TWU-IAM Finally Getting Ready for JCBA Negotiations

[Vortilon]

Bob,
When you don't work for the airline you start back at zero but you do get unemployment. Soon you get another job and few make what they were making when they left. Pretty simple to see that keeping your job is more pay and bennies than not having a job even if it is for a little while.
 
There are plenty of reports that show most people who lost their jobs during the airline BKs never got paid what they were making before. Maybe it would have been better to have let AA go BK in 2003. More AMFA supporters would be out on the street. And you would still be here with me but I would be saying I told you so and you would be, "WTF happened??? I thought I had this figured out."
 
The militants are in charge now. Lead us and show us the way to the promised land. What can you do for me as member that is better than what the past leadership has provided? What's the plan? Sue the Int'l? Write more letters to the NMB? Hire Seham to slap a lawsuit on AA? I'm so excited to hear your plan. You are awesome at pointing the finger and laying blame. I have seen nor heard anything from you that leads me to believe we will not be more in years of false promises and more blame.
 
I want results. Knapp and Rojas for Local 591 President and VP! they got results for MIA, they can do it for all of us.

 
Even when you get your a$$ handed to you by Bob; post after post, you keep coming back like a horse fly.  My brother worked at NWA, he has recovered nicely.  He now makes more than I do.  Course, that isn't saying too much considering the TWU has secured the AMTs at AA - the lowest paying AMT jobs with the absolute worst benefits in the industry.

 

[CMH_GSE]

 
I want results. Knapp and Rojas for Local 591 President and VP! they got results for MIA, they can do it for all of us.

For those of us that are not in Miami, for context purposes, what results do you speak of?

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Bob,
When you don't work for the airline you start back at zero but you do get unemployment. Soon you get another job and few make what they were making when they left. Pretty simple to see that keeping your job is more pay and bennies than not having a job even if it is for a little while.
 
There are plenty of reports that show most people who lost their jobs during the airline BKs never got paid what they were making before. Maybe it would have been better to have let AA go BK in 2003. More AMFA supporters would be out on the street. And you would still be here with me but I would be saying I told you so and you would be, "WTF happened??? I thought I had this figured out."
 
The militants are in charge now. Lead us and show us the way to the promised land. What can you do for me as member that is better than what the past leadership has provided? What's the plan? Sue the Int'l? Write more letters to the NMB? Hire Seham to slap a lawsuit on AA? I'm so excited to hear your plan. You are awesome at pointing the finger and laying blame. I have seen nor heard anything from you that leads me to believe we will not be more in years of false promises and more blame.
 
I want results. Knapp and Rojas for Local 591 President and VP! they got results for MIA, they can do it for all of us.

Speak for yourself.
 
I exceeded what I made at American Airlines my first year of employment.

 

[700UW]

You werent and arent a Mechanic.

 

[Overspeed]

Vortilon,
The facts speak for themselves. I never denied the 2003 cuts occurred and were painful. They still are and Bob can come up with his calculations of how much he believes it may have impacted us. I feel it could have been worse in my opinion which unless we did see AMR go to BK in 2003 then we would have felt similar pain as those at UA, DL, NW, and US which would have been much deeper than we did feel.
 
The facts are that yes we suffered greatly, that other mechanics suffered greatly but in different ways, and in the end all airlines restructured. My point remains that the jobs that were lost in BK at the others was much greater and they have not returned. UA did not add back all the AO work that left which continues to be much greater than AA. Neither did DL add back any of the AO capacity. AA has more than them combined and now Bob and the vote no coalition have the opportunity to get the line and overhaul AMTs that remain top wages like UPS, SW, or any other airline they choose to quote. I'm ready for him, GP, and his other buddies to dazzle us with their negotiating skills. I am so hoping he really hands "me my a$$" as you stated once he gets to the table. I really hope that he doesn't continue to use the strategy of blaming the Int'l, the NMB, the courts, and other people. That would only confirm to me that he still doesn't understand that he doesn't understand the constraints of the system we must all as organized labor must operate within. We all know the balance of power is in the favor of corporations but maybe Bob is the next Quill and will lead us on the working person's next social crusade.
 
And I am very glad your brother at NWA recovered nicely. Any word on the other several thousands at NW, UA, and DL? One person does not make a case for all of them does it.
 
CMH_GSE.
MIA has almost doubled their station size, more members have good shift and days off than ever before, the local officers there settle issues with Newill by actually having a dialogue instead of hiding in an office and firing off letters and lawsuits, I hear they talk to their members face to face on the floor daily, and this is by taking on all the work we used to do here in DFW. They are now picking up the 757 BCs too. I understand that the AA VP wants to put more work in there because of how well the union and management get stuff done. I am concerned that now in DFW after the rebank management can actually make cuts to our HC if this lasts. Our overnights are lower than we have seen in a while.

 

[Vortilon]

C'mon Overspeed, how is the AMT negotiating committee supposed to get us a decent contract with a baggage handler heading the committee? I have zero hope in the TWU. We are screwed. Isom and Wroble as much as said so in the town hall meetings, when they were pinned down on what exactly "Delta plus 7%" really means.

 

[Overspeed]

Vortilon,
Easy, the committee is in charge. And GP should have more influence than any one President has ever had. Sean is the chair and he only votes in the event of a tie. GP and Pike vote together right? So even if the fear is 514 having power over the committee, it can't happen and Sean has to follow the will and authority of the committee. The fleet participation isn't that great either. Even though they have some votes with Title II being in their locals, a roll call vote by GP can outweigh their effect. The effect of the Association is unknown at this point.
 
Good point on the Isom and Wroble comments. They and Kirby pointed out that DL plus 7 also has caveats. Specifically the scope language. Kirby stated in the video, very subtly, that DL has differences to our scope language. Will 591 protect even our now BK reduced scope language to swap for UPS/SW wages? Stay tuned...

 

[Vortilon]

Vortilon,
Easy, the committee is in charge. And GP should have more influence than any one President has ever had. Sean is the chair and he only votes in the event of a tie. GP and Pike vote together right? So even if the fear is 514 having power over the committee, it can't happen and Sean has to follow the will and authority of the committee. The fleet participation isn't that great either. Even though they have some votes with Title II being in their locals, a roll call vote by GP can outweigh their effect. The effect of the Association is unknown at this point.
 
Good point on the Isom and Wroble comments. They and Kirby pointed out that DL plus 7 also has caveats. Specifically the scope language. Kirby stated in the video, very subtly, that DL has differences to our scope language. Will 591 protect even our now BK reduced scope language to swap for UPS/SW wages? Stay tuned...

 
Well, the way I see it, our scope language has been gutted anyway.  Time to get our pay up to Delta plus 7% - if not more, and restore our other benefits to what we had before the 2003 BK threat contract.  No more horse trading, time to get pay and benefits back to respectable levels.

 

[Rogallo]

MIA has almost doubled their station size, more members have good shift and days off than ever before, the local officers there settle issues with Newill by actually having a dialogue instead of hiding in an office and firing off letters and lawsuits, I hear they talk to their members face to face on the floor daily, and this is by taking on all the work we used to do here in DFW. They are now picking up the 757 BCs too. I understand that the AA VP wants to put more work in there because of how well the union and management get stuff done. I am concerned that now in DFW after the rebank management can actually make cuts to our HC if this lasts. Our overnights are lower than we have seen in a while.

 
So is it a management problem or a union problem in DFW?

 

[2ndGENAMT]

I personally only know one mechanic from NWA and he was in ATL, went straight over to Lockheed flight line and today could not be happier! Also wish AA would have shown me the door in 2003 as I believe my career would have improved.

As far as Tulsa, this place is starting to look like it was sprayed with Roundup. Engine and components are drying up fast and still no layoff which leads me to believe they are saving these heads to sway the JCBA vote some how.

Best of Luck Gentelmen.

 

[NYer]

But the most powerful member of the Committee, the Chair, are not. 

 
Does the Chair vote? No.
 
A jury is who decides a case in a vast majority of cases, not the Judge.

 

[Rogallo]

The question is not if the chair votes or not. Why is the chair of Title I not Title I?

 

[xUT]

I personally only know one mechanic from NWA and he was in ATL, went straight over to Lockheed flight line and today could not be happier! Also wish AA would have shown me the door in 2003 as I believe my career would have improved.

As far as Tulsa, this place is starting to look like it was sprayed with Roundup. Engine and components are drying up fast and still no layoff which leads me to believe they are saving these heads to sway the JCBA vote some how.

Best of Luck Gentelmen.

I can only imagine...
When I started at the Lazy'U at the SFO Maintenance base in 1985 we did "EVERYTHING".
The seat shop alone was a good three stories high.
Now it is one big freaking echo.
Get ready as that train is coming and it can only be mitigated for so long.
Since UA outsourced most avionics to Collins (AA was a leader in this) they sent 43 Avionic Techs (M&R) to sheet metal.
I hear that's not working out too well.
Good Luck Guys N' Gals.
JMHO,
B) xUT

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

You werent and arent a Mechanic.

You are right.
 
That does not mean our talented mechanics can't find success outside of the airline industry though.
 
I mean let's face it, they have a variety of skills. That makes them adaptable. 

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

I personally only know one mechanic from NWA and he was in ATL, went straight over to Lockheed flight line and today could not be happier! Also wish AA would have shown me the door in 2003 as I believe my career would have improved.
As far as Tulsa, this place is starting to look like it was sprayed with Roundup. Engine and components are drying up fast and still no layoff which leads me to believe they are saving these heads to sway the JCBA vote some how.
Best of Luck Gentelmen.

Everyone of my co-workers that I have kept in touch with are very happy with what they are doing and have it better than the alternative we struck for. Some are still in aviation. A few went into tech, pharmaceutical, energy, transportation (rail, subway, etc.). A few started their own businesses and have been wildly successful entrepreneurs.

The ones who are not successful were the slugs who all became scabs anyway. Those that had no skills, could not fill out an application or pass an interview, and those who had bad records (knowing that once they left they could no longer pass a company new hire background check and get no decent reference).

Now delta gets to enjoy the fruits of their worthless labor if they have not been fired. I know many of the ones who took manager jobs just before the strike were mostly all canned after the merger. Sweet justice.