Another IAM Hypocrite
In
the quintessential embodiment of all that is wrong with corrupt unions and
their duplicitous, hypocritical, thuggish supporters, today IAM campaigner and
former NWA union dues dodger Steve Cox demonstrated perfectly what life would
be like for anyone who deigns to ask legitimate questions of their union
leadership. Ironically, Cox and the Machinists are campaigning on a platform of
“Voice”, “Respect” and “Mature Relationship”, but have been unable to display
those characteristics in addressing their peers or those they seek to
represent.
Rather
than responding intelligently, respectfully or articulately to my legitimate
questions surrounding allegations of IAM corruption, nepotism, incompetence and
performance failures (many of which are documented here: http://www.bootbuffy.com/),
Cox opted for an over-emotional, under-intelligent tactic of resurrecting a
five-year old libelous letter written by another union “supporter”.
Cox
announced his recycled “revelation” on a social media page with this
disjointed, barely comprehensible statement:
“The self appointed blogger to all things Delta. But did
he have your best interests at heart when he was in the union? This was how our
union worked for us. A Secretary Treasurer who did his job and ensured that the
other officers did their job too. Bravo.”
Of
course, Cox failed to post the reply I had written at the time. According to
him and some of the more easily fooled, easily agitated IAM supporters (who
have piled on to his attacks like good little thugs do), the libel and
defamation are true, simply because someone wrote them down. And as folks like
that are wont to do, they have appointed themselves judge and jury without ever
hearing my response to the false allegations and ridiculous innuendos.
There is no due process with people like this. There is no due process and
there are no individual rights. You are either with them or you are against
them and the only thing worse than having to deal with their current behavior,
would be to elect them to union positions where we would actually have to pay
for this “service”.
The
campaign that spawned the original attack was different (it was AFA at the
time), but the thuggishness, and mean-spirited personal attacks remain the
same. The take-aways from Cox’s inexplicable and immature response to my
legitimate questions today are:
1.
Do not ask the Machinists or their supporters any questions about the
IAM’s record, history or service to its members. If you dare to bring up
anything negative about the IAM, they will launch personal attacks against your
character.
2.
The Machinist campaign and IAM International have no problem whatsoever
with their supporters personally attacking Delta flight attendants. Several key
IAM supporters have piled on to the attack that Cox has launched. Others have
silently condoned this behavior, just as they have when other individuals were
attacked “in the cause of the campaign’ over the past three years. I hope you
enjoy these attacks and this negativity because it will only get worse if they
win election.
3.
Not one person – not a single person shilling for the Machinists union
can provide any legitimate answers about IAM’s dues, negotiations, track
record, Constitution, or anything else that would help flight attendants make
an informed balloting decision. They can’t because they have spent the past
three years gossiping and attacking Delta flight attendants, rather than
performing the due diligence required to make a smart decision.
4.
This IAM campaign will fail, just like the AFA campaign before it
failed. And it will be undone in the same manner, by the same bitter
individuals, who can’t help but use the cover of their ideology as an excuse to
attack fellow flight attendants.
The
original lie-filled letter that Steve Cox foolishly and childishly chose to
resurrect today was written five years ago by then AFA (now IAM) supporter Gary
Helton. At that time, Helton’s letter was posted on a bunch of secret social
media sites and emailed between the AFA campaigners (although Helton never
mustered the courage to send it directly to me). In an eerie Deja’ vu, Cox not
only resurrected the letter, but the cowardly delivery method (posting it on
social media, like some gossipy seven year old).
Below
is my five year old response to the original letter. Other than changing the
letters “AFA” to “IAM”, my response still stands (no, Helton never replied).
It’s the same old angry, disgruntled people taking the same old angry,
disgruntled actions. These aren’t the agents of positive change or the
protectors of flight attendants, or this company, that they would have you
believe.
August
22, 2010
The Real AFA Culture, Scott Braxton & Gary Helton
Posted
on my BLOG: http://joseaibarra.blogspot.com/
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RankFile/cbf9421de6/TEST/8a64c667b6>
Recently,
AFA Safety and Security Co-Chair Gary Helton (PMNW LAX flight attendant) wrote
a blistering, fiction-filled letter attacking me for any number of alleged
misappropriations/misdeeds during my tenure with our former union, PFAA. His
diatribe was so emotional, over the top and inaccurate that I’m surprised he
didn’t blame me for global warming, the current recession, and for killing
puppies, kitties and bunnies in my spare time.
I
responded and set the record straight, reminding Gary that aside from his
outrageous and false accusations, that this upcoming representational election
is not about me, but about AFA and its ghastly record of failure.
Nevertheless,
his libelous letter (without my response) continues to be emailed and
disseminated, and whether he recognizes it or not, I may yet hold him and those
who pass it responsible for damages. As I pointed out to Gary, I keep all of my
records, receipts and emails, and unlike some of the highly questionable
expenditures by AFA, I can defend my past expenses and reimbursements.
Since
then, DTW flight attendant and former DTW AFA LEC President Scott Braxton has
used Gary’s letter to smear my name and question my credibility. Most of you
probably don’t recognize the name Braxton ... he was nothing more than a
temporary placeholder appointment in 2006 (by AFA International President Pat
Friend), and was quickly rejected by the Detroit flight attendants when he
sought election to office later that year. And while he has no record of
official accomplishments, in his short tenure he did manage to inflict some
serious damage. At Pat Friend's urging he voted to surrender the NWA flight
attendants' right to strike shortly after the rejection of AFA Tentative
Agreement 2 (July/August 2006), effectively removing any leverage we had at the
negotiations table. Following his campaign defeat, he also voted to reward
himself with a full month of severance pay out of the membership's treasury
after a mere four months of holding office.
Many
of you, however, may recognize Braxton by his online persona, AverageJoe. In
fact, Braxton runs the AverageJoe website. And while AverageJoe (Scott Braxton)
claims to be some sort of authority, he doesn’t have the courage to put his
name on his emails or his website (where he frequently runs political sleaze
campaigns on AFA’s behalf). In fact Braxton even changed the registration
information for the averagejoe website to try to cover up his connection with
it. This is unfortunate, because that lack of conviction undermines his
credibility, almost as much as the error riddled emotional rants he sends out.
But then again, this is the same AverageJoe (Scott Braxton) who has portrayed
fellow flight attendants as Nazis and terrorists – and whether average or below
average, who would want their name tied to that sort of slimy behavior?
In
the past, when flight attendants were in contract negotiations at the height of
bankruptcy, Braxton thought it somehow “smart” to portray union leaders as
stooges on his website – at just the time the flight attendants needed unity
and solidarity the most. More recently, in July 2009 (shortly before AFA
originally filed for the representational election), AverageJoe (Braxton)
posted a video on his website portraying Delta and Northwest flight attendants
as, and labeling Delta management as, fascists and Nazis. Braxton’s
characterizations were idiotic and racist, as well as grossly insulting to the
millions who suffered and died under the Nazi regime before and during World
War II. In response, Inflight Services Vice President Joanne Smith contacted
NWA AFA MEC President Janette Rook, asking her to work with the company to
repudiate Braxton’s offensive video. Rook (one of AverageJoe’s frequent posters
in the past) replied that she contacted Braxton to remove the video. That
action in itself admits complicity as it demonstrates that Braxton acts on
AFA’s orders.
Link here to see Joanne’s letter.
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2256884/joannesmithlettertoafa-pdf-september-22-2010-8-08-am-32k?da=y <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RankFile/cbf9421de6/TEST/6f8b532f38/da=y>
Link here to see Janette’s reply.
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2256885/janetterookandaveragejoe-pdf-september-22-2010-8-08-am-32k?da=y <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RankFile/cbf9421de6/TEST/432bc0dda2/da=y>
In
the past, Braxton has altered the content of his website per instructions from
the AFA legal staff, among others. And this is the same Scott Braxton, who
crowed during AFA “leadership” training that he was an “AFA warrior” bent on
attacking leaders of the former union with the intent of destroying their
reputations and credibility.
Scott
Braxton is now running for LEC president of DTW Council 94, one of the largest
councils in AFA. It would indeed be a scary proposition if he should win office
and the not so coincidental resurgence of his attacks against individual dues
paying AFA members demonstrates just how eager he is to get in the good graces
of Pat Friend, who has already demonstrated her penchant for attacking
individual flight attendants when she encouraged union officials to make up
lies about Kate Day after Kate resigned her position as the AFA LEC president
of SFO. Pat, Scott and now Gary certainly are birds of a feather.
While
I hoped I wouldn’t have to blast my reply to Gary Helton out via my bulk email
list, because of Scott Braxton I am now compelled to do so. AFA (and especially
Gary) can thank Braxton for the added exposure (something Gary should be
familiar with).
Here is my response.
Gary Helton (AFA Air Safety, Health & Security Committee &
Purser Committee)
By
now, many of you have already read the delusional rant posted here and
addressed to me by NWA AFA Safety Co-Chair Gary Helton, and have probably been
waiting for my response.
Here
it is:
I
would proudly defend my record of integrity, success and labor on behalf of the
flight attendant group against NWA AFA’s ghastly register of incompetence,
corruption and failure any day and any time. And while the upcoming election is
NOT about me, but about AFA and their inability to successfully represent
flight attendants on almost all levels, given Gary¹s outrageous accusations, I
am compelled to respond.
With
that said, I have absolutely no intention of picking apart Gary’s diatribe line
by line, however, I must point out to Gary and everyone else Gary has copied
his email to truths that Gary knows but chooses to deny.
Gary
alleges that I falsified reimbursement records during PFAA’s (former
independent NWA flight attendant union 2003 to July 2006) tenure while I serve
as the interim Vice President. This is an absolute lie and I not only have
complete records to disprove his libelous statements, but when examined
closely, it isn’t even a coherent argument. Gary served as PFAA’s interim
Secretary Treasurer; as such he was primarily responsible for the union’s
finances, and thus oversaw reimbursements. This begs the questions: Why wait
until seven years later to make accusations? Given his past fiduciary
responsibility, why didn’t he file internal union charges against me at the
time? If we are to believe that Gary’s ridiculous allegations are true, then we
must also whole-heartedly embrace the undeniable fact that Gary failed in his
primary responsibility to the NWA flight attendants during his term as PFAA
Interim Secretary Treasurer: that of safeguarding the members' treasury. The
fact is that my expenses were approved as submitted by not only the McCormick
Group, but by the PFAA President and legal team.
On
the other hand, perhaps Gary should examine AFA’s expenditures and
reimbursements and just to give him a head start, I’ll post a couple of
suggestions to boost his fact-finding mission:
***
Were our AFA union dues well spent when AFA International President Pat Friend
decided to reward MEM LEC President Shawn Fivecoat with an all expense paid
African safari in 2006, following AFA’s victory at Northwest? How did that
promote the flight attendant profession? Is AFA expanding representation to
tigers, lions and zebras?
***
In 2007, after NWA management announced a summer incentive program for the
flight attendant group, the NWA AFA MEC decided that they were missing out on
extra pay, and decided to give themselves bonuses. After great membership
outrage, most returned the money, but some including current MEC President
Janette Rook and former MEC President Kevin Griffin never did. Given that
these elected and appointed officers knew exactly how much they would earn
serving in official positions, how could they have possibly believed they
deserved a summer incentive bonus, when they were doing the same job,
regardless of the season?
***
What about the secret payout that AFA received from NWA after forcing TA 3 on
the NWA flight attendants? How come there was never a full disclosure of that
payout?
***
What about the NWA strike fund that flight attendants had to donate to? That’s
right our dues don’t cover expenses when times get tough and AFA came to us
soliciting donations in the midst of winning us 40% reductions in pay, benefits
and work rules. Just like an insurance policy that won’t pay out when your roof
leaks because it starts raining. AFA never provided its members a full
accounting of the monies it took in and what happened to those funds. Where are
they? Who has them? We never went on strike, so we know the money wasn’t spent
on its intended purpose.
***
Most NWA Local AFA LECs have operated well over budget since 2006, some as much
as 300 percent over budget. This is a direct breach of the AFA Constitution.
When will we the dues paying members receive an explanation for this
continued malfeasance, and when can we expect AFA to enforce its own
Constitution and put an end to wasteful spending? For example, the SFO LEC is
sponsoring an all expense bowling and free drinks night in September how
exactly would a drunken stampede in a bowling alley protect and enforce our
contract? Wouldn’t it be wiser to spend this money on AFA’s failed grievance
and arbitration procedures?
***
By the way Gary, as long as you’re casting blame, here’s a dose of reality for
you: when you attacked me from your AFA email account, you used union
resources to attack a dues paying member. And the attack was personal, Gary. It
wasn’t even a discussion of the issue at hand. This is yet another example of
AFA’s “shoot the messenger” mentality, their inability to foster two-way
communications . . . and of your own cowardice. Do you think that your attempt
to discredit me in any way absolves AFA of its misdeeds? It especially does not
change the fact that AFA has been unable to win increases in pay and benefits
that other unions have won for their members.
In
a complete denial of reality and fact, Gary also accuses me of causing the
downfall of PFAA - believe me, if I had that sort of power I wouldn’t be
wasting my time posting rebuttals on websites.
But
just to remind Gary and everyone else for that matter of the truth, we have
to look back to 2003, when PFAA was elected to replace Teamsters (Local 2000)
as the NWA flight attendants’ union.
As
many of you may remember, the Teamsters ran an ugly campaign of smears and lies
(much like AFA’s 2005-2006 campaign) in a desperate attempt to retain
representation rights, and what they described as a “cash cow” of dues.
Following their loss, NWA Teamster (Local 2000) Trustee Mollie Reiley (later
NWA AFA interim MEC President) sent a final hotline to the Northwest flight
attendants, promoting the non-payment of dues to PFAA. Simultaneously, NWA
management decided (prompted from a letter by Reiley) to not enforce portions
of the Union Shop and Dues Checkoff Section of the contract, in spite of the
contract’s Section 1 Recognition, Scope and Job Security “successorship”
clause. These acts of arrogance and stupidity began a struggle to create a well-financed
organization to defend and protect the NWA flight attendants. And while in 2005
the company eventually relented and enforced the entire section, approximately
ten percent of the membership never paid dues until forced thus creating a
permanent crack in PFAA’s foundation. Ironically, some of those people would
later hold office at AFA, including MEM LEC President Fivecoat, NYC LEC
President Josh Zivick, and MEC Grievance Chair Greg Riffle.
Questions
for Gary: Did Reiley’s, Fivecoat’s, Zivick’s and Riffle’s actions promote
unionism, or dissention and ignorance? Should we trust leaders whose sunshine
unionism dims so easily? Do they really have our best interests at heart, or
just their own?
Regarding
PFAA’s loss to AFA, Gary should also remember that Northwest filed bankruptcy
in 2005, and on that very same day AFA President Friend aided by none other
than Reiley, Fivecoat, and former Local 2000 President Danny Campbell
initiated a raid on PFAA. That’s correct; at the very worst possible time when
the union needed the most possible support, “unionists” Friend, Reiley,
Fivecoat and Campbell began their campaign of smears and broken promises in the
midst of bankruptcy and contract negotiations. And for that win, and for all of
their subsequent “success,” we remain tied to a draconian contract that AFA,
its so-called “experienced attorneys, negotiations experts, award-winning
communications department, and bottomless pockets of parent union CWA” is
either unable or unwilling to enforce.
And
while it’s all but pointless to discuss my loss in my campaign for PFAA
President in late 2003, I must point out that at least with PFAA the membership
had a democratic right to elect all of their officers and representatives. As
for AFA, aside from democratically elected local base leadership, the
membership does NOT get to vote for their MEC officers and negotiators, they’re
appointed. In fact, it is well known that these positions serve at Pat
Friend’s will through her strong-arming of the LEC Presidents. (Of course,
members do NOT get to vote for International officers, either.) And maybe, just
maybe, that is the true impetus for Gary’s unprovoked attack against a dues
paying AFA member for exercising nothing more than my right to speak freely.
Finally,
it is not worth getting into an argument over honor, or morality, or fiduciary
responsibility with someone who once sent a naked picture of himself to Liz
Fedor, a journalist at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, because he was not happy
with the level of coverage she was providing the union. More than any other,
that one act betrayed Gary’s misogyny, unprofessionalism, and cowardice. Like a
flasher trying to mortify women passersby, Gary’s bizarre choice of expression
revealed his inability to communicate directly and honestly. Ironically, the
majority of the people Gary represents are women. The terrible relationships
Gary’s actions caused with our key media contact directly before negotiations
didn’t hurt the woman he intended to hurt, but harmed the thousands of flight
attendants Gary was supposed to be representing.
Comments, Gary?
One month later and Gary has not replied to my email.
Link
here to read Gary’s letter dated AUG 21, 2010 (second post on my BLOG)
http://joseaibarra.blogspot.com/
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RankFile/cbf9421de6/TEST/a70106b746>
Please
share this email with your friends and coworkers.
Sincerely,
Jose
Arturo Ibarra
Ask
others to submit their email via my BLOG: http://joseaibarra.blogspot.com/
Please
find out additional factual information here: http://bedeltabedifferent.com/
