Northwest Employees Get Little Support From Other Unions

[Freddie Stubbs]

Wednesday, August 24, 2005 By Amy Joyce The Washington Post

WASHINGTON--In a world known for solidarity and brotherhood, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) stands almost alone among labor unions, even as 4,400 of its members walk the picket line.

The Northwest Airlines Corp. mechanics and cleaners who went on strike Saturday are the first workers at a major U.S. airline to hit the picket line in seven years. But, despite major upheaval in the industry where many pilots, flight attendants and other workers have had to make concessions in pay and benefits, the striking workers are finding little support from other unions.

AMFA, which grew in recent years by winning members away from other unions, is an outsider in the labor movement. ``They are a go-it-alone union. They are proud of that,'' said Richard Bank, director of collective bargaining with the AFL-CIO. ``They made their living raiding AFL-CIO affiliates with that message. So it's rather surprising to see them now calling for solidarity with their cause.''

But what happens to AMFA and its Northwest mechanics could have a broad impact on organized labor and the airline industry, well beyond Northwest Airlines, according to labor experts.

more: http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=5&ID=238951&r=0

[TahitiNut]

1. Divide and conquer. Infiltrate and sabotage.

We're a looong way down that path ... and it's unlikely we'll find our way back without MAJOR woes.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. The AFL-CIO seems to be playing alow with that strategy

[koopie57]

2. This disturbs me

it is not the time to start fighting one another. Workers need to stick together now or we might not have a chance to work out our differences in the future. I can't imagine any comment that would bring more joy to NWA. My husband is a union worker and I was hoping we could get down there to walk the picket line with them. Workers are getting screwed right and left and the only way to stop it is by solidarity. My old boss always said, "Watch out for the guy below you so you don't have to watch out for yourself." I guess that sounds odd, but the context of it was we were talking about some people getting raises and others complaining that they didn't deserve it. He said, never complain about someone getting a raise and a benefit. He said use that to support your request for a raise. Well, it made sense at the time.

And also, how can outsourcing the mechanical maintenance of our airplanes be helping our security? They keep babies off cuz of their name, but let foreign workers tend to the upkeep of our planes.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. I think that you are confusing 'outsourcing' with 'offshoreing'

The former refers to sending work out to other companies, the latter refers to sending the work to other countries.

[DS1]

5. Perhaps it's because everyone hates everything about Northwest

and they're possibly the suckiest airline in existence, outside of Tower Air

[sidpleasant]

6. So the AFL-CIO is helping management screw workers?

''They made their living raiding AFL-CIO affiliates with that message. So it's rather surprising to see them now calling for solidarity with their cause.''

Here's a message for Richard "Too Stupid to Graduate From A School For Retarded Fish" Bank: settle your juvenile pissing match with the AMFA some other time, you must stand with your brother workers at Northwest NOW.

Someone on Al Franken's show pointed out that Northwest is crying poverty and demanding $175M in wage reductions from the machinists' union, yet The New York Times reported that Northwest spent $100M to hire and train non - union "temporary" workers as part of a scheme to ride out a strike.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. But those workers made the mistake of joining a 'bad' union'

So now everyone, except for Northwest's management, loses.

[Zomby Woof]

8. The AFL-CIO has the worst top brass next to the Teamsters

I always ally with the rank and file, the WORKERS. But union brass can often be as awful as the company management they are supposed to organize against. I don't blame AMFA for recruiting others to join them, for they know the AFL-CIO is a fish rotting from the head down.

[Xithras]

9. Not everyone is ignoring it.

Our chapter has sent out two emails reminding members to avoid purchasing tickets with Northwest for this very reason. AMFA may not be a mainline union, but many people are avoiding Northwest out of principle until this is settled. I may not agree with AMFA's history or tactics, but I'm not going to insult them by crossing their picket line.