What Will Amfa Do This Time

[AAmech]

I'm sure that the leaders of Vichy France were bragging about how the English were taking a pounding because they would not submit to Nazism. Thank God they did not. Its true that while the French were living in a shameful peace the English were taking the casualties, but in the end the English were right. Today we see unions like the TWU, where the company continues to eliminate jobs on a daily basis, has thousands of members on layoff and submitted to every demand made by the company, gleefully cite the hits taken by our fellow mechanics who would not submit to giving away 25% of their compensation. Too bad we cant do to these guys what the French citizens did to the leaders of Vichy.

[post="178225"][/post]​

Amfa members lives are being destroyed and Bob's talking about Vichy France!!
THIS IS NO JOKE!!!!! As bad as things are at AA at least we still have layoffs. Our work is still being done by AA mechanics and when things pick up Layed off mechanics will be recalled back to do the work. Its Painful to watch these mechanics jobs being ELIMINATED PERMANANTLY at Alaska. These guys deserve so much better than what amfa has givin them!

 

[proAMFA]

Mesaba attempted to contract out heavy maintenance and failed because of contract language negotiated by AMFA. Alaska's attempt will fail too.

How many maintance bases closed while under AMFA? I can think of only 1 Northwest's Atlanta base and the employees were able to use their seniority to bump into another station.

Indy was closed and I believe Oakland was closed while the UAL mechanics were represented by AFL-CIO International of Machinists Union. The paperwork was signed by the IAM the week before AMFA arrived.

No AMFA represented mechanics I know have had their wages, vacation time, holidays reduced while AMFA has represented them.
At American, not only was our TWU contract ripped to shreds but we lost mechanics on a large layoff.

Suck up to the company if you want. I'd rather fight to protect my wages and benefits then allow Jim Little and his suck buddies to work in concert with the company screwing the worker while company exec's and union officials receive raises and bonuses.

Southwest large contracting out was done by the AFL-CIO Teamsters.
No wonder they went AMFA. I understand the AMFA membership are currently voting on a Letter of Agreement that would raise their pay to $41 at the end of 3 years. Think that will ever happen here under the TWU?

 

[Bob Owens]

Amfa members lives are being destroyed and Bob's talking about Vichy France!!
THIS IS NO JOKE!!!!! As bad as things are at AA at least we still have layoffs. Our work is still being done by AA mechanics and when things pick up Layed off mechanics will be recalled back to do the work. Its Painful to watch these mechanics jobs being ELIMINATED PERMANANTLY at Alaska. These guys deserve so much better than what amfa has givin them!

[post="178340"][/post]​

When things pick up? Management already told the guys in Miami that there will be no recalls. As guys retire or quit those jobs are eliminated.

AA spends more just on outsourcing than Alaska spends on its entire maintenance budget!

 

[Checking it Out]

Do to the lack of amfa's ability to represent their members, Alaska has laid off 48% or 600 members out of 1243 in one swoop. They claim they can't do that! All you have to do is look at NWA FM1 case and you will see amfa is guaranteed to lose! Read this response from amfa and you will see they have tossed the towel in already! Downward spiral!!!

[post="178101"][/post]​

It seems that Amfa is fast approaching the 50% mark for laid off members!!! With the new rounds of layoffs, amfa is down below the 17,000 mark.

It seems amfa is doing little to nothing to help stop the injustice they have caused in the Industry!!!

Please tell us How you would handle the situation, you amfa wannabes if this was to happen at AA?

 

[Hopeful]

I know how the TWU would handle these situations.

THEY WOULD HAVE US WORK FOR MININUM WAGE TO SAVE THEIR UNION DUES!




Let's not forget the IAM at United put unlimited outsourcing language in the contract BEFORE AMFA arrived.

 

[Decision 2004]

Where is the proof that CONCESSIONS for JOBS is the will of the UNIONIZED WORKER?

Where is the proof that CONCESSIONS for JOBS is the long term solution to a short term problem?

Where is the proof that CONCESSIONS for JOBS fall within the Preamble of ANY Union Consitution uder "Objectives" of the Organization?

Where is the proof that CONCESSIONS for JOBS is the rally cry of this generation of dues paying member?

Where is the proof that CONCESSIONS for JOBS is indeed sound and reliable union leadership?

Where is the proof?

 

[Buck]

As long as the AFL-CIO and the TWU show interests in only their social political aspirations, the membership will suffer with concessions of wages and benefits. Unionism is at an all time low across this country. The TWU style of unionism is to lower wages toward the national average of all workers. If it is only about jobs brother, then when does seniority come into the game?

 

[Bob Owens]

It seems that Amfa is fast approaching the 50% mark for laid off members!!! With the new rounds of layoffs, amfa is down below the 17,000 mark.

It seems amfa is doing little to nothing to help stop the injustice they have caused in the Industry!!!

Please tell us How you would handle the situation, you amfa wannabes if this was to happen at AA?

[post="178409"][/post]​

The answer is not to lower wages but to organize the places where the jobs are going.



Once we get into AMFA they will have the resurces to start organizing the unorganized. All the mechanics in the industry in one union! The way it should be. The TWU will never offer this to us, instead they will use our dues money to organize casino workers, security guards and wharehouse workers. None of these groups can give us the support that our fellow mechanics could.

 

[proAMFA]

What will AMFA do this time?

They will do what they always do they will they will fight!

Here's proof-
AMFA CALLS ALASKA AIRLINES MAINTENANCE
REDUCTIONS "A BLATANT CONTRACT VIOLATION"
Union Will Seek Expedited Arbitration
SEATTLE, September 10, 2004 – The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) called today's decision by Alaska Airlines' to substantially reduce the number of its mechanics and related employees "a blatant contract violation" and said this flies in the face of the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) admonition for the airline to bolster in-house maintenance following the 2000 crash of flight 261.
According to AMFA National Director O.V. Delle-Femine, "The contract Alaska signed with us requires them to meet with us prior to any outsourcing decision. They didn't do this. The contract further requires the company to demonstrate, with hard data, that outsourcing would save them money. They didn't do this, either. They unleashed this decision without giving us an opportunity to discuss the matter and potentially come up with better alternatives, creating tremendous disruption for our members and their families. We are assessing the number of members who will receive layoff notices. Our legal firm is already preparing for legal action."
"Our contract calls for both parties to promote the safety of air transportation, 'to the fullest extent possible.' Today's decision flouts this agreement and the NTSB mandate by putting heavy aircraft maintenance into the hands of private repair stations whose employees are not subject to the same licensing requirements, background security checks, and drug and alcohol testing, as mechanics employed by Alaska Air," said AMFA Region I Director Louie Key.
"AMFA will seek expedited arbitration and use all avenues available to ensure our membership is represented to the fullest extent possible under the terms of the contract and the law," Key said.
Now I ask you CIO would you deny that in a similar situation the TWU would be cutting deals, reducing pay, reducing benefits, negotiating jobs away, while at the same time accepting pay increases for selling members down the river? They would then begin patting themselves on the back for talking the membership into making "tough choices".

 

[AMFAMAN]

Note: Several of the key AA organizers thru-out the AA system have started to come forward and have second thoughts about Amfa!!!

[post="177891"][/post]​

Still waiting for you to name one......

 

[Hackman]

Still waiting for you to name one......

[post="178511"][/post]​

With cio, you'll be waiting a long time. Anyone got a light?

 

[Bob Owens]

With cio, you'll be waiting a long time. Anyone got a light?

[post="178595"][/post]​

Arent we still waiting for Little to take "appropriate action"? I guess that when it comes to Little and the TWU the "appropriate action" is to shut up and do as you are told.

 

[Bob Owens]

I know how the TWU would handle these situations.

THEY WOULD HAVE US WORK FOR MININUM WAGE TO SAVE THEIR UNION DUES!
Let's not forget the IAM at United put unlimited outsourcing language in the contract BEFORE AMFA arrived.

[post="178415"][/post]​

They would have us work for minimum wage, we would still see thousands hit the streets, but a year from now the company would recognize the TWU as their union of choice for the gate agents or some other AMR affilated workgroup.

 

[proAMFA]

Now I ask you CIO would you deny that in a similar situation the TWU would be cutting deals, reducing pay, reducing benefits, negotiating jobs away, while at the same time accepting pay increases for selling members down the river? They would then begin patting themselves on the back for talking the membership into making "tough choices".