Airborne Maintenance Teamster Organizing Committee Member Warns About AMFA

November 8, 2002

Dear Continental Mechanics:

I am current president of Airborne Express Maintenance Organizing. I read recently where where AMFA has filed with the NMB for a representative election on your behalf and felt obligated to tell you about our own first hand dealings with this organization.

In November of 2001, a group of mechanics wishing to organize with AMFA contacted AMFA National headquarters and expressed this desire to them. We requested help with this task and were promised many things that ultimately did not materialize. We all understood the fact that AMFA’s constitution prohibited spending funds on organizing, and did not expect a large organizing input. Little did we realize at this time though the extend of their disinterest in us. From the very beginning of our drive we received little or no input whatsoever from the AMFA National. On numerous occasions we requested authorization cards, research data, and organizing advice, but received nothing. We continued on with our organizing efforts, funding mailings, a website, and various other activities, totally without AMFA assistance or interest. After 3 months of working tirelessly to organize our mechanics, we had fewer than 25% of our workforce signed. Eventually our group became dismayed with the way we had been treated, and ultimately reached a crossroads in our campaign. I repeatedly try to e-mail and call O.V. Della Femmine to discuss our situation, but was ignored on every attempt. In the end, our group decided to drop the AMFA organizing campaign and turn to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as our bargaining representative. Since that time, we have never looked back. With the help of the IBT, we have received everything necessary to accomplish our goal, and we are very near filing for a representative election. The IBT has helped with every aspect of our drive, including funding, advice, and above all, the feeling of brotherhood that AMFA could and would not give us.

Please think seriously about the choice between AMFA and the IBT. Our choice has been made with absolutely no regrets, and we will never settle for less again. Our choice is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters!

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Newman