Mechanics Strike on Northwestern and are replaced by scabs....

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Alliance (represents mechanics at Northwest and United, among others) has few friends within organized labor for a variety of reasons. The organization has an elitist attitude that says that the mechanics should have their own union apart from other members of the work force. This is primarily aimed at the IAM, which also represents various other ground workers such as baggage handlers, ground crews and others. They also expanded their membership by raiding the various IAM locals, which had previously represented the mechanics at Northwest and United. This may go a long way in explaining why the pilots and flight attendants did not honor the AMFA picket lines at Northwest.

That being said, the AMFA may be striking against Northwest for a lot of the right reasons but definitely the wrong time. If Northwest goes into Chapter 11, the situation for labor will only get worse.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Don, I'm not sure we have to look south of the border to find the replacements. My guess is that most of them are displaced from other airlines, and US citizens.

[Anonymous]

Union members need to become realistic about salaries. When the airline is profitable, wages should reflect good times for everyone. But when the airline is not profitable, wages should reflect the bad times as a group.....

Substitute airline for any company or corporation....

Frankly, I'm not surprised scabs were called in. Considering the immigration coming in from Mexico, whether legal or illegal, scabs is the easy ticket to break any union!

Time magazine had a poll recently asking whether the citizens of Mexico would consider a relocation to the United States. Sixty percent said yes. The next question is would they immigrate to the United States illegally. Eighty percent of the sixty said yes...

[Anonymous]

I now have a picture of me in my profile, if you still have any doubts, check it out.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/member-profile.asp?id=240818
I'll bet you never thought I was so handsome.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Northwest and the mechanics will return to the bargaining table tomorrow, the 20th day of the strike. Due to rising fuel prices, it is expected that the company will offer the union even less than their previous offer, made prior to the strike. Reports are that the airline is currently losing 4 million dollars per day. They may begin hiring permanent replacements as early as next Tuesday.

It sounds like the union is up the creek. Not good.

[Junctionfan]

Do you folk who have responded own a business large enough that would warrent a unionized workforce? I'm not sure how you can relate the struggles of a small business to a large company like that normally makes tons of money.

If some executive screwed up somewhere, it's not the workers' fault and they are still entitled to cover their costs just like the rest. It's not cheap to live in today's society.

It is the businesses fault why the cost of living is so darn high. Think about it. Companies sell at a certain price but if all the companies raise their price and raise it and raise it, folk can't afford it so they need more money so they fight for it come contract negotiations. Now the business go "whoa" and so they want to cover the extra expenses and raise their prices and raise it and raise itwhich of course get filtered and raised/refined somewhere else (ie retail). Now the workers can't afford anything again so they ask for more money........see the cycle.

Now if the businesses refuse to pay, folk won't be able to buy your product because they will either have to save money for the essential or they have gone bankrupt from loosing their job from a belly-up business that decided to close a plant to increase their quarterly report. Now the taxpayer gets the bill if you have welfare because now folk are making some kind of wage off of you instead of the private sector and so the government undertakes the same mentality and raises taxes. Those still with jobs now are in the position they have to find better paying jobs or fight for a better wage or spend less thus decrease sales and effecting the economy.....

So really, the whole capitalism thing doesn't really work that well if that is how you go about doing things-bankrupting yourself and everybody around you for greed. The present day version of capitalism is no longer self-sustaining and is begining to take its toll.

Remember when chocolate bars were a dime, now they are a buck. Buying a really nice house used to be $25,000 but now that same house is worth $450,000. What the heck happened?

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tharmeni

I know there's a lot of emotion around this topic and understandably so. I heard a report on a radio station that said ATA and United -- in separate actions -- have laid off more mechanics in INDIANA alone than Northwest has on the picket lines and many of those mechanics, with families to feed and finances hurting, are providing services to Northwest.
I think this is just a tragedy for everyone involved, frankly. No one is going to "win" this.

I think you are dead on here. This is the "musical chair factor" I mentioned earlier. Those so called scabs, were once on the receiving end of this kind of treatment from another airline. All they are really doing is what they think is best for their families. The guilt trip is just part of the game.

The 1900 don't have to be miracle workers. They just need to take care of the day to day stuff. The company wants to contract out the big stuff, kind of what the railroads do when they need locomotives rebuilt vs simply repaired.

The largest savings from not having the extra people on the payroll comes from the benefits the company doesn't have to pay, matching social security, health insurance, etc. The reduced wages aren't as large of a savings. It' kind of like, "let the employees be someone else's problem, we just want our planes fixed". That's the beauty of contract work.

I see you guys picked up on the comment about management not making any consessions. That's why they get the big bucks, for making the hard decisions.[sigh]

[Tharmeni]

I know there's a lot of emotion around this topic and understandably so. I heard a report on a radio station that said ATA and United -- in separate actions -- have laid off more mechanics in INDIANA alone than Northwest has on the picket lines and many of those mechanics, with families to feed and finances hurting, are providing services to Northwest.
I think this is just a tragedy for everyone involved, frankly. No one is going to "win" this.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by equinox

From the link provided in the original post:
They are among the 1,900 replacement workers deployed by Northwest to assume the duties of 4,430 mechanics, cleaners and other members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. The union struck the airline on Saturday over the airline's demand for $176 million in pay and benefit cuts. The replacements have spent the last three months training under a $107 million contingency plan that the airline crafted in anticipation of a strike.

1900 workers to replace 4300 workers? Wow, those 1900 must be miracle-workers, to do the job of three men. I wonder why they could not get jobs before becoming scabs?

And the airline that is going broke decides to spend $107 million (plus ongoing costs of housing and security) to train scabs, when that money could have been put forth to the strikers as part of an agreement. Perhaps the airline has its own agenda?

And how much wage and benefit consessions has management made? Any VP's taking a 26% cut? Getting rid of half the management are they?

And gee, THREE whole months to train as an airline mechanic? I have yet to feel like an expert after only three months at any job, much less a job that requires asmuch skill as a airline mechanic.

Perhaps the union could try to make the flying public more aware of just who is "fixing" the planes they are about to board. NO WAY would I fly on an airline with this sort of labor dispute going on. Nor would I cross the picket line.

Some very good thoughts well worth repeating.

If concession are to be made then management should be the FIRST to make concession on their OWN pay.

I wonder if the scabs understand that THEY can be held ACCOUNTABLE for anything that goes wrong with what they have "fixed" ? They probally don't have an A & P license so they are having someone else "sign off" their work. I would not put my licenses and job on the line in this case. NO WAY.

[Anonymous]

From the link provided in the original post:
They are among the 1,900 replacement workers deployed by Northwest to assume the duties of 4,430 mechanics, cleaners and other members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. The union struck the airline on Saturday over the airline's demand for $176 million in pay and benefit cuts. The replacements have spent the last three months training under a $107 million contingency plan that the airline crafted in anticipation of a strike.

1900 workers to replace 4300 workers? Wow, those 1900 must be miracle-workers, to do the job of three men. I wonder why they could not get jobs before becoming scabs?

And the airline that is going broke decides to spend $107 million (plus ongoing costs of housing and security) to train scabs, when that money could have been put forth to the strikers as part of an agreement. Perhaps the airline has its own agenda?

And how much wage and benefit consessions has management made? Any VP's taking a 26% cut? Getting rid of half the management are they?

And gee, THREE whole months to train as an airline mechanic? I have yet to feel like an expert after only three months at any job, much less a job that requires asmuch skill as a airline mechanic.

Perhaps the union could try to make the flying public more aware of just who is "fixing" the planes they are about to board. NO WAY would I fly on an airline with this sort of labor dispute going on. Nor would I cross the picket line.

[Anonymous]

None of you watched the UAW/Caterpillar strike and outcome? Almost 20% crossed the lines to go back to work, the strike lasted years, many guys lost their homes, cars, boats, motorcycles, wives and some even took their lives because the end wasn't in sight. Cat brought in office workers, and they office workers loved it, they made the UAW wages of 18+ an hour and not the partly 10-15 an hour they were used to. I think the UAW here saw the writing on the wall, compromise or lose all union voice at Cat, save what jobs they could, or watch Cat bring in new hires (or scabs as you wish) or watch all the work get outsourced. The union stance here in Peoria, has had a negagtive impact on our securing new companies that would offer a better then Walmart or strip mall pay. Because the union held out so long we haven't seen a major manufacture reappear in years. The last UAW/Cat talks got to the 11th hour of striking, they had office/management out in the shops training right along side the UAW workers. Cat office was hoping for the strike, and I think Cat could have carried on with out the UAW in the shops, since all of Cat is Office heavy. I know a lot of this since my girlfriend is at Cat, they had her on the list to go factory.

While I think that a man should be paid a decent wage, and the company should appriciate the skilled labor they have, when you are looking at times were the best paying job a non-college educated is WalMart, a place like Cat and the offer of working for 2-4 an hour more makes it hard for some not to start being replacement (scab) workers. Put yourself in a younger persons shoes that sees others driving new Pickups, has a decent home while they drive a 10-15 year old car, they live in an apartment and live week to week and tell me you wouldn't place your family first to have it better instead of saying "oh, they are union, and I need to respect the union ethics" yeah right when we see what the upper union management takes home even when there is a strike. I think when the members they represent are on stike and taking home $50.00 a week strike pay, then the uppers at the union should do the same.

If I sound a little pro-company so be it, I have lived both sides of the fence, I have also owned my own company, it's not always easy to pay the "great wages" if you want to be profitable, grow and have your own retirement work. Also the union doesn't own the company or the jobs, the owner or "CEO" is the one.

[end][soapbox][/end]

[Big_Boy_4005]

Reports are that at least one mechanic in Minneapolis and one in Milwaukee have crossed the picket line and gone back to work.

The airline is reporting that 96% of all scheduled flights during the first week of the strike went off, with 71% on time. If true, this is not good news for the union, who are counting on more service disruption.

The airline is taking aim at the pilots again, asking for even more consessions. Now a 33% pay cut is being sought, this following a pay cut earlier this year.

Wall Street and Main Street have different views of this strike. Wall Street sees management's actions as a positive, and Northwest's stock price has risen since the strike began.

By the way, oil has reached a new record high per barrel, which only makes the company's financial situation worse. At some point, the employees will not be able to cover this, and ticket prices will have to go up, or at minimum higher fuel surcharges need to be added to each ticket.

So far there has been no mention of pay or job cuts for management. Interesting.[B)][}:)][xx(][:(!][V]

[broncoman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033

Originally posted by Tharmeni



Of course, this is subjective and regional in nature, but having been a truck driver for 35 years, owner operator, non-union employee and union employee I've seen lots. One of the things I've noticed over the years is that whether a shop is union or not, it seems they both have the same percentage of slackers. At the union shop I work at now, there is a certain amount of peer pressure to do a good job - much more than at any non-union shop I've ever worked at over the years.

I have seen and lived through the turmoil of the past 25 years within the trucking industry since deregulation. At most of the companies I witness go under, it had very little to do with labor and much more to do with management that refused to change. They just didn't get it, until it was too late. They thought we were the problem, we were not the problem, we were the solution.

If Northwestern is to survive, they have to change the bureaucratic corporate culture, union busting will not save them. They need lots of change at the top. They have to get rid of the us verses them attitude, and make it a team effort by empowering labor to serve the customer and get the job done.

I'm so grateful that I'm a teamster. June I was diagnosed with cancer and have not worked since then, my treatment has been covered by good insurance covered through the union, paid by my employer. No Cobra here, 12 months of premiums as well as a small weekly short term disability payment. My total out of pocket expense for co-pays was 2,000 bucks, nothing more to pay this year.



Jim
I.B.T. Local 533

I completely agree. Management can make or break a company... especially upper management. IMHO Herb Kelleher was one of the greatest CEOs around. I usually choose to fly southwest at any opportunity, for how energetic and happy their stewards and stewardesses are, as opposed to flying United or American. I know friends who have left other jobs to go to Southwest because it was a good company to work for and are very happy for having made that choice.
I also agree that it is with benefits not always pay that unions are the biggest benefit, and with that I wish you a speedy recovery Jim!

Dave

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