Tech Ops guys PM ME

[NGwrench]

I agree. The current method for determining our wage has to be retooled. It no longer works. It also does not take into account the amount of responsibility we accept daily that seperates us from most other groups here.
The company seems to be listening and that is a start most companies would not. I think we should be able to vote on what they come up with though.

[IAMAW]

Hello Westjet AME's. I am a fellow AME and would like to offer you my support in your quest for fair treatment.

I know exactly how it feels to not be heard or properly compensated. At Air Transat we were among the most poorly compensated airline AME's. We tried on our own in futility for years to get fair treatment from our management. Now we can proudly say we are among the best compensated AME's in Canada.

Here is a link to our current contract. I encourage you to look at the entire range of benefits we have been able to attain.

http://www.iamaw2413.org/Bulletins/Air% ... EEMENT.pdf

I understand any reluctance to unions you may have as I felt the same way for years. But I can honestly say that since the IAMAW began representing us our quality of life and respect within the company has increased exponentially. I've learned that you just can't overestimate the value of having a professional team of negotiators on your side.

I still don't think that Air Transat AME's are compensated appropriately considering the skill required and responsibility inherent to the job. But we are certainly now moving in the right direction. If you were to join with us just imagine the positive changes that could be achieved. I encourage all of you to talk with the Air Transat AME's and ask them how IAMAW representation has improved their wages and working enviroment.

If any of you have any questions or would be interested in more information please feel free to contact info@iamaw.ca

I wish you the very best in your negotiations as all of us AME's are in this struggle together.

[bombardierfixer]

Wow that went a little into the ditch eh?

I just wanted to get the mood of the Techops team across Canada, we hear how things are going but I wanted a conformation. Pilots who jumped on to this, well its the AME's issue, not really yours. We are not comparing ourselves to pilots. We are just working to a fare wage that has some long term growth in it. Being a AME is a career position at Westjet and we want to see it treated as such. As for Unions thanks but no thanks, I feel that we have a executive team that is going to treat us fairly for the good of the AME's and WJ. There is a plan in place and if we stick to it we should have somthing hammered out. As for a public forum well I guess when other avenues don't seem to bear fruit you have to reach out with what you have. Just remember stay professional.

I would like to point out I am only speaking for myself and the way I see it.

[Rotten Apple #1]

I had Ferio on the airplane yesterday (enroute YVR to distribute proftit share cheques) and I brought up the Tech Ops dept issues. He mentioned that there have been a number of meetings with you guys at some of the bases and that he was confident something would get worked out.

I haven't met a pilot yet who doesn't want you guys to be happy with your working conditions. We're all in this together.

[Wagner]

We'll see...

I hope so but weve been snowballed a few times before.

Thanks for your support. you probably have no idea how much it means to us right now

[wrench71]

It seems that the cost of living has gone up in the past few years, I think everyone can agree?
But our wage is not keeping pace.
We work night shifts, holidays rain or shine. We keep the aircraft looked after and all we want is a decent wage.
It seems Our Westjet is the same as every other Airline at the end of the day, as our voice as an AME is never taken seriously, and the mentality of the airline is that we AME s are expendible.

[bombardierfixer]

I appreciate the support that people have given us. I don't know why sometimes it devolves into AME's vs Pilots when it does I feel that we loose a little traction. The biggest problem with the AME question is that we are a cost center not a revenue center. We are not out in the public eye, and not many people really know what happens at night. Pilots, FA's, CSA's and TAC well you see them and you're pretty sure you know what they do and that their respective roles are important, which they are. The office types, well office types know what office types do. When it comes to maintenance its a little bit of a mystery. What happens at night...do the planes get chalked, plugged, and tucked in? Do the maintenance guys go home at midnight? Well all of us here know what happens when the hanger door closes or you meet the AME on the gate and he says good night to the crew, but a lot of people don't know and that includes some of the frontline people but the biggest group is the office types that don't really know what happens and they are the ones in charge of the purse strings. These are the people we have to demonstrate too the value we bring to ther table.
I'm excited to see what happens over the summer and I hope we acomplish some goals and get something accomplished. I just want to stress that we keep the process positive and keep away from the us vs them mentality. Thankyou again for the support, its a good time to be a Westjetter.

[NGwrench]

In reading thru the AT contract I see we are lagging behind in more areas than just pay. They receive 10 stats plus they receive 1.5 if they work one of the stats, per diems are higher, and they are allowed to bank three weeks in their time bank. There are other points there that make it worth a read. WJ AMEs should strive to make up the lost ground in some of the above areas along with pay.
I guess we will see, there is one more session in YYZ and the process to resolve these issues will begin.
OT J thanks for the Ferio update. Nice to hear.

[DrBoeing]

Hello Westjet AME's. I am a fellow AME and would like to offer you my support in your quest for fair treatment.

I know exactly how it feels to not be heard or properly compensated. At Air Transat we were among the most poorly compensated airline AME's. We tried on our own in futility for years to get fair treatment from our management. Now we can proudly say we are among the best compensated AME's in Canada.

Here is a link to our current contract. I encourage you to look at the entire range of benefits we have been able to attain.

http://www.iamaw2413.org/Bulletins/Air% ... EEMENT.pdf

I understand any reluctance to unions you may have as I felt the same way for years. But I can honestly say that since the IAMAW began representing us our quality of life and respect within the company has increased exponentially. I've learned that you just can't overestimate the value of having a professional team of negotiators on your side.

I still don't think that Air Transat AME's are compensated appropriately considering the skill required and responsibility inherent to the job. But we are certainly now moving in the right direction. If you were to join with us just imagine the positive changes that could be achieved. I encourage all of you to talk with the Air Transat AME's and ask them how IAMAW representation has improved their wages and working enviroment.

If any of you have any questions or would be interested in more information please feel free to contact info@iamaw.ca

I wish you the very best in your negotiations as all of us AME's are in this struggle together.

We have the IAMAW here at AC and they SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All they are interested in is taking care of the general labour people at the expense of the Aircraft Maintenance.
West Jet guys, if you are going to unionize, do not and I repeat, do not go with the IAM, we refer to the IAM as Idiots Against Mechanics. If you guys do chose to go the union route, may I suggest the teamsters.

[RustyDeuce]

I appreciate the support that people have given us. I don't know why sometimes it devolves into AME's vs Pilots when it does I feel that we loose a little traction. The biggest problem with the AME question is that we are a cost center not a revenue center. We are not out in the public eye, and not many people really know what happens at night. Pilots, FA's, CSA's and TAC well you see them and you're pretty sure you know what they do and that their respective roles are important, which they are. The office types, well office types know what office types do. When it comes to maintenance its a little bit of a mystery. What happens at night...do the planes get chalked, plugged, and tucked in? Do the maintenance guys go home at midnight? Well all of us here know what happens when the hanger door closes or you meet the AME on the gate and he says good night to the crew, but a lot of people don't know and that includes some of the frontline people but the biggest group is the office types that don't really know what happens and they are the ones in charge of the purse strings. These are the people we have to demonstrate too the value we bring to ther table.
I'm excited to see what happens over the summer and I hope we acomplish some goals and get something accomplished. I just want to stress that we keep the process positive and keep away from the us vs them mentality. Thankyou again for the support, its a good time to be a Westjetter.

I hate to break it to you but every employee comes at a cost to the Company. You, me, a CSA, FA, Dispatcher, Team Leader, or Marketing Rep. Every position in this Company gets paid the same way, and your position just so happens to be getting paid less than (what you and I believe) it should be. I have never seen any indication that leads me to believe our AME group (or any other group, for that matter) is expendable or not respected. If you want more money because you've topped out on your scale - that's fine. Don't make this out to be something bigger than it is. At the end of the day maybe your group can lead a charge to become the top paid mechanics in Canada but I hope that doesn't contribute to a competitive disadvantage sometime down the road.

[conehead]

Maybe the reason the Transat guys are happy with the IAM is that they don't have a bunch of baggage handlers controlling the bargaining, like at Air Canada. At Transat, it's Maintenance bargaining for Maintenance, the way it should be.

[TKTguy]

Agreed.
I'm at Jazz and at one time the ramp, CSA and MTC were all in the same contract.
MTC is now covered under a separate CA. I'm a CSA and although we did loose some bargaining
power it works both ways. Most of the issues that out group had to deal with surrounded MTC and
the other groups took a back seat. MTC is a unique group with unique issues and should be
represented under their own CA.

[DrBoeing]

Maybe the reason the Transat guys are happy with the IAM is that they don't have a bunch of baggage handlers controlling the bargaining, like at Air Canada. At Transat, it's Maintenance bargaining for Maintenance, the way it should be.

They are still part of DL140 which is run by Atkinson and his band of dues seeking idiots!

If you guys at West jet are thinking about unionizing, do not go with the IAM, try the Teamsters or CAW, hell the guy selling pencils in a cup would do better than the IAM! Remember, IAM stands for Idiots Against Mechanics!