Northwest says outsourcing long has been safe

[Robert Oak]

Today, however, unionized mechanics at Northwest and other big airlines see outsourcing as the latest, and perhaps gravest, threat to their livelihoods. In Minnesota they've waged an emotional campaign, and uniformed mechanics walked the State Capitol corridors wearing buttons that said, "Save jobs, safe airplanes."

Ted Ludwig, president of the Twin Cities local of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), warned in April that if the big airlines continue to increase outsourcing, "this industry will not only have red on the balance sheets, but on the runway as well."

http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5377213.html

I have to agree, how wise is it to have an US airplane serviced
in a 3rd world country...can you imagine ...let's say sabotage,
corruption and payoffs to let "someone with special interests"
"service" the plane? Or how about going for the cheapest buck
in jet maintains...hmmm...i'm 37k miles in the air to find out
they are paying their maintaince workers 1 dollar a day and forcing
them to live in "corporate" housing.

[okieinpain]

1. each individual is going to have to start their own business to

survive. the other news is americans don't care about this, they are more interested in missing brides.

[Robert Oak]

2. l'll bet 5 bucks that the Julia Roberts movie is now

re-released or on TV and remarketed.

I agree, makes me sick.

Here group after group is getting decimated and all that is
left are "do you want fries with that" jobs...

America has no solidarity with it's own...kind of like "oh not me, they must be stupid and lazy then" response.

[MontageOfFreedom]

3. Long been safe?

I don't really see how this report got created.

[ret5hd]

4. hmmm...AMFA against outsourcing?...

that's news to me, as i am employed at an airline maintenance base that is represented by another union that amfa is attempting to oust.

One of amfa's ideas is to shut down the airlines maintenance bases. They think this action will protect the line mechanics (the mechanics that work at airports rather than maintenance bases). Go figure.

[Robert Oak]

5. jez that's ridiculous

There they are being crushed by outsourcing and they are busy
fighting with another American union?

No wonder the neocons are in control and corporations rule the world.

[ret5hd]

7. amfa's stock-in-trade is union raiding...

they have been attacking the union at my workplace now for 30+ years.

i have strong suspicions that amfa is actually covertly funded by the national right-to-work committee. their goal is the complete dismantlement of the unions in the airline industry...one of the few good jobs left for the working person.

[Robert Oak]

9. why would then turn around and point out that

offshore outsourcing is going to create blood on the runways in so
many words if this was true?

You tell me, I'm not involved with unions but the whole thing is
quite weird.

[ret5hd]

11. amfa's only accomplishment has been an astounding amount...

of bluster and bombast, only to desert the people they led to confrontation. they are shit. they are scum. amfa's leadership regularly and consistently makes glorious promises, only to scurry away in the dark when it is time to actually deliver.

del femine and crowd are cowards at best, traitors of the working man at worst. they officially, publicly and loudly proclaim their disengagement from politics, then cry tears loudly and publicly when a political decision such as this affects them.

their entire philosophy is individual enrichment, deriding the rest of the labor movement in their philosophy of (regardless of how seldom we actually practice) solidarity.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[jalboum]

6. Outsourcing Does Not Equal Offshoring

There is a difference between outsourcing a business function to another company in the US and outsourcing a business function to a company in another country, which is commonly referred to as offshoring.

Outsourcing has been common across all businesses since the beginning of time. If you use a service company to perform a function for your business, you are outsourcing. I bet your company outsources payroll processing to a company like ADP. Sure, your company could hire accountants to make sure that paychecks are cut every pay period and that taxes are properly paid, but that would be a big waste of money when they can pay a small fee to another company to do it for them. That's outsourcing. There's nothing wrong with it if you are giving business to another US company.

When the work moves offshore, however, then that can be a different story.

Don't confuse outsourcing with offshoring.

[ret5hd]

8. the airlines have been fighting for decades to get the ability...

to offshore their outsourcing.

how do i know? i work for one.

[Robert Oak]

12. in this case I think they are referring to offshore outsourcing n/t

[newyawker99]

16. Hi jalboum!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dflprincess]

10. Meanwhile, while outsourcing jobs in Minnesota

NWA is trying to get the Metropolitan Airport Commission to let it completely take over the Lindbergh (or main) terminal at Mpls/St Paul International and push all other carriers to the Humphrey Terminal.

[markus]

13. Let them. When they pay back the MN bailout. In cash.

Not likely.

I wonder if I can get the parachute concession at Fargo Hector? Genuine American Made and Packed Parachutes for people flying planes serviced god knows where.


More practially, they should be required to disclose if the plane was American or foreign serviced. In advance.

Hell, if we're going to live in a free market, at least let me know what I'm buying.

[peacebuzzard]

14. Let's put it this way....how do u feel about the pilot making 17K a yr?

Yes, folks, that's what's going on here. Outsource here, downgrade there, fire the whole labor group and hire for less. Yes, it's true. Regional jet pilots make less than the kids at Wendy's. And no, you do not skimp on a professional mechanic of 20 years with the caliber of our US trained and prepped to deal w/ our aircraft and instead either ship the orders and get parts overseas or outsource to a recent grad of correspondence ed or night extension courses .....This is what is wrong with the "corporatization" of the whole damned nation. Hey, that's me in the back of coach just trying to make a living. And I really don't want the guy up front or the guy fixing the plane to be worried about where his next meal is coming from or how he is going to pay his monthly credit card bills. The way things are going now China Air will be doing domestic hops Houston - LA with foreign nationals working the cabin. And as soon as Richard Branson has his way, Virgin Air (renamed) will be doing the same with Miami - New York. How many more jobs lost then? There goes the last of the legacy union groups.