Sunday, August 21, 2005
The Experience (or lack of experience) of Northwest Airlines Replacement Workers
I have herd and read several press reports, statements by Northwest officials and even comments (by anti-union NWA supporters) in this Blog, claiming that the "replacement workers" (Better know as dirty rotten Scabs...), have MORE experience, training and qualifications that the men and women on strike.
These statements are outright LIES. And they are so offensive, that they make me want to PUKE!
First...
Northwest themselves says that the average experience of the Scabs is only 14 years.
And, while I am not positive of how they are arriving at this number, I am sure that they are factoring in every minute of aviation experience that they can justify. They are counting someone who has spent the last 14 years working in general aviation, on single engine piston aircraft as being a "14 year veteran".
And I am sure that many of the replacement workers that have refused to cross the picket lines are among the former airline mechanics, whose experience helped Northwest to inflate that 14 year number.
But even if the SCABS do have 14 years of experience...
After the massive layoffs and re-locations of the last 18 months (the AMFA workforce has ALREADY bee cut in half,) that's still far LESS than ANY current REAL mechanic on strike against Northwest!
I could be wrong, if you know of an aircraft mechanic at Northwest who was left after the layoffs with a seniority date before 1991 (14 years) let me know. But I am not aware of any. My point is that the average experience of the skilled and dedicated men and women being "replaced" is well over 20 years.
And that is not 20 years in just ANY aviation experience. That's 20+ years of experience working on the exact aircraft Northwest operates.
My father printed a copy of his "training record" and the thing was over 8 feet long!
He has been trained and has worked on EVER aircraft type Northwest operates. And he has both his A&P and R&E licenses. So basically he is qualified to work on any system, electronic, mechanical or structural, on ANY aircraft Northwest operates.
For Northwest to lose that level of skill, knowledge and experience is down right foolish.
These statements are outright LIES. And they are so offensive, that they make me want to PUKE!
First...
Northwest themselves says that the average experience of the Scabs is only 14 years.
And, while I am not positive of how they are arriving at this number, I am sure that they are factoring in every minute of aviation experience that they can justify. They are counting someone who has spent the last 14 years working in general aviation, on single engine piston aircraft as being a "14 year veteran".
And I am sure that many of the replacement workers that have refused to cross the picket lines are among the former airline mechanics, whose experience helped Northwest to inflate that 14 year number.
But even if the SCABS do have 14 years of experience...
After the massive layoffs and re-locations of the last 18 months (the AMFA workforce has ALREADY bee cut in half,) that's still far LESS than ANY current REAL mechanic on strike against Northwest!
I could be wrong, if you know of an aircraft mechanic at Northwest who was left after the layoffs with a seniority date before 1991 (14 years) let me know. But I am not aware of any. My point is that the average experience of the skilled and dedicated men and women being "replaced" is well over 20 years.
And that is not 20 years in just ANY aviation experience. That's 20+ years of experience working on the exact aircraft Northwest operates.
My father printed a copy of his "training record" and the thing was over 8 feet long!
He has been trained and has worked on EVER aircraft type Northwest operates. And he has both his A&P and R&E licenses. So basically he is qualified to work on any system, electronic, mechanical or structural, on ANY aircraft Northwest operates.
For Northwest to lose that level of skill, knowledge and experience is down right foolish.
Comments:
<< Home
hero dave gougenhour-manager- but was a laid off mech says these replacements are so much better to work with and should stay in minn a long time. we will remember you dave and work our tails off not!
# posted by 
: 8:53 PM
: 8:53 PM
This week "Unionism" at NWA has begun it's slow but sure death. It's a sad day for all union members in this country. There,s a name for those that cross the picket line. But for those union members that you have worked with for years cross your picket line and think nothing of it, they are even a lower breed of scab than the ones taking the place of AMFA's members. They have been your co-workers and friends for years, but now they turn their backs on us and disgrace the entire principal behind the word UNION. Your fathers and grandfathers fought hard to establish these institutions that help to better income and benefits for the middle class worker. They would not be very proud of you.
When NWA comes to you with their final last and best offer, I hope that you remember what you did to AMFA,s members. The other unions at NWA have made history around the world by crossing their co-workers picket line.
Your turn will come, but I doubt anyone will have sympathy for you.
Ex-NWA Tech.
When NWA comes to you with their final last and best offer, I hope that you remember what you did to AMFA,s members. The other unions at NWA have made history around the world by crossing their co-workers picket line.
Your turn will come, but I doubt anyone will have sympathy for you.
Ex-NWA Tech.
# posted by : 10:59 PM
: 10:59 PM
This week "Unionism" at NWA has begun it's slow but sure death. It's a sad day for all union members in this country. There,s a name for those that cross the picket line. But for those union members that you have worked with for years cross your picket line and think nothing of it, they are even a lower breed of scab than the ones taking the place of AMFA's members. They have been your co-workers and friends for years, but now they turn their backs on us and disgrace the entire principal behind the word UNION. Your fathers and grandfathers fought hard to establish these institutions that help to better income and benefits for the middle class worker. They would not be very proud of you.
When NWA comes to you with their final last and best offer, I hope that you remember what you did to AMFA,s members. The other unions at NWA have made history around the world by crossing their co-workers picket line.
Your turn will come, but I doubt anyone will have sympathy for you.
Ex-NWA Tech.
When NWA comes to you with their final last and best offer, I hope that you remember what you did to AMFA,s members. The other unions at NWA have made history around the world by crossing their co-workers picket line.
Your turn will come, but I doubt anyone will have sympathy for you.
Ex-NWA Tech.
# posted by : 11:00 PM
: 11:00 PM
My dad said they watched five guys take four hours to change two tires on a DC-9. It should only take two guys 30 minutes to change one tire. If they can't even change the tires how are they supposed to fix the rest of the plane? Do you really think these guys have 14 years of experience or more?
All of you "anonymous" people need to own up to your opinions.
All of you "anonymous" people need to own up to your opinions.
# posted by : 8:45 AM
: 8:45 AM
There are replacement workers that work circles around many of the union workers. NWA will see what caliber of personnel is really out there.....watch your back.
# posted by : 6:57 PM
: 6:57 PM 
MEL Count up 70 since the strike!! Not only are the scabs not fixing the planes, they are falling farhter behind. MEL's at 670 today, do I hear 1000?
Anonymous said...
Well my fellow AMT's. I'm beginning to get really sick of the B.S that we put forth. It is time to face the truth about us and our profession. It was not scabs that left over 20 engine oil caps off at NWA during the last 18 months. It was not scabs that drove a 727 off the taxi way in DTW 3 years ago.It was not scabs that left a clamp off of an A320 engine in ORD LAST MONTH. It was not scabs that left a clamp off a DC10 in Orlando a few years back. Both ORD & MCO incidents generated fire warnings by the way. We all make mistakes. Its that simple. It was not scabs that forgot to install chip detector o rings on an Eastern L1011 way back when. Stop kidding yourselves. Im a 20 years NWA tech. Im on strike and out of a job. I hate what this company has become and I am disgusted at the way corporate america is bending us over. But people you better wake up and smell the jet fuel. These scabs are a&p techs. They just happen to have made a lousy choice in coming to work for NWA. But they are a&p's none the less. WAKE UP
2:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Oh ok...Lets keep going here. Hmmm, who filled a DC-9 hydraulic system with soap? Not a scab. NWA and all airline amt's screw up by the numbers. Planes are not that critical. Stop making into something its not. Commercial airliners break everyday and land safely. The systems are redundant and thats a fact.The latest Billings diversion of an A320....SO what. We divert all the time. It happens.Systems fail and the redundancy allows for safe flight. We divert just the same for added safety. Ive seen it all at NWA in my 22.5 years. We technicians screw up, the planes parts screw up...IT HAPPENS PEOPLE. It is extremely rare that an accident occurs from a poor trained or for that matter a highly trained tech.Ive seen techs employed at NWA that you wouldnt want working on your lawn tractor much less an airplane.There are loser scabs and there are loser union techs. ITS A FACT!! ADMIT IT AND FIND ANOTHER BATTLE TO FIGHT IN THIS WAR AGAINST NWA. LETS BE SMART AND GET REAL. WE WILL NOT CONVINCE THE COMPANY THAT WE'RE THE ELITE ALL MIGHTY TRAINED PREFESSIONALS. THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING OUR SCREW UPS FOR MANY YEARS AND WE HAVE COST THIS COMPANY MILLIONS IN DAMAGED AIRPLANES. NO HUH.....REMEMBER THE A320 IN LGA ? OR THE LOSER IN JFK THAT DROVE THE 747 INTO THE TERMINAL? WHAT ABOUT ALL THE RUNWAY INCURSIONS ??????????? THEY WERENT SCABS.THE FAA DAMN NEAR SHUT OUR TAXI OPERATION DOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SO MANY INCURSIONS ON RUNWAYS. DAMN YOU PEOPLE...WAKE UP....ITS NOT A SCAB THING. THESE SCABS ARE SCUM OF THE EARTH AND I WILL SPIT ON THE FIRST ONE I SEE....BUT ALL IM SAYING IS LETS BE REALISTIC IN OUR CAUSE. HEY KEVIN...HOW DID THAT PANEL DEPART THE 747 AGAIN? YEAH...YOU KNOW....THE BIG PANEL ON TOP OF THE WING ? HEY MIKE.....HOW DID THE 727 FALL ON ITS NOSE ? HEY BILL.....YOU MANAGER SCUM...WHEN YOU WERE A TECH....HOW MUCH FUEL DID THE 747 HAVE TO DUMP WHEN IT RETURNED FROM FLIGHT BECAUSE OF THAT GEAR PIN YOU LEFT IN ? OH AND I JUST CANT IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF LLM CHECKS THAT WERE NOT DONE ON LLM SENSITIVE ITEMS....BY US PROFESSIONAL AMFA TECHS. DAMN...DID I FOGET TO MENTION THE OIL CAPS....OVER 20 OF THEM. MOST NWA TECHS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN HIGHLY PAID PUSH BACK DRIVERS. OH WAIT...NOT ANYMORE, THATS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RAMP NOW. YES...NWA, THE ONLY AIRLINE LEFT TO LET THEIR TECHS PUSH AIRPLANES. THEY FINALLY WOKE UP. WELL, I HAVE TO GET READY FOR MY PICKET LINE DUTY. GONNA TAKE SOME MORE PICS OF SCABS TODAY. IM LIKING THAT ;)
3:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hi, I cannot agree with everything this guy says but he has a point.Im a striking NWA tech and I always thought of it this way. AMFA or the IAM never taught me a godamn thing about airplanes.I know what I know from the training NWA has given me over the years and the shared knowledge and ojt of my co-workers. This guy is correct though....we're all humans and I have made mistakes through my career.I have seem more mistakes than I can care to remember from my union brothers and being a member of AMFA ( which I am very proud of ) has had absolutely no bearing on what kind of technician I am. NONE. I do my best and do it well. Lets see, how about all of those long time , very experienced NON UNION Delta airlines technicians. Many of which NWA has hired over the years and are now dues paying members of AMFA. I rest my case.
3:32 AM
Post a Comment
Well my fellow AMT's. I'm beginning to get really sick of the B.S that we put forth. It is time to face the truth about us and our profession. It was not scabs that left over 20 engine oil caps off at NWA during the last 18 months. It was not scabs that drove a 727 off the taxi way in DTW 3 years ago.It was not scabs that left a clamp off of an A320 engine in ORD LAST MONTH. It was not scabs that left a clamp off a DC10 in Orlando a few years back. Both ORD & MCO incidents generated fire warnings by the way. We all make mistakes. Its that simple. It was not scabs that forgot to install chip detector o rings on an Eastern L1011 way back when. Stop kidding yourselves. Im a 20 years NWA tech. Im on strike and out of a job. I hate what this company has become and I am disgusted at the way corporate america is bending us over. But people you better wake up and smell the jet fuel. These scabs are a&p techs. They just happen to have made a lousy choice in coming to work for NWA. But they are a&p's none the less. WAKE UP
2:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Oh ok...Lets keep going here. Hmmm, who filled a DC-9 hydraulic system with soap? Not a scab. NWA and all airline amt's screw up by the numbers. Planes are not that critical. Stop making into something its not. Commercial airliners break everyday and land safely. The systems are redundant and thats a fact.The latest Billings diversion of an A320....SO what. We divert all the time. It happens.Systems fail and the redundancy allows for safe flight. We divert just the same for added safety. Ive seen it all at NWA in my 22.5 years. We technicians screw up, the planes parts screw up...IT HAPPENS PEOPLE. It is extremely rare that an accident occurs from a poor trained or for that matter a highly trained tech.Ive seen techs employed at NWA that you wouldnt want working on your lawn tractor much less an airplane.There are loser scabs and there are loser union techs. ITS A FACT!! ADMIT IT AND FIND ANOTHER BATTLE TO FIGHT IN THIS WAR AGAINST NWA. LETS BE SMART AND GET REAL. WE WILL NOT CONVINCE THE COMPANY THAT WE'RE THE ELITE ALL MIGHTY TRAINED PREFESSIONALS. THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING OUR SCREW UPS FOR MANY YEARS AND WE HAVE COST THIS COMPANY MILLIONS IN DAMAGED AIRPLANES. NO HUH.....REMEMBER THE A320 IN LGA ? OR THE LOSER IN JFK THAT DROVE THE 747 INTO THE TERMINAL? WHAT ABOUT ALL THE RUNWAY INCURSIONS ??????????? THEY WERENT SCABS.THE FAA DAMN NEAR SHUT OUR TAXI OPERATION DOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SO MANY INCURSIONS ON RUNWAYS. DAMN YOU PEOPLE...WAKE UP....ITS NOT A SCAB THING. THESE SCABS ARE SCUM OF THE EARTH AND I WILL SPIT ON THE FIRST ONE I SEE....BUT ALL IM SAYING IS LETS BE REALISTIC IN OUR CAUSE. HEY KEVIN...HOW DID THAT PANEL DEPART THE 747 AGAIN? YEAH...YOU KNOW....THE BIG PANEL ON TOP OF THE WING ? HEY MIKE.....HOW DID THE 727 FALL ON ITS NOSE ? HEY BILL.....YOU MANAGER SCUM...WHEN YOU WERE A TECH....HOW MUCH FUEL DID THE 747 HAVE TO DUMP WHEN IT RETURNED FROM FLIGHT BECAUSE OF THAT GEAR PIN YOU LEFT IN ? OH AND I JUST CANT IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF LLM CHECKS THAT WERE NOT DONE ON LLM SENSITIVE ITEMS....BY US PROFESSIONAL AMFA TECHS. DAMN...DID I FOGET TO MENTION THE OIL CAPS....OVER 20 OF THEM. MOST NWA TECHS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN HIGHLY PAID PUSH BACK DRIVERS. OH WAIT...NOT ANYMORE, THATS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RAMP NOW. YES...NWA, THE ONLY AIRLINE LEFT TO LET THEIR TECHS PUSH AIRPLANES. THEY FINALLY WOKE UP. WELL, I HAVE TO GET READY FOR MY PICKET LINE DUTY. GONNA TAKE SOME MORE PICS OF SCABS TODAY. IM LIKING THAT ;)
3:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hi, I cannot agree with everything this guy says but he has a point.Im a striking NWA tech and I always thought of it this way. AMFA or the IAM never taught me a godamn thing about airplanes.I know what I know from the training NWA has given me over the years and the shared knowledge and ojt of my co-workers. This guy is correct though....we're all humans and I have made mistakes through my career.I have seem more mistakes than I can care to remember from my union brothers and being a member of AMFA ( which I am very proud of ) has had absolutely no bearing on what kind of technician I am. NONE. I do my best and do it well. Lets see, how about all of those long time , very experienced NON UNION Delta airlines technicians. Many of which NWA has hired over the years and are now dues paying members of AMFA. I rest my case.
3:32 AM
# posted by : 3:38 AM
: 3:38 AM << Home
