I had a really upset stomach yesterday as I learned about the faith of United Airlines throwing out its pension plan.
If you have looked at this site over the last few months you would have seen I had posted my thoughts that this was going to happen, but nevertheless it still is upsetting how this country's business model has changed.
Business is non-caring about its labor force. Noncaring about the sacrifices it has to make to achieve a smile on it shareholders faces, and pockets full of cash in it's CEO's portfolios.
A revolution is at hand.
A revolution of overworked, underpaid workers. Today's workforce is being asked to do more for less money, less benefits and with almost NO job security.
They are becoming pissed with management and big business for dividing the classes and basically eliminating the middle class.
AMT's are a prime example of this.
The Nations Airlines have trended away from "in house" maintenance toward third party maintenance, cut the workers wages benefits and now pensions.
Job security is all but non existent. What is a AMT to do?
I fill our unions need to do some campaigning on our part. A lot of public relation exposure at what we do exactly. What it takes to become a A&P licensed mechanic. What it takes to maintain today's aircraft. This isn't just heavy aircraft, but ALL aircraft.
Sure the general public loves the cheep travel of today. Sure they don't mind not having full meals onboard. I bet if you talked to them about how unlicensed people from other country's are fixing the airplane's they are on they would perk up!
Everyone I know is intrigued by the work I do as a aircraft technician. Most people like aircraft and are intrigued at how they work. There are also a large number that are fearful at "something falling off" in flight.
For the United States Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic to survive we must show the world what we do.
We must explain how frustrating it is to change things on a aircraft. The paperwork that is involved. The ECRA, Log Book, Parts Tag, Training, NDT and others.
We must educate the population. With this achieved we can then demand job security, proper pay and benefits. The traveling public will demand this.
They don't want to be on a aircraft that isn't maintained properly or even has a chance of being maintained properly.
Would you want to go on a airplane that was just serviced in a foreign country by unlicensed mechanics? _________________
Posted:
Thu May 12, 2005 9:04 am
Mark Employee
Joined: Nov 21, 2003 Posts: 17
Location: USA
My responses are in capital letters imbedded in the original posting, following:
The times they are a changing!
I had a really upset stomach yesterday as I learned about the faith of United Airlines throwing out its pension plan.
If you have looked at this site over the last few months you would have seen I had posted my thoughts that this was going to happen, but nevertheless it still is upsetting how this country's business model has changed.
Business is non-caring about its labor force. Noncaring about the sacrifices it has to make to achieve a smile on it shareholders faces, and pockets full of cash in it's CEO's portfolios. THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, THE ONLY PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LABOR FORCE WERE THE LABORERS AND THE MASTERS (WHO WERE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT A SUPPLY OF LABORERS).
A revolution is at hand. THERE IS NO REVOLUTION. THIS IS THE WORLD AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN.
A revolution of overworked, underpaid workers. Today's workforce is being asked to do more for less money, less benefits and with almost NO job security. NOT ALMOST NO JOB SECURITY; TOTAL LACK OF JOB SECURITY.
They are becoming pissed with management and big business for dividing the classes and basically eliminating the middle class. THE MIDDLE CLASS CANNOT BE ELIMINATED. THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE MIDDLE CLASS (WORKERS) HAVE SUPPORTED THE RICH, THE RULING CLASS, AND THE POOR.
AMT's are a prime example of this. WE AMTs ARE WORKERS.
The Nations Airlines have trended away from "in house" maintenance toward third party maintenance, cut the workers wages benefits and now pensions.
Job security is all but non existent. What is a AMT to do?
AN AMT IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HIS/HER KNOWLEDGE OF AIRWORTHINESS AND ITS APPLICATION TO AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAFE FLIGHT AND RUSSIAN ROULETTE.
I fill our unions need to do some campaigning on our part. A lot of public relation exposure at what we do exactly. What it takes to become a A&P licensed mechanic. What it takes to maintain today's aircraft. This isn't just heavy aircraft, but ALL aircraft.
Sure the general public loves the cheep travel of today. Sure they don't mind not having full meals onboard. I bet if you talked to them about how unlicensed people from other country's are fixing the airplane's they are on they would perk up! THE GENREAL PUBLIC HAS NO IDEA ABOUT AIRWORTHINESS AND THE VALUE OF LICENSED AMTs.
Everyone I know is intrigued by the work I do as a aircraft technician. Most people like aircraft and are intrigued at how they work. There are also a large number that are fearful at "something falling off" in flight. ASSURE THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING FALLING OFF IN FLIGHT THAT THEIR BEST CHANCE FOR REACHING THEIR DESTINATION LIES IN KNOWLEDGEABLE AMTs MAINTAINING THE AIRCRAFT THEY FLY.
For the United States Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic to survive we must show the world what we do.
We must explain how frustrating it is to change things on a aircraft. The paperwork that is involved. The ECRA, Log Book, Parts Tag, Training, NDT and others. PAPERWORK IS MERELY PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, KNOWING THE MEANING OF AIRWORTHINESS AND ENSURING THAT EACH AIRPLANE IS AIRWORTHY IS THE HEART OF THE A & P's VALUE.
We must educate the population. With this achieved we can then demand job security, proper pay and benefits. The traveling public will demand this.
They don't want to be on a aircraft that isn't maintained properly or even has a chance of being maintained properly. WEW NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT "MAINTAINED PROPERLY" MEANS - AIRWORTHY.
Would you want to go on a airplane that was just serviced in a foreign country by unlicensed mechanics?
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE U.S. TO HAVE YOU AIRCRAFT SERVICED BY UNLICENSED MECHANICS...
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