TWU International visit to JFK

[OldGuy@AA]

Bob, it might not matter to some, but it matters to many. It has been stated on numerous occasions the prefunding is contractually ours (not by you but by many other mouthpieces of the TWU). If this is the case, then why not start with the militant action and forcing AA to respond ASAP. And as for seeing Lombardo's name on the letter, yes, yes I did...I have in  red for you.
 
Letter from TWU-ATD to AA on Prefunding.
He is the President isn't he?

Sadly we can't even expect a strongly worded letter from our paid representatives for something that is rightfully ours.  These are the same people who extorted our equity that was supposed to help make up for the draconian concessions they endorsed.

 

[the cave]

 
I can't believe I'm reading this from you Bob and I can't believe that I'm saying it, but to me it looks like you're a sell-out. 

 
Bob's New Mantra

 

[the cave]

 
Bob's New Mantra

Just in Case the 1st one wasn't clear

 

[the cave]

Bob,
 
How can you befriend the people refusing to settle the lawsuit to allow the AMT's a fair chance at negotiations? Yesterday was you or Bobby? As in Gless. Or was yesterday your interview for Bobby's job? 

 

[Bob Owens]

I talked to Lombardo personally when he came to Tulsa.  He saw my AMFA pin and told me "We need one union here and you need to get rid of that pin."  I told him he and the TWU International needed to give me one good reason why I should lose the pin.  He told me "We got one union here."  A fork lift drove by just then and I asked him if we had one union why did forklift drivers and all the other stock clerks along with fleet service have superior benefits than AMTs?  He looked at me for a few seconds and said nothing.  Then his trained monkey Sean Doyle jumped in and offered to answer any questions I had.  When I started asking them he said he would do it over email.  When I emailed him he said he would rather do it over the phone.  When I told him I wanted everything in writing so there could be no misrepresentation of either of our words he agreed so I emailed him the questions.  One of them being why any union would agree to discriminate against one group by forcing inferior benefits on them such as unpaid sick time and less vacation.  He did not answer one single question.  This is the TWU International that Bob Owens is talking up.  I wanted to know why the inferior benefits were allowed and what was being done to rectify it.  At this point after not having paid sick time for well over 10 years, and the loss of yet another week of vacation, I feel the TWU has no intention of getting either for us ever again.  I also think that maintaining 6 weeks of vacation for stores (along with the skill pay they got them and their continued 100% paid sick time) is a complete slap in the face to all AMTs.  Mr. Lombardo is just another windbag who will do nothing for AMTs because he has no respect for us.  Anyone who condones inferior benefits for any work group in the same union is not fit to hold office.  His refusal to answer my questions prove that there is no plan to get us the basic benefits that stock clerks enjoy.  He didn't even use the excuse that we would get everything back in the joint agreement.  If any one of you on this board thinks for one second that the TWU (or IAM) will gain anything in joint negotiations you are completely out of touch.  In the first place, AA will drag these negotiations out for several years.  In the second place remember that the TWU got stock clerks skill pay when they couldn't get us full sick pay.  I'm sorry and I know I have said this before and some of you are probably tired of it, but I and all AMTs deserve the same benefits as a stock clerk.  Bob, I'm sorry but you are out to lunch on this one.  The only way we AMTs have any chance to salvage anything from our careers is if we dump the TWU.  Of course the IAM is no better and I point to their TA as proof.  Why are they setting the bar at AA compensation when we are in a BK contract?  We have one last chance to fix what is wrong and throw the TWU out.  We cannot trust lip service from the likes of Harry Lombardo.  We are not bus drivers so we do not matter to Harry Lombardo.  Sean Doyle is a recipient of the Junior Mechanic Program that handed free A&P licenses to career fleet service clerks, cleaners and stock clerks instead of forcing AA to raise the pay for AMTs so they could hire them instead of all of them going to UA, US Air and Delta for the higher pay.  This is the TWU and I am sick and tired of seeing them take care of everyone else except the AMTs.  Get rid of them now.  For me and a lot of others it is too late to save our careers but we have a chance to help the next generation of AMTs.  I challenge anyone to email Sean Doyle and ask these questions and see the answers (or lack of) that you receive if you receive anything back at all.  Sorry Bob but I must disagree with you on this one.  The TWU is cancer to AMTs.

All the points you brought up about the shortcomings are valid, I've cited them time all and time again, its as if this Union hated mechanics. As if their goal was to say "Ok you wanted separate contracts, you got them", then make sure we did worse than anyone else, "you voted down the TA, so now we will string you along for two more years and never ask for a release". I have no doubt that Little and Videtich did hate the mechanics (or at least this mechanic), I believe they did everything they could to destroy our profession and give AA everything they wanted and punish us for voting down the concessionary deal they wanted us to accept. I admit that the new team has already made a few missteps, courting Tulsa and Fleet to the exclusion of Local 591 and 567 at the Convention was a big disappointment, but in politics sometimes letting it be known where you stand has a price, they knew Little wouldn't get our vote no matter what and they needed Fleet and Tulsa to clinch it. 591 and 567 pretty much were excluded from everything. Seeing Gary Yingst up on the podium was especially disappointing.   I believe that they reacted defensively to the 565 lawsuit instead of attempting understand what drove it and make the corrections it called for. Their reaction towards both Dispatch and Sim-Tech negotiations was another error,  they were unaware of the History. Dispatch and Sim Tech were part of the Joint negotiations where not only were they greatly outnumbered by Fleet presidents, but they were also subject to a weighted vote which in reality made them observers.
 
  I don't know Harry well, only of what he did while in Philly, I believe I mentioned a long time back about how I asked Little to remove Videtich and put Harry in his place. I did that then because he was the only person in the International who ever took part in a strike, it would send a clear message to the company that this guy would pull the trigger. Samuelson I've known since 2009 and we have spoken on many occasions, I've watched as he restored a busted Local 100 into a powerful force in New York City. Most of our discussions were around local 100 and despite the fact I've known him for six years, because our situation is so utterly screwed up and complex, his understanding of our issues is limited, but I believe the visit this week opened their eyes that something is amiss at the AATD.
 
 I didn't say you have to keep the TWU or forget the past or even forgive, I said that as long as they are here, if they are willing to take on the company and lead a fight against the company for our benefit we should be supportive, we should not let the company continue to believe that because we have no faith in the leadership of the union they can do whatever they like to us.  We should not be more focused on fighting each other than the company.
 
 Lets say the company decides to keep the matching funds and Lombardo calls for us to engage in actions to put pressure on the company to pay up, you are saying that we shouldn't? 

 

[Bob Owens]

Bob,
 
How can you befriend the people refusing to settle the lawsuit to allow the AMT's a fair chance at negotiations? Yesterday was you or Bobby? As in Gless. Or was yesterday your interview for Bobby's job? 

I've said it already that I feel they need to do that. Settling the Title II issue is a little involved, it would require that they break promises they made during the Convention, for a group there is a fair chance they may ultimately lose anyway.
 
Bobby's jobs doesn't exist anymore and no nothing was ever offered or sought. Gary Peterson was offered a job on the condition he drop the lawsuit, he told them he wasn't interested in either. 

 

[Bob Owens]

Just in Case the 1st one wasn't clear

"Sold out" implies that I've changed my objective for some sort of payoff. Neither has happened. When I was elected it was to represent the members and try and make this organization work for them, well until either I'm recalled or there is another union on the property for mechanics that's what I will do. I'm aware that its highly likely that 90% or better of the Aircraft mechanics in Local 591 have signed cards for AMFA, and would likely vote that way if there is an election, but I also believe that the majority of those mechanics, and all of the Stores guys expect me to continue to try and make what we have work. If that's not what they want then they should recall me. 

 

[The Truth Will Set U Free]

This is Sad As Hell. The only thing that has changed is THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE THAT START TO BELIEVE THERE OWN BULLSHIT. 
 
STOP PRETENDING TO CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE. THE ONLY THING OUR LEADERSHIP CARES ABOUT IS MONEY AND HOLDING ON TO THERE POSITIONS SO THEY DONT HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK. 
 
I WILL MAKE YOU ONE PROMISE ENJOY THE TIME LEFT. YOU WONT BE THERE MUCH LONGER.
 
Bob there comes a time when you have to jump off a sinking ship. The water is over your Head. Jump or Drown. Your statement   of  if you want me gone you are going to have to recall me. You and I both know that is a Joke. If you suck up the the Man at the top. You will NEVER be removed. 

 

[Show me the money]

I believe that Bob is trying to make what we have work and keep his finger in the dike. BUT!!!!!! I don't care who the TWU dresses up and sends to talk to us. You cannot put anymore lipstick on this PIG which is ready to go to market. They have lied to us, disregarded thier own constitution. When it has come to layoffs, they cater to certain groups and no layoff is ever done to the rules. They put thier hands in our pockets and keep money that is ours under the guise of recouping costs. While members are losing benefits and pay, people at the international are getting raises (including secretaries) and tell us that is part or doing business. We have results of elections that come out how the company wants with no breakdown of the votes. When the vote is going the way the members want other groups are alowed to come in and redirect the out come. We are never allowed to know what is being negotiated until a TA is announced and run down or throats. It is time for our own craft union, it is time to be able to vote in and vote out those who will and will not work for us. It is time to able to know what is and what is not being said at the bargaining table. We as a group need to be more in line with the pilots as a group, and just because the company says this is how it is going to be, we need to make the company blink. This is the last contract many of us will get a shot at. WE cannot let the company lower the bar and say this is the new model and you must be happy with less. I'm not talking just a little less but a lot less. We hear slogans like shared sacrafice, yet upper management pay and compensation continue to grow. We also hear things like we need to keep quality people at the top. The upper management may have ideas, but we the working groups are the ones that make it work and keep our customers happy. It is time to send this union coalition a message and say not just NO BUT HELL NO!!!!!!! It is time to send the company a message, you are going to deal with the AMT's as a  serious group and you need to bring a serious offer to the table. NO more going backwards if you want this company to forward. GO AMFA !!! sign card and lets take direction of our future.

 

[Kev3188]

I believe that Bob is trying to make what we have work and keep his finger in the dike.

Bingo.

And if anyone on this site has missed it, he's said as much many times.

Look, I'm on the sidelines here, but for 10 years I've been reading about how awful the TWU ATD is. At some point you (collectively) need to either sh*t or get off the pot. People like Bob can point out the way forward, but in the end it's up to you all to actually take that first step.

That said, in the meantime, do you want someone like Little, or wold you prefer someone that's willing to throw the (proverbial) brick through the window? My guess (and hope) is that it's the latter.

 

[1AA]

We can all complain how terrible the TWU has been and still is today. But yet there are many of us that can go out and make a difference in changing our future. We need to get rid of the TWU and the IAM and this crappy alliance idea. I spoke to a organizer yesterday and I was told our area of weakness in getting cards signed is still TULSA as well as St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco and a handful of Class II stations. Not to mention Title II guys who are under the belief that AMFA will drop them like a hot potato. So if any of you guys here that read and post know anyone at these stations get moving and make a difference. Less complaining and more signing. We always say or ask how the guys doing in getting cards signed? Well we are the other guys that are getting cards signed. We just need more participation. I do not know how many cards are signed and am not exposed to that information. We should not leave any cards out there to be signed.

 

[DallasConehead]

Same old ####, Owens kissing ass selling out the members, jockeying for an International position. Same as the old boss. These people care about no one but themselves, the membership suffers because of it. I don't care which union your in. Pure Unionism is a thing of the past in this country.  Our union has done nothing absolutely nothing to improve my family's lot in life, they have only taken taken taken. They will continue to take and talk bullshit to keep the millions flowing in. Anyone that is hood winked by this crap is an idiot, and our membership is full of them.
 
If this guy is a freakin leader then how about using his leadership to recover anything, I'm not talking everything, I'm talking just one thing. It wont happen, he is nothing but bullshit.

 

[Kev3188]

I do not know how many cards are signed and am not exposed to that information.

Nor will anyone likely be...

We should not leave any cards out there to be signed.

At my carrier, I always have the mindset that each card signed is the first one. It keeps me motivated...

 

[WeAAsles]

I'd like to read what the man who started this thread has to say? By now he should have an opinion and heard multiple sides of the story. What say you there Chuck? Do you also have a response to Bob's opinion?

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

We can all complain how terrible the TWU has been and still is today. But yet there are many of us that can go out and make a difference in changing our future. We need to get rid of the TWU and the IAM and this crappy alliance idea. I spoke to a organizer yesterday and I was told our area of weakness in getting cards signed is still TULSA as well as St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco and a handful of Class II stations. Not to mention Title II guys who are under the belief that AMFA will drop them like a hot potato. So if any of you guys here that read and post know anyone at these stations get moving and make a difference. Less complaining and more signing. We always say or ask how the guys doing in getting cards signed? Well we are the other guys that are getting cards signed. We just need more participation. I do not know how many cards are signed and am not exposed to that information. We should not leave any cards out there to be signed.

 
1AA
 
Although true, that we need more participation, did you ask this organizer what the plan is going forward?
 
I ask why don't you know what the card count is, we the AMFA supporters say we want transparency, want a Democratic union, well why all the secrets?
Isn't that just like being TWU Lite?
 
Just go and collect cards,  if they want our participation shouldn't they share all the info as well?
 
What's the plan? Who is making the decisions? What's the plan if Assoc. files and how does it effect an AMFA filing?
What does the NMB require if we file as an intervener? When are the cards going to be moved to Washington so we don't have the same thing that happened last yr
happen again? How much paticipation is going to be required by the US guys to even file?
 
1AA lots of things need to be thought out, and questions answered, don't you think?
 
The 1yr bar is getting close, are we as AA mechanics willing to just let the select few do it all?
 
What is your plan to assist them? If we need cards from the cities listed by you are you willing to go and get them?
 
AMFA at AA 2014