That's another problem. You seem to believe that some of us are absolute TWU cheerleaders. Far from it, but if there is going to be a change in the guard then you need to show me that the replacement will be better than the current. You won't do that with the generic, "anything is better," because the facts of the matter don't bear that out. It's easy to call for change and bring down the TWU, but without a viable replacement that talk can only do more than good. Some of you are focused on change that you take little time to analyze what that really means. Why would I choose to stay with a union that continually screws my workgroup? You know what our alternative is...Since we can't get there yet, YOU will never know what we may achieve with them. Then again, since your in a different title group, I don't need to show you anything that applies to my title group.
You bring up that I want to stay with the TWU despite losing Cabin? I want to stay with the TWU because there is no alternative that would have kept Cabin. As a matter of fact, Cabin jobs started to be lose in the industry in the late 90's when Delta got rid of that department from one day to the next. Since then, it has been a slow death with the TWU not letting go of that department until it was taken away in the BK. We kept that department longer than any other legacy airline. So why would I make a change when change isn't any better? How do you know? Has your group ever tried looking into different representation?
Prove you wrong on the negotiations? No. I don't have to. However, since the Maintenance Presidents have had a full voice in their negotiations the blame has gone from the Fleet Presidents to the International. Then blame is also placed on certain maintenance Presidents like Luis, Zimmerman, Gilboy...or the ATD, like Videtich, Gless....or the Int'l, like Little, Gordon...then it was the financial experts like Donnelly and Tom Roth....or the lawyers, like Sharon Levine, Rosen....or the BK Court and Judge Lane....the point is that the mechanics have always pointed a finger at others while they complain about their situation.....You can continue to look to fix what happened in '83, in the 90's, in 2003, in 2008 and in the BK, but as long as look backwards you won't see what's in front of you. The issues we face are being faced by every other airline and every other union. You guys want to make a change just because it has to be better, while other of us want to see who has been better off before we make a change....and today, no one is better off.
So we should just forget the TWU has given away maintenance work to your work group and to outsourcing. Just forget that it was done but yet NO gains were made in lieu of those concessions?
As far as you pay. Be truthful. In order to get compensation like at other airlines, you'll need to shed the same assets those other workforces had to shed in place of the compensation. How do other airlines pay for those raises? They pay them to less people. It's quite simple. If you want more pay, it will cost you some jobs. It's simple arithmetic. I just responded to you in another post that we have lost about 40% of mechanics since the high of about 12500. We are down to 7600 including OSMs and cleaners thanks to outsoucing and shifting of some work to fleet service. I never made a dime more because of lost work! You fail to see the trend of the TWU agreeing to outsourcing more and more work yet we get NOTHING in return. That is what you fail to see.
You can have the lofty expectations you want, but you also have to conscience of the situation. Didn't the mechanic leadership tell their members in 2011 to not accept the TA because it was substandard and the threats of BK were BS because they had $4B in the bank? Yes. they did. They were wrong and they filed. Again in BK, it was told that we should vote no on the TA and let them abrogate because they will come back with a better deal. They were wrong again. The APA turn their deal down only to come back with the same 17% cuts as everyone else. At that time, those that were wrong pointed fingers again. Bottom line, they were wrong. Thanks to TUL mainly and some line stations who succumbed to threats is why the contract was voted in. Majority rules but it was a very close vote. Once again TUL is able to deliver for the TWU.
So having said all of this, you still criticize mechanics' desire for change.
