If they want to stay out of the news and media thats fine with me.
I am not complaining about a "news" blackout, I am complaining that some toolbox mechanic or possibly not even that is negotiating my livelyhood under the manipulation and control of a group of International Leaders that I never will get a chance to vote out of office regardless of the outcome.
When I said "news blackout" I wasn't referring to the news media - I meant an absence of information about the specific proposals and areas of tentative agreement until a complete TA was reached. Sorry 'bout that.
Asking questions and debating is the staple of American Freedom and Democracy but when it comes to my pay and benefits you and others want to throw that freedom out the window.
Trying for that Hyperbole of the Year Award? Come on, I have no interest in stifling your rights to ask questions or debate. I certainly have no interest in cheapening your American Freedoms or Democracy.
I can understand why a negotiating team doesn't want the membership discussing and debating the specifics prior to reaching a TA. Juries don't get to deliberate until the conclusion of the proceedings for the same reason.
Here's an example why the news blackout (and why it makes sense for the negotiating team to ignore Chuck's demands for info):
Suppose the negotiators tentatively agree to changes on several points. But later on, reaching a final agreement requires that they give back on some of those items in exchange for something else that they view as more beneficial. Having 25,000 members latching onto each specific item before the TA is finalized would likely make it more difficult or perhaps impossible to give on any of those preliminary items, making it much more difficult to reach a TA. Feel free to disagree if your experience in negotiating contracts is inconsistent with that possibility.
I fully agree with you about the negotiating team. Previously, you and others have posted about the silliness; Team TWU marches into the room in lockstep and loudly chants the Pledge of Allegiance. THAT alone would crack me up if I were sitting on the other side of the table. Not because I hate the Flag or the Pledge (quite the contrary, in fact) but because that skit doesn't advance the negotiations - it's an adversarial process after all. And I would not want to be represented in those negotiations by the International reps and a few mechanics and rampers. I'd want professional negotiators working for me. When I want something fixed, I call someone who spends their career fixing things. When I need someone to negotiate, I call someone who does it for a living.
If the Labor Movement ever wanted to look in the mirror and see why most workers even the deprived sweatshop emlpoyee never seeks the assistance of organize labor, now and this issue would be a great place to start.
Oh so many that are required by law to pay dues and belong to the union are passionately anti-union and #### like this is the reason why.
Agree with you there. I'm skeptical that all of the decline in private industry worker union membership in this country is due solely to really clever management tactics to kill or stifle unions. I'm also skeptical that it's due to the alleged stupidity of the 87% or so of private industry workers who don't belong to unions. While there are lots of intelligent union members, they don't hold a monopoly on intelligence. Union leadership, IMO, must shoulder a lot of the blame. As I've said before, union membership among government employees is due in part to the absence of competition for most of those government services. When there aren't any alternatives (like with police and fire and mass transit, for instance), elected officials always give in to worker demands. Unfortunately, most private industry employers face competition both here and abroad. That alone limits what private industry unions can hope to accomplish for their members. Certainly doesn't limit the promises and snake oil the union leadership tries to sell the membership.
Anyway - good luck replacing that nonresponsive bus drivers' union. You guys deserve better.
