I am Marlene Borisuck, Executive Secretary to TWU International President James C. Little, and the subject of deeply offensive and hurtful remarks by “Duke 787” (posted at 11:12 am on December 6 under the “American Airlines” topic “What’s the Attitude in Tulsa”). I will not comment on whether Duke’s remarks are legally defamatory as that may be raised by me in the future.
“Duke 787” obviously considers himself something of a humorist; one may be forgiven for not cracking a smile, though, at his notion that TWU’s salary structure for its administrative employees is determined by the need to keep us from belonging to a union (I, along with fellow staff members, happen to be a dues paying member of TWU). However, Duke’s so-called humor alone would not even have elicited from me a comment, let alone the demand which I make below.
What is hurtful and offensive in Duke’s flip remarks is his expressed—and alleged—“hope” that I am “not just an expensive prostitute.” Duke may think that he has managed to avoid accusing me of being a prostitute by raising it as a purported “question”; but in fact, his comment was obviously engineered to make precisely that accusation. His expressed “hope” that I am not the sort of degraded creature that he accuses me of being is no more believable than his silly claim that he intended no offense by his remark. Is there a woman around who would not be deeply offended by his words? In my particular case, I note that I was notified of his offensive comment by a 1 AM call from my husband; hearing about it from him only multiplied the pain of seeing Duke 787’s words in print, spread all over the cyberworld
I ask, and demand that AviationForums immediately remove Duke 787’s offensive and hurtful remarks from the website, as your website rules provide (a copy of this was sent to “contacts” at AviationForum).
I also ask that Duke 787 identify himself and apologize in this Forum. An apology is obviously necessary and justified. And an anonymous apology, equally obviously, has no meaning. Is Duke a real man? His willingness to take responsibility for his deeply offensive statement, and to himself stand up and apologize for it, will provide the answer to this question.
The Internet can be a wonderful place, as well as a terribly cruel one. As I join the ranks of those who have been injured by its cruel side, I ask AviationForums and all its readers—including Duke 787—to join with me in rejecting the kind of cheap opportunities that the Internet offers to make anonymous and hurtful remarks.
Marlene,
As a fellow TWU member, I can opine that any TWU Member's opinion of you is protected in the following manner:
LMRDA
(2) FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY.-- Every member of any labor organization shall have the right to meet and assemble freely with other members; and to express any views, arguments, or opinions; and to express at meetings of the labor organization his views, upon candidates in an election of the labor organization or upon any business properly before the meeting, subject to the organization's established and reasonable rules pertaining to the conduct of meetings: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to impair the right of a labor organization to adopt and enforce reasonable rules as to the responsibility of every member toward the organization as an institution and to his refraining from conduct that would interfere with its performance of its legal or contractual obligations.
In my interpretation of the LMRDA:
1) you are a public figure given the requirement that your wages must be posted; and,
2) you claim that you are also a dues paying member of the TWU; and,
3) you have freely chosen to assemble in an electronic forum of TWU members to express any views, arguments or opinions.
I may, or may not, agree with anyone on this board with respect to your professional experience with the TWU: but don't come to a BB populated by AA TWU Members discussing the required filings before the DOL and somehow claim that you, as a fellow TWU Member, have been injured.
The act states that every member of any labor organization shall have the right to meet and assemble freely with other members: PROVE THAT THIS BB IS NOT AN ELECTRONIC MEETING HALL FOR TWU MEMBERS TO FREELY ASSEMBLE.
The act states that upon such assembly the membership shall be entitled to express any views, arguments or opinions: PROVE THAT THE OPINIONS YOU DO NOT LIKE ARE NOT THE FREELY EXCHANGED VIEWS, AURGUMENTS OR OPINIONS OF FELLOW TWU MEMBERS DURING SAID MEETING.
This is just one persons' opinion: I'm sure there are others.
