Northwest Airlines Update: IAM scabbing. Democrats in hiding.

[Karmadillo]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/aug2005/nwai-a26.shtml

Six days into the strike by mechanics and cleaners at Northwest Airlines, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) has stepped up its collaboration with the company’s strikebreaking operation. On Thursday, Northwest announced that the jobs of some of the striking workers, who belong to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), will be taken over by members of the IAM, which represents baggage handlers and other ground employees at the airline.

The jobs being transferred include filling planes with drinking water and emptying lavatory holding tanks. From the first day of the strike the IAM began performing tasks normally performed by AMFA members, such as cleaning planes, guiding planes on the ground, changing the oil, and making repairs to aviation equipment.

The move to shift more of the work to the IAM came after the union itself pressured the company to transfer the jobs. According to Thursday’s Detroit Free Press, “Northwest told the International Association of Machinists it could take over those tasks after union officials warned their continued cooperation depended on it... De Pace said the machinists want to keep the work even if AMFA and Northwest settle their dispute.”

The IAM, with the backing of the AFL-CIO federation to which it belongs, is not only helping Northwest operate with some 1,200 newly hired strikebreakers, it is seeking to directly profit from the busting of the mechanics’ union by grabbing the strikers’ jobs. Such is the depths of political and moral depravity to which the American trade union bureaucracy has sunk!

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When asked about the Democratic Party, Tonya said, “I haven’t seen anyone out here. I haven’t seen any of them on the news. When it is time to vote, they expect us to go out and vote for them. However, when it comes to a strike, they are not there. That says it all. Maybe the Democratic Party is the Republican Party in disguise.”

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[ohio_liberal]

1. That's fucked up

One union crossing a picket line to help out a company and stab other striking union members in the back. No wonder unions have declined.

[Land Shark]

22. The AFMA has been raiding other unions, so when

they on strike, the other unions have not been responding with the expected solidarity. As I understood it from an npr piece, the striking union was itself formed at NWA by peeling off from existing unions, so those unions are not now inclined to recognize the picket lines.

It seems the other unions see the issue as: if your union brothers steal your members and then get into a pinch, should you help them out? This would also tend to explain the position/inaction of Democrats.

[Krupskaya]

2. Do you know these people?

They're scabs:

http://www.amfa5.org/Downloads/Scab%20Pictures

[madrchsod]

3. it`s personal

and that maybe why the democrats are staying away from this. it`s three forces fighting each other and there is nothing to gain from backing anyone in this fight. both sides have alot of explaining to do over this. i think they forgot when a union battles another union for members then all bets are off and the only winner are the stockholders.
i was a proud member of the iam for 7 years and a steelworker for 4 years, i`m withholding my judgement because i see alot of problems with the actions of both unions.

[Sgent]

4. Its AMFA's fault

and I can't really blame IAM -- although I wish they wouldn't do this.

AMFA's counter proposal was to keep their members -- both numbers and wage rate. To pay for it, the sugested cutting IAM wages by approximately 50% (at least in MEM).

If someone was trying to cut my earnings in half, I wouldn't be real inclined to be positive towards them.

[Karmadillo]

5. Do you have a link to support the wage cut claim?

I'm not all that knowledgeable about these things and would appreciate seeing the proposal. Thanks.

[Sgent]

6. Nope, sorry

One of our family friends is on the local labor council in MEM, which is how I know of it. That being said, It could be one sided info.

I'll do a search and see if I can find anything.

[Puglover]

14. better yet

http://www.iam143.org/nw_depace_responds.htm

http://www.iam143.org/nw_roach_responds.htm

http://www.iam143.org/nw_mechanics_proposal.htm

[Karmadillo]

23. Interesting, but the reality appears more complicated.

Below is a link from MSNBC regarding the dispute. I don't know enough about the allocation of concessions to say whether NW is placing an unfair burden on AMFA, but I don't see any evidence to support IAM's claim AMFA advocated a doubling of the burden on IAM. As things stand, I am baffled as to why IAM thinks scabbing for Northwest Airlines is a good idea. If union scabbing is now an acceptable practice, the labor movement in the US really is in dire straits.

Here's the link regarding the IAM charge and the AMFA denial:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8844277/

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Northwest management is pushing for $1.1 billion in annual labor cutbacks and has been seeking $176 million in concessions from AMFA and $107 million from the IAM. A Northwest spokesman confirmed Friday night that the airline is adhering to those targets.

The IAM represents about 14,400 Northwest agents, clerical workers, equipment service employees and stock clerks. AMFA represents just under 5,000 mechanics, cleaners and custodians, and has lost almost half its membership since 2001.

<edit>

DePace said a Northwest executive, whom he did not identify, confirmed that the IAM would have to take bigger cuts if AMFA got its way and reduced its concessionary amount. He said the executive acknowledged that AMFA approached Northwest about altering its formula for dividing up concessions among the labor unions.

DePace said his understanding of AMFA's proposed criteria led him to calculate that AMFA wants to reduce its cost cuts to $156 million and boost the IAM's share of cuts to $256 million.

"They are trying to sabotage our negotiations; why would another union do that?" DePace said in a Friday afternoon interview.

AMFA officials insisted Friday that DePace's information was incorrect.

"We did not suggest to Northwest Airlines how to reallocate their requests for $1.1 billion in concessions from its employees," said Jeff Mathews, AMFA contract coordinator. "We did not comment on any individual union, except for AMFA. We simply said that the criteria Northwest is using places a disproportionate burden for cuts on AMFA."

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[Puglover]

12. the link is

www.iam143.org

Read Bobby DePaces response to AMFA for a little background.
The above poster is correct.....it's 100 percent AMFAs fault. They dug their hole. The sad thing it it's fucked so many good people out of their jobs.

[Karmadillo]

15. I didn't see the response you referred to, but I wonder if an IAM

site is likely to possess the objectivity necessary to analyze the rift between the two unions. Some of the links I've posted suggest AMFA is not "100 percent" at fault. In any case, it's hard for me to see why unions should scab for Northwest.

[Puglover]

16. You "didn't see it". Well it's there now. n/t

[Karmadillo]

18. Actually, it's not. If you could link to the actual comment

you'd like me to respond to, I'll be happy to look at it. All I see when I click on your link is a home page without the comment you're referring to.

[Puglover]

20. see my post 14 for the links n/t

[Puglover]

17. Still waiting for your response. n/t

[Karmadillo]

19. Please see #18. Thanks.

nt

[Karmadillo]

7. Here's an article discussing the origins of the AMFA/IAM rift.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=19&ItemID=8580

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Having lost several representation elections to AMFA, most recently at United Airlines, IAM President Thomas Buffenbarger is more interested in wrecking AMFA than holding the line on Northwest’s and other airlines’ demands for concessions. The Airline Pilots Association, which struck Northwest in 1998, is flying planes maintained by scab mechanics.

For its part, the AFL-CIO is repaying Buffenbarger for his support by providing justifications for this strikebreaking. Before the strike, the federation’s organizing director, Stewart Acuff, denounced AMFA as a “renegade, raiding organization,” adding that AMFA is “not in the house of labor.”

The IAM has made similar arguments, accusing AMFA members of having an elitist attitude toward less-skilled ramp workers. But while AMFA’s go-it-alone craft unionism marks a retreat from the solidarity of industrial unionism, IAM officials have no one to blame but themselves for mechanics’ decision to abandon their union, which has presided over one disaster after another.

It was this same charge of “elitism,” after all, that the AFL-CIO used to withhold support from striking air traffic controllers in the PATCO union in 1981. They were abandoned as President Ronald Reagan fired 10,500 strikers and destroyed their union. Since then, U.S. union leaders have solemnly vowed never to allow such a thing to happen again.

Except, apparently, where AMFA is involved. George W. Bush, who promised early in his first term to ban airline strikes, has given the green light to this one following extensive briefings from Northwest lobbyists.

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[Karmadillo]

8. Update: NW Airlines Unions are an Embarrassment to Organized Labor

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5581634.html

Northwest Airlines unions are an embarrassment to organized labor.

On Aug. 19 the employees of Northwest Airlines represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) went on strike. All the other unions at NWA turned their collective backs on their brethren.

The AMFA members who went on strike are mostly middle-age, dedicated, skilled technicians with 15 to 30 years of expertise. They have families and bills like all of us. They are willing to put it all on the line because they had no choice.

NWA management's final offer was to lay off 53 percent of them and give the rest a 25 percent pay cut. Anyone with the slightest bit of pride would have gone on strike as well.

The fear-mongering used by NWA management worked wonders. It kept the other unions at NWA off-balance and scared of layoffs, pay cuts and Chapter 11. Should labor sacrifice its basic principles and stop trying to work together because of fear?

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[dflprincess]

9. The lack of response from the Democrats

is especially distressful when one considers that Northwest is based in Minnesota, home of the Democratic Farmer LABOR party.

The fact is, NWA is in trouble because of mismanagement by the executives. They ran up huge debt in the 80s and 90s, including money from the state of Minnesota (in return for which they were suppose to build a maintenance facility in Duluth and a ticketing operation in Hibbing) yet I haven't read one word about the execs taking any cuts or, except for a few LTEs, the MSM questioning why it's the workers who have to pay for the mismangement.

[Karmadillo]

10. Update: Northwest may ask for more concessions

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050827/1036435.asp

ST. PAUL, Minn. - An unprecedented spike in jet fuel prices has Northwest Airlines thinking what might seem unthinkable these days: seeking even more concessions from workers. Northwest has insisted since late March that it must slash annual labor costs by $1.1 billion to remain competitive. So far, it's made modest progress.

Its 4,400 union mechanics and cleaners launched a strike on Aug. 19 rather than agree to job cuts and wage and benefit reductions to help the carrier meet that target. Two other unions representing flight attendants and ground workers have dug in against cuts.

Meanwhile, since Northwest set its cost-cutting target, runaway petroleum prices have added approximately $900 million to its annual fuel bill.

To cope, the Eagan, Minn.-based airline may set the bar even higher for cuts it needs from workers.

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[niallmac]

11. Did anyone notice what happened what British Air catering

employees went on strike. The airline shut down. No namby pamby there. Unity.
The dems? I am so tired of people trying to pump up the idea of a new democratic party as a crueler more republican fundamentalist non aligned with the worker party. Show me a true liberal who wants to speak and I'll stay to listen.
Headline you will never see on CNN: "Workers of the World Unite."

[Karmadillo]

13. "Mass action is what counts"

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2005/405/index.html?id=pp2.htm

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Gate Gourmet's British operation is but one-fifth of the total worldwide workforce of 21,400 for this US-owned company. The same company was already engaged in anti-union strike-breaking activities in the USA and Germany. Its billionaire owner David Bonderman engaged a team of lawyers and managers to implement the "plan" to sack the workers as revealed by the Daily Mirror "exclusive" on 15 August.

But the "secondary solidarity" action by baggage handlers and other Heathrow workers took them and British Airways by surprise. This was almost completely new in the elements making up modern industrial relations in Britain, not seen since the 1980s at the time of the miners' strikes.

The Heathrow workers' action was not only "illegal" because they didn't ballot beforehand but also "illegal" because the present anti-union laws say workers in one company cannot go on strike for workers in another company.

<edit>

To talk of 'legality' when a bunch of cowboy managers sack workers by loudspeaker at three minutes' notice would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic.

The union leaders should learn the lesson that mass action, legal or otherwise, is what counts. The bosses will hesitate to use the law against the union if they mobilise their members in Heathrow in solidarity with the sacked Gate Gourmet workers.

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[niallmac]

21. Thanks much for the background.

Seems it takes the average Joe to show leadership how to run a union. This is a great story. My suspicion is that I will not see this story elaborated on the corporate owned MSM.

[Karmadillo]

24. You make an excellent point. We keep waiting for "leaders" to do what

we want. At the rate we're going, we'll be waiting forever.