UNITED WE BARGAIN DIVIDED WE BEG
OK comcom meeting seems that with the change in wording to be able to bid the Machine shop you now have to meet certain criteria not just being in JF1. I know here in the avionics shop they are trying to get the same thing done. They want you to have past electronic experience even if you are in JF1 or not.
So what I am hearing here is for just the machine shop for now if you bid out and take any job family 1 job and you decide to bid back you have to start all the way at the bottom of the pay scale again. I am not sure if it is bottom of the Sr amt pay scale or start over at the bottom of the Jr amt pay scale. This is already happening to one guy who bid out of the machine shop I understand. If anyone has anymore info on this please comment on here.(read the comcom minutes A13 ) One day they may make it if you leave from any job family 1 job to another you will start at the bottom I would not put that past them.
You see this is why I have been trying for so long to get us together and get our own class and craft. Our own people have no idea what rule that are already gray in our handbook can be changed completely at the stroke of a pen. I have always had a problem with one guy who got into a bad situation and his punishment handed down and there is no recorded history of this. Now it happens to another amt the exact same thing and a whole new punishment can be laid down for the same thing! We are losing our way of doing things around here that we did for all these years. They are now throwing you a little bone at 3% raise in October. It's pretty funny considering they have always announced the raise in October and you would not see that raise until March the next year. I have seen us only get back our jump seat and best raises while the threat of a union loomed over this company for the last 8 years. I have tried to warn you people that it is only going to get worse and worse for us. Rumor has it our insurance rates are either going to go way up again or they may just stop it (they do make money off of our insurance) and have us go to Obama care! I hate rumors but I have seen the rumors become reality more and more so it has to be noted here.
It is easier on the company the less we move around and with the new job descriptions happening that is a very easy way to keep us in our jobs or you have to start all over again.
I said I am only going to October 1st on this collecting cards then I am done and with that the threat of any union is gone and that is a fact.Those of you who don't believe that due to 8 years of not giving up and the chance that we would eventually get a union has not slowed them down from taking more we will soon find out. I am sorry to all of you who have stood with me all these years and never gave up like me,their is a time you have to say enough is enough that our amt's just don't get it!!! It is not over I am just putting out the truth to you all. Someone may come behind me and pick up again but I know I would never do it again.
This has all been about your futures here at FedEx not mine! I am old enough to go on my own and retire because it use to be a big company's benefits was the reason you stayed as long as you wanted. Our benefits have gotten down to where we are the lowest paid in the airline industry and you can get the same insurance working in corporate aviation. I know this because I checked it out. Yes we get paid a good hourly pay but so does UPS and they get much more per hour than us but they have the best health and retirement package in the industry and that is just not fair. We all do the exact same thing and most amt's who will not sign a card must be happy with that. It is the only explanation that I have that this blog and the card collecting has not been talked about at all here in Memphis.
No one here talks to the other guys about this. One guy in one shop on the line told me he doesn't even know any of the line guys anymore. That should not matter! you should bring up to the next guy what do you think about all that has happened over the years here. I hear we are collecting cards to get out own class and craft. Make sure you tell other amt's we are doing this. Boy if it was a rumor that Joe Blow got fired that would spread like wild fire yet a drive that is going on to help save our class and craft goes nowhere. I wanted to stop on July 4th, that was the one year anniversary of collecting started. We go only 500 cards. I was asked to extend it to October and I said I would. Now unless our AMT's start talking to each other and get the word out to sign a card and send it in I am afraid the worst is only going to begin once this ends.
I will go to the line one day next week and make sure they do know about it so they can't say I did not hear anything. I will post what we are doing in the break rooms I can get to. I want to feel I have tried everything in my power to let here in Memphis know this is happening now. Memphis holds the key. I know they are collecting them in the Hangers I was told but that is not the line.
IF we have no way of communicating then they have us by the balls. I don't know how we can have over 50,000 hits on here and them telling me they didn't know about it, that does not make any sense. either start talking to each other this will end I will apologize to the company for doing something the majority obviously feels they don't want or care about because that is the way I operate. thank you
9 comments:
Key Steps to Getting to 1250 Cards Signed
1. Tom cannot do this alone from this web portal. Others MUST get off their rear ends and actually help out at their respective ocation. Especially MEM and IND.
2. As many folks as possible must talk to your co-workers. This is the first step. Do many of you share the same concerns? Determine your top five or so issues. Is there a common theme such as lack of respect and dignity; no input with management; unfair, arbitrary treatment or favoritism. For example, find out how are cut rate health plan is beginning to treat folks.Write them up on a list.
3. We need to build a committee. The committee should be representative of our craft and class. Building a strong inside organizing committee is critical to building the majority support that you will need to establish OUR association.
•Ideally, the number of AMTs on our committee should be at least 5%10 percent of the workforce or 125 AMTs.
4. Build majority support. After we have built our committee and honed key issues (and there are many), we need to talk openly with folks, discussing issues, and building up support for the association. This begins the “public” phase of our campaign. Through one-on-one discussions with AMTs in our workplace, our location captains need to evaluate the support that exists for our drive around our key issues. Remember, that even though this is the “public” part of our campaign, try to restrict your discussions about our association to breaks in non-working locations (break rooms), or away from company property.
5. We need more vocal advocates in MEM and IND (not just card signers). Get active and we can get this done.
All excellent strategies......but we must first find/get 1250+ cards ASAP or you have nothing to fight for without majority support.
I believe these strategies are being suggested to get to 1250 - which will be enough to get us before the NMlB.
So you're telling us, all the take aways, the refusal of replacing a substantial number of amts in the field (which would turn into other openings/jobs elsewhere), the blatant disrespect and strong arming of management techniques, along with so many other issues I'm leaving out, isn't enough to "motivate" almost the entire 2400+ to sign a card to explore better working conditions/benefits???
That is what boggles the 500 or so that did sign cards, that causes us to worry about this endeavor.......by October!!
Just reading the FedEx Freight organizing blog - https://www.facebook.com/FXFEteamsters.
Congrats to these guys for taking some action to protect themselves. They have filed petitions to organize about 300 drivers at three terminals around Philadelphia in the last couple of weeks. Looks like more are going to fall in other areas as well.
Every increase over the last several years with our premiums jacked up and hidden (5%, 5.9%, 5%) can be attributed to Tom's drive. Think about all the employees who have received nothing or close to nothing in terms of bumps.
This is just one great example. The company, however, can only do so much. They can't do anything about our shitty new health plan or our crap pension.
We all owe Tom for what he has been doing. He has gotten us all solid increases over the years and the company has he off on countless other take aways because of his efforts.
Just think what we could if half of us got energized.
I truly believe the whole problem is the communication amongst our fellow amt's is the reason. I personally told a guy in Avionics line in Memphis a year ago we were collecting cards and I never got one card from that shop. When I was in that shop I got almost 92% so when I called him again and asked if he knew we were still collecting he said once again he did not know. I told him personally again so I will make a trip over there myself to hand out cards. He said to me that they don't know anyone on the line anymore so no one is talking to each other about this.
I am so amazed that we are the only airline that has no kind of Organization in one form or another (our own voted in committee members first) A question was asked what union would we use if we collect the cards. That to me is not what is important right now. I believe we first have to get the NMB to put on record that we the Aircraft mechanics deserve to be in our own class and craft. If this get's accomplished then the GSE guys can fight for the same thing if they chose.
My biggest reason for all of this is due to our rules and regulations are so skewed that one punishment to one person is never the same for another. When jobs are posted, why does management have all the time in the world to run the list so we know what is happening in real time. All rulings needs to be put in ink and when a judgement comes down we have that to go by on other rulings. If anyone thinks that handbook committee is doing us any good you better wake up. Remember that management has the upper hand with the deciding vote.
I need the guys in Memphis to stop being shy or ignorant to the fact you think the other guy knows about this. I found the last drive people depended on that so many others are pissed they will send in the cards needed and they don't have to. We are a strange group of guys and personality's that are very different but we have the same problems here. Medical will get worse and this raise does not touch what we have lost.
Thank you guys for always being there and I pray that the rest of our brothers and sisters get it this time.
Hello all. I am a UAL AMT currently represented by the Teamsters. I came upon this site accidentally but find your frustration familiar. I applaud your attempt to bring in a labor union. It's the right thing to do. Sadly, the Teamsters are not the right union. I have been under three unions, the IAM, IBT and AMFA. I have to say if you want a union for and by AMTs, AMFA is the best choice. They were the best of the three here at UAL and hopefully soon we will launch our own card drive to remove the failing ibt and replace them with a democratic and transparent union. Currently AA/US Air are in the midst of a AMFA card drive due to the frustration of their industrial union. After they succeed I expect ours to start. I would be glad to share any information with you all. We are after all, in this together. GT Davis
Just a follow up on my last comment. I am a part of a group who wishes to bring AMFA back. I also provide a newsletter and have an extensive email list to inform my fellow AMTs. Currently we are working on a U.S.A. AMT pay scale chart to share. We created one about three years ago but it has changed quite a bit since then. FedEx is our last input and I cannot find any info. Is there someone that can help me out? I will be happy to share it with you all when completed. You may email me at denvermech@gmail.com. Thanks in advance. GT Davis
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