Big Rat Flees Sinking AFA Titanic

Smell the Coffee – Time to Wake Up to AFA Blunders and Take Back our Careers

National Mediation Board Reprimands AFA-CWA on voter fraud; Says “Knock Off Deception”

In a rare move, and citing extraordinary circumstances, the NMB issued a warning to AFA-CWA for deceiving the Delta flight attendants in the representational campaign. The NMB has also sent letters to the homes of Delta flight attendants, warning them of AFA-CWA’s misleading practices. Wasted tax dollars follow wasted dues dollars to correct yet another AFA blunder. View the NMB letter here: http://www.nmb.gov/representation/deter2008/35n042.pdf

This recent gaffe was just another in a long history of AFA missteps, misrepresentations and outright lies in pursuit of the almighty dues dollar:

2006 - AFA-CWA serves up a helping of Red Herring

In an AFA-CWA NWA approved representational campaign flyer AFA chief attorney, David Borer, says this in regards to foreign outsourcing:

“And, now that Northwest management has gotten off the issue, we have to ask if it was a ‘stalking horse’ all along. In other words, did management put this on the table precisely because they knew it would be inflammatory, and distract PFAA and the other flight attendants from the other important issues?”

2007 – AFA-CWA employs the Hard Sell and questionable ethics

In May, the NWA flight attendant contract gets voted in by a suspiciously delayed vote with a minimal margin. Almost 500 votes are thrown out. Many flight attendants who vote yes say they need the equity claim money that AFA used to “sell” TA3. The equity claim was negotiated by PFAA and was in all three TAs. Shortly after NWA emerges from bankruptcy, ALPA negotiates improvements to the pilots’ contract. Imagine what our power would have been if AFA-CWA hadn’t forced TA 3 down our throats.

Months since our quality of life has been demolished: 12

The same negotiators (Bruce Retrum, Lovey Offerle and James Young) that negotiated TA3 with the “strategic direction” of attorney David Borer are still on staff at NWA AFA-CWA and have been on the payroll since well before TA3 was barely voted in. What have they done to improve your contract for you and your family? Have they justified their salaries and lucrative expense accounts by providing you anything of value? How long will you continue to condone their malfeasance and incompetence? Why does Kevin Griffin refuse to file major contract grievances against the company? Has he gotten too cozy with management?

May 14, 2008 – AFA-CWA employs management tactics in attempt to increase their coffers

AFA sends out the following statement in a hotline:

“Delta executives CAN do something about employee wages and benefits and the largest cost savings there would be is using foreign nationals on our international flights.”

“That buys our executives time, time to get foreign nationals into place and on the line. This would also give them time to reduce our workforce to the bare minimum needed to fly routes within the USA. By the time we could organize another election - with card signing and all that entails - we will have foreign nationals on the payroll and Delta/NWA flight attendants off the payroll.”

So, which is it AFA? Were the Northwest flight attendants and PFAA correct over 2 years ago in drawing the line to secure scope language and labor protection provisions? Are you finally figuring it out this late in the game? Or are you now employing the very management scare tactics that you previously decried to advance your own shameless money grab?

A big rat flees the sinking AFA Titanic

May 21, 2008 – It’s not enough

After two years of this bulk email telling you about the misdeeds and destruction of our careers on the watch of AFA and their sponsored attorney, David Borer, Borer announces his resignation.

Borer’s resignation is NOT enough. Let’s go for the “full Monty.” Remember, it was the self-serving AFA bureaucracy that allowed Borer to participate in and orchestrate the destruction of our careers, with the full support and endorsement of Pat Friend and several of the LEC Presidents. Those same folks have since done nothing for the Northwest flight attendants because they are too busy spending their time organizing Delta. We have the power.

Wake up and smell the coffee or keep sleeping and lose on the gains.

Sincerely,
Jose A. Ibarra