Will Nw Pilots Honor Picket Lines, Or Cross?

[N305AS]

It's a simple question. This situation is looking a LOT like what happened at EA in 1989. Management and the mechanics had a showdown, with management thinking the replacement workers they'd hired would help them weather the storm.

Oops.

Ticked-off pilots didn't cross the IAM picket lines, and EA was effectively grounded.

And well, you know the rest.


So - will NW's pilots keep flying? CAN they even refuse to cross the line in sympathy, or would that be illegal?

This could get REALLY ugly REALLY fast...

 

[magsau]

My bet is that the pilots don't honor the picket lines. I think I read somewhere they have a "no sympathy strike" clause in their contract. Anyone no about this for sure?

The company is in the drivers seat with AMFA. The flight attendants may be next in the sights for the company and the pilots will be getting round two shortly after the f/a's.

The mechanics are being asked to accept a 50%+ reduction in the number of mechanics on the property. How in the world could they get a majority vote in a contract ballot that would put over half out of work. The guys that are going to lose their jobs will lose them whether or not they vote yes and my guess there would be some attitudinal desire to burn the company. Therefore you have a majority ready to vote no on any deal that comes up. The company has hired scabs to replace the strikers and the pendelum is swinging faster and faster.

 

[mwa]

this is the problem with union fragmentation. once the afl-cio is no longer the head it makes it difficult to legally justify any sympathetic actions. you brought it on youselves w/amfa. i have heard of the distaste for the afl-cio but just wait and see how long you last w/o it. did not see it coming? why not? easy pickings now.

 

[Busdrvr]

this is the problem with union fragmentation. once the afl-cio is no longer the head it makes it difficult to legally justify any sympathetic actions. you brought it on youselves w/amfa. i have heard of the distaste for the afl-cio but just wait and see how long you last w/o it. did not see it coming? why not? easy pickings now.

[post="283385"][/post]​

Hmmmm, yet the IAM sprinted right across the ALPA picket line at UAL in 85..... So much for the AFL/CIO theory.

 

[AMFAMAN]

this is the problem with union fragmentation. once the afl-cio is no longer the head it makes it difficult to legally justify any sympathetic actions. you brought it on youselves w/amfa. i have heard of the distaste for the afl-cio but just wait and see how long you last w/o it. did not see it coming? why not? easy pickings now.

[post="283385"][/post]​

So unionism is strictly based on belonging to the AFL-CIO...God help us.

It's real simple, if you are a union man or woman, you don't cross picket lines regardless of whose on strike, be it mechanics, rampers, grocery clerks or whatever. Those that cross and work on a struck carrier have a name...SCABS

BTW...Where was the AFL-CIO sympathetic crap for the Air Traffic Controllers. Last time I checked, the planes still flew.

 

[Kev3188]

So unionism is strictly based on belonging to the AFL-CIO...God help us.

It's real simple, if you are a union man or woman, you don't cross picket lines regardless of whose on strike, be it mechanics, rampers, grocery clerks or whatever. Those that cross and work on a struck carrier have a name...SCABS

[post="283421"][/post]​

Most, if not all, of the other other unions on NWA property have no "sympathy strike" language in their CBA's, so don't hold your breath.

More importantly, after the way AMFA made it clear they wanted nothing to do with "industrial unions," why would any of them rush to help? Anyone that was around in 1998 can tell you about the hubris a lot of AMT's displayed toward everyone else, and I think that is still fresh in a lot of people's minds.

 

[TWU informer]

Organized Labor is DEAD.

All there is left is unorganized dues collection agencies pretending to be unions.

 

[Dea Certe]

It seems to me the quickest way to end a strike is for all unionized employees to honor the picket lines. It gives managemet a little more pressure to make a deal all parties involved to settle ASAP.

If a strike drags on, the more likely the airline will just end in a slow, painful death. NWA has certainly seen its fair share of bad times. I believe there's a good chance NWA can survive and maybe even prosper. Allowing a strike to linger will only create hard feelings, both with the flying public, the employees and managment.

Of course, the best possible outcome would be to come to an agreeable contract.

Best wishes for all NWA employees.

Dea

 

[eolesen]

I'm fairly certain that most of the CBA's signed since the 1989 EAL strike have no-sympathy clauses in them, so legally, it's doubtful that union employees in other workgroups can refuse to work without jeopordizing their own job.

AFL/CIO's lack of respect for AMFA has little to do with their non-affiliation. If I recall, APFA (flight attendants at AA) were not AFL/CIO when they struck in 1993, but they received support from the AFL/CIO regardless.

By comparison, AMFA has been actively running representation votes against incumbent unions who are AFL/CIO affiliated, as opposed to trying to organize non-union shops, so it's doubtful that the AFL/CIO is going to do much to support their cause.

 

[lpbrian]

Including crossing a picket line? That's just too hard to believe.

 

[Dea Certe]

Perhaps the AFL-CIO will finally prove their worthy of the dues every AFL-CIO union pays them and show some gumption. Yeah, I'm dreaming. Would be happier if Brad Pitt made a cameo appearance in my midnight visions, though.

Is anyone sure Sweeney is alive? Maybe someone should stick a mirror under his nose to make sure.

Dea

 

[AMFAMAN]

By comparison, AMFA has been actively running representation votes against incumbent unions who are AFL/CIO affiliated, as opposed to trying to organize non-union shops, so it's doubtful that the AFL/CIO is going to do much to support their cause.

[post="283538"][/post]​

When those who are paying dues to a AFL-CIO union do not receive any representation in return for the dues paid, what is one to do. You can't go to another AFL-CIO union because of the "no raid" clause. This "no raid" is half the problem that could split the AFL-CIO in half next week at its convention.

 

[AA-MCI]

By comparison, AMFA has been actively running representation votes against incumbent unions who are AFL/CIO affiliated, as opposed to trying to organize non-union shops, so it's doubtful that the AFL/CIO is going to do much to support their cause.

[post="283538"][/post]​

Yet since 1996 AMFA has organized more non-union shops - ACA, Mesaba and ATA - for aircraft mechanics than the AFL/CIO has.

 

[AMFAMAN]

By comparison, AMFA has been actively running representation votes against incumbent unions who are AFL/CIO affiliated, as opposed to trying to organize non-union shops, so it's doubtful that the AFL/CIO is going to do much to support their cause.

[post="283538"][/post]​

To clarify one thing, AMFA has never organized anyone. It is the employees on the floor just like at AA who are sick and tired of getting zero representation for their dues money who have done all the organizing. ACA, a non-union shop started the AMFA revival despite the twu(AFL-CIO) and their useless attorney Art Luby's best effort to stop them.

 

[proAMFA]

The great and powerful AFL/CIO is coming apart at the seams.

Ck out www.changetowin.org

It's not just AMFA that has problems with the AFL/CIO. The AFL/CIO is out of tune with the common worker.

I agree with the posting above-regardless of affiliation a scab is a scab. No union member or supporter should cross a picketline. It is shameful that a union would have language in their CBA that would prevent them from supporting union members on strike. AMFA language does not prevent them from supporting striking union members. AMFA makes it clear they will not cross a picket line.