Dear Sisters and Brothers:

For years, TWU members have joined together to fight for fairness at American Airlines and American Eagle. We’ve had some long hard battles. We now face a new challenge, as a result of a decision by management at AMR to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

While we believe this bankruptcy could and should have been avoided, we have long been aware that company executives were considering this maneuver. Two years ago, in an effort to aggressively represent the interests of our members and our families, the TWU retained highly qualified bankruptcy attorneys, with extensive experience representing aviation workers and their unions.

Today, the very first day in what will be  a long and complex bankruptcy case, our attorneys from the firm of Lowenstein and Sander PC will filed a “Notice of Appearance” in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York which which will gain us access to all pertinent court documents and proceedings.

We also  attended today’s opening court hearing on behalf of thousands of TWU active and retired workers, and families.

As the bankruptcy process moves forward, American Airlines and American Eagle will continue to operate, and all employees should report for their regular work schedules. Our pay, benefits and work rules, however, are subject to reduction by ruling of the federal bankruptcy judge.

We will fight like hell to make sure that front line workers don’t pay an unfair price for management’s failings. While we are confident that our attorneys will represent us effectively in court, the best way to minimize the harmful impact of bankruptcy on our members is for us to stand together, as a union, with one voice.

Unfortunately, there are some among us that will spread misinformation or who will argue that in their opinion, we do not have a problem or who promote agendas beyond what is best for our members and their families. I urge you to be wary of those who spread false information and to listen to our legal experts that advise the International and who have the knowledge and experience to help you through this bankruptcy.

In the TWU, we have always believed that an informed membership is an empowered membership. To provide as much information as possible as the bankruptcy case moves forward we have:

• Held a conference call today with presidents of American Airlines and American Eagle local unions.
• Transformed our negotiations website into a web page with information about bankruptcy for TWU members and families. Please go to aa.twu.org for the most updated information on the filing.
• Posted a Q and A about the bankruptcy process, as well as a news release issued earlier today to the media at aa.twu.org.

These will be trying times for everyone. A court-supervised bankruptcy involves multiple parties, including management, creditors, AMR service providers and our union. While we cannot control the process, we have taken the steps necessary to make sure our voice is heard.

Please visit aa.twu.org, contact your local union and do all you can to stay informed and involved. Working together, standing together, and speaking with one voice is the best way to move forward for our members and our families.

In Solidarity

James C. Little
International President

This article was posted to the Huffington Post. Click the image to read the article, see the video.

In Chapter 11, a Bid to Cut Costs at American Airline

Click image to read this NY Times article and/or view video.

Comments from AMR’s Departing CEO

The New York Times article reveals the comments and concerns of Mr. Gerard J. Arpey.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/opinion/at-american-airlines-a-departing-ceos-moral-stand.html

A judge has blocked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to strip public workers of their basic collective bargaining rights because politicians used illegal, anti-democratic tactics to get it passed.

The decision by Judge Maryann Sumi of Dane County Circuit Court found that Republican politicians violated open meetings laws in their attempt to ram the bill through the legislature. Sumi said that Republican backers of the bill failed to give the public adequate notice and failed to demonstrate that the legislation was of high enough priority to avoid rules of openness and transparency.

The ruling is a big boost to the effort to block the bill and recall the politicians who supported the attack on workers’ rights.

“The people have been clear from day one, they have stood together in the streets of Madison and in the streets around the state to express that this law is too extreme for Wisconsin,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “Today democracy was upheld. We hope that the Supreme Court will consider the careful review conducted by Judge Sumi and support her conclusion.”

The case will now go to the Wisconsin Sate Supreme Court on June 6. If the ruling is upheld, Walker and his allies would have to pass the bill again, but many politicians are getting anxious about repeating the massively unpopular vote in the face of recalls and upcoming elections.

Yes there are problems within unions, after all they are ran and managed by humans, like corporation are, with all their faults and prejudices, like we all have. There is one major difference,” We” are the Union and we can vote out the leaders that are going against what the majority of its members want. We, the employee, have no way to influence or change the management in the organization we work for. The only thing that changes leadership in the corporate world is the loss of money, profits. And as we have all seen in the recent pass, sometimes corporations are too late and they lose. And when they lose we lose, jobs.

I have been following the unrest in some of our States that are trying to limit Unions in the public sector; they are blaming their woes on union wages and benefits of state employees. This is a false accusation, any good economist and most of the people in this country understand that when the economy goes down, home prices, home ownership, and jobs disappear, their will be less Tax money going into the states coffers, and our governments live off the Taxes we pay. We tightened our belts to survive before we overspend, do our best not to go into Debt. Our government project a year, 2 years, 5 years, or more out and spend accordingly, and when the money doesn’t come in, they don’t blame themselves but want to lay the blame on someone else, this time the UNIONS.

Part of the blame can be all of us, Americans, we have gotten so use to,” spoiled”, the services that our governments provide, we have trouble giving them up. We don’t see it as a fringe benefit but it is. What I can give up may be a nonnegotiable deal to my neighbor or coworker.

Taking away union bargaining rights is not the answer; working with the unions can bring insight into what the people are willing to do without temporarily or permanently.

Their have been numerous corporations that managed to get through these tuff time economically and in the pass. They have negotiated with the unions and by showing in good faith that they have cut at the top first, the unions have agreed to concessions to keep the company going.

The foray in the states to take away bargaining rights of wages, benefits, having to take annual votes to maintain certification yearly and adding, members of collective bargaining units will not be required to pay dues is to bring death to the union. If to many people do not join or pay dues to the unions they will fade away and their will be no one Voice to say, hay wait that’s not right. For the one Voice is that of many and they will listen, that is what this country was founded on.

Without unions’ corporations, the bad ones will run all over the American worker. Their will be no standard to go up against, no one voice to deal with and they will have their way.

This country was built on the backs of the American worker and the American worker does not mind carrying the load as long as he is treated fairly and with respect.

God Bless America,

Darrell Withrow

Vice President

TWU, Local 527

TSA Officers are organizing with AFGE. They’ve been organizing since the formation of TSA in 2001.

Download the PDF flyer for more information.

For more information, visit:

Show Your Solidarity With Workers in Wisconsin

Join people across America who are rising up to support workers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and other states fighting for middle-class jobs. Sign the petition!

Application deadline Jan. 31, 2011, for $150,000 in awards

Applications are available for the 2011 Union Plus Scholarship Program, which provides $150,000 in scholarships to union members, their spouses and dependents.

Click on a link below to download the application, or send a postcard with your name, return address, telephone number and international union name to: Union Plus Education Foundation, c/o Union Privilege, P.O. Box 34800, Washington, DC 20043-4800. The application deadline is January 31, 2011.

Union members, their spouses and dependent children are eligible to apply for scholarships. You do not need to participate in a Union Plus program in order to be eligible.

Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship program has provided more than $2.8 million to help fulfill the educational dreams of students across the nation. Union Plus Scholarship awards are presented annually.

In 2010, 121 students were awarded a total of $150,000 in scholarships from the Union Plus Scholarship program, which is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation with funding from HSBC, the issuer of the Union Plus Credit Card.

How the Scholarship Program Works

In addition to demonstrating academic ability, applicants are required to submit essays of no more than 500 words describing their career goals, detailing their relationship with the union movement and explaining why they are deserving of a union scholarship.

Individuals must be accepted into an accredited college or university, community college or recognized technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Graduate school students are also eligible for Union Plus Scholarships.

Apply for the Union Plus Scholarship

Scholarship applications are available in PDF format. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open or print them.

Click here to download an application to complete with a pen

Click here to download an application that you can complete on your computer by typing into the fields.

Deadline: All applications must be postmarked by January 31, 2011.

To learn more about this and other UnionPlus sponsored scholarships, visit the Union Plus website.

The Georgia 2010 election is here with early voting already underway.  When you go vote please think about how this election will impact you and your family. This election is about which candidates will move our State forward.  The current administration in Atlanta has been fishing while the state burned.   The Governor wants us to “Go Fish” but our state parks and recreational areas are closing due to budget cuts.

Instead of fixing education the Governor has been more interested in fixing horse farms.  Instead of tackling the severe water and transportation issues that severely impact our state and especially metro Atlanta he has squandered millions of federal dollars allocated to transit and further alienated Governors in Alabama and Florida in endless court battles over water rights.

Georgia has seen school years shortened, class sizes increased and teacher furloughs (bus drivers and cafeteria workers layoffs too) yet the legislature and the Governor have continued to offer more tax cuts to benefit large corporations.  We can experience more of the same with Nathan Deal or we can change the direction of our State.

We need a Governor that will fight to improve and strengthen education, a Governor that can negotiate a water pact with Alabama and Florida.  We need a Governor that will fight predatory lending and misclassification of workers.  We need a Governor that believes in a worker’s right to organize.  I believe Roy Barnes will be that kind of Governor.  We need Carol Porter for Lieutenant Governor to fight for Working Families. I hope you will join me by supporting and voting for Roy Barnes and Carol Porter whether you vote now or on November 2nd.

We also have Congressional races and a Senate campaign to consider.   After reviewing voting records and interviewing the candidates the Georgia AFL-CIO and affiliated local unions recommend John Barrow for reelection in the 12th Congressional District, Russell Edwards for election in the 10th Congressional District and Michael Thurmond for US Senate.  But perhaps most important for working families are Darryl Hicks for Labor Commissioner, and Joe Martin for Superintendent of Schools.  Also please consider Georganna Sinkfield for Secretary of State, Ken Hodges for Attorney General, J.B. Powell for Commissioner of Agriculture.  Please consider all these recommendations