Prove Me Wrong, and Yes, Feel Free to Call Me a Burrito

Prove Me Wrong, and Yes, Feel Free to Call Me a Burrito

It never ceases to amaze me that the IAM activists are so desperate to distract from my message that they will toss every name imaginable at me to shut me down without even bothering to examine, debate or disprove the facts I’ve written about the Machinists over the past several years.

Just last week I sent out a message regarding the IAM’s support for U.S. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank policies that give financial subsidies – with our tax dollars – to foreign flag carriers to purchase Boeing wide-body jets then used to compete on international routes with Delta, American and United. That’s roughly a $20 million discount for foreign carriers to purchase 777’s on top of the likely discounts negotiated for bulk orders.

For example, Emirates recently struck a deal to purchase 150 777s.  If a Boeing 777 costs $300 million or so (it varies widely depending on specifics ordered), that means that U.S. taxpayers paid for about 10 of those 777s for Emirates. So think about this: which airline is better financially positioned: the one that pays full price for 150 777s or the one that pays for 140 777s and gets 10 thrown in, essentially for free?  Emirates is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates. Does anyone really believe the United Arab Emirates, a petrol state worth untold trillions, can’t afford to purchase aircraft for their flag carriers (Emirates and Ethiad)? Seriously?

All Delta employees should be concerned when IAM lead campaigner David Bachman issues this assessment of the Ex-IM Bank: “exim has been around for along time....It is up for a decision on funding it or not. Which they did reauthorize funding a few years ago..For the record it is right wing pushing this because it is government......who benefits from it....and who gets hurt by it...Hopefully we have reasonable people making these decisions. India didn't go away because exim......(sic)”. It’s not the self-induced ignorance of fact and reality that is frightening, it’s the fact that he will do anything and say anything to protect the Machinists union, even at the cost of Delta employees. Is this really the type of “representation” you want to buy for $14 million per year? Is this truly an example of what you want your “voice” to be?

But I digress - apparently it doesn’t matter to the IAM or its supporters that Delta has already had to pull out of the JFK – Mumbai market (due to a U.S. taxpayer subsidized deal for Air India), which means that our flight attendants, pilots, and all the Delta employees associated in any way with that route lost that lucrative flying. Instead it’s more important for someone to freak out in some religious imbued hysteria, because I titled the email “You Can’t Serve two Masters,” and then for someone to declare “war” on me for “attacking” someone’s religion, and someone else to call me a burrito (which actually made me laugh – I LOVE burritos). Spare me the sanctimonious drivel and the fake offense and take a chill pill.

IAM lead activist, Tammy Rustad (who laughably claims that she is in this IAM drive to improve my life and your life and the lives of all Delta flight attendants), has no apparent opinion on the Ex-Im Bank situation whatsoever, but twisted the idiom I used completely out of context and got herself all worked up over her misinterpretation of the title of my email, rather than the content. Tammy was apparently so distraught over the title of my email, that she didn’t realize that I wasn’t talking about her, but was referring to the IAM as an organization being unable to serve two masters.

Just for the record, I didn’t engage in some sort of religious attack over a saying that is more than two thousand years old and has traveled through centuries taking on new, different and non-secular meanings. I was calling out a great injustice against the employees of our airline, against those of United and American, against all U.S. taxpayers, and an injustice that IAM supports over the best interests of the Delta flight attendants. Because in this case, IAM is supporting and has to support the best interests of its constituents at Boeing over its’ would be constituents at Delta. And the IAM will ALWAYS support Boeing machinists over Delta flight attendants. It makes you wonder who or what other group(s) in the future they will be forced to support over the Delta flight attendants. Yes, IAM, you can’t serve two masters, and you can’t have it both ways. And this speaks directly to those original grass-roots organizers who failed to perform their due diligence on what union (if any) would best serve the Delta flight attendants, and chose instead to sign on with “whatever” union they thought was a good idea, based on no knowledge at all. We have to realize – every single one of us – that this “grass roots movement” did not come from a desire of helping all Delta flight attendants. If it had, it never would have sought to organize with a large, industrial, multi-grouped union with all of the inherent conflicts of interest that brings.

In closing, I reiterate my original point and reissue my challenge to all IAM activists, campaigners and staffers: prove me wrong. Once again I’ve presented facts about life under a union. I’m sure that the Machinists will call these facts false, and that I will be called a liar, a jerk, maybe even a burrito again, and who knows what else. And all the name-calling, all the personal bashing is far simpler for these “activists” than actually debating issues or collecting facts or knowing history, or thinking critically. It’s an immature reaction from a group of people who tell us we need them in order to establish a mature relationship with our employer. How’s that for irony?

Meanwhile, we are already seeing what happens when Delta flight attendants attend an IAM meeting and ask profound and challenging questions about the Machinists Union. Even six-figure, full time IAM staffers like Joe Stassi can’t refrain from launching personal attacks against those Delta flight attendants. Think it will get better once IAM is voted in? It will only get worse. Much, much worse.

So prove me wrong, IAM people. Prove me wrong. I’m waiting – I’ve sent out numerous bulk mails (and posted on my blog ~ http://joseaibarra.blogspot.com/) examining the Machinists, their campaign, and the nonsense they’re spouting. I and others had asked legitimate questions about the IAM to no avail. So far, aside from name calling and other garbage, no one has been able to prove me wrong, nor has anyone associated with the IAM been able to provide legitimate, honest answers to important questions.

Prove me wrong.

Please share this email and my blog with your friends and coworkers.

Sincerely,

Jose Arturo Ibarra

Please find out additional factual information here: http://bedeltabedifferent.com/