TWU and IAM representation alliance vote

[topDawg]

 

AMFA was in complete isolation, true to its long standing philosophy of "going it alone." AMFA proceeded to strike Northwest Airlines without taking a strike vote, putting Northwest's last best offer to a vote or having a strike fund. Northwest's final offer, albeit a tough pill to swallow, contained job protection for 2,700 mechanics, two weeks of severance pay for each year of service (max 26 weeks) and included company medical benefits for 26 weeks for those members subject to a reduction. AMFA members never got to vote of this offer, or two subsequent offers.
 
The resolution to the strike was a complete surrender by a beaten AMFA. The agreement placed every striking member on layoff status with a severance payment of one week per year (max 5 weeks). AMFA agreed to a "No Retribution, Retaliation or Harassment Due to Participation or Non-Participation in the Strike or Permanent Replacement Status." In short, the scabs kept their jobs while the strikers lost theirs. AMFA Northwest mechanics were reduced to about 500 scabs, most of whom were laid off before the "suicide strike."
 
After the merger with Delta, AMFA extinguished their certification with no fight at all.
 
- See more at: http://www.usaamerger.com/amfa-northwest/#sthash.aL1k6NPT.dpuf
 

 
What is the point of fighting if you have no support.......? 
 
The AMFA couldn't get the cards, couldn't come close to getting the cards for a vote. The IAM and AFA were close votes, and had plenty of cards. The AMFA or any union, never had the smallest of chances at TechOps. 

 

[dfw gen]

You spend an awful lot of time and effort to make us see the error of our ways with amfa. Seems to me your more worried about self preservation. If maintenance left it would not take long for fleet service to be contracted out. Its a FACT the twu has used maintenance to further other work groups pay and benefits. Remember the old "loaf of bread cost the same for all of us"?

 

[AANOTOK]

You leave and Fleet would be contracted out...WOW!

 

[WeAAsles]

You leave and Fleet would be contracted out...WOW!

Absolutely. Southwest is currently demolishing fleet service. (Sarcasm) Very difficult to get their other work groups to submit those cards when people show that elitism publicly. Better off to try and hide it at least until they get their organization in.

 

[MetalMover]

Absolutely. Southwest is currently demolishing fleet service. (Sarcasm) Very difficult to get their other work groups to submit those cards when people show that elitism publicly. Better off to try and hide it at least until they get their organization in.

Question for you and NYer.,,How little are you willing to work for? how many concessions are you willing to make just to make sure you never get outsourced? Where is the line that you won't cross?
Simple question and this has nothing to do with AMFA..
Now your calling mechanics elitists? Are you envious in any way? Why not envy pilots and F/A's who have a better deal than what your beloved TWU negotiated for you? 
It has been mentioned that AMFA got voted out at UAL after kicking out the IAM..Did you notice that when they voted AMFA out they went with the IBT and not the IAM?
 
Did you ever wonder why SWA stayed with AMFA?

 

[MetalMover]

 
When Eastern Walked it was all the unions.  WHY because Eastern's workers were a Family. It was a UNION shop. The Unions even had seats on the B.O.D.
 
Easterns Strike was a noble thing, we never got a full pay check while I was there. It was the Frank Borman's VEP, WIP, 10% 18% stock, 22%,  just one thing after another. The IAM had no plan, when we walked but they (the unions) did try to get the airline bought to have  it survive. But F. Lorenzo and the Texas Air group had its hooks firmly intrenched. I along with many other to this DAY, will say, EASTERN was the best JOB I ever had.. 
 
The airlines back then had started to take advantage of the workers mostly it was being done by the leaders of Continental, Which was at one time a great carrier. That was just ONE of the Failures that the IAM had in the history of the airlines.
 
NWA was always in labor strife and was the leaders when it came to needing the mutual aid if I remember correctly. NorthEast wasn't even taken over by Delta then.
 
NWA wanted to cut the labor force and its salaries, it was time for a Union to stand up and say "ENOUGH". That is when the IAM scabbed and crossed a official picket line. The Teamsters Leadership even flew on struck work. 
 
Oh and while the members of AMFA walked the Picket lines at LAX AA mechanics walked with them and even the TWU's Maint. Local provided support to them. WE even had informational pickets at our Terminal.
 
In order to save the AMFA represented employees and more hardship they AMFA's Leaders decided to give up the representation to ease the transition with Delta.
NWA even sent letters to the state so that AMFA employees could not rcv unemployment. Not until a ruling was made I believe two yrs later did the AMFA members get the vacation and other moneys due them.
 
AA and its Unions will never compare to the Eastern workers. You would be hard pressed to dispute that fact.
 
When Eastern did stop flying in 1991, it screwed it's scab workers and "YES"
 I was glad to see it gone because it was NOT the Airline I worked for for 10yrs.
But I will always be proud to say that I was part of the Greatest airline there ever was.

Nice post. I used the IAM/EAL strike as an example to show the hypocrisy of NYer and WeAAsles blasting AMFA's strike at NWA as being meaningless and useless. I wished the TWU had the balls to even USE the word strike.......Oh, I forgot the "Will strike if provoked T-Shirts" These two don't understand that people will strike when they are under attack and have had enough. Why else would non-mechanics be so obsessed with a mechanics only union. They still believe "strength in numbers" is the only way to go. 
Where were the "strength in numbers" when the TWU was leading the industry concession parade? You would think with all the concessions ALL the work groups gave, we would ALL be making at least SWA wages. 
AMFA's reasons were as noble as the IAM's were at Eastern. 
The thing with NYer and WeAAsles is they are FEARFUL that if AMFA gets in, their bargaining clout will be greatly diminished should we leave.  It is time for mechanics to worry about and negotiate for themselves. Let other work groups worry about and negotiate for themselves and let the chips fall where they will. 
That's the reason these two TWU pacifists defend the TWU as if their lives depended on it. They can criticize AMFA all they want, but it will not change or diminish our desire to rid ourselves of them.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Why else would non-mechanics be so obsessed with a mechanics only union. 

That is a good question. 
 
I have a question for you. We had several people in TULE Fleet that went to school to get their A&P. What kind of hoops would they have to jump through to transfer to a mechanics position even though both have the same employer if the work groups had two separate UNIONS? It is not really relevant, I am just curious.
 

Where were the "strength in numbers" when the TWU was leading the industry concession parade? 

I would have thought that would have been pretty obvious. The only "strength in numbers" TWU cares about is UNION dues. TWU has no issues giving away pension, vacation, and sick time because it does not affect THEIR bottom line. The only thing they care about is headcount and base pay. That is their "strength in numbers".
 
"Concessions for job security" is the best scam AA/TWU ever came up with, and the fools just EAT IT UP.
 

The thing with NYer and WeAAsles is they are FEARFUL that if AMFA gets in, their bargaining clout will be greatly diminished should we leave.

You lost your "bargaining clout" the minute you allowed unlicensed mechanics to put tools on aircraft. I know you don't want to hear that but it is the truth. IF you do get AMFA I hope your work group puts a stop to that nonsense. 
 

 It is time for mechanics to worry about and negotiate for themselves. Let other work groups worry about and negotiate for themselves and let the chips fall where they will. 

That does not sound very UNION to me.
 
We all have to work as one to make the airline work. I think somewhere in the propaganda machine that is AA/TWU you forgot that.
 

That's the reason these two TWU pacifists defend the TWU as if their lives depended on it. They can criticize AMFA all they want, but it will not change or diminish our desire to rid ourselves of them.

You are blaming other work groups for the result of a conspiracy by the AA/TWU conglomerate to reduce cost, increase profits, and maintain UNION dues.
 
TWU takes dues from the other groups and those other work groups have a right and an expectation to be represented. It is TWU's responsibility to get the best deal they can for those work groups.
 
I agree the TWU has failed you miserably. Instead of blaming other work groups for "riding your coat tails"  what you should be blaming is your negotiator. 

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

http://www.airlineforums.com/topic/21218-iam-really-is-a-scab-union/#entry290072
 
Read it and weep...
 
Scab union as a Scab apologist.

Going back and reading that made my blood boil. DePace et al make me sick.

I remember watching my IAM co-workers doing my job immediately after I left and picked up my picket sign. The cowards would not even look me in the eye. They would go to work using back gates and out of the way doors to get in. Rats and cockroaches, all of them.

Anyone of them could have refused the work based on what was in their contract. Instead, the IAM "leadership" encouraged them to perform struck work. And one of the biggest defenders of that still resides here on this board.

 

[700UW]

And what about the letter Delle wrote to NW about taking more from ALL the IAM represented groups and take less from AMFA?
 
Then writing a letter to Roach begging for help, and Roach replying with things AMFA needed to fix and do, yet it all went on deaf ears, now didnt it?
 
And explain how Receipt and Dispatch, Air Starts and Deicing broke AMFA?
 
And I dont agree with Depace and his stand.

 

[737823]

And what about the letter Delle wrote to NW about taking more from ALL the IAM represented groups and take less from AMFA?
 
Then writing a letter to Roach begging for help, and Roach replying with things AMFA needed to fix and do, yet it all went on deaf ears, now didnt it?
 
And explain how Receipt and Dispatch, Air Starts and Deicing broke AMFA?
 
And I dont agree with Depace and his stand.

You say you don't agree yet you vigorously defend it. Face it you don't like AMFA and AMTs we get it. You don't want to see them get ahead you want stock clerks and other classifications to ride on their coattails. Why did Buffy fly the IAM Lear to MSP during the strike just to stir things up? The mechanics covered the plane with AMFA stickers. Why did Roach say "IAM members will not be duped into standing with AMFA"? You condone scabs and want to destroy the careers of AMTs heck you had a large part in doing that at USAIR.

Josh

 

[blue collar]

And what about the letter Delle wrote to NW about taking more from ALL the IAM represented groups and take less from AMFA?
 
Then writing a letter to Roach begging for help, and Roach replying with things AMFA needed to fix and do, yet it all went on deaf ears, now didnt it?
 
And explain how Receipt and Dispatch, Air Starts and Deicing broke AMFA?
 
And I dont agree with Depace and his stand.

Out of one side you say you don't agree with depace, and out of the other side you try to rationalize the IAMs actions. Which is it?

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

And what about the letter Delle wrote to NW about taking more from ALL the IAM represented groups and take less from AMFA?
 
Then writing a letter to Roach begging for help, and Roach replying with things AMFA needed to fix and do, yet it all went on deaf ears, now didnt it?
 
And explain how Receipt and Dispatch, Air Starts and Deicing broke AMFA?
 
And I dont agree with Depace and his stand.

 
While on strike for their jobs and salaries AMFA killed NWA? How could that be, they had all those guys ready to work isn't that what you guys have said. So the fact that the IAM SCABBED at NWA and crossed the Picket Line that doesn't count?
Even as Scabs the almighty IAM could not save NWA?  NWA screwed the IAM Scabs and the F/A and the Pilots at NWA.
 
There was nothing that all these unions could do?  So the little mom & pop union killed NWA.
 
With that much power That is a UNION I would want, the LITTLE UNION THAT COULD.....
 
700UW don't let those fact get in your way.    

 

[737823]

700 can say AMFA got played by NWA but his IAM (representing unskilled classifications) was taken to the cleaners at NWA.

Josh

 

[700UW]

700 can say AMFA got played by NWA but his IAM (representing unskilled classifications) was taken to the cleaners at NWA.

Josh

Your lying again joshie.
 
And Kevin has explained this to you over and over and over.

 

[737823]

Your lying again joshie.
 
And Kevin has explained this to you over and over and over.

But they are unskilled classifications and they face significant concessions those are the facts. At least the AMTs have a spine to fight your IAM just rolls over like they have done time and time again.

Josh