Yes, its a violation of the contract. Members have the right to representataion in anything that could result in termination.
Sure, but they have to have "Just Cause". If you are saying that they have the right to deny the union from conducting an investigation then you are wrong. If the company removed these people from the property and stopped paying them without allowing them representation or allowing the union to conduct an investigation they will lose the arbitration and since those removed are representatives and there is an election going on the company may be sued and in violation of federal labor laws. Such a lawsuit is in the works over at AA where the company fired union representatives during an election and denied the accused access to company property. Oddly enough the TWU International was complicit in the termination of these officers because some were on an opposing ticket at the Convention that preceeded the terminations.
The TWU has already settled one of the lawsuits brought against it by one of the individuals terminated and as part of the setlement demanded a gag order on the dollar amount of the settlement which could be several hundred thousand dollars-(Thats where a lot of TWU dues go-settling lawsuits brought on by the dirty deals of the International against their own members).
Then it stopped the investigation. Thats like saying the police should not be able to search a murderers home because the murder was committed somewhere else.
It might, it depends on what crime was committed and when. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin were all traiters in England but Patriots here. Those who saved Jews were traitors in Nazi Germany but Heros to decent human beings everywhere else.
Like I mentioned before, interferance by the company in a union election is a serious thing. When AA and the TWU International interfered in the election of TWU Local 501 it resulted in a lawsuit that both the TWU and AA are dragging out as long as they can, but in the end they both will pay. The TWU has already paid.
By denying these people due process and removing their representatives from the property USAIR is showing that they favor the TWU. Its not very suprising, I wouldnt be suprised if it was revealed that Jim Little and the TWU legal team met with USAIR management with a strategy to exploit something that would normally be settled between two unions. The sad fact is that even if USAIR were found guilty in court of violating these workers rights, proving that they conspired to get the TWU in place through these actions would be much harder to prove due to the fact that the actions at the Hotel opened the door. In the meantime the case could take years to brought to trial and the TWU could end up collecting millions in dues and USAIR would enjoy the benifits of having the company friendly TWU blocking true union representation to its employees. Such is the case with TWU Local 501.
When the TWU conspired with the company to eliminate these political rivals it showed the International for what it was. The incident happened nearly five years ago and they just settled with Jack Sullivan, one of the terminated officers, last week. Sure you can sue and you might win but its a long drawn out process that involves a lot of hardship along the way, 99 percent of the people do not want to risk or endure it so they just dont challenge the Interbnational.
So for five years the TWU eliminated these political rivals. The action also has the effect of supressing anyone else from challenging the International, (at the next Convention the International went unopposed- so it was worth every dime of the members money for these crooks).To challenge the International means putting not only your union position at risk, but also your job. Sure in the end it may cost the International a bundle of money but its the dues payers money, not theirs. (. They still retain power and it costs them nothing out of their pockets. The International committs the crime, drags out the case for years and eventually settles, the members pay, and the gag orders prevent the members from ever even learning about it. It also prevents the courts from hearing about it and it allows the International to contunue to suppress their members rights without creating clearly visable record. In the meantime these crooks like Jim Little continue to lie and mislead not only their members but also potential members.
The TWU is not a Democratic union.
Rojer Toussaint, current head of Local 100 was once terminated in a TWU/MTA conspircay to eliminate him. Hence the bad blood that exists between them and the International till this day. The International screwed Local 100 during the last two contract cycles, both times siding with management. The International has worked very hard at trying to get rid of Rojer. They ousted Rojers political allies in the ATD, Jack Sullivan, Dave Virella, Chuck Schalk and myself included, and have spread malicous lies about Rojer and other leaders of Local 100 to the other TWU Locals which include the claim that Rojer is a "friend of Bin Laden"-from an International pamphlet placed at every delegates seat at the 2001 Convention, just weeks after the 9-11 attacks, a Communist, anti-American, and a radical who wants to destroy the TWU etc.
So to the workers of USAIR I give you these words of caution, as the management of USAIR and the TWU take action against the IAM, without commenting one way or the other on what went on at that Hotel or who was responsible, ask yourselves if the TWU is really what you want from a union. The black eyes that the IAM gave these TWU reps will heal a lot faster than the wounds that the TWU has and will inflict upon your livelyhoods.
