Checking it Out said:
The membership approved spending the money to improve the image of the TWU. One of the issues will be the constant attacks against the Unions under the AFL-CIO.
But we do not have to worry at AA. Amfa has enough trouble representing their own members.
Here is a food for thought.
TWU at AA = 30,000 +/-
Amfa at 8 Airlines = 19,000+/-
Who has the most members in the Airline Industry?
Have a Great TWU Day!!!!!!!!!!
If the TWU spent the money the right way they would not have to spend our dues trying to rehabilitate their image.
The sad fact is the TWU spends huge amounts of money in lawsuits from its own members and locals. The only thing better for an anti-union company than no union is a sweetheart union, like the TWU.
Trouble representing the members they have? How many card drives are going on at AMFA represented airlines?
During the NYC TRansit workers strike Sonny Hall did everything he could to take away the leverage that the threat of a strike gives a union. Sonny was basically working in managements interests.
Over at SWA their mechanics make around $6 more than we do. Their flight attendants, who are also TWU make less than ours do. Hmm, see the trend?
Regardless of the industry or company you will find that the TWU International does it's best to offer employers the lowest wages going. The TWU is basically a mid sized union that is willing to work with management in an effort to grow its membership, even at the price of selling out its members. TWU= Lower Wages
The TWU represents over 30,000 airline workers, but not for long.
PAFCA, AMFA and the AGW are on the march. Tulsa will be the biggest battle for AMFA, but the AGW seems to have started in DFW, one of the lowest cost areas that has a large concentration of baggage handlers. When you consider that NY probably has nearly as many baggage handlers as DFW or ORD even though they have a lot less flights-NY has a high ratio of part timers, once the drive for AGW takes off the mechanics will be the least of your troubles. All those part timers get a full vote. Their card for an election is just a valid as a full timers. For part timers, the AGW offers them the opportunity to reduce their dues- I believe that the AGW is only looking at a dues rate of 1.5 hours pay per month vs the TWUs 2 hours pay per month, if your hours are limited that alone is a good incentive.
The fleet service vote passed by a narrower margin than the M&R vote. That means they probably have a higher percentage of dissatisfied members than M&R. In 95 Fleet rejected the contract. Up until the recent emergence of the AGW Fleet workers basically had the choice between a lousy union or no union. Now they have a choice, and there is no Tulsa out there to hold them back.
So with three groups set to leave the TWU is desperate. If they lose all of AA-plus I hear the SWA Flight Attendants are not that happy either- the TWU would be reduced by over thirty percent-time to sublet those posh offices on Broadway. Sonny and his team would be history. Local 100 would have control over the union because they would make up nearly 50% of the entire union.
If we went to AMFA, AMFA would be around 35000 members strong. WE would be as powerful as Local 100-whom Forbes listed as one of the most dangerous (powerful) unions in the country.
As a result of the momentum of an AMFA victory at AA, AMFA more than likely would pick up USAIR , Continental, Fed Ex, and even get Delta in short order. Then we would be bigger than the TWU. Not only would we be bigger but we would be in a big union that is focused on not only our industry but our Class & Craft-something that the TWU could never offer us.
Go ahead and have a great TWU day, cause there may not be many left for airline workers-Thank God!
