AMFA's Failure to Represent Its Members

AMFA has been in negotiations for the Alaska Airline mechanics for many months. During this time, AMFA failed to bring the legal assistance to the table that it had promised the mechanics. Instead, AMFA left a negotiating committee of untrained mechanics to do the best they could without legal assistance. The result is that AMFA, advised by their real estate specialists (McCormick Group), failed to negotiate any significant improvements in wages, benefits, or work rules.

Through AMFA's agreement, the final contract will be approved by an arbitrator rather than being put to a vote by the mechanics who have a stake in the outcome. This is baseball arbitration and it is what airline managements are working so hard to get Congress to approve. The results of such an arbitration are predictable: minor tweaks will be made here and there, leaving the Alaska Airline mechanics far behind the industry, especially those represented by real unions. This is not even take it or leave it, it is simply take it—the Alaska Airline mechanics have no choice. So much for an association that claims to be democratic!