TWU Annouces New Drive

[Tim Nelson]

I thought the TWU and IAM reached a back room agreement on CO, the TWU lets the US Air IAM have the HP FSC's and in return the TWU gets to have an organizing drive at CO uncontested.

The FSC's at Delta took a pass on the TWU twice already,hopefully the FSC's at CO will do the same.

I just communicated with some Continental rampers and it appears the IAM hasn't pulled out at least from a few cities. But it does appear to be more of a TWU drive.
At any rate, based on my conversations it appears CLE at least has little if any support for union.

Houston, on the other hand, seems to have considerable support along with EWR. IMO, a Continental ramp vote has better than equal chances of going union since staff management isn't taking things as serious as they should.

regards,

 

[scorpian]

The twu isn't a union its more like a straw boss for the man at AA

 

[MCI transplant]

<_< ----Listen people! From someone that's had both IAM, and now TWU. If it's a choose between the two, and I've had my problems with the IAM, the IAM has it hands down!!!The TWU is a Joke!!! Like Bob says, just a large Dues collection machine, with no give back for representation!!! :down: One of the most quoted phrases around here is, "What the matter? Don't you know,the TWU is the best Union a company can buy!"

 

[mrf777]

I just communicated with some Continental rampers and it appears the IAM hasn't pulled out at least from a few cities. But it does appear to be more of a TWU drive.
At any rate, based on my conversations it appears CLE at least has little if any support for union.

Houston, on the other hand, seems to have considerable support along with EWR. IMO, a Continental ramp vote has better than equal chances of going union since staff management isn't taking things as serious as they should.

regards,

CLE has over 80% TWU cards signed..thats a fact my friend!

 

[CALFLYBOY]

As an IAM FA with CAL, the IAM is the sweetheart union of the company. After all, how did the IAM get the CAL FSC's addresses for their mailing? The IAM sucks the money from us as the TWU does from its members. Who is better? Not quite sure. TWU has the best FA contract out there currently, even though the IAM will lead you to believe they have the best FA contract. One tidbit that was iterated to me was the TWU keeps 70% of the dues money at the local level. Is this true? The IAM Grand and District Lodges keeps the lions share of the dues money, leaving the local with hardly anything to work with.

I realize that neither the IAM nor the TWU is a prize of a union, and all of their higher officers make six figure salaries and benefits, but if I had to choose the better of two bad unions, I'll take the one that keeps the most dues income at the local level. As I see it the more the money stays in the local, then the members can press their leadership for better contract administration and hold them accountable overall.

just my .02.

CLE has over 80% TWU cards signed..thats a fact my friend!

 

[scorpian]

As an IAM FA with CAL, the IAM is the sweetheart union of the company. After all, how did the IAM get the CAL FSC's addresses for their mailing? The IAM sucks the money from us as the TWU does from its members. Who is better? Not quite sure. TWU has the best FA contract out there currently, even though the IAM will lead you to believe they have the best FA contract. One tidbit that was iterated to me was the TWU keeps 70% of the dues money at the local level. Is this true? The IAM Grand and District Lodges keeps the lions share of the dues money, leaving the local with hardly anything to work with.

I realize that neither the IAM nor the TWU is a prize of a union, and all of their higher officers make six figure salaries and benefits, but if I had to choose the better of two bad unions, I'll take the one that keeps the most dues income at the local level. As I see it the more the money stays in the local, then the members can press their leadership for better contract administration and hold them accountable overall.

just my .02.

When the local leadership has to sign a pledge of loyalty to the international (twu) and the international signs off on the contracts then what difference does it make how much money stays at the local level?

 

[Tim Nelson]

CLE has over 80% TWU cards signed..thats a fact my friend!

why?

 

[mrf777]

why?

The main reason is because of the unfair concessions we took last April. If Continental had done the cuts fairly company wide, we wouldnt be talking about a union.

 

[Tim Nelson]

The main reason is because of the unfair concessions we took last April. If Continental had done the cuts fairly company wide, we wouldnt be talking about a union.

What is Continental doing now about the TWU organizing drive? Is management campaigning against union or does it appear it wants a ramp union this time?

regards

 

[CSAR GYRENE]

I just want to add one more thing.

I would not be suprised if management decided to endorse the TWU, since after all they can be looked at as an assett. Perhaps the reason they dont is because there is one thing that the TWU does do. They protect those who are a burden on their coworkers.

A short while back Sonny Hall, President of the TWU retired. Sonny's farewell address and another atricle in the TWU express both cited that Sonny became interested in the union after he was, on Sonnys account, justifyably fired. Sonny claimed that his reprieve from being justifyably fired was what made him want to get involved in a union. Not fighting for fair wages and good benifits for good workers, but getting bad workers their job back.

Funny most detractors of unions cite this as a reason for being against unions. Its a hard arguement to fight. Its even harder when the President of a union braggs that he should have been fired but the union got him his job back, and that he believes thats what unionism is all about.

Why should good workers dues be used to protect bad workers?

Unions should fight unjustified terminations but should the sole purpose of a union be to keep bad workers on the job? Dont these bad workers ruin the leverage that good workers have to get better pay and benifits? The TWU specializes in getting workers less pay and benifits and keeping poor workers on the job.Hardly what you want from a union, unless you are a bad worker.

It was all in the TWU Express. The TWU braging about keeping a bad worker on the job, and then having that same worker become the head of the TWU!!! If he was a bad worker for the company why would you think he would be any better for the union?
Thats what you get with the TWU.

The process of promoting bad workers is common with the TWU.

When Local Presidents who do a lousy job from the members perspective get voted out of office the International often promotes them. Both International Rep Bobby Gless and Joe Gordon were rejected by their memberships and promoted by the International.

So with the TWU your money will not be used to get better pay and benifits, they will be used to get bad workers their jobs back and fund the huge salaries and perks that those same poor workers get when they scam their way up the International ladder.

Thats what you get with the TWU.

One of my biggest contentions with unions in general is their absolute insistance on protecting the midiocre and sub par workers, while ignoring, and at times chastising, the heavy hitters. I would opine that if unions were to reverse this trend,as well as amend the seniority system some how to allow for merit vise simply longevity, they would recover much of the support and respect lost over the last 30 years....mine included.

 

[700UW]

The union by law has to protect everyone and if management did their jobs properly anyone who is a troublemaker can be terminated.

There is nothing wrong with a person being an average worker.

And discipline is not to punish it is to improve behavior, but what would you as a scab know about unions?

You took food off of AMTs tables and out of their children's mouths, you are nothing but vermon.

 

[Bob Owens]

The union by law has to protect everyone and if management did their jobs properly anyone who is a troublemaker can be terminated.

There is nothing wrong with a person being an average worker.

And discipline is not to punish it is to improve behavior, but what would you as a scab know about unions?

You took food off of AMTs tables and out of their children's mouths, you are nothing but vermon.

Wow, you actually consider a non-affiliated union to be a union. Why the channge of heart?

Still say that you guys should solicit the IBT, the TWU is the worst choice you could make.

I saw the TWU organizing committees letter criticizing the IAM and touting how the TWU International gets only 30% of the dues. They claim that the 30% is used for all sorts of research and support for the Locals but the fact is that nearly all that 30% goes towards the inflated salaries of International officials. Are you aware that the TWU pays their lowest officials more than most unions pay their highest officials? And the pension, wow, the pension, that alone must eat up a big chunk of that 30%. (You can get the info on the Pension from the DOL by asking for a copy of IRS form 5500.) Well the TWU pension has a 2.5 multiplier times the best years pay, no averaging to bring it down let they get for the membership, no the officials get the full deal plus every year it gets INCREASED BY ANOTHER 5%.So every year the liability just for the pension increases by 5%, they better get more dues payers!!

So its easy to see why you have a bunch of "volunteers" pushing for the TWU, six figure salaries, generous pensions and lets not forget the other perks such as the $3 to $4 each member has to give to just pay for the purchase of new cars for International officials. When is the last time you got a new car? The question is whats in it for the members? The answer is nothing. You pay dues so they can live well.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

CLE has over 80% TWU cards signed..thats a fact my friend!

If you wish to have an organization that appoints international positions and NOT voted on by the full membership perhaps the twu is for you. If you wish for an organization that has supporters like Kirk Wells, a twu member in Tulsa, then perhaps the twu is for you.

If you wish to have a vote concerning concessions then find out that the company lied to you during the negotiations and were in turn promised a full re-vote by your appointed international... only to NOT get the full re-vote, then perhaps the twu is for you.

Either way, YOUR fate is in YOUR hands. Make an educated decision.

 

[Bob Owens]

The main reason is because of the unfair concessions we took last April. If Continental had done the cuts fairly company wide, we wouldnt be talking about a union.

What makes you think you would have done better with the TWU? (The Worst Union) Over at AA the TWU put in concessions that total around 25%, all the unions gave around the same percentage but the pilots who are represented by the APA got back 10% the first year, while we got one and a half percent. So with the TWU we got a much worse deal than the APA got and we paid dues for it!!

One thing about the TWU is that even though they get their members crappy deals they reward those who work for the union very well. Their low ranking officials earn more than many union Presidents. Maybe thats why you have a few of your coworkers working so hard for the TWU, not because the TWU will do anything for you, but because if they get the TWU in they are on the fast track to one of those six figure TWU International jobs!

By all means get a union but get the best union, not The Worst Union

Bob Owens, twice elected Treasurer of TWU Local 562, removed by TWU International because I called for Democratic reform of the International.

 

[Bob Owens]

More lies from the TWU.

I hear the TWU is distributing a letter called "Its all about the contract".

In the letter they claim that a reason to go TWU is to get back what the company took from you. What they fail to reveal is that the TWU is the reason you lost it in the first place.

When did the company cut your pay?

Was it after April of 2003?

I ask because in April of 2003, Jim Little, head of the TWU-ATD, signed into place, without membership ratification, the most concessionary contract EVER in the history of organized labor. In fact the concessions were so deep that even carriers that had sought relief in BK had to go back to court to get more concessions.

The TWU at American Airlines, which had the right to open the contract in 2006, is already telling their members not expect anything back but to be prepared for more givebacks. The figure for just Aircraft Maintenance is for another $90million a year in savings. (That comes out to nearly $10,000 per mechanic).

Once American Airlines, the largest airline in the country, got those massive concessions other airlines had no choice but to go to their workers, otherwise AA would simply blow them out of business.

So the fact is that you can thank the TWU for your concessions in the first place, and they are lying to you about getting anything back. All they want is more dues. Remember its much easier to get a union where there is none than it is to replace a bad union like the TWU. Go union, just not the TWU.