TWU negotiations.........what?

[Interested]

These kinds of problems, tooling, equipment, parts.. IMO every airline experiences the same problems. Its part of the business. Go with the flow, don't have a coronary over it, if management keeps their blood pressure low, or even if they got excited about it, why bother raising yours? Life is to short brothers. Follow the manuals, stay safe, do what you can and leave the rest.

X2

 

[Bob Owens]

"follow the manual". "verbatim" "by the book" we do this then the operation grinds to a halt. Dailey we are expected to find a way to "get it done". The most recent debacle at AFW...they took nearly all safety harness ots for inspection/calibration. Completely stupid. Yeah, we stopped on that one.Slowed things down quite a bit as only a handful of harnesses were available. Brake bleed carts...lmao if it was not so so sad. Nearly everytime we have to canibalize from 3 or 4 carts to get 2 servicable. That is is we have that many carts. Personally I refuse to jump thru hoops and fix tool room junk. We have people to do that. Ground equipment is in the same sorry state of disrepair or we just don`t have it.
Why do I vent my frustration? Because I`m sick of hearing how "unproductive" we are. We need productivity improvements to compete? If we have what we need when we need it then the productivity is there. It`s comical when I bring these concerns to local operational management. "Generate a B.I.G. ticket" they say or "call it in". This is where the disconnect begins. Local management has zero clue as to what is needed.
I`m tired of banging my head against the wall. However some of my fellow AMTs continue to "find a way". ARRRGGGGHHHHHHH........................Rant over...That is all

Who says you are unproductive? I've only heard good things about AFW from management.

I have to agree about the 'get it done" expectation. I recall many years ago when a Supervisor was busting my nads and then we had a no-fix no fly on a 767, it needed a new ACM, no big deal, but the paperwork called for a special jack and a jig to mount on it to hold the ACM. AA didnt own either of them, had the plane around 10 years at the time. MD-80 nose wheel cradle was another one. By the book is OK with me, our backs are getting too old to be used as jacks or cradles and they dont pay us enough to risk straining ourselves, plus if we get hurt at AA we cant work our other jobs. Think of your families guys, the company surely couldn't care less. Maybe someday they will learn to either ship the tooling with the part or verify that the tooling is wherever they send the part. How hard could it be to build such a program into a computer?



On another Note, our original concessionary bailout to the company was a contract of approximately 1826 days, they have extended it, by talking advantage of the RLA, another 1031 days for a total of 2857 days, WWII only lasted 1365 days for the US, 2190 for Europe. A baby born on day one of the concessions would have gone from the womb to second grade.

 

[odie01]

Who says you are unproductive? I've only heard good things about AFW from management.

I have to agree about the 'get it done" expectation. I recall many years ago when a Supervisor was busting my nads and then we had a no-fix no fly on a 767, it needed a new ACM, no big deal, but the paperwork called for a special jack and a jig to mount on it to hold the ACM. AA didnt own either of them, had the plane around 10 years at the time. MD-80 nose wheel cradle was another one. By the book is OK with me, our backs are getting too old to be used as jacks or cradles and they dont pay us enough to risk straining ourselves, plus if we get hurt at AA we cant work our other jobs. Think of your families guys, the company surely couldn't care less. Maybe someday they will learn to either ship the tooling with the part or verify that the tooling is wherever they send the part. How hard could it be to build such a program into a computer?

Good point Bob, my back isn't what it used to be, no more lifting IDG's by hand, its not worth getting hurt. I owe it to myself and my family, to work as safe as possible, so I can provide for them long term.

 

[Deleted member 14439]

Bob, I get "unproductive" from all the company propaganda claiming we are not as productive as other airlines or mro`s. It`s a constant from operational management on the floor. So much so I do not attend their meetings anymore. It`s almost friggin` comical. Equipment OTS, tooling non-exestient, engineering we all no about that problem. BTW, we are getting many upgrades on the dock. I found out today one has no license, none. Seems the company is getting their lower teir AMT after all....

 

[odie01]

How Much Do I Care?

The AMP drive has been in place for several months now and we have come a long way since receiving our first AMP Authorization Card. Countless hours have been spent in creating everything there is to do about AMP, from our web site, informational meetings, hand outs, e-mail blasts, speaking and educating the membership about the truth of joining AMP to even the AMP Updates. Progress is being made yet some seem to view this progress as too slow. These people want a card filing NOW!

The perception of progress can be viewed differently by many different people. The thing to remember is that AMP is YOU! If you have signed an AMP card that is great. Now what you need to do is turn to your fellow worker and see if they signed a card. There will be a card filing and it will be sooner rather than later if you get involved. There are only a certain number of AMP Organizers and they can not reach every single person within our craft and class. That is where those who wish true accountability and democracy come in.

There are many facets to creating an organization like AMP and there are many ways people can get involved in getting AMP certified. But getting certified means doing things the right way and that includes taking our time and NOT rushing. We have all seen how the company acted the last time a drive was taken to remove the TWU and we have all seen how the TWU attempts to demonize anyone in our group that tries to remove them from misrepresenting our craft and class. To ensure that AMP is certified education is the key to informing the membership the benefits of having a true, democratic union that is controlled by the membership because those who hold office within AMP are elected by the membership. That is called accountability!

The AMP Organizers have started the process of removing the TWU from damaging our future by forming the frame work and structure of AMP. It is now up to you to make sure that the company or TWU can not derail our right to have AMP represent not only our careers but the careers of those who will follow after us.

Read the AMP Constitution and By-Laws. Educate yourself on what you can have compared to what we have had to live with since we began at AA under the TWU’s undemocratic and unaccountable actions. Sign an AMP Authorization Card and we can all move forward together towards a better future.

GO AMP!

Please forward this to all the AA title I & II contacts in your address book.

AMP website is www.AMPNATIONAL.org

 

[toroshark]

It is awful quiet about the presentation that AA wants to make to the TWU president's council that requires a confidentiality agreement signed to attend. My local president (good-time Bob Zimmerman) has probably signed off on it toot-sweet so that he can continue to try and scale the Intl. ladder. Were they able to strong arm Bob Owens into not discussing the matter any longer? That would suck as the most reliable info that my station gets is through his postings and the NY local website.

 

[frontline]

What I really want is to get rid of TWU, but I would consider signing an AMP card if someone could explain to me some concrete proposals AMP has for dealing with our current situation. TWU doesn't seem able to get the job done, so what sort of ideas does AMP have to make things happen? Give me a reason to sign a card.

 

[aapitbull]

What I really want is to get rid of TWU, but I would consider signing an AMP card if someone could explain to me some concrete proposals AMP has for dealing with our current situation. TWU doesn't seem able to get the job done, so what sort of ideas does AMP have to make things happen? Give me a reason to sign a card.

There are many reasons to sign a card from the perspective you are coming from I would say that voting in a new union shows the company that the majority have had enough and expect change it also removes the old guard that the company feels they can count on to sale a contract. It allows a whole new group to go in with fresh ideas and professionals, as it stands today the company knows the TWU does not have the support of the members and are therefore weak. From reading some of your post in the past I see that you are somewhat sympathetic to the companies postion on some issues {this is not a attack just a observation} it has been my experiance that people who feel this way are more tolerent of the TWU yet you are here trying to find a reason for change.

For me it was simple as we stand here today we have 2 choices we can do nothing and stay with the TWU or we can fight back and join AMP I say fight because I cannot afford to let the TWU continue to sale me out for their on gain! it's your choice but understand that at the end of june 2011 the AMP organizing committee is shutting the drive down if we do not get enough cards to file so make your mind soon and tell your friends time is short.

 

[odie01]

Bob,
Have we been communicating with the other work groups to come up with a joint solution to these stalled negotiations? Also, has AA ever opened thier books to the unions, to show us exactly where all our profits are going?

 

[sixty/4]

The company is starting to use scare tactics at tul , had a supervisor tell a mechanic , that if we dont turn the company around in 18 months, they are going to shut the doors, and he was making a list of who they want to rehire.

 

[strikeforce]

The company is starting to use scare tactics at tul , had a supervisor tell a mechanic , that if we dont turn the company around in 18 months, they are going to shut the doors, and he was making a list of who they want to rehire.

typical negotiating ploy. I'm curious if mechanics at Tul are jumping through hoops to help management meet production targets. Is local 514 involved in JTL, Continuous Improvement, and MRO meetings? If so why? It's pretty obvious that management is ready for battle against the membership. Scare tactics; rumormills; increase in C23's and CR-1's; enforcing policies; increase in non-compliances are just some of the ploys used by management to gain leverage in negotiations. I don't see any game plan from our leaders. Pathetic!

 

[Deleted member 14439]

The company is starting to use scare tactics at tul , had a supervisor tell a mechanic , that if we dont turn the company around in 18 months, they are going to shut the doors, and he was making a list of who they want to rehire.

Nice try. Recall list exhausted, transfers and now hiring off the street. Never thought I would see that again. By the way let that supervisor know we are only the engine. It is up to the executives as to which direction this company goes. ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

The company is starting to use scare tactics at tul , had a supervisor tell a mechanic , that if we dont turn the company around in 18 months, they are going to shut the doors, and he was making a list of who they want to rehire.

Only 18 months? WOW! I wonder how management's anticipated bonuses will inspire the work force to "turn the company around"?

 

[TWU informer]

Quite possible that this is was an isolated incident with a moron Supervisor fearing for his own survival and not a strategy of upper management. There are renegade fear mongering Supervisors that are stupid enough to try such ignorant tactics without being instructed or encouraged to conduct business this way. Until I hear more of this happening, I am not jumping on any band wagons regarding this being an officially dictated and thought out company wide business plan. Doesn't make any sense.

By the Way, this week for the first time I experienced a potential benefit to having the Consulting Firm RLG in the midst of our business. Stay Tuned, if this potential pans out I will share the details.

 

[Interested]

The company is starting to use scare tactics at tul , had a supervisor tell a mechanic , that if we dont turn the company around in 18 months, they are going to shut the doors, and he was making a list of who they want to rehire.

I call BS on this one. Personally, I haven't heard anything of the sort around TUL.

typical negotiating ploy. I'm curious if mechanics at Tul are jumping through hoops to help management meet production targets. Is local 514 involved in JTL, Continuous Improvement, and MRO meetings? If so why? It's pretty obvious that management is ready for battle against the membership. Scare tactics; rumormills; increase in C23's and CR-1's; enforcing policies; increase in non-compliances are just some of the ploys used by management to gain leverage in negotiations. I don't see any game plan from our leaders. Pathetic!

I do believe Sam Cirri canceled these TWU hidey-hole positions.

Nice try. Recall list exhausted, transfers and now hiring off the street. Never thought I would see that again. By the way let that supervisor know we are only the engine. It is up to the executives as to which direction this company goes. ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the only hiring off the street is cleaners. I do believe there are AMT's still out there that haven't been recalled for TUL.