A Mandate for Change

It is with profound gratitude that we thank the officers and employees of the AFA for pulling the following nugget of comedy gold from the archives to remind us all of the profound gulf that exists between the reality of their conduct and the ideals they espouse.

From the 2007 Board of Directors meeting in Phoenix a mutual respect policy was formulated which has been dusted off and was attached to the Feb 2013 Board of Directors meeting agenda.

“Among trade unionists there is a very high degree of appreciation of the need to respect the dignity of every individual. Nevertheless in all organizations there should be vigilance to ensure that all participants feel they are able to operate in an atmosphere in which they feel comfortable and safe.”

Would that include bringing members up on charges who have vocally expressed support for the opposition in past campaigns, (the United 4 & recent reform slate in SFO), and failing that, now seek profound change within the organization which takes their money and demands they sit quietly while they do whatever they decide is best?   Would that vigilance extend to protecting those officers and employees who have abused the system and its members for years, behind the facade of “service”, all the while receiving compensation and preferential treatment beyond what is deserved?  Are they entitled to “feel comfortable and safe” as past indiscretions are brought to light so that present and future elections can be based on evaluating their true performance?

Prime examples of the “do as we say, not as we do” mentality which has seeped into the psyche of our so called "leaders" drunk with power and privilege can be found in numerous examples on social media websites were deriding and denigrating the membership with name calling, racist epithets and insults has become the norm. Not the least of which can be found here:  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/113914698649168/

 

We call on our MEC Officers to rein in these outrageous antics of LEC officers and Committee Members or NO ONE in current union management should “feel comfortable and safe” in their positions. The abysmal record of failure and excuse-making that dogs every overlong negotiations process that culminates in yet another contract sold to the membership as being “the best we could do,” is at an end, and those responsible must be held accountable by an active and engaged membership that VOTES. The recent election results in SFO are far from a mandate for the status quo, old guard and their fear mongering, intimidating tactics. Rather it is a wake up call for change when 46% of the members who voted called for true reform in our Union by empowering the rank and file once again. AFA take heed!  

WE pay the bills. WE will tell you what to do.  It is time for current union management to be put out of office and return to the line to earn an honest living with the rest of us on the airplane. 

 

Sign up for our email updates by simply entering your email address. No other personal information is required and we will not share your address with advertisers or any other group.

NO to the Status Quo

The July 2013 election cycle wraps up this month. There is still time to vote in SFO, SEA and CLE at United, LAX at Alaska, as well as American Eagle and Compass Airlines. (http://afacwa-elections.org/)

Amongst the results reported thus far, an intriguing trend has emerged. In those AFA locals where participation rates are highest, the incumbents have fared far worse than those where the membership has been lulled into apathy by decades of AFA ineffective leadership. Cases in point include the 54% participation rate in s-UA Houston where reform candidate Elizabeth Saxon defeated her next closest opponent  by TWENTY percentage points, and s-UA Chicago where a voter turnout of 53% saw Paul Antuna defeat incumbent TJ Sesko by THIRTY-TWO percentage points!

These results are not confined to the s-UA membership either. With a voter participation rate of nearly 57%, PSA flight attendants showed incumbent LEC/MEC President LC Acor what they thought of the three contracts over a span of twenty-two years that the AFA has managed to obtain for them since 1995. Mr. Acor, a Hearing Board member involved up to his eyebrows in the ill advised persecution attempt of the UNITED 3, was soundly beaten for president by a WRITE IN candidate whom, it is hoped, will choose to align herself with the reform movement seeking to put the power and control of the union back into the hands of WORKING, VOTING flight attendants who will soon see their dues rise to $55 dollars a month if current union management has its way. 

Incumbent candidates in SFO and SEA have sought to block ALL efforts at change during the last two Board of Directors' meetings and now seek only to extend what is already too much time in their elected offices with too little to show for it. A joint contract is so many years into the future that many flight attendants at s-UA will be retired before they are able to enjoy the benefits, pay and flexibility that s-CAL flight attendants enjoy NOW. And still "officers" like Christine Black and Diane Tucker will continue to make the same litany of excuses we have listened to for over THIRTY years, always seeking to distract s-UA f/a's from the fact that there is a MINIMUM $1,000 per month pay differential between two work groups doing the SAME JOB for the SAME COMPANY represented by the SAME "UNION", and that is ACCEPTABLE TO THEM. End their tenure and send them back to the line to earn a living with the rest of us WORKING flight attendants. 

GET OUT THE VOTE!

S-UA F/A'S CALL 800-424-2401

EXT 706 FOR A NEW BALLOT

AND

VOTE REFORM!

http://freepdfhosting.com/25381dce1c.pdf



Sign up for our email updates by simply entering your email address. No other personal information is required and we will not share your address with advertisers or any other group.

".....Before the morning of September 11, 2001, the threat of using commercial aircraft as a weapon was unknown. At great cost, we know better today. The TSA was created because blades on airplanes were used to cause this deadly attack on U.S. soil.There’s no excuse for reversal on the policy to ban knives from the aircraft cabin. Multi-layered security, including prohibition of items that could pose a threat, ensures U.S. aviation is the safest in the world. The ban on dangerous objects is an integral layer in aviation security.
Flight Attendants serve as the last line of defense in aviation security - responsible for ensuring the safety, health and security of the passengers in our care. Join us in keeping our aircraft cabin safe. TELL THE TSA TO KEEP KNIVES OUT OF THE CABIN......"
LAST CHANCE.............

SIGN THE PETITION!!

 

 

Sign up for our email updates by simply entering your email address. No other personal information is required and we will not share your address with advertisers or any other group.