KEPT IN THE DARK

An organization that consistently pats itself on the back for up to the minute news and carefully controlled “transparency” should be more sensitive to their websites, like Negotiations Update, that haven’t seen an update since March 28, 2012.  It provides an unintentionally hilarious snapshot of the neglect and lack of importance assigned to ongoing negotiations across the CWA-afa spectrum, and stands as a glaring example of the attempt to control information within each individual airline, thereby limiting the ability of casual observers to obtain a true picture of the “representation” provided by the CWA-afa flight attendants to cabin staff throughout the country.  Instead of updated, real time information on the state of negotiations at various airlines, the CWA-afa relies on password protected conduits of information available only to members of that particular carrier, discouraging cross comparisons that would be readily made if general update pages were kept current.

http://www.afanet.org/negotiations/

 

 



 

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Bad Politicians are Elected by Apathetic Non Voters.....

"When you blame others, you give up your power to change."
*Robert Anthony

The fact that 89 out of 100 workers in the US have no voice in the workplace ostensibly through union representation was the clarion call for this year’s biennial CWA convention – paid for with the collective dues dollars of the telephone workers, health care employees, publishers, printers, newspaper employees, public safety officers, and flight attendants that make up the amalgamated representational mess that is the CWA, arguably one of the most corrupt labor unions in America today.

Men and women around the world have DIED through the years fighting for the right to organize and belong to labor unions and have fought far more formidable opponents than ANY labor union in this country faces today.  Yet the language of victimization and blame runs rampant throughout the labor movement, and it stands today as a distant and fading echo of its former self – and much of that blame lay at its own feet.

There is no group that has raised this language of victimization and blame to an art form better than the CWA flight attendant sector, formerly the flight attendant association, formerly the airlines stewards and stewardess division of ALPA.    Stuck in the Jimmy Hoffa era of the 1970s when labor unions grew into the corrupt, excuse-making machinery they are today, labor unions must change their current path, or this country will soon face a day when that 89 out of 100 becomes 99 out of 100.  No amount of banner carrying, pin-wearing, ribbon tying demonstrations has prevented the corporate greed and filthy excess that has repeated itself throughout America’s economic history.  For America to thrive it must have a growing, robust middle class supported by a vibrant labor movement.

But that labor movement CANNOT exist if it continues its short-sighted myopia that has simply created another managerial class on the back of employees already overburdened with excessive corporate layers.  Yet that is precisely what has occurred at the CWA-afa and what continues to occur.  Members who engage in vigorous debate and protest should be welcomed and celebrated – not threatened with expulsion because certain individuals had their feelings hurt and egos bruised.  Debate is a true democracy’s immune system, and the CWA-afa is incapable of accepting and embracing that fact.  Change must occur, because current involvement is pathetically low.  Participation in local election results, which, in a time of volatile change at American Eagle, for example, was 11% - hardly an engaged electorate.

 

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Organizing Efforts Continue at Delta....

Polling shows that more than half of all working Americans would like to be represented by a union.  What percentage of employers hire consultants to help them defeat worker efforts to be unionized?  Answer:  According to "American Rights at Work", 82 percent of American employers hire union-busting consultants if they think their employees are attempting to organize.

THIS DAY IN LABOR HISTORY FROM http://www.unionist.com/
 
June 25
 
More than 8,000 people attend the dedication ceremony for The Haymarket Martyrs Monument in Chicago, honoring those framed and executed for the bombing at Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886 - 1893
(A People’s History of the United States: 1492-President: If your last serious read of American history was in high school—or even in a standard college course—you’ll want to read this amazing account of America as seen through the eyes of its working people, women and minorities. Zinn, a widely respected Boston University professor, turns history on its head with his carefully researched and dramatic recounting of America and its people—not just its bankers, industrialists, generals and politicians.)

Fair Labor Standards Act passes Congress, banning child labor and setting the 40-hour work week - 1938

At the urging of black labor and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph, Franklin Roosevelt issues an executive order barring discrimination in defense industries - 1941

Congress passes the Smith-Connally War Labor Disputes Act over President Franklin Roosevelt’s veto. It allows the federal government to seize and operate industries threatened by strikes that would interfere with war production. It was hurriedly created after the third coal strike in seven weeks - 1943

A total of 21 workers are killed when a fireworks factory near Hallett, Okla., explodes - 1985

Decatur, Ill., police pepper-gas workers at A.E. Staley plant gate one year into the company's two-and-a-half-year lockout of Paperworkers Local 7837 - 1994
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THE LACK OF PROGRESS

According to the Company negotiations update..............

And Just ask the JNC.



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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. 

 

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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



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".....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!!

 

 

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Don't Be Fooled by Imposters Ignite Change! VOTE!

Pseudo Incumbent "Reformists"

Ms. Black continues to insult the intelligence of the flight attendants based in SFO by claiming she and her running mates are "REFORM" candidates, meanwhile rejecting ALL attempts at reform at this year’s Board of Directors meeting. The bald faced lies and hypocrisy of “leadership” such as this is made all the more reprehensible by the utter contempt for the membership shown by the current SFO LECP Chris Black!

Not only are new hires too stupid to vote, in Ms. Black’s opinion, SFO flight attendants are too stupid to see through such pathetic theatrics. Don’t prove her right, cast your ballot for reform!

What should not be lost on SFO flight attendants in particular is that without Ms. Black’s consent, charges against the United 3 would NOT have been possible, and without DCA president Andreas Curlee’s failed, misguided, and personal vendetta against the FACC, charges would NOT have been filed in the first place. The sad and pathetic waste of time and money that would have been better spent on continued efforts at securing a joint contract sometime before the last s-United flight attendant is laid off was a direct result of LOCAL officers trying to show off before their peers at the MEC and international levels, and trying to impress a dwindling number of severely deluded supporters in their bases.

Charges were DISMISSED, as a result of clear headed thinking and negotiations between the parties involved, outside the purview of the AFA legal department and its misguided council who should never have advised bringing these charges forward in the first place. American citizens’ rights of "free speech" and "freedom of association" will always trump the AFA Constitution and Bylaws of a labor organization trying to intimidate their rank and file members into silence. Should expulsion have resulted from this kangaroo court, the REAL legal system would have remedied that and flight attendants’ dues money could have gone towards reimbursing the United 3 not only for lost wages but punitive damages as well.

True Reform has been vindicated, and it is just the beginning!

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Case No. 12-01: THE UNITED 3

The Flight Attendant Coalition For Change applauds the decision reached in discussions outside of the Hearing Board on March 5, 2013, to DISMISS the charges against the UNITED 3.

READ THE "SETTLEMENT OF CHARGES" HERE:
http://freepdfhosting.com/9cee73efd3.pdf

This courageous decision by all party's involved goes a long way toward restoring faith in the ability of our Union leaders to recognize the strength and determination of the membership of this Union to affect democratic change from within the parameters of the Constitution and Bylaws of the AFA.

WE, the rank and file flight attendants of the CWA-AFA, WILL continue to press for REFORM and DEMOCRACY in our Union through the Local Council elections process. We urge all flight attendants, at all CWA-AFA represented airlines, to seek out and elect the candidates who believe in the empowerment of "US", the members, the working flight attendants of the AFA! 

THE POWER OF A UNION LIES WITH ITS MEMBERSHIP AND TOGETHER WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND ACCOMPLISH A JOINT NEGOTIATED CONTRACT AT THE "NEW" UNITED AIRLINES!

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SFO AFA BALLOT MANIPULATION

IN SAN FRANCISCO NOMINATION BALLOTING OFFICIAL RESULTS WERE POSTED FEBRUARY 20, 2013 AND STEVEN MURZI, WHO CAMPAIGNED HARD FOR RE-ELECTION AS SECRETARY TREASURER, RECEIVED 131 VOTES AND INCUMBENT LECVP SHARON CALDWELL RECEIVED 124 VOTES FOR VICE PRESIDENT. NEITHER CANDIDATE RECEIVED ANY VOTES FOR THE OTHERS CURRENTLY HELD ELECTED OFFICE.

End of story, right? WRONG! "Official" results were changed and posted AGAIN on February 21st. This time Steven Murzi mysteriously has 7 votes for VP as well as 131 for Secretary Treasurer and Sharon Caldwell's votes remain the same, 124 votes for VP and ZERO votes for Secretary Treasurer.

Enough changes already, right? WRONG! On February 22nd the results were changed again! This time Sharon Caldwell mysteriously picks up 3 votes for the Secretary Treasurer position but still has the 124 votes for VP! Sooooo, "who's" on first and "I don't know" is on second?

But wait, one more deception is perpetrated on the SFO membership....the "final" ballot will show the current Secretary Treasurer, Steven Murzi, now running for Vice President and the current Vice President, Sharon Caldwell, now running for Secretary Treasurer!!

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN ALL THIS MR. MURZI AND MS. CALDWELL?!? TIRED OF WORKING YOUR OWN ELECTED POSITIONS SO YOU JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO TRY AND SWAP??

THIS IS BLATANT ELECTION MANIPULATION AND SMACKS OF

VOTER SUPPRESSION!

This was not a paper ballot, "dangling chad" issue, this was an electronic balloting process that was changed not once but 3 times after polling officially closed. So whats the AFA's explanation?? Ask your current LEC and MEC officers and see what kind of song and dance response you get!

An organization that grants voting RIGHTS to their membership as a whole for officers at ALL levels of an organization is an organization that has earned the PRIVILEGE of representing our work force! A labor group that restricts its membership from voting because they may not like the results and indeed manipulates those results, has NO business claiming they represent ANYONE but themselves.

THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE, DO YOU WANT THE STATUS QUO WITH YOUR INCUMBENT OFFICERS OR DO YOU WANT REAL CHANGE AND DEMOCRACY?!?

VOTE REFORM CANDIDATES:

 

JOHN "MICHAEL" BRYANT For President

KATHY KENNEDY FOR Vice President

HARRY HAPIN FOR Secretary Treasurer

HELEN ALBERADO, ROCHELLE JELF AND

RICHARD SOARES For Council Reps.

 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR AT UAMEC HEADQUARTERS; WE DON'T WANT THE STATUS QUO!

 

 

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