TAMC NutsBolts - Teamsters SFO

Teamsters Aviation Mechanics Coalition Newsletter6Hopeis on theHorizonBy Rich Chase, Horizon MechanicMechanics and related at Horizon Air, based in Portland,Oregon, were looking for a real union with real power.On April 20, 2009, our search was over when the NationalMediation Board announced that 57 percent of those whovoted voted for Teamster representation. We successfully chosethe Teamsters over AMFA.Horizon Air Mechanicsand Related Choose TeamstersMore than 89 percent of 484 eligible workers cast votes, provingthat workers at Horizon were looking for and are ready for apositive change.Our organizing committee members worked hard to makethe change happen. We were, of course, backed by the Teamsters.During our six-month-long organizing campaign, the Teamstersproved that they have the credibility, strength and resources toproperly represent mechanics and related at Horizon.Many of us were not satisfied with AMFA. We had issues withpoor representation, weak contract language and pay. The strawthat broke the camel’s back, however, was the fact that AMFA ignoredour concerns about outsourcing. The association oftenlooked the other way when stations were outsourced at our sistercompany, Alaska Airlines. If outsourcing ever comes to Horizon,we want a union that will fight for us, our jobs and our families.Throughout our campaign, the Teamsters worked hard tofight outsourcing and even invited Ryan Hurley, a member of ourorganizing committee, to the sixth annual Teamsters OrganizingConference in Washington, D.C. During the conference, Hurleygot a taste of what it’s like to be a Teamster and was given the opportunityto speak with Congressional leaders about the dangersof outsourcing. Along with members of the TAMC, Hurley lobbiedCongress to pass an outsourcing moratorium.Now that we are represented by the Teamsters, we look forwardto a strong contract with strong scope language, adequaterepresentation and a reputation that is second-to-none. We alsolook forward to being members of and working with the TAMCin their efforts to fight outsourcing. As we learned during our organizingcampaign, our solidarity is our strength. We are theunion. We are the Teamsters!TAMC Tells Washington‘We Are Serious’Aviation Mechanics Lobby CongressThe Teamsters have made fighting outsourcing a top priority andthey mean business.Over the past year, the Teamster Aviation Mechanic Coalition(TAMC), in conjunction with the Teamsters Airline Division andthe union as a whole, has fought hard to protect American jobs.From their 2007 outsourcing summit to their participation at the7th annual Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Conference of theAmericas and their groundbreaking report on outsourcing titled,“Who is Really Fixing Our Airplanes? An Expose of the 11,000Missing United Airlines Mechanics,” the TAMC has been hard atwork to protect our mechanic craft and class from both foreignand domestic outsourcing. They are committed to protecting theflying public from the hazards of outsourced aircraft maintenance.Outsourcing MoratoriumIt is the goal of the TAMC and the Teamsters Airline Division tosee anti-outsourcing legislation passed by Congress that wouldenact a moratorium on outsourcing. To get this done, the TAMCand David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division,have made their presence of Capitol Hill known, holding over180 meetings with key political leaders.Most recently, in an effort to prove how much of a problemoutsourcing has become, members of the TAMC—led by TAMCChair Chris Moore—went to Capitol Hill last month where theyvisited with Congressional teams about outsourcing maintenanceto third-party and overseas vendors. TAMC members who tookpart in the day’s events included Dave Saucedo(UAL), RalphSalzano (CAL), Ed Smith (Piedmont), Bob Combine (UPS Aviation),Gary Young (UAL), Bob Friend (UPS), John Atkinson (Air-Tran), Cedric Washington (ExpressJet), Joe Gonzalez(Continental), John Vasquez (ExpressJet), Scott Williams (ABX),Kevin Zunker (UAL), Bret Alexander (FedEx Express) and RafaelGarcia (FedEx Express).TAMC members, told Congressional and Legislative stafftheir own personal stories about how outsourcing has affectedthem. From finding broken parts on airplanes to seeing jobs slipaway, TAMC mechanics drove home the point that any way youlook at it, outsourcing is a raw deal.“The TAMC is serious about passing this important legislationand we want politicians in Washington to know just how serious wereally are,” Moore said.“The Teamsters Union and the TAMC arecommitted to fighting outsourcing and we’re not going to backdown until the job is done. By having aviation mechanics tell theirstories, we were able to put a face on this enormous problem.”We are Serious continued on page 7