Why Did the Teamsters
Come to My House?
By: The Committee for Change
Over the past couple of months, Teamster organizers and United Airlines mechanics concerned with where our industry is going (overseas), have been going door to door to both active and furloughed employees in an effort to promote our “get out the vote” campaign, as well as having each of you sign a petition to promote saving our work.
This is an incredibly critical point in our careers
that will affect the livelihood of ourselves and our families. Think
about it. Where will you be when your job is gone? What will you do to
support your family when United reaches their goal of sending all the
maintenance we accomplish today to Ameco in
I realize having someone come to your house to talk about work is unsettling to some of you. This process is completely different from anything we have experienced in the past. Never before has any organized labor group at United gotten this closely engaged with members. Membership engagement is what you can continue to expect from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and becoming part of a real labor organization is something that each of us should become familiar with. This is what ORGANIZED labor is about!
Our committee and the Teamsters are not afraid to engage members to discuss concerns and issues over this representation election. In fact, we encourage it. We are going door to door in order to reach out to everyone, including the nearly 4,000 furloughed employees, and to answer any questions you might have about Teamster representation, pensions, and the farm out of our work.
Right now, the primary topic on the floor (as it should be) is the possibility of losing union representation entirely. AMFA has talked about it, the IAM has written letters about it and even United Airlines management is “salivating” over the possibilities of this becoming a reality. Think about it: UAL does not want you to vote in the election. A failure to vote equates to a “no” vote for having any union representation at all. Many furloughed employees are eligible to vote and UAL is counting on them not to vote at all. We are asking the furloughed employees to vote for the Teamsters because it is the most effective way to keep UAL from farming out the rest of our jobs.
United could ask for nothing better than to be able to do whatever they want because we don’t vote in the upcoming election, and we become “AT WILL” employees. This means your contract will become null and void! This is why we are taking this as seriously as we are. It is worth the long hours of going door to door to talk with each and every one of you to ensure we have a future, not just at United, but within our industry as a whole!
This campaign effort is not just about changing unions; it goes much deeper than that. It’s a very ambitious political movement to engage each of you to become active in an effort for us to help ourselves, something the AMFA has not done since they arrived on United Airlines property.
However, because of this campaign, AMFA reps have been forced to come to the floor across the system not to represent us, but as a last desperate effort to save their jobs and the association they represent. Unfortunately, it’s too little too late, and is a clear example of their inaction followed by “reaction” that they have become so well known for.
So keep this in mind the next time a Teamster organizer or a fellow mechanic comes to your door. These are people who are serious about the job they do to represent us as working men and women of labor. This is the commitment and strength you will have with Teamster representation. We will once again be recognized as a group of workers who will not bend to the corporate greed that is robbing us of not only our jobs, but of our dignity as well. But this is only possible if we stand together!
The time is now to regain the pride we once had as Aviation Maintenance Technicians. Along with the strength that comes with having over six million Change to Win Federation workers worldwide that are committed to supporting us, we can make this happen. It’s time for each of you to join our efforts and understand the commitment made not only by our Committee for Change members, but the International Brotherhood of Teamsters representatives as well. We must make this fight in solidarity! It’s time to stand up and join together to make Securing Our Future a reality!
When it’s time to vote, VOTE TEAMSTERS and help secure your future!
Committee for Change is Here for You!
Please feel free to contact the Committee for Change Headquarters with any information or questions you may have. Remember you can always visit our web site at: www.teamstersatual.com
Phone: 1-866-775-0076
Fax: 650-871-2784
Pass this newsletter on to a friend. Have them sign-up at http://www.teamsterstakeaction.org/ualmechanics/join.tcl