Now this just blows my mind!!

[bribri16]

I just heard on Lou Dobbs that a main part of the strike agains Northwestern is to keep the airline from outsourcing the mechanical servicing of the fleet. It appears that the airline wants outsource more of the maintenance to SINGAPORE!!! One of the strikers pointed out that they and their families fly on the planes that they service and makes for better security and safety. Mechanics servicing the planes in Singapor don't fly on these planes and therefore there are huge questions about safety and security.

I confess, I didn't know this was an issue. I am really amazed.

[NMDemDist2]

1. Ed Schulz has been talking about this for weeks, and it's not just

Northwestern either! Delta and Continental have outsourced a bunch of the maintenance of their planes too.

[ironman202]

4. South West and whatever Valujet calls itself now

does it in Honduras...

[medeak]

10. oops.. you're right...

It is Honduras... I said S. America. Honduras has to be worse!

Husband flew on Tan Sansa out of Honduras... every seat had different upholstery.

[napi21]

18. AirTran is the new name for ValuJet. n/t

[graywarrior]

2. They outsourced mechanical work on Airforce One

if I am correct. I forgot to who, tho.

[bribri16]

8. No shit??? n/t

[corkhead]

3. I know a NW mechanic

who told me they have ALREADY been sending planes to the far east for service and rebuild. He said they had seen planes with serious problems and were surprised they made the trip back across the Atlantic.

[rodeodance]

12. my brother lost his mechanic job at their layoffs a few years ago in MPLS

--yes--outsoursing was it!!

[Glenda]

5. I know Lou Dobbs HATES outsourcing...

He also just mentioned how appalled he is about the number fudging of HS graduation rates (and he seems pro-education in general).

Thank you No Child Left Behind! :sarcasm:

[medeak]

6. Southwest outsources to South America n/t

[Krupskaya]

7. There's a "maintenance operation" in NC...

...that has undocumented immigrants with fake licenses working on planes. How's that make ya feel?

[comsymp]

20. Couple points

First, that "maintenance operation" (love the quotes) is one of the leading Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities in the world, with several thousand employees in facilities all over the country, and a very highly esteemed, multimillion $$ Engineering division.

Second, and more important - that was a ginned-up scary story by the MSCM. The whole incident was blown way the fook out of proportion. Essentially, little more than the typical "BOOGA-BOOGA! Film at 11" bit of sensationalism that local stations love to run. Wish I had a copy of the scathing letter the company's president wrote them about it....

[Krupskaya]

21. What's ginned up about 27 arrests?

nt

[comsymp]

23. Well, the fact that many (most?)

were custodial ppl who had absolutely no access to the planes -- don't recall that being mentioned in the story... or the fact that, of the rest, most of the illegals actually *had* legitimate licenses... or the fact that the staffing agency that provided the contractors was the one that took the hit from the Feds, not the MRO... that kind of thing.

Like I said, booga-booga.

[Krupskaya]

24. The story I saw said they all worked in aircraft maintenance.

Also, six of the workers were direct TIMCO employees.

[comsymp]

25. Six sounds about right... did the story mention their average longevity?

IIRC, avg was several (5+) years. Again, IIRC.
And they definitely weren't all maintenance. (i personally know of at least 4 who were custodial)

[Krupskaya]

26. Taken as one example...

...sure, this can be seen as a small thing. I see you talking it down because it is just one small example and you personally know people involved. I see myself talking it up because I see it as where this industry, and, soon, other unionized industries, will go if we let them.

When it comes down to it, I don't see us disagreeing. But I could be wrong.

[comsymp]

27. You're definitely not wrong

In fact, I'm in full agreement with you about the overall picture, and would have let your comments stand without a response had it not been for the quotes around "maintenance operation" in your post upthread, to which I inferred a shady connotation.

IIRC, that bust was part of a larger sweep which netted many, many illegal residents in all sorts of mfg businesses in the Triad. Of course, it only takes one....

As to all the problems inherent in businesses offshoring, this should be of serious concern to all Americans.

[Krupskaya]

29. The quote marks were a bit much.

nt

[Alcibiades]

9. The industry will keep on doing this

until people make enough noise about it, or until one of their planes go down.

[countingbluecars]

11. Wow! This makes me wonder

how national security is being compromised by other companies. We put up with losing individual rights under the Patriot Act, and big business just worries about the big profit.

[rodeodance]

13. yes, you got it.

[lonestarnot]

14. Not amazed by anything these days. Nothing!

[koopie57]

15. If the maintenance of our planes

is outsourced (I too have heard that it is), what is stopping terrorists from being hired as a mechanic? It seems to me that the only way we will be safe is if everyone in the US starts working together. And I don't mean the "spy on your neighbor stuff", but paying airline workers top wage, police, border patrols, teachers. Take some of that homeland security money and use it where it can make a big difference. Just seems like this war in Iraq costing us so much money isn't going to make us safer.

[Postman]

16. Capitalism will destroy itself.

Their lust for more, more , more will kill them all in the end.

[BlueJac]

17. Yes

The US mechanics say the foreign mechanics are not subject to drug testing. Fly at you own risk. Ye Ha :smoke:

[mcscajun]

19. I have problems with outsourcing and offshoring...but let's clarify...

...outsourcing is to an external company, while offshoring is sending the work overseas to either an internal subsidiary/department or an external company. Outsourcing is a problem, but it's also routine, and the jobs are still in this country.

My bigger problem is with offshoring, and that opposition dates back well before I lost my job to that particular practice.

The mechanics in all likelihood have many and sound reasons for opposing this in addition to just their own livelihoods going overseas to others.

Working conditions, regulation and oversight and tax implications are markedly different outside the US; this is of course, one of the reasons the pay scales are lower, but it's also the major reason overhead costs are lower, and profits higher...short term. Some firms that jumped on the bandwagon early are beginning to see the long term costs and inconveniences, and are pulling some jobs back, something that's good to see. Unfortunately, it's going to take some major debacles to even slow down the progress of offshoring.

It's not something that can be stopped because all borders are porous now, capital flows to the 'best return', and however much we hate it, so long as the oil still flows, globalization works for the rich...and to some extent, raises the standards for some in other countries at our expense. Watch out once the oil crunch really intensifies ...globalization will begin its retreat as markets collapse.

None of its pretty, and all of it is likely. Damn it's depressing. :(

[spanone]

22. They are busting another union. God forbid American co's. pay employees

anything remotely fair.

[newportdadde]

28. Hope they offshore maintence better then computer code.

Because I can't tell you how many times I have had to clean up a mess that was caused by an offshore programmer. Simple crap like.. ow forgetting to check if code had changed in 6 months using an old copy and wiping out all the changes... Simply put, they don't give a shit, they have no company loyalty and they are rushed and just shrug their shoulders.

I'd say at this point, the odds of a successful change by an offshore resource is maybe 30%. I hope they do better on the planes.