Sign A Card For Mechanic And Related To Have A Vote

[Rev. Jim Jones]

Well I sure feel for all of you. I was formerly a mech commuting from SAN to PIT for six years in the 90's after the PSA, Peidmont mergers. I think many of you will have some hard choices to make in the future and the company is going to try to bend you guys over but good. I want to wish all of you the best in your challanges ahead.

PS. Watch out for the KoolAid the company tries to serve you.

 

[Awa Contract]

The Company serves it and it is made by the IAM - watch the body count soar.

 

[gonzo]

That's great. But the non union represented employees are currently employed............they are NOT furloughed. So what about all those people?? Just for clarification..........the people I am speaking about are current AWA/US West employees.

So now maybe someone can shed some light on all this............because it's pretty dark in the non union area...........even darker than in the union area. And who knows where we will all end up?????

And what ever became of the IAM meeting in PHX? Never even knew about it...........communication?? NOT.

At this point both of the unions are concerned about survival, later the non union groups will be addressed if they are interested. If you are non union then more than likely your group didn't want to be union or you would have shown interest in the past. That doesn't mean that the non union groups are being left out. If you want to be part of a union then get the group to sign cards and send them in.

Concerning the union meeting in PHX: there have been fliers posted every where, in PHX (I expect someone to say "I didn't see any", but they were posted). This board has had meeting announcements on it at least two different occasions. The announcements for the IAM meetings were given by the members of Teamsters Local 104. The Teamsters want its members to hear what the IAM has to say................and educate them selves. I hope that this has been helpful...........

 

[Rev. Jim Jones]

Please correct me if I am wrong.

AS I understand It;

(edited by mod)

 

[AIRWOMAN]

At this point both of the unions are concerned about survival, later the non union groups will be addressed if they are interested. If you are non union then more than likely your group didn't want to be union or you would have shown interest in the past. That doesn't mean that the non union groups are being left out. If you want to be part of a union then get the group to sign cards and send them in.

Concerning the union meeting in PHX: there have been fliers posted every where, in PHX (I expect someone to say "I didn't see any", but they were posted). This board has had meeting announcements on it at least two different occasions. The announcements for the IAM meetings were given by the members of Teamsters Local 104. The Teamsters want its members to hear what the IAM has to say................and educate them selves. I hope that this has been helpful...........

I understand that both unions are concerned about survival. And our individual survival is of concern also. As non union AWA/US employess, who are not currently union by choice or the fact that the position is not and never has been union.............will those currently non union positions be forced into the union in the fututre because of the merger?????? No one seems to be able to answer that...........or the usual response is that it will be a NMB decision. Can anyone answer if it will be an individual choice down the road to join or not???? Or will it be a NMB decision????

As far as showing interest in being a part of the union.......no, it's not a matter of whether or not you have the interest, it's a matter of choice.............will you have a choice or not?? And the sooner someone has an answer to that question, then current non union members will be better able to make a choice. Non union members don't even have a firm list of their choices at this time. And since the potential choices are not known, how can anyone make an informed choice regarding signing a card, or not signing a card????

I would think that since both unions are concerned about their survival and there is, could be, might be, might not be.........again, who knows............there is a POTENTIAL pool of future union members all over. It doesn't apprear that there is a lot of push to inform that POTENTIAL pool of people. And back to the card signing...........wouldn't you want to have the facts/information BEFORE you sign anything??

Have the companies put restrictions on union interaction with current non union members?? Maybe that's why it's so quiet.............again, who knows...........and who knows the facts???

 

[gonzo]

I understand that both unions are concerned about survival. And our individual survival is of concern also. As non union AWA/US employees, who are not currently union by choice or the fact that the position is not and never has been union.............will those currently non union positions be forced into the union in the future because of the merger?????? No one seems to be able to answer that...........or the usual response is that it will be a NMB decision. Can anyone answer if it will be an individual choice down the road to join or not???? Or will it be a NMB decision????

Ok........if your job group at AWA is non union and the job group at USA is union then the 35% rule applies. If the job group at AWA is LESS THAN 35% of the TOTAL combined job group (the total number of people in the group = AWA + USA) then you are absorbed in to the union. If the job group at AWA is MORE THAN 35% then the NMB will conduct a vote for union representation.

(I have edited this for accuracy and content to avoid any miss understanding, sorry)

 

[700UW]

Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo.

The Railway Labor Act is a federal law and employees who have a union security clause in their CBA have to pay for what is germane to the CBA.

State Right to Work (for less) do not apply to contracts under the RLA. (Federal Law supercedes State Law)

The Supreme Court has ruled on union security clauses, the Case was Beck vs the CWA and Whirpool vs Machinists.

You seem to be confusing the RLA with the NLRA and open and closed shops.

All airlines are closed shops and you have to pay for representation, you can become a dues objector or an agency fee payer, but you still have to pay for what is germane to the enforcement of the CBA.

 

[gonzo]

Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo.

The Railway Labor Act is a federal law and employees who have a union security clause in their CBA have to pay for what is germane to the CBA.

State Right to Work (for less) do not apply to contracts under the RLA. (Federal Law supercedes State Law)

Your are correct I have removed the inaccurate statement from my post.

 

[smmech]

The IAM told us at there meeting in PHX that a vote could cause us to end up with no Union. Stating that ballots sent out with incorrect addresses or no ressponce would cause less then 50%+1.
I guess they figure we cant read.

http://nmb.gov/representation/representation-manual.pdf

Check section 14.206, 9.204 and 9.207 are good readin also.

 

[usairmech41]

ALLRIGHT,

He is my unpopular recomendation, drop the worthless unions, they are nothing but BIG business just like the company. Everyone needs to get their act together like southwest. Unions will just take your $$ and protest the lazy, stealing SOB....WAKE UP!!!

 

[700UW]

Southwest Airlines has the highest percentage of unionized employees.

The pilots are SWAPA, the ramp is TWU, customer service and reservations agents are IAM and the flight attendants are TWU or IBT.

And WN employees are the highest paid also.

 

[AIRWOMAN]

Ok........if your job group at AWA is non union and the job group at USA is union then the 35% rule applies. If the job group at AWA is LESS THAN 35% of the TOTAL combined job group (the total number of people in the group = AWA + USA) then you are absorbed in to the union. If the job group at AWA is MORE THAN 35% then the NMB will conduct a vote for union representation.

(I have edited this for accuracy and content to avoid any miss understanding, sorry)

OK...........is there a cut off date for cards? The "reorganization" between the two sides is not complete. And honestly, does anyone know what jobs are or aren't equivalent? And how the "groups/departments" are going to be grouped? Maybe someone does but the info isn't getting out and considered reliable. Maybe those people making those "groupings/departments" know.........maybe they don't. Maybe they don't want "us" to know.........maybe they do.

In a nutshell, until the "upstairs" reorg is completed and official, "upstairs" people won't know where they stand in the 35% formula. One would think that the union would be trying to get that information..............there's the potential pool of union members theory again. And if they are, not everyone is aware. And if they aren't, why aren't they?

And as far as the IAM meetings that took place recently.............I assume when you say that they were posted on the board, you are referring to the IBT board at the hangar. Is my assumption correct? Well, let me say that, in my opinion, the majority of current non union employees do not know of the IBT board. And honestly, why would they read that since they have never been union?? Maybe with this coming to light, the information will be distributed/posted in a manner where more people would be likely to see it.........right along the IAM SCREWED stickers, perhaps.

 

[gonzo]

ALLRIGHT,

He is my unpopular recomendation, drop the worthless unions, they are nothing but BIG business just like the company. Everyone needs to get their act together like southwest. Unions will just take your $$ and protest the lazy, stealing SOB....WAKE UP!!!

ROFL...........Hmmmm..........usairmech41 you are correct..........but then the companies could just do what they wish and the workers would have no recourse. Your recommendation is not a very good one. You seem to be worried about someone who you feel is not worth keeping at the company and being defended by the union. We all have our opinions and you are welcome to yours. If you don't like the unions then don't work for a company that has one. That seems simple enough.

 

[gonzo]

One could argue that the workers had no recourse anyway, considering the way the mechs have been manhandled at US and NWA. Saying it would be worse ignores the free market. There IS a bottom to the free fall in wages.

Very true statement Bob.