What will you tell the company if they come after more concessions YES or NO

hangman · November 15th, 2006, 20:13

What will you tell the company in 2009 if they come after more concessions YES or No

diver · November 16th, 2006, 02:57

Well one might think that this is an easy question to answer, but what position will we be in when it comes time to truly answer that question?

You see what is going on right now can and will have a direct impact on our answer. We want to say NO, but where will we be in 2009.

In a few short months some of us (ACTS in my case) may no longer be working for Air Canada. Heck with the possible help of my union I may even be in a different bargaining unit with a different collective agreement! Same goes for those that work in ACM, ACTS, ACGHS, Cargo and so forth. Divide and conquer.

Now add to that the dissension in the ranks, dissatisfaction with our unions and almost total disinterest in taking part in any constructive actions to better our bargaining position for 2009 we kind of leave ourselves in a position where we could be forced into more concessions.

It’s kind of like a game of chess and from what I have seen we have not been paying attention to the game. Time to get our heads in the game or you may find yourselves answering with a yes.

RogerD@YYZ · November 16th, 2006, 22:55

For me it's simple.

NO!

Concessions do not work.

If we give more on the pretext that we have no choice and let RM get away with it (once again), then we deserve every single bit we get and he'll reap every bigger rewards and bonus then he's got so far.

Hopefully there'll me more of us hangman when the time comes around.

Keep the faith...

hangman · November 17th, 2006, 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by diver

Well one might think that this is an easy question to answer, but what position will we be in when it comes time to truly answer that question?

You see what is going on right now can and will have a direct impact on our answer. We want to say NO, but where will we be in 2009.

In a few short months some of us (ACTS in my case) may no longer be working for Air Canada. Heck with the possible help of my union I may even be in a different bargaining unit with a different collective agreement! Same goes for those that work in ACM, ACTS, ACGHS, Cargo and so forth. Divide and conquer.

Now add to that the dissension in the ranks, dissatisfaction with our unions and almost total disinterest in taking part in any constructive actions to better our bargaining position for 2009 we kind of leave ourselves in a position where we could be forced into more concessions.

It’s kind of like a game of chess and from what I have seen we have not been paying attention to the game. Time to get our heads in the game or you may find yourselves answering with a yes.

Yes Diver....... you are right it is the biggest game of chess most of us will play in our lives....... it will affect our wifes, our children, our lifestyles and our future as retirees.........I will not allow the corporations greed to take away my childrens future.....nor will I allow them to take away my retirement days of sitting by a fireplace, with food on the table and a dollar in my pocket......I hear a lot of dissention from the membership in regards to lost wages and benefits.....yet I see no action from the members to support their Unions.....by attending meetings and getting educated in their rights as workers......the apathy must stop.....it is past time to think that someone else will change things.....if we do not learn to stand together as one now....then all of us should tell our children to practice making coffee, or flipping burgers, as that will be their future.....and they will be the only jobs left here in Canada.......In 2009 I will vote NO and stand by the burning drums to help stay warm.....but I will be doing it for my wife and children...and I hope to see you and everyother member beside me....I know Rodger will be there and my buddy paul from YYC..........and many more.......just my thoughts.........the hangman.............

jet doctor · November 17th, 2006, 07:29

It is a simple answer, I gave at the office in 2003.

If need be I will go on strike, walk a picket line, but in doing so I will not only be demanding a fair wage increase and pension stability, I will be demanding of the board of directors that they terminate certain executives, Milton and Brewer being the first two who absolutely need to go. It is time to bring in true management, this does not mean that they have to be the ultra intelligent, but ones with superior people skills, ones who respect the employee, the backbone of this and every other company. It is very simple, if you take care of your employees, everything else from passengers to stakeholders will also be taken care of.

REXTON · November 17th, 2006, 08:12

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In regards to the sporadic advances for profit sharing that we have been recieving for OTP and customer satisfaction.
I would like to suggest that every employee take this payment and bank it in establishing a personal "war chest" funded by ACE that can be used in 2009. Show the company that we are prepared and have the ability to recoup all our losses in previous years and will only settle with reinstatement of these concessions and more.
We can use ACE's own money to fight them at the negotiating table.
The future is our's to control
__________________
IAM
__________________

hangman · November 19th, 2006, 23:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by REXTON

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The future is our's to control
__________________
IAM
__________________

you are right Rexton......the future is ours to control......we must demand more from not only the company......but our Union as well....they....the reps we voted in must realize that we are in a stronger position now than we have been for years.....if they do not agree with our position....then we must vote them out of office before then.....as this is the time to have not only strength from the membership.....it must also come from the Union Leaders.....I have trusted the leadership of Dave Ritchie for many years now....if we stand behind him as one ........I know we will do well....just my thoughts...the hangman...................

paul6162 · November 20th, 2006, 03:18

my answer is a definite NO!!! we as workers have suffered enough through the restructructing process. after all the hard work the people before me have done to get a good contract, they flaunt it in our faces that they need more from us... and they turn around and pay dividents to shareholders 2 times in the last 2 years.. and the dividents would cover thier shortfall to the pension contributions that they have neglected. let's just say that in 2009 if we do go on strike... it will not last. the federal government will make us go back to work. we should have called thier bluff during the ccaa. canada would never do without a national carrier, and nobody else is in a position right now to take over. and the clock is ticking... so in 2009 the country will not be prepared if we shut it down. (737's will not be able to service the international market if you know what i mean). but the management of air canada are reactive... not proactive as we have all seen in the past. they are all making money right now and times are good, so let's basque in the glory. but we as members in the union know that chicken little is around the corner (the sky is falling). i myself personally have abandoned the ulcers and say let's play HARDBALL. it is time the stomping all over the iamaw has stopped. having said this it is time the upper group of the union get down and dirty and start visiting the members and take direction from its members. and if they do not like what they hear then too bad... and another thing, i know everybody i work with tries hard, and cares and it hurts us all the way we are being treated by the company. as reflected in the iamaw survey conducted last spring. so in closing there are too many bruises for me to say yes in 2009 unless they start treating me like a human being once again...

diver · November 20th, 2006, 13:47

I am glad to see that you all feel so strongly about this but I fear that you have not grasped what I have been talking about.

The time for action is now! Do not wait till 2009, by then it could be to late. I will repeat what I said before the events that are unfolding now will have a direct impact in 2009!

Lets look at ACTS. In 2007 they want to sell off all or part of it (personally I think it will be 49%). What could that mean for those that are working there? Well I am not sure but it is entirely possible that some of them could be working for a different employer. They have already begun splitting it up before the sale. A new company talking care of some of the logistics, heavy checks being done by other MRO's, many avionics units on our new aircraft being sent out for repair instead of being sent to the shops.

Now how about ACGHS could the same thing happen there. You betcha! Could central baggage tracing be an example of that?

What does all this mean for us in 2009? Remember what I said about divide and conquer? I worry that we are going to be cut up into smaller and more MANAGABLE parts their by making it easier to squeeze more concessions out of us.

Now, no mater what happens from now till 2009 my answer is NO. I would just rather be saying it from a position of strength.

kaptain howdie · November 20th, 2006, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by jet doctor

I will be demanding of the board of directors that they terminate certain executives, Milton and Brewer being the first two who absolutely need to go.

than we will be on strike a very long time.