An interesting post on another site. Some names have been removed of course but it doesn't ilicit warm fuzzies
This morning as I entered the MIA Crowne restaurant for breakfast, I saw ______________ and a person I didn't recognize. Being a FNG, I joined ____ and this individual. At the cordial introduction phase, I learn this is Dave Allen, of atlasforteamsters notariety.
I loathe to opinionate on the subject of ALPA vs. Teamsters, as I am new to this company and listen to those of you who have been around this alot longer than I have. However, I thought there were some subjects brought up this morning that I should share.
After the initial blank staring at my plate, a second Atlas crewmember joined us. Some small talk started, and the unsound reasoning started to make my head spin, so I asked what I thought would be reasonable questions. ___ feel free to correct anything I misstate or omit.
Mr. Allen was singing the praises of the teamsters. After 9 years of IBT in the airline division at my previous employer, what he was spinning did not jive with my previous experience. And thus started my brief inquisition.
I asked him if he had been a teamster before. His answer was that he had not. I then asked what his background was. He stated USAirways, then added Express. I asked which carrier he worked for, which he answered PSA. I threw out some "notorious" names, one that was a former MEC chairman with no acknowledgement. Turns out, he was there for 3 years prior to employment at atlas.
So my opening was created.
The first issue I brought up, as voting in the NMB election was a prior point of discussion, was Good Standing. I let Mr. Allen know that at the prior shop, there was a problem. In between the time a crewmember was hired and the dues checkoff actually started there was usually a gap. However, there was no notice from the IBT, and it was up to the crewmember to call and verify good standing prior to each election. I mentioned that issue usually prevented a significant percentage of votes from being counted for ratification of CBAs.
He did not know of any mechanism of ensuring that dues paying crewmembers would be advised if there was a clerical error preventing them from being in good standing, and thus preventing them from participation in their union. He tried to find some scrap paper to write this down and "get back to me"
This led him into telling me they are proposing a stand-alone local, and he dis-likes the main local of 747. He went on to explain that we would be attached to ABX's local of 1224, then formulate a local for all of us within 10 mos when the bylaws are written. Just to make sure I understood, I said "You mean we're going to switch from one local to another once bylaws are complete?" He told me yes. I think it's a little late to be finishing bylaws, the foundation to operation of the local when the NMB election is already underway.
I asked about the state of ABX's local, and how they were going to dedicate resources to us when many of their own pilots are facing furlough. He said that 1224 had designated roughly $4 million for a major contingency fund, however, noting that he requested none be earmarked for atlas. So this line of discussion makes me question the solvency of the local if the vast majority of members are to be unemployed. After some to-and-fro about the amount of membership to be left, and the amount of money, he really provided no real guidance on how this soon to be bankrupt local could help in the process.
Addressing personal health issues, Mr. Allen indicated that the service would not, in fact, be the Denver-based service provider that ALPA provides. It would be a function of Harvey Watts (not quite sure what that is). So appearantly the claim of using the same contract service provided by ALPA is false.
I threw out the scenario that there is an incident in a banana republic in some far corner of the planet and I'm incarcerated. I asked what was the plan in that instance. He told me that they would hire a LOCAL lawyer to get you out of jail, then send a go team in a COUPLE of days.
I asked where the legal help would come from. He said from his lawyer. I asked how we knew if this guy was any good. He told me he had worked with this lawyer on the atlasforteamsters project and he's a "good one". (Yes, I have the same dumbfounded look you think I'd have at this point). Even the other atlas crewmember in attendance chuckled and made a remark "that's like saying congressmen suck, except MY congressman".
At that point I had to excuse myself, as I had to go to the schoolhouse.
I tried not to truncate Mr. Allen's answers, and recollect them as completely as I could. Although I may have left out some small talk, I included everything materially relavent to the discussion.
However, his answers fell short, of what I felt, should be any level of detail or completeness that an issue as serious as changing unions demand. There seems to be a serious shortfall of details and procedures this far into the process. If the IBT is elected, the level of disorganization and incompleteness within the proposed organization as represented by Mr. Allen is even further from a basic functioning structure than I even imagined reading their propaganda.
All in all, this reaffirmed my ALPA vote.