TWU - Fear Based Union Leadership and Intimidation

[1AA]

The topic is about the TWU and its leadership, not about 700UW, you are crossing the line about people's personal life which is a violation of the TOS.
 
I worked and represented my members for 20 years, 24/7, if needed too.
 
See when you work with and along side people you develop friendships, something I doubt you know about.
 
I maintain several good friendships with my former reps, district and international officers also.
 
I work for a living, I dont collect any disability from anyone, even if I did, its none on your business.  And I dont work for the IAM.  So get on topic, its not about me.  But you cant debate the topic so you have to make it personal and drag things into your posts that have nothing to do with this topic.
 
Go get back and topic and I will not answer anymore personal questions.

If you try to stop calling people stupid and liars then maybe the attacks will back off a bit. You can not constantly attack people and expect no retaliation of some kind. Remember not to let the facts get in your way.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

 That's not an excuse; that's reality. Heck, I haven't been an IAM member for a few years now, but I'm still friends (and work) with many of the Local Lodge officers. Still talk to people in my previous local as well, and haven't been there in quite some time.

The difference is you don't spend hours of your day pushing an agenda.

 

[1AA]

Nor has he worked for AA and has never been represented by the TWU.
Don't let the facts get in the way.

 

[700UW]

 
Let's try something different here.
All you ever post is how much experience. wisdom, and knowledge you have and defend the IAM.
 
Let me ask you some very specific questions.
 
Do you think Organized Labor is succeeding?
 
Do you think the IAM is succesful at representing Airline Employees?
 
What is your solution to improve the current status?

In some areas they are and some they are not.
 
I think the IAM has done at good job at most airlines, I dont agree with everything they do or every union does but it is what it is, and likes I said, I would have voted NO on the M&R TA.
 
The laws and reality of situations make it difficult in the airlines environment especially since 9/11, SARS, the fuel crisis and chapter 11 bankruptcy cases.
 
Somethung every union including the IAM needs to do is to communicate more with the membership, also every union has to engage the members and get the solidarity back, this is the toughest challenge any union faces.
 
I think unions and its members need to take a hard line in negotiations and in the grievance procedure, time to play hard ball with the companies.
 
I think unions and I know most people dont like this need to get more politically involved and learn to educate its members on what is going on.  We need to elect labor friendly candidates and the most important thing is to push for major changes in the Railway Labor Act.  This law is the biggest hindrance to the labor movement in the Airlines and Railroads.
 
And there has to be another Bankruptcy law overhaul, if I lose my pension every damn executive needs to lose their also, we should be able to file motions in court to effect their compensation, and contracts like they have done and do to ours.
 
But like I said, getting members interested and active is the most important goal any union has at the moment.

 

[700UW]

If you try to stop calling people stupid and liars then maybe the attacks will back off a bit. You can not constantly attack people and expect no retaliation of some kind. Remember not to let the facts get in your way.

But I never attacked Fa la la la, until he attacked, insulted and posted lies about me.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Because of your moves around the country
Perhaps a parent ?

My dad was in sales. He would go where the sales were the highest. He made a lot of money but the flip side is we moved alot as well. I think he got tired of that life so we eventually came back to Oklahoma.
 
He was in the AIr Force but that was before my time.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Its not your business, you dont work for AA and you dont work for US, now do you?

I have recall to TULE.
 
My household receives income from AA.
 
So yeah, it is my business.

 

[700UW]

I have recall to TULE.
 
My household receives income from AA.
 
So yeah, it is my business.

And in many of your posts on this board, you have clearly stated you wont work for AA anymore, and you hated it, you hated being in a union and you love your new job making more money.  You took the money and ran from AA.
 
So which side of your mouth are you talking out of now?

 

[WeAAsles]

And in many of your posts on this board, you have clearly stated you wont work for AA anymore, and you hated it, you hated being in a union and you love your new job making more money.  You took the money and ran from AA.
 
So which side of your mouth are you talking out of now?

Exactly. Doesn't look like the grass is really that green on the other side if he's commenting on his recall RIGHTS. Non union jobs don't have recall as part of the job description.

 

[TWU informer]

In some areas they are and some they are not.
 
I think the IAM has done at good job at most airlines, I dont agree with everything they do or every union does but it is what it is, and likes I said, I would have voted NO on the M&R TA.
 
The laws and reality of situations make it difficult in the airlines environment especially since 9/11, SARS, the fuel crisis and chapter 11 bankruptcy cases.
 
Somethung every union including the IAM needs to do is to communicate more with the membership, also every union has to engage the members and get the solidarity back, this is the toughest challenge any union faces.
 
I think unions and its members need to take a hard line in negotiations and in the grievance procedure, time to play hard ball with the companies.
 
I think unions and I know most people dont like this need to get more politically involved and learn to educate its members on what is going on.  We need to elect labor friendly candidates and the most important thing is to push for major changes in the Railway Labor Act.  This law is the biggest hindrance to the labor movement in the Airlines and Railroads.
 
And there has to be another Bankruptcy law overhaul, if I lose my pension every damn executive needs to lose their also, we should be able to file motions in court to effect their compensation, and contracts like they have done and do to ours.
 
But like I said, getting members interested and active is the most important goal any union has at the moment.

 
I guess as long as you compare IAM failures to others failures then just like every other union the IAM could be called good. But why compare to failure?
 
AMFA took a hard line in negotiations at NWA, and the IAM and other unions sit on their hands and didn't support. Solidarity with unions in the US today is only there if the employee group tows a certain party line. Just because the AMT's at NWA decided by card signing and NMB vote to leave the AFL-CIO IAM union, then punishment had to be given. The stupid Unions are so undemocratic in their thinking that they blame "AMFA" for raiding the IAM, when in fact the AMT's at NWA organized the drive, signed the cards, and voted to change their representation. The IAM and the other AFL-CIO unions are so much in denial that they suck, that when the membership uses Federal Laws to leave, then the union blames the organization and discounts the fact that the membership decided to leave. So let's punish the worker for democratically signing cards to authorize an election and vote. Solidarity my ass!
 
And your opinion about political involvement is straight out of the AFL-CIO playbook. A playbook that has been in place since the merger of the AFL and the CIO. SO since the 1950's the same philosophy has been in place as the union strategy, and yet you admit the laws are still against us and instead of blaming labor you blame terrorist and crisis. Think about it, over 50 years of funding involvement in politics and the bankruptcy laws are against us, more states are now right-to-work states than ever, there are no restrictions in outsourcing American jobs, and Workmans Comp laws have reduced the benefits to injured workers. How much failure can you stand before you stop drinking the koolaid and demand a change in strategy instead of repeating the brain washing they gave you at their conventions?
 
Another failure in the political philosophy of the union is that they force the member to choose between moral issues and work issues. If the unions would stop pandering to the polticians and go back to using withholding of labor then maybe the alienation of membership based on political beliefs would end. I know many Christian minded members that the politics of the union alone has turned them against their own union and getting them to be involved in something they see as morally unfit.....well forget that possibility.
 
The bottom line is that the merger of the AFL and CIO combined with the wuss unionism of money for politics has been a complete disaster and nearly destroyed organized labor in the country and not only are the leaders refusing to change, but members like you keep egging on the ignorance.
 
It does no good to communicate to a member that is already alienated by politics, and the union has no credibility. You may as well force a democrat to listen to Rush Limbaugh.
 
You answered my question though and I respect that, but I fear you are nothing more than part of the problem and offer no real solution.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

And in many of your posts on this board, you have clearly stated you wont work for AA anymore, and you hated it, you hated being in a union and you love your new job making more money.  You took the money and ran from AA.
 
So which side of your mouth are you talking out of now?

I will state it again.
 
MY HOUSEHOLD STILL RECEIVES INCOME FROM AA.
 
What happens with the contract directly affects my household finances. So yeah it is my business. There did you get it that time or do I need to make it even more obvious?

 

[700UW]

TWU Informer,
 
You truly dont get it.  Politics effects us all, so you dont want unions in politics, yet companies are, so you want the unions to just sit by and let companies have their way?
 
I sat in the courtroom in between negotiations and saw how the company used the law to screw us.
 
You might not like it, but politics and the laws effect everything we do.
 
You dont want to try and level the playing field?
 
If we had laws like Europe and Canada, companies couldnt hire scabs to replace us when we would go on strike.
 
So screw it, why dont we just go back to master and servant, or better yet just slavery.
 

 

[OldGuy@AA]

La Li Lu found out first hand how the TWU works.  He and all of his work group were laid off in Tulsa.  The local president who happened to be in that work group was allowed to transfer to TULE Plant Maint along with the Chairwoman of Stores.  I am not sure what seniority date Cirri had but the Chairwoman of stores had very little time with the company.  La Li Lu has every right to be angry and to contribute to any discussion that has anything to do with AA or the TWU.  We may not agree with his opinions but he has a right to express them here.  Others who not only don't work for AA and never have, have no business entering in these discussions in my opinion.  This is an American Airlines message board and we like to discuss issues among ourselves.  AMFA comes up a lot because there is a push to replace the TWU so that is relevant.  If I want to find out how great Delta Airlines is I can go somewhere else or look for their commercials.  I don't care about Delta and I don't care about the IAM or the Teamsters or the UAW or any other industrial union that may represent employees at other airlines.  I will admit that I sometimes get caught up in the moment and let my emotions get the better of me but I try to respect other's opinions.  I admire the fact that we have posters here like Informer, Bob Owens, Chuck Shalk, Big Mac and others (Yes you too AANOTOK).  I value these guy's (and other's not named) opinions and love to bounce my own ideas off of them on this board.  I hardly ever agree with Overspeed but he is a TWU member and AA employee so I feel he has a right to post his opinions here no matter how unpopular.  There are some, however, who's goal it seems is to aggravate and egg people on while hijacking each and every topic.  They never have anything constructive to share but they post a lot and tell us how stupid we all are while they claim to have the market cornered on all airline and/or union information.  I have put these people on ignore and I would urge others to do this also.  It is the only way we can get our message board back and stop wasting time arguing with people who have nothing better to do with their lives than to stir up trouble on this board.  If we do this they will go away eventually and waste someone else's time.  This was once a very good source for information but has digressed due to these interlopers being allowed to post their insults and biased views of their own favorite airlines while they disrespect us and call us stupid and uninformed.  If this continues I will no longer be reading or posting.  I will be the first to admit that my absence would be no big loss but I do fear that others like the above named who have very valuable information and ideas to share may do the same.  Then we all lose.  I know this is going off topic and I must apologize but I feel it needed to be said.  Let's take our message board back!

 

[BigMac]

Cheers OldGuy@AA. Agreed

 

[OldGuy@AA]

I did make an error with the above post.  It should say the Chairwoman of Fleet Service.  All the Fleet Service Clerks in Tulsa were laid off.  Sorry for the confusion.