Dea Certe said:
Folks,
Again, thanks for your support! Please get the word out to your co-workers on the floor. This isn't just about flight attendants or AFA. This is about all airline employees. Your future is at stake.
Dea
[post="204321"][/post]
I agree. By the way what took you so long?
In early 2003 Jim Little, head of the TWU Air Transport Division was sending out all this doom and gloom propaganda in order to soften us up for the "shock and Awe" campain that came that March in which TWU members were forced to give more in concessions than any other union ever. One of the things he sent out was an article about how a judge might abrogate UALs contracts if they dont give the airline concessions.
My response to that was "When the first contract is voided we should all walk out".
I felt that if we allow a judge to abrogate our agreements that they were really not worth anything. Since most airline union contracts are comparable how could any one of them meet the standard of being "onerous". "Onerous" is the condition cited in the law that allows a judge to abrogate a contract.
Jim, who no doubt was more than willing to put us into a race to the bottom, a race he knew the TWU could win because the decision makers in this union are unaccountable to the members, was horrified at the thought of all the unions sticking together and fighting the companies. He demanded that I retract the statement. He felt that UALs fight was not our fight. I dissagreed because I knew that once UAL was successful in using the BK threat to get concessions that we would be next. Why wait and allow the airlines to pick us off one at a time?
Of course Jim did not agree. He knew that AA was in the best economic position and no doubt had already agreed to what the TWU would give back to the company to ensure that when all the dust settles AA will be in the best position to become the undisputed largest carrier in the world. As AA experienced good fortune and growth due to the collapse of competitors the TWU would get more and more members. The fact that those members make less money is more than offset by the volume of members.
The attention to dues income was clearly demonstrated in the concessions package that the TWU gave to the company. While the real cut was around 25% the TWU engineered the concessions so that the dues collected per member would only go down at the very most 17%.
The concessions package that the TWU gave to the company was deliberately designed to minimize the financial impact to the TWU International while maximizing the concessions from the members.
Now perhaps you can understand why we doubt the TWU International will come out in support of the AFA. The TWU International will not even support their own Locals who strike. If you dont believe me look at some newspaper articles from Dec of 2001 concerning the NYC Subway workers of Local 100. As Local 100 was threatening to strike Sonny Hall, the head of the TWU was saying that the INternational would not support the strike and would remove the officers of Local 100 if they did.
At a rally later on Sonny was resoundly Boo-ed by thousands of his own members. Sonny had lost all credibility within the New York labor movement. He no longer made personal appearances at labor gatherings such as the Labor Day Parade.
The fact is the TWU International is a company friendly organization. Sonny's retirement means nothing. His hand picked successors have continued to isolate Local 100 and will maintain their company friendly policies. The TWU International will not lend the AFA any real support because it will endanger the cozy relationship they have with employers.
In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.
-Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
In the struggle that we are in as workers we have to remember that many of these so called "labor leaders", especially those that are in a structure which leaves them unaccountable(like the TWU Intnl), with their six figure salaries, secure pensions and benifits etc, are more aligned with our enemies than they are with us. Only a few leaders have shown true Leadership so far, they are the leaders of the AFA, APFA, TWU 565 and AMFA Local 9. Notice that two are AFL-CIO affiliated and two are not.
