

Tulsa keep it up it wont be long now or is that AMFA NOW

 

[Checking it Out]

Have a Great TWU DAY!

 

[Thomas Paine]

8000 Total Signed Election Authorization Cards by Station and Title Group (From system seniority list dated 02-12-2003):
Updated, Tuesday September 23, 2003 at 11:59:58 PM. Our goal is to obtain 60% of the Craft and Class of
Mechanic and Related, and at this time, our estimate of that number, with 'elbow room' is approximately 10,000 cards.
Using that number, at this time, we are about 80.0% to our goal, or approximately 49.4% of our Craft and Class. Good job so far, and let's
REDOUBLE our efforts and GET THIS DONE!




Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

 

[Checking it Out]

Can anyone explain why the majority of the amfa wantabes are always the ones standing around the tool boxes and the TWU members are having to take up the slack? The supervisors are always commenting the samething, We are neutral on who represents you! I believe this has more to do with work ethics than representation.

 

[Bob Owens]

Can anyone explain why the majority of the amfa wantabes are always the ones standing around the tool boxes and the TWU members are having to take up the slack? The supervisors are always commenting the samething, We are neutral on who represents you! I believe this has more to do with work ethics than representation.

Well which is it? Are they "walking the floors" or are they working?

 

[Steve Connell]

Well which is it? Are they "walking the floors" or are they working?

nahhh Bob..they're running a concession stand...attempting to educate themselves for future xactions.

 

[Bob Owens]

Well which is it? Are they "walking the floors" or are they working?

nahhh Bob..they're running a concession stand...attempting to educate themselves for future xactions.

You said it.

 

[Thomas Paine]

8103 Total Signed Election Authorization Cards by Station and Title Group (From system seniority list dated 02-12-2003):
Updated, Thursday September 25, 2003 at 11:48:58 PM. Our goal is to obtain 60% of the Craft and Class of
Mechanic and Related, and at this time, our estimate of that number, with 'elbow room' is approximately 10,000 cards.
Using that number, at this time, we are about 81.0% to our goal, or approximately 50.0% of our Craft and Class. Good job so far, and let's
REDOUBLE our efforts and GET THIS DONE!



Hey CIO!
It does not look like anyone is jumping the gun now does it? Or are you the type who sees the train coming but wont get off the tracks because it aint here yet?

An average of 40 cards a day, at this rate they will have 10,000 in 48 days. Nov 14. 2003

If the rate drops by half they will have 10,000 in 96 days. January 4. 2004.

If it drops down to an average of just 11 cards per day they will have 10,000 by March 17, 2004.

By March of 2004 10,000 will likely be closer to 70% than 60%.

Looks like you are going to get run over!