Teamsters, Machinists Union Battle Set at United

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10498671/1/teamsters-machinists-union-battle-set-at-united.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN

05/08/09 - 12:44 PM EDT
Ted Reed

Two of the country's biggest unions are preparing to wage an internecine battle, as they contest the labor affiliation of mechanics at United(UAUA Quote).

The International Association of Machinists said Friday it will attempt to organize the workers, currently members of the Teamsters. About 5,550 mechanics work at United, with about 3,500 more on furlough.

"A broad-based coalition of these United employees came to us and indicated they wanted to be Machinists," says Robert Roach, IAM general vice president. "We did not seek this out. They came to us."

The IAM and the Teamsters don't like each other much, and on Friday they accused one another of periodically raiding one another's members. "We expect no less from the Machinists," said Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope. "They've been attempting to undercut the Teamsters and poach our members for decades."

The United mechanics have a complicated representation history. Longtime members of the IAM, they shifted to a renegade union, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, after a 2003 election.

Subsequently, AMFA suffered a severe blow to its image after staging a disastrous 2005 strike against Northwest: Most of its Northwest members lost their jobs as a result. In a 2008 election, the Teamsters ousted AMFA at United. "The Teamsters came after them without any conversation with us," Roach said.

FULL 2 page story at link.