Monday, August 22, 2005
The Real Test of The Strike Will Come Next Week...
I would like to share a comment we received from a mechanic with another airline, that helps illustrate the fct that the true test of this strike will come when the "10 day MEL" limt starts to get hit.
MEL stands for Minimum Equiptment List. There are certain repair items that can only be put off for 10 days, before the FAA mandates that they be repaired or the aircraft cannot fly.
So as the scabs continue to put off maintenance items to keep up the apearnce that "all is well", this MEL count will continue to rise. Unless Northwest plans on doing something very creative with thier mainenance logs, they are going to have to start fixing these items.
Anonymous said...
Just like to say that I am behind the NWA mechanics 100%. The airlines have specifically targeted maintenance in their cuts. Maintenance has taken a bigger cut in terms of people then any other work group. This is industry wide.
The flying public has no clue about an AMT's job and they are led to believe that anyone can do the job. That is a lot of bull. An AMT's job is mixture of so many types of mechanical abilities. The knowledge that is accumulated with years of experience cannot be replaced. The company could train people for a year and those people still couldn't begin to fill the shoes of an experienced AMT.
I have been very sad and upset for the last couple of years as our profession has been attacked without mercy. It's doesn't feel good when everyone berates your chosen career and belittles the contribution that you give to your company. We are important and we matter.
I work line maintenance myself at another airline and my coworkers and I have figured it would take about a week for the strike to really start affecting NWA operation. Even with highly skilled and experienced AMT's working, Airplanes break down and it sometimes takes a while to troubleshoot the problem. With the Scabs, I imagine that with some of the problems that they will encounter, they will have no clue even where to begin much less have any idea on how to fix the plane. These problems will compound. Sure they can MEL away a lot of problems, but if NWA pilots are like ours, it won't take long before pilots begin to refuse an airplane due to the amount of MEL items on the planes. Plus a lot of items can only be MEL'd for 10 days and then they have to be fixed. Also, if the FAA is doing the job that they are supposed to be doing, it will not take long for them to start flagging some of NWA maintenance.
I pray for all the NWA AMTS. They are standing up for our entire profession and maybe one of last hopes for respect.
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For those who do not know what an MEL is or what this 10 day limit is...MEL stands for Minimum Equiptment List. There are certain repair items that can only be put off for 10 days, before the FAA mandates that they be repaired or the aircraft cannot fly.
So as the scabs continue to put off maintenance items to keep up the apearnce that "all is well", this MEL count will continue to rise. Unless Northwest plans on doing something very creative with thier mainenance logs, they are going to have to start fixing these items.
Comments:
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Unfortunately we are not strinking along side you, but you should know, that you have our support and we are doing our part online. Every small thing we come across we log into the books, let's see what happens with the MELs, it is going to get much worse. Stay strong!
# posted by 
: 4:28 PM
: 4:28 PM 
See www.joesentme.com for the real delay story. He says delays will rise due to flight crews running out of time for the month not to mention Mel count now above 670. Nwa likes Mel's to be around 200 per day. Monday on-time rate 37.5%
As for flight crews running out of time for the month, I don't see it happening. NWA has placed an additional number of f/a's on reserve and has flexed everyone up to 88 hours for the month (opposed to 75 hrs). As of today the avg number of hours is about 30, so we're not running out of time any time soon.
# posted by : 8:53 AM
: 8:53 AM
As for the flight crews running out of time:
Maybe the company has reserves of f/a's, but I doubt there are any pilot reserves.
Maybe the company has reserves of f/a's, but I doubt there are any pilot reserves.
# posted by : 9:07 AM
: 9:07 AM
They claim they have plenty of scab F/A's yet everyone got flexed?? Seems like a little panic. It seems like you know alot about F/A duty time. If you are one, did you cross the line? The reason given to me by quite a few F/A's to cross the picket line is that the F/A scabs will just replace them anyway. We all have to choose to either take a stand now or do it later when no one is left to stand with you.
Also have you heard NWA ever say that they had scab pilots? They have duty limits also...
Also have you heard NWA ever say that they had scab pilots? They have duty limits also...
The Number of flight delays and cancellations, the number of MEL's, the exhaustion of managers, the companies fear tactics to other union employees (firing other union employees if they dare question a scab) are adding up to spell disaster. To bad the F/A's keep flying in fear. I would rather be on the ground picketing with my life and an opportunity to make positive changes then working and wondering if I'll live to see my next paycheck or make it through the next round of contract negotioations.
The hero's of this industry are not the ones running the show but the ones turning the wrenches, trouble shooting the repairs and keeping the old nostalgia flying high and safe. No scab, manager, F/A,Pilot or CEO can do that. One week, three or 40 days and 40 nights..the end is near.
The hero's of this industry are not the ones running the show but the ones turning the wrenches, trouble shooting the repairs and keeping the old nostalgia flying high and safe. No scab, manager, F/A,Pilot or CEO can do that. One week, three or 40 days and 40 nights..the end is near.
# posted by : 9:51 PM
: 9:51 PM
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
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 : 3:41 AM
: 3:41 AM
MEL'S ARE BELOW 300.....DAILY AOS AVERAGE 13-20 A/C. SAME NUMBERS AT PRE-STRIKE. THEY CANT DO IT HUH....DONT KID YOURSELVES. YOU GUY'S ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN WRENCH ON AIRPLANES.
# posted by : 12:01 PM
: 12:01 PM
Yeah, I can see this strike blog is really active. Just as active as AMFA picketng,You clowns lost,you're not the only people that can work on airplanes.You gambled, you lost ! The operation is running,the planes are safe, and life goes on.
# posted by : 1:09 PM
: 1:09 PM
anonymous... the planes are safe!? where in the world are you getting your information from? when a tragedy occurs as it most surely will ... will you still be so blind? open your eyes!
if the union is pushed out i will no longer fly n.w.a. my jan. 7. flight to thailand will be my last. rodney
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# posted by : 11:12 AM
: 11:12 AM << Home
