Looks like the playing field just became more interesting. The minority is having a major impact on wages and benefits thru out the aviation industry. Amfa has been managements best tool for years and now we can add the IBT to this category.
Just think what the majority could achieve if these organizations would spend the members hard earned money on organizing the un-organized, re-educate the population and find a way to work together? The membership monies are here to help achieve a better working environment!! I thought?
Hmm, maybe if Unions like the TWU and IAM were getting their mechanics wages and benefits like the guys at UPS and Southwest are getting the non-union workers would be seeking them out and they would not have to spend all that money organizing? The fact is if these Unions had done a better job nobody would be signing cards for any and every union that shows up at their front door (how did they find out where we live anyhow?). The reason why the non union guys wont sign cards is because they see what being in a Union got mechanics at US and AA.
What exactly would be your sales pitch to Non-union workers in order to convince them to Join the TWU or IAM? Maybe thats why they arent organizing, wasnt the TWU working with the IBT on organizing MROs? Hey, now that the partnership is over has anyone seen Gordon Clarke at DWH yet? Oh yes thats right, the TWU is raiding Southwest arent they? Isnt Southwest also in negotiations? It seems that raiding is only bad when someone does it to you but its OK when you do it. It would no doubt be an interesting sight to see Gordon, who saw his base shut down trying to convince mechanics that never saw a layoff at Southwest, EVER, that they need change, that they need what he had, at least till they shut down his base. By 2017 our headcount is projected to be 6325, from a claimed high of 18,000. so we would have lost 2/3rds of our headcount along with Vacation, Holidays, sick time, IOD time, double time, and the lowest wage in the industry, as our employer boasts about having the newest fleet in the industry. Yep, that will get those non-union mechanics out there eager to join a union all right!
The IBT has a history of raiding. In fact even when they were in the AFL-CIO they raided, and I beleieve they raided the IAM while the AFL-CIO did nothing. IRRC the IBT claimed that the IAM was damaging Teamster members interests with their concessionry deals at a company that competed with an IBT represented company. Obviously if the IAM was giving away the store at a competitor to the company where the workers were represented by the IBT it would make it much harder for the IBT to make gains for their members. So they raided, and the AFL-CIO didnt do anything about it, they must have found the IBTs arguement compelling.
To me raiding is competition and it could be good not only for workers but the labor movement as a whole. The labor movement is dying, raiding would introduce competition in a way that benefits the members, it provides them alternatives to either poor representation or no representation. Currently employers benefit when unions adhere to No raid clauses that encourage unaccountable union leaders to accomodate growth in companies where they have a captive membership. They accomodate that growth by convincing their members to act against their own best interest and give their employer a competitive edge at their expense.
If anybody thinks that employers like it when unions raid then they are delusional. Does anyone really believe that US management wants to deal with a union that has something to prove? Thats what happens in a raid. The incumbant has to prove they are worth keeping and the challenger has to promise they can do better, either way its not what the employer wants to hear, especially if they have a cozy relationship with the Union in place.
