Strike Not A Good Idea

[Dea Certe]

I understand how everyone's feeling so angry and frustrated, cheated and abused, but I don't think a strike at this time is a good idea. I think it would be playing into management's hand.

I still stand by my theory in my last topic. I'd rather see us fight this out in the courts. In the meanwhile, we should all continue to give the best service we can. Let's not give management the grounds to say it's our fault.

It's apparent to all of us management is not negotiating in good faith. Every negotiation session seems to add fuel the already raging fire of employee wrath. I believe it's calculated to do so. They want us to react emotionally, let's not give them that card to be used against us.

I'd rather see us win some better laws for protection in cases of BK, ones that will improve our industry and careers than to just become dust in wind.

Cool heads are needed now. Start writing your congress people to express your outrage at corporations using BK to steal our hard-earned pensions and placing an unfair burden on the taxpayers. Especially when executive and senior management get to keep their pensions and bonuses with "bullet proof" clauses.

Also, avoid olives. They have God-awful side effects. Intense headache, intense thirst, sensitivity to light and loud noise. There should be a warning label on the jars. I don't think that's worth mentioning to your congress people, though.

Dea

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

So, when do you think IS a good time to strike? Next year? 10 years from now? You should have struck last year, but instead you and our TWU scabs here at AA voted yes and sent the whole industry into a feeding frenzy on it's employees! Quit being a bunch of cowards and JUST DO IT! What have you got to lose? You've already given everything away! :rant:

 

[Dea Certe]

Princess K,

You're right in that we've already given away everything. I personally believe U is a goner, regardless of what Labor does. What I'd like to see is some good come of it. Like getting some laws in place to protect pensions. Like disabling CEO's and other executive management from getting golden parachutes and keeping their pensions while employees are kicked to the curb after many years of hard work without a dime.

I'd like to see a stop to giving executives bonuses while labor gives up pay. I want to see executives held accountable for their failures instead of being rewarded with fat paychecks. Why should they get life-time pensions and health care after a few years service when the employees who spent their entire adult lives working lose everything?

If all of the airline employees at every airline grasped the concept of solidarity and stood together, we could stop this slide toward minium wages for all airline employees.

To me, at this point, it's about setting things right. I want to leave my industry better off, not farmed out to the lowest bidder. I don't want these gypsy-management types continuing to get rich while the honest workers are impoverished.

In these times, I believe it's better to solve the problems and not leave it to the next guy.

Dea

 

[BostonTerrier]

Also, avoid olives. They have God-awful side effects. Intense headache, intense thirst, sensitivity to light and loud noise. There should be a warning label on the jars. I don't think that's worth mentioning to your congress people, though.

Dea

[post="200646"][/post]​

Dea,

OMG! Of all the inflammatory comments. :blink:

Olives + Vodka (and a splash of vermouth, etc. ) = Martinis. It's a good thing.

BT

 

[planeirish]

I think the idea of writting to your Senators and Congress persons is a great idea.

They should ask the next time an airline comes to them for a waiver or corparate welfare to underwrite some expense from TAX PAYER funds if any support units formally based in the US are offshore. If the answer is yes , they should be sent to India, Phillipines, Singapore or wherever the support unit is based to get the relief they want.

I don't feel that my tax dollars should support an industry that can't wait to outsource the jobs overseas.

 

[Trin03]

Dea,

I usually agree with a lot of your posts and definitely respect your views. However, I’ve got to disagree with you on a couple of things.

A strike would not matter one way or another. IMO, the company has had a plan in place for quite some time. Their plan will continue with or without the employee’s support or anger. They don't care. They are still making bank and still going home to sleep in their beds without a care in the world. They will still go Christmas shopping thinking nothing of dropping more in their households helps Christmas envelope that you or I have lost in wages in 6 months.

At this point, if most people would take a moment to see it more clearly, the company is using the courts to their advantage. They know very well, that to strike at this time would be illegal. They make each of their moves based on time constraints that the judge could and would impose upon us. IF there was a sick out or an illegal strike, then they go to plan B. Nothing would change. Their plans – still in place.

But understand this… they do not want us. We are an inconvience that can and will be dealt with. An obstacle that will be moved.

The point is this...most people who thought they would be able to retire from US airways are not going to be able to do so. People thought the little bit of their pensions were safe. Not anymore.

The company, "in good faith" told the CWA (and other unions) that their intentions to file in BK court for dissolving the union contracts would be Mon, Nov 15th. They did it on Friday and then Told CWA, 30 MINS before their scheduled meeting.

I could go on and on, but you and others know the history. The points are these;

Customers get on here and say regardless things are still professional and pleasant. Well that is great. That is how a moral human being should behave.

The company has effectively pit the pilots against all the other labor groups. So there is a good deal of infighting.

The company has waged a war against not just labor, but the American family and way of life.

Now is not the time to strike? Perhaps so, perhaps not, but I will tell you this, if any of the unions decide to strike, I will support them fully. If the flight attendants, rampers, mechanics, say enough is enough... we support them and DO NOT CROSS THAT PICKET LINE.

That is taking a stand, that is support your fellow brother and sister. That my friends, is taking a stand for all the years of hard work that we have ALL had to put in.

We will leave with something besides unemployment. It is called dignity and self-respect.

 

[700UW]

Someone need a cold one?

 

[goingboeing]

How can a strike be illegal if you have no contract between the company and the union?
Illegal or not,the courts can't make you work at your job if you do not want to.I could currently call in sick for a month if I wanted to.
Who is the BK judge going to hold accountable if the Company no longer recognizes the union contract?From the company's perspective the union no longer exits and this allows them to impose whatever they wish on the employee groups.

Besides,some old fashion strikes is what is needed at all airlines right now.The reason why all airline employees careers are in trouble is because the Unions have been too soft and not militant enough.
All the Unions representing the airline employees should call a 4 day strike over Thanksgiving and shut down ALL the airlines.Then we might get some action from the politicians to correct chapter 11 laws.
This will not happen although because the union bosses have their $150-300K per year salaries and expense accounts that they do not want to jepordize.The union bosses are living the fat cat life and will not voluntarly give it up for the good of all union members.
They are afraid that the judges will take their millions of dollars from the bank account because of a job action.[example:AA pilots, $45million, who eventually did not have to pay it because of concessions]
The old saying that you cannot get something for nothing applies here and if the union leadership and its members are not willing to take the risks then we deserve what we get.
[The people who make the most in the stock market are the ones who are willing to risk the most.]

 

[delldude]

whether or not you can strike and the legal consequences would be moot when the company ceases operations due to a huge lack of personell to operate it.i'm sure some would try to work and the judge would probably attempt to arrest union leaders...but it would domino rather quickly.
just remember our fate is in our hands and thats the one thing the company can't take from us.
are you with me?

 

[marco90821]

I shall not even allow myself to read the diatribe presented on this topic. The point is a strike will shut down the airline...and I do not believe that legally the union (s) can strike. If that is what one chooses, then place application at Waffle House, they ARE hiring.

 

[Industry Observer]

just remember our fate is in our hands and thats the one thing the company can't take from us.

Then I suggest that you update your resume and start looking for an alternative occupation. Don't take down the company. Most of my union brothers in Hangar 5 aren't ready to give up their jobs and won't even think about a strike. There is growing pressure from amongst PIT to have our labor leaders work with the company. I know that our management team has made mistakes but we should give them a chance to see that this airline is successful.

 

[delldude]

Then I suggest that you update your resume and start looking for an alternative occupation.

this union brother is prepared....but i think there is a slight glimmer of hope...very slight.
i do not advocate taking it down but you must remember this threat is our only real bargaining tool left against this merry band of pranksters. and it will come down to icy stares accross the table at the last hour of the last minute......take it to the bank.

I have lost faith in my union.

has your union lost faith in you?

 

[delldude]

I shall not even allow myself to read the diatribe presented on this topic. The point is a strike will shut down the airline...and I do not believe that legally the union (s) can strike. If that is what one chooses, then place application at Waffle House, they ARE hiring.

[post="200673"][/post]​

you must have read it or you wouldn't be responding.....reread my original post then..

 

[700UW]

The thing you fail to realize is the Company does not want hangar 5 or anything in PIT, they want to eliminate the maintenance department, have any of you read the court documents?

 

[Bear96]

All the Unions representing the airline employees should call a 4 day strike over Thanksgiving and shut down ALL the airlines.Then we might get some action from the politicians to correct chapter 11 laws.

[post="200668"][/post]​

I'm curious as to how you want the laws to be changed?

Section 1113 was enacted to provide employees with considerably GREATER protections than they had otherwise. Before S 1113 was added to the Bankruptcy Code, an company could treat an employment contract like any other contract with a vendor-- once it filed for Ch.11, the employer could basically unilaterally choose to not honor the CBA.

S 1113 gives employees and their CBAs much GREATER protection than other, non-employment contracts in BK. Under S 1113, it is much harder for a company to not honor / reject CBAs than it is for it to reject other contracts. It was largely enacted to PROTECT EMPLOYEES. Otherwise, management would have instituted whatever changes it wanted to the moment it went into Ch.11. (And the unions would have been free to strike, and U would have shut down permanently, and y'all would have been without a job and paycheck for all those months now.)

So I am curious what you want to see the laws changed to? That a broke employer on the brink of going out of business NEVER be allowed to change ANY employment contracts at all, period, even if it means those continued high labor costs lead to the shut-down of the company once the $$$ runs out? Is that realistic, or even a good solution for employees?