Where’s the Democracy?

By: Paul Molenberg, UAL mechanic, San Francisco

AMFA reps tout how much more democratic they are than everyone else, in spite of a history of non-democratic actions. Here are some important examples where members were not part of the process:

• AMFA’s Airline Reps decided on their own authority to eliminate Letter of Agreement 74-1M, which provides bumping rights during a layoff. This hurts affected employees while protecting certain other ones. This LOA elimination should have been brought to a full membership vote.  

COMPARE: With the Teamsters as your bargaining representative, any changes to the contract will be voted on by the membership, and you will be kept well informed throughout the process.

• AMFA was in private talks (AKA closed negotiations) with the company over the terms of a proposal for a new position called an Aircraft Maintenance Support Technician (AMST). This proposal would have created an unlicensed mechanic position at considerably lower wages. They would be hired before exhausting the recall list of furloughed mechanics and mechanic helpers. To date this has not been killed, but is merely on the back burner.   

COMPARE: The Teamsters will not entertain a proposal that hurts members, whether they are active or furloughed.

• The former ACAC, Jim Seitz, was recalled by the membership, only to be immediately appointed to an Airline Rep position. As you can see from the above examples, this Airline Rep position yields the power to make decisions that affect us all. Of course, they’ll say its legal according to their bylaws, but this is unquestionably a highly undemocratic decision that violated the will of the members, and shows that favoritism has once again reared its ugly head among the AMFA officers.  

COMPARE: Teamster positions are elected all the way up to the General President. The IBT Constitution gives the flexibility for locals to adopt a bylaw that either allows business agents to be appointed or elected. The bylaws, however, are voted on by the membership. In any case, there is a process for recalling officers.

• At NWA the AMFA was in closed negotiations with the company and the NMB. Before the mechanics were taken out on strike, the company had made a last offer, but the AMFA chose to not take it to the membership for a vote, or even see it for that matter. Every mechanic subsequently lost their job without being given the opportunity to decide their own fate.                                                                                           

COMPARE: The AMFA failed on many levels here. ANY Union would have done better and acted more responsibly to its members. But as far as contract proposals go, under Teamster representation you would be presented with the company’s final offer even if it’s recommended to vote “no” on it.

While the AMFA makes overstated claims of democracy, the company is taking advantage of them at every turn with assaults on our scope language, the intention to sell of heavy maintenance and merger discussions, which are taking place. The IBT, on the other hand, is considered the most democratic trade union in the country. But what’s most important; the IBT has the ability to take on that 800 pound gorilla called United Airlines and AMFA does not. It’s time for us to join a union that has the capacity and will to fight for its membership. VOTE TEAMSTERS!