What signing a Teamsters Card gets You

[swamt]

PENSIONS will be handed over to the Teamsters is the only reason why we should not fill out a teamsters card.

1AA, I know you already know, but, you need to spread this info. The teamsters are actually looking at the AA guys for the pension. The teamsters pension funds are drastically underfunded, they need the mere number of mechanics and related plus the US air guys coming into AA to help prop up the pension funds. ALSO, once the teamsters get control of the pension funds they will destroy them. If I am not mistaken, anyone in the teamsters pension cannot get employment in the related industry (note: I said related, transportation) and continue to draw from their pensions, a major major negative draw back. The reason the teamsters want your pension is so they can make money from it as well as they will make rules so that the membership will not replace the union while they are in control of the pensions. NEVER EVER allow a union to run or control your pensions, the teamsters will steal from your pensions, then let it go underfunded. Pensions are going by the waste side, get into 401K's and save for your own retirement. The ONLY reasons the teamsters want the pensions is because it will benefit the ibt finacially.

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

1AA, I know you already know, but, you need to spread this info. The teamsters are actually looking at the AA guys for the pension. The teamsters pension funds are drastically underfunded, they need the mere number of mechanics and related plus the US air guys coming into AA to help prop up the pension funds. ALSO, once the teamsters get control of the pension funds they will destroy them. If I am not mistaken, anyone in the teamsters pension cannot get employment in the related industry (note: I said related, transportation) and continue to draw from their pensions, a major major negative draw back. The reason the teamsters want your pension is so they can make money from it as well as they will make rules so that the membership will not replace the union while they are in control of the pensions. NEVER EVER allow a union to run or control your pensions, the teamsters will steal from your pensions, then let it go underfunded. Pensions are going by the waste side, get into 401K's and save for your own retirement. The ONLY reasons the teamsters want the pensions is because it will benefit the ibt finacially.

swamt

AA does no longer have a defined pension and it was a company pension NOT a union pension like you guys had while under the IBT. I think it would be fight on if AA was to think about giving our co pension to a either the IBT or the IAM. We have a 401k setup now.

The Teamsters central states plan is and I agree with you in trouble but the Western Forum is in better shape from what I hear, not in RED. I don't believe they are after our pensions I think its just the Dues.

It also is true you can't retire with the Teamsters and work in the same type of work. (example) retire from SWA and then hire on with AA. You can work at a FBO or at Boeing, using your A&P if I am not mistaken.
But don't quote me this is what I was told by a Teamster Organizer so we both have to take that with a grain of Salt. Since we both know they are liers. It is also true that if you do work in a related industry they will STOP your retirement payments until you quit. They believe that you are taking the job from another eligible IBT employee.
How they would find out not sure unless the job you had was IBT as well. Maybe thats the catch all.


1AA the IBT will tell you that the pension is seperate it is NOT . You must be a TEAMSTER to belong and there are Teamster members who maintain the Pensions. They will try and spin this but they do control and maintain the pensions.

The IAM has a union pension as well, have not heard much about that nor have I done any research either.
But the TWA guys got screwed by Ichan with that so I guess its all in how it's setup, and run/maintained.

As Far as your retirement You need to get with you financial advisor or tax guy and setup a plan for your self.

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

Jimmy Hoffa, The same thing we have now with the TWU. A union Leader which can not be removed. Who like our own Jim little dictates from above.

$20.00 more each month in DUES. Since the teamsters dues are 2.5 times all in, which includes base rate, license and shift premiums, your dues will go up from what we now have with the TWU by this amount. This is so that you will have a strike fund, as Quoted by the IBT . But since we work for a Legacy carrier which affect the US economy the government will not allow AA to strike so all the extra money is actually for the Butcher/Baker/candle stick makers strike fund.

Appointed Business Agent, this position at the local is the top position of the local which deals with any issues that come up with the company. (AA) This is NOT an elected position. You get the person the IBT selects.

The Local, which has a diverse group of workers that will outnumber the airline employees with a 8:1 ratio. A local with no one attached to the ATD. No vested interest in our class and craft.

Local Members, truckers/Food processors/butchers/bakers/Dairy workers/warehouse workers. All of these union members will have a say as to the election of the officers at the local. Also will vote on any and all Local issues.

If this is what you DON"T Want, then Don't sign with the Teamsters.

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

 

[1AA]

Your correct. Teamsters sees money and lots of it. They will try to get our frozen pension money. The money Is there and aa is managing it. If the teamsters gets this money then aa will have one less financial burden to deal with. Frozen or not it costs money to manage it. Don't think for one nano of a second that the teamsters will not make a run for the money. They recently tried this at ual/cal with the frozen pensions of the cal guys. Save what is left of our frozen pensions. NO TEAMSTERS AT AMERICAN AIRLINES!!!

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

Mechanics for Change​

UAL Mechanics Class and Craft​

Teamsters Broken Promises ​

The Teamsters will open the contract if we are elected under Section 6 as the new UAL mechanics representative union.

IBT Airline Division leaders stated:​

“As the new bargaining agent we can open your contract if the UAL membership decides to.” The Teamsters conducted a poll and UAL mechanics voted to open the contract. The IBT Union leadership then chose to ignore the will of UAL mechanics. Here’s a quote from an IBT appointed rep in SEA.​

“The Teamsters wisely ignored the will of the UAL membership and refused to open the contract”​

The Teamsters betrayed the trust of the UAL mechanics. This pattern of IBT union betrayals has a long history. The Teamsters could not open the contract without the agreement of the company. The Teamsters organizers and their leadership lied to the UAL membership to get them to vote for the Teamsters.

The Teamsters have failed to negotiate a new contract. ​

​

The Teamsters failed to enforce a key contractual right, in our contract the “NMB Mediation clause” on page 208 of the UAL Mechanic Contract. The Teamsters negotiations are years behind the negotiations of the IAM, and other unions on the property.
The Teamster Airline Division promised they would negotiate better benefits and they have failed.

The ugly truth we now find ourselves tied to with the Teamsters as our representative.
The last few years of IBT representation prove beyond a doubt the Teamsters don't represent the UAL Mechanics.

Do not allow the Teamsters to make any more mistakes concerning your future. ​

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

TEAMSTERS CROSS PICKET LINE, FAIL TO SAVE TWINKIE


by Mike Flynn 16 Nov 2012



The most interesting tidbit in the sad demise of Hostess is the fact that the Teamsters union ignored a strike by a fellow union and crossed the picket-line in a bid to save the company. The Teamsters, not exactly a shrinking violet, got a look at the company's books and realized the dire financial situation Hostess was in. They even implored the Bakers' Union, which called a strike, to accept wage concessions and get back to work.

Is This a fine example of all the POWER and Money of the Teamsters​

Its time to get with your AMFA Organizer sign a card and admit that you were duped.​

Tulsa the line mechanics are waiting for you to Help Us Rid AA of the TWU​

Putting the Union back into AA, and OUR CLASS and Craft​

 

[swamt]

Flying low, Do you really believe what you just wrote? Reality check is needed.

In Solidarity,

CIO

And this is your responce? Of course he believes what he just wrote, because it's the truth. The "desperate" teamsters pulled their same scam here with the SWA members. They went door to door, just like they are at AA, to beg for votes, it was pathetic as all get out. Just goes to show you how much the teamsters will spend on organizing, then after they get in, POOF, they are gone and nowhere to be seen again, just ask the UAL guys. You will never see the AMFA pounding on members doors to beg for representational votes. Their past record speaks for itself, and below is an example of it:


AMFA vs. Teamsters (IBT)

The Teamsters (IBT) claim that they will protect the American Airlines Mechanics and Related employees in the upcoming merger with US Airways, so let's look at how well the IBT has done in the most recent mergers they were involved in.

1.) At US Air & America West, the Teamsters represented the America West Mechanics and Related employees, a single carrier ruling was made on January 30, 2006 which started a 14 day clock for the IBT to file for a dispute using the 35% threshold available to the smaller union in a merger. On the last possible day the IBT filed their cards and was subsequently found to have insufficient interest to get an election. The IAM was awarded the craft and class and then decided the seniority integration would be done by what we refer to as Occupational date. They call it Mechanic Date in category, and the two groups were dovetailed based on their Mechanic Date.

2.) At United & Continental, the Teamsters represented the Mechanic and Related employees at both carriers. The IBT made assurances to both sides they would have input into the seniority integration process. There have been dozens of worthless meetings, and we have even posted letters from a couple of IBT members who are so fed up with the process they have quit the negotiation committees due to the fact no real progress has been made. May 2013 will be 3 years since the merger was announced and there is still no seniority integration for the Mechanic & Related employees at United/Continental, even though both groups are represented by the IBT. It should be noted that we were unable to find a Single Carrier ruling covering the M & R group. The other groups have already filed, and for the most part, have been declared a single carrier.

3.) At Air Tran & Southwest, the Teamsters represented the Mechanic and Related employees at AirTran and AMFA represented the Mechanic and Related at Southwest. On Sept 27, 2012, a Single Carrier determination was made by the NMB thus starting a 14 day clock for filing a dispute with the 35% threshold. This meant that the IBT needed about 300 AMFA members to sign representational cards to force an election. Despite the fact that the Teamsters went door to door in Dallas, Houston & Phoenix, Southwest's three largest Maintenance stations, no filing was made by the Teamsters. A negotiated seniority integration agreement was voted on separately by both sides and ratified. AMFA was certified the Union for the combined group.

So in conclusion, the IBT failed to get enough cards and filed short at the last possible moment resulting in no election at US Airways. In the second (United/Continental) case, the IBT represents both carriers and continues to fail them miserably by not getting an integration done in nearly three years, and finally, in the third case, the IBT spent all their time trying to convince the Mechanics and Related employees at SWA to take them back yet no one was interested. The AMFA Mechanics Committee handled the negotiations which encouraged the AirTran Mechanics to demand the IBT allow them to have a Mechanics Committee. An AMFA-driven seniority integration deal was independently ratified which provided a smooth transition for the two groups.

Which scenario would you like to be involved in?

*Sign an AMFA Card today!*​

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

IBT Backs Plan to Allow Some Pension Cuts





February 26, 2013: The Hoffa administration has signed on to a joint employer-union proposal to allow "deeply troubled" pension funds to slash accrued benefits, even for Teamsters who have already retired.
This proposal, which could be aimed squarely at the Teamster Central States Fund, comes from the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, a committee of employers, unions and pension plans.
UPS is a prominent member of the group, which also includes several pension funds, employer groups, and some unions.
The group's proposal is to change federal law to allow "deeply troubled" plans, those in danger of going insolvent in the next 20 years, to drastically slash benefits.
These Pension Funds could slash benefits to as low as just 10% above the guaranteed rate set by the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation. For a retiree with 30 credit years, that rate is currently less than $1100 per month!
If new legislation along these lines is approved, the Central States Fund could eventually slash pensions by over 50%.
Under present law, that kind of cut in accrued benefits is illegal.
The Teamsters Union, the Central States Fund and the Western Conference of Teamsters Fund have joined with employers and some other unions to back this proposal.
The justification is to avoid having pension funds go insolvent down the road.
This is a worthy goal but the only "solution" put forward is to slash earned pensions.
Solutions Not Bailouts is the title of the full report issued by the pension committee. Many of its proposals are positive and reasonable. But the central proposal could be a dagger to tens of thousands of Central States Teamsters.
Consider the case of Greg Smith, an Ohio Teamster who retired from YRC after 29.5 years with a monthly pension of $3019.
If Central States goes bankrupt, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation would pay Smith a monthly pension of about $1100.
The "alternative" being backed by the Teamsters would allow the Central States to cut Smith's pension to as low as $1210!
"Our union should be fighting for legislation that protects our pensions. We all know that Central States is in trouble. No one expects miracles. But the whole point of having a union is to fight for a square deal. This is just a surrender," Smith said.
It's not too late for the Teamsters Union to change course. The pension proposal is in its early stages. But Teamster members and retirees need to make their voices heard.
Millions of workers, retirees and our families depend on union pensions. Our union should be working other unions and seniors' groups to increase PBGC protections for our pensions, not backing legislation so our own union pension funds can sock it to us. That's not a bailout, it's just common sense.

 

[swamt]

IBT Backs Plan to Allow Some Pension Cuts





February 26, 2013: The Hoffa administration has signed on to a joint employer-union proposal to allow "deeply troubled" pension funds to slash accrued benefits, even for Teamsters who have already retired.
This proposal, which could be aimed squarely at the Teamster Central States Fund, comes from the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, a committee of employers, unions and pension plans.
UPS is a prominent member of the group, which also includes several pension funds, employer groups, and some unions.
The group's proposal is to change federal law to allow "deeply troubled" plans, those in danger of going insolvent in the next 20 years, to drastically slash benefits.
These Pension Funds could slash benefits to as low as just 10% above the guaranteed rate set by the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation. For a retiree with 30 credit years, that rate is currently less than $1100 per month!
If new legislation along these lines is approved, the Central States Fund could eventually slash pensions by over 50%.
Under present law, that kind of cut in accrued benefits is illegal.
The Teamsters Union, the Central States Fund and the Western Conference of Teamsters Fund have joined with employers and some other unions to back this proposal.
The justification is to avoid having pension funds go insolvent down the road.
This is a worthy goal but the only "solution" put forward is to slash earned pensions.
Solutions Not Bailouts is the title of the full report issued by the pension committee. Many of its proposals are positive and reasonable. But the central proposal could be a dagger to tens of thousands of Central States Teamsters.
Consider the case of Greg Smith, an Ohio Teamster who retired from YRC after 29.5 years with a monthly pension of $3019.
If Central States goes bankrupt, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation would pay Smith a monthly pension of about $1100.
The "alternative" being backed by the Teamsters would allow the Central States to cut Smith's pension to as low as $1210!
"Our union should be fighting for legislation that protects our pensions. We all know that Central States is in trouble. No one expects miracles. But the whole point of having a union is to fight for a square deal. This is just a surrender," Smith said.
It's not too late for the Teamsters Union to change course. The pension proposal is in its early stages. But Teamster members and retirees need to make their voices heard.
Millions of workers, retirees and our families depend on union pensions. Our union should be working other unions and seniors' groups to increase PBGC protections for our pensions, not backing legislation so our own union pension funds can sock it to us. That's not a bailout, it's just common sense.

And there you have it. Another teamster move without any membership input. This is exactly why you do not want the teamsters, and you damn sure do not want these crooks having anything to do with your pensions. I hate seeing anyone's pension bennies getting cut, however, as far as the teamsters are concerned, I would not call this good timing when they are trying to collect cards at AA and US. Now do you UAL guys see what we have been trying to warn you guys about? Very sad news for the retires already retired.

I really hope this article is spreading like wild fire thru the entire industry ans especially at AA, US, and UAL. Like I have always said, the teamsters will be their very own demise, leave it to them to cut their own throats. We all knew something was coming about the teamsters pension plans, I guess we all now see what it was.

 

[AMFAinMIAMI]

Ask the Teamster Troublemaker: My Business Agent Is Never Prepared




February 27, 2013: My business agent is never prepared for our local level grievance hearings. He doesn't talk to us beforehand. He doesn't do any interviews or request any information.
Management knows it and they walk all over him. Then the agent tells us we have to take a bad deal, or send our grievance to rot at the panel. What can we do to make him do his job?
— Tired of Losing
Dear Tired, I know that you're paying his salary. But if you want better results, you're going to have to start doing more of his job for him.
Start with the grievance investigation. You can do a lot of it yourself, including gathering information and interviewing witnesses.
TDU’s book on Grievances will walk you through the Six W's of a grievance investigation: Who, When, Where, Why, What happened, and Witnesses. For discipline cases, you’ll also need to look at the Seven Tests of Just Cause, which you can read about by clicking here.
During a grievance investigation, the union has the right to request documents and other information from the company, but your contract may require that all information requests go through the BA. If it does, put together a list of the documents you want to request, and give it to your Business Agent.
Send your request to the BA in writing, and follow up with a phone call. You'll leave a paper trail and make sure that he's crystal-clear about the information you want.
Ask the agent to meet with you before the day of the hearing, to go over the results of your investigation, discuss the company’s argument and your argument, and make a plan for the hearing with management.
Arrange a signal to stop the meeting and go to a caucus if you don't like the way the hearing is going. Remember, most BAs have a huge backload of grievances and discipline cases they're dealing with. Many (but not all) will appreciate the work you've done and fight harder and smarter if you've done their homework.
Finally, the more you know about how the grievance procedure works and how to prepare grievances, the stronger you'll be. Check out the workshops at the TDU Convention to learn from some of the best stewards and BAs in our union.
Who is the Teamster Troublemaker?
Employers are quick to label any Teamster who sticks up for the contract or questions management's authority as a "troublemaker." Ask the Teamster Troublemaker is a column dedicated to spreading the information that "troublemakers" need to enforce members' rights and build a stronger Teamsters Union.
This is from the IBT's Teamsters for a democratic union. How much more of the IBT Organizer lies is it going to take to get the AA mechanics who support the Teamsters to Sign A AMFA card so we can stop this door to door crap and get an election to rid AA of the TWU.

 

[Bob Owens]

PENSIONS will be handed over to the Teamsters is the only reason why we should not fill out a teamsters card.

"Is the only reason" or "is not the only reason?

How about the fact they are courting us with distortions and half truths?

-They claim that they can open the contract.
-They claim that they reduced the RIF list at UAL from 2000 to 200. Did they increase headcount by 2000 or did most of the 1800 simply attrit out?

After reading the Hoffa letter its not like they are claiming that they would have done better. In fact the letter focuses more on stopping outsourcing than our industry lagging compensation and benefits. The message is basically to join with IBT mechanics because they have more mechanics than any other union. Outsourcing has run its course already at most other carriers, including non-union Delta and Fed Ex, where they are bringing work back in house because they did not save what they thought they would be saving. So the IBT is claiming that their contracts are forcing companies to do what they want to do anyway. Bringing work back in house is really market driven, not because of Collective Bargaining. If the trend towards insourcing was driven by collective bargaining we would not expect to see Delta and Fed Ex bringing work back in house. So what the IBT is doing is having mechanics pay for something the IBT could get for free-more dues payers. Instead of getting higher wages they will get more new coworkers. They sure arent very critical of the strategy of the organization they are trying to replace.

I didnt see anything in the letter to make me believe that they would have handled the contract or BK any different than the TWU did.

 

[ThirdSeatHero]

"Is the only reason" or "is not the only reason?

How about the fact they are courting us with distortions and half truths?

-They claim that they can open the contract.
-They claim that they reduced the RIF list at UAL from 2000 to 200. Did they increase headcount by 2000 or did most of the 1800 simply attrit out?

After reading the Hoffa letter its not like they are claiming that they would have done better. In fact the letter focuses more on stopping outsourcing than our industry lagging compensation and benefits. The message is basically to join with IBT mechanics because they have more mechanics than any other union. Outsourcing has run its course already at most other carriers, including non-union Delta and Fed Ex, where they are bringing work back in house because they did not save what they thought they would be saving. So the IBT is claiming that their contracts are forcing companies to do what they want to do anyway. Bringing work back in house is really market driven, not because of Collective Bargaining. If the trend towards insourcing was driven by collective bargaining we would not expect to see Delta and Fed Ex bringing work back in house. So what the IBT is doing is having mechanics pay for something the IBT could get for free-more dues payers. Instead of getting higher wages they will get more new coworkers. They sure arent very critical of the strategy of the organization they are trying to replace.

I didnt see anything in the letter to make me believe that they would have handled the contract or BK any different than the TWU did.

I just read the ibts supposed "fact" sheet, talk about lies and distortions!



As far as brining back jobs, I guess they forgot that over 800 mechanics lost their jobs in the teamsters first year on the property at UAL. We lost over 400 at SFO alone, are those the 400 they claim to have brought back?



The de-Ted project wasn't due to any of the ibts supposed stance on fighting outsourcing, it was simply common sense for the airline - SFO had done the Ted conversions in the first place under AMFA, therefore they had the knowledge and existing skill sets to revert the aircraft back to mainline configuration the quickest.



The pylon project reference was a laugh!



sUAL lost 757 C-chk work to sCAL mechanics, and in return SFO does pylon mods on sCAL 757s. Never mind that a UAL B757 C-chk requires ALOT more mechanics than the relative handful of mechanics that perform the pylon mod.



We still have mechanics on furlough at UAL, but they send the larger c-chk work to CAL who the ibt lets hire off the street instead of recalling our UAL mechanics.





The claim of stopping the sale of the SFO base is a flat out LIE! The next time some teamster fool makes this claim, call them out! If there was a sale stopped, then WHO was the buyer? What were the terms of the sale?



The truth of the matter is UAL had entertained the idea of a joint venture with a third party in the operations of the SFO base, but while a few companies expressed interest, they never found a partner to buy in. The ibt stopped nothing.



As for the language now protecting the base that the ibt now lays claim to? It was written into the contract under the IAM.





The TAMC? Do I need to go into how bad of a joke that group is?





When it comes to the teamsters and there blathering about outsourcing, simply consider this....Horizon Air.



Over 30% of the membership lost. The teamsters agreed to the outsourcing of heavy maintenance, agreed to never grieve said outsourcing, AND agreed IN WRITING to never speak publicly against it.




A regional carrier, NOT in bankruptcy, already in section 6 negotiations when the ibt took over from AMFA.


If "teamster power" couldn't protect a regional, how much faith should you really put in the fantasy they are spinning for American mechanics now.

 

[Overspeed]

I just read the ibts supposed "fact" sheet, talk about lies and distortions!



As far as brining back jobs, I guess they forgot that over 800 mechanics lost their jobs in the teamsters first year on the property at UAL. We lost over 400 at SFO alone, are those the 400 they claim to have brought back?



The de-Ted project wasn't due to any of the ibts supposed stance on fighting outsourcing, it was simply common sense for the airline - SFO had done the Ted conversions in the first place under AMFA, therefore they had the knowledge and existing skill sets to revert the aircraft back to mainline configuration the quickest.



The pylon project reference was a laugh!



sUAL lost 757 C-chk work to sCAL mechanics, and in return SFO does pylon mods on sCAL 757s. Never mind that a UAL B757 C-chk requires ALOT more mechanics than the relative handful of mechanics that perform the pylon mod.



We still have mechanics on furlough at UAL, but they send the larger c-chk work to CAL who the ibt lets hire off the street instead of recalling our UAL mechanics.





The claim of stopping the sale of the SFO base is a flat out LIE! The next time some teamster fool makes this claim, call them out! If there was a sale stopped, then WHO was the buyer? What were the terms of the sale?



The truth of the matter is UAL had entertained the idea of a joint venture with a third party in the operations of the SFO base, but while a few companies expressed interest, they never found a partner to buy in. The ibt stopped nothing.



As for the language now protecting the base that the ibt now lays claim to? It was written into the contract under the IAM.





The TAMC? Do I need to go into how bad of a joke that group is?





When it comes to the teamsters and there blathering about outsourcing, simply consider this....Horizon Air.



Over 30% of the membership lost. The teamsters agreed to the outsourcing of heavy maintenance, agreed to never grieve said outsourcing, AND agreed IN WRITING to never speak publicly against it.




A regional carrier, NOT in bankruptcy, already in section 6 negotiations when the ibt took over from AMFA.


If "teamster power" couldn't protect a regional, how much faith should you really put in the fantasy they are spinning for American mechanics now.

Agree with you on most of your points. Check out http://www.irbcases.org/

The teamsters have been under trusteeship since 1988 due to all the corruption and graft including loans from the pension fund. Tons of corruption cases to look through here.

 

[Swordfish]

Wow overspeed, you have found a friend...their is a first