In the Labor Movement we’re very good at pointing out problems with employers, we’re not very good at talking about what’s wrong within our own ranks. I believe that we’ve been silent for too long. Let’s tell it like it is
The once proud International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a rogue union. In 2012, the Teamsters lost more members than any other union in the United States and to make up for the membership loss and in a self-serving attempt to gain new recruits for their troubled pension plans, the IBT has resorted to raiding established unions at American Airlines and US Airways. This is why IBT filed for an election today.
The Teamsters are a troubled union. They are the only labor organization in the United States under federal oversight as a result of their extensive history of corrupt practices.
The Teamsters have done a terrible job representing workers in aircraft maintenance. At Teamster-represented United Airlines, maintenance for the entire wide-body fleet is outsourced, with most of those jobs being sent to China. This level of outsourcing is greater now than when the IBT came on to UAL property. The IBT allows this even though United is a healthy carrier that exited bankruptcy more than six years ago. In sharp contrast, TWU, even in the face of American’s bankruptcy, has kept the vast bulk of AA’s aircraft maintenance jobs here at home and in house.
A vote for the Teamsters is a vote for significantly higher dues for mechanics.
Changing unions is particularly risky while all the critical issues connected with establishing one agreement with uniform rates of pay and working conditions still must be negotiated as part of the American –US Airways merger.
Many mechanics signed cards calling for an election between unions because they believe in democracy, ironically a vote for the Teamsters means that democracy would be suspended. If the Teamsters were to become the bargaining agent, under federal labor law, elections for new local leaders wouldn’t happen for as long as three years. Meanwhile critical negotiations with the ‘new’ American Airlines will take place before the end of the year. Workers at the new American would be voiceless during these crucial contract talks.
A rogue union with higher dues, less job security, an end to democracy, no voice; If an election happens, voters are likely to say, “IBT is not for me.”