Hey, I understand completely and didn't think you were. We all are pilots and all deserve the same level of high quality representation, which was not happening. The question is why Sowell would not hire more, and more competent attorneys? Did he want it all for himself and Treichler? Or was he hiding something?

A lot of dues money has been paid and the people who paid it are owed some answers. And better representation.

He supposedly "outsourced" which is a point they've mentioned. Who knows where things will go but there's nothing that can really get worse as far as representation goes.

TD:

Sounds like you hit it on the head. Had to wonder when Gene would have his flunkies start posting. He knows that this is an action taken by the IBT Board and Hoffa, not Bourne. He's likely PO'd with Bourne for not leaving him to run his private kingdom and take care of his cronies.

He's right about one thing..."baseless allegations from one douchebag..." Gotta give a man credit for being willing to post what he did and then refer to himself that way...

I'm still betting Sowell is looking for a buyout and a free pass from all charges as we speak.

And if he's "heard the opposite" about supposedly adding three years to negotiations, he should man up about who told him.

As you said, TD...smells like one of Gene's boys. Wanna bet he'll be unable to name is "sources?"

I'm just thinking it's someone who's confused.

lol, not quite.

I think you misunderstood my usage of the term "raid." Raid in union-speak means "stealing" other union's members (in this case one local stealing from another local). It's just a little off to me that not too long ago 1224 was hurting because of the ABX furloughs and now they've got new blood with one of their own in the top spot in the airline division. all im saying is that its questionable that all these guys are all related in some way.

Maybe i'm connecting too many dots, but this is what I do know:

(1) i can't talk to my business agent (one of the only people that really know my contract and my grievance process) because they got rid of all them too when they axed 747's ELECTED executive board. now who is there to help me with the interpretation or filing a grievance? maybe they know atlas' contract but they certainly don't know mine...

(2) the whole function of a general counsel in a business is to MANAGE the company's legal affairs, not DO all the legal work. all general counsels out-source work to other outside firms or attorneys depending on the work flow. besides, i'd rather have sowell out negotiating my damn contract rather than some guy in a monkey suit like me. especially when you're faced with the POS management we have and the attorneys that they put across the negotiating table.

how much do you think attorneys make by the way? my wife is an attorney (thankfully someone can pay the bills, lol) and judging from how much the partners make at her firm, sowell's salary? a drop in the bucket in comparison. i'm not sticking up for the guy, but i'm not into lynching just because someone makes more than me, because that would mean i'd have to get mad at the grocery baggers at Safeway or Wegmans.

(3) hoffa never has liked us. we're pilots remember? lol. most of us aren't exactly the pro-union type and we certainly weren't pro-obama. i remember all the crap on our boards during the election about how everyone was ****ed that the international was calling their cell phones.

(4) all the allegations that members didn't know that they had to pay dues from the time the teamsters were voted in? uhh, we all knew we had to pay dues from the get-go at 747 and i'm sure they did too. they just have a convenient memory because they think they can maybe take advantage of the situation and get a free ride. besides, the policy is the same as alpa's. we all knew the policy when we signed up. and if you think that i'm paying for some other pilot group's legal fees and support costs while they're in negotiations for 2-4 years and they're not paying a dime? think again. the only thing voluntary about paying dues before your first contract is that it’s on the honor system. the company refused to give the local any pay rates before we had our contract (they weren't legally bound to, so they didn't) so we had to call in and give them our pay rates to figure out our dues obligation.

I guess we'll find out the "truth" whenever they get around to actually having some sort of hearing.

This isn't one local taking over another. This was the national stepping in and taking over due to corruption.

I think most of us are the pro-union type.

The allegations made as to why the raid was completed seem just. Several companies were paying dues but weren't receiving the proper representation.

maybe u know something i don't, but i've heard the opposite. all the guys down there are from either teamsters local 1224 or alpa AND all friends of the airline division dir david bourne (also a member of 1224). i'm thinking friends that needed jobs and davie didn't have any more to give so goes and finds some for them at local 747. but he has to find an "in" to kick the elected officials of 747 out on the street and replace them with competing teamster local folks. now that freakin' is the lowest of the low. that's INTERNALLY raiding another local.

and to me this whole process is fishy. kick out and suspend all the officers and people that actually KNOW our contracts with baseless allegations from one douchebag that writes a letter because he's PO'd he still lives with his mommy and gets upset when he gets told "no" if his grievance doesn't have merit? And replace them with who? people that don't know my contract, have never administrated a contract and obviously have some vendetta against my local? the whole process is a farse anyway, hoffa picks the people that are going to decide whether these b.s. allegations are true. fair and just? riiiiggghhhhttttt.

how the hell does that help me. how does that help anybody?

It's not about where they came from. It's about their new responsibilities. Everyone had to come from somewhere on this. Bourne is not here as a representative of the 1224. He's now in charge of the airline division. Big difference. He is operating within his orders and the responsibility of his new position. As far as i'm concerned the only way things would be wrong is if he didn't step in and do something. I don't care who he brings with him so long as they do the job. They could have all wanted to be ALPA in the past all that tells me is that they are pro-union guys. So far I'm happy with this.

Now THAT is funny.

In a "crying on the inside" sort of way.