" Liar! Liar! Pants Are On Fire..........."

The deceptive shenanigans continue to eminate from the House of AFA!!

With the National Mediation Vote underway for the Delta flight attendants; the all out AFA fear mongering rhetoric, filled with exaggerations and deceptions, rages on. It has become blantly clear, that the money-grubbing AFA machine, will resort at any cost to "pursuade" the Delta flight attendants the necessity to join the AFA ranks.

The lies are getting HOT at AFA

It certainly has not taken the Northwest flight attendants very long to see the reality of AFA. That reality is a long history of deception and exaggeration to take credit for the achievements, while blaming all the failures on others. Here are just a couple of examples we have experienced in our short relationship with AFA

• Just a short 10 months ago, with two TA rejections by the NWA flight attendants, the election count deadline of TA 3 was extended 3 hours! Think that was honest?


• The past 10 months we have learned the Membership offices of AFA are a mess!! Have you been incorrectly billed? or threatened over AFA errors?? And this same membership office determined the legitimacy of valid membership during the TA 3 count. Think that was honest and accurate?


• AFA has claimed $30 million dollars in improvements between TA 1, TA 2 and the AFA negotiated TA 3. Where? Be it TA 1, TA 2 or TA 3; be it PFAA or AFA, when Judge Gropper said $195 million, it mean't $195 million. Shifting the numbers around is just that, shifting the numbers. Think the AFA rhetoric was honest?


• 10 months after the TA 3 ballot count, the NWA flight attendants are still waiting for their completed contract. While the negotiating team of Retrum, Offerly and Yung continue spending the money? And MEC President Griffith continues to allow changes and alterations to your TA 3 contract! Think that is honest?


• In recent AFA Delta organizing materials, AFA takes credit for the flight attendant "exiting bankruptcy claim". AFA fails to mention that the bankruptcy claim was in a previous TA, negotiated with a previous union! Think that is honest?


• In the most recent Delta/AFA Newsletter of March 31, 2008, Organizer Traci Kali authors an income comparison with "real live AFA represented" members containing 2007 W-2 Statements. "W-2's don't lie" she tells the Delta group. Well, I made no where near the $63,000 claimed by Kali. And the 2007 W-2 income would include the NWA bankruptcy exit claim (that fact is NOT mentioned by Kali), less than honest for the 92 hours claimed by Traci Kali. Check out Kali's work at http://deltaafa.org/aefiles/DeltaWklyNewsLtr25.pdf Think that is honest?

It is quite evident, that the lies and firestorm continues to rage at AFA.

All by the seat of their AFA pants..........

The deceptive lies, exaggerations and deceptions continue. You know the truth and should expect honesty and transparency, at the very least, from your AFA leaders!

Do you really want these dishonest and deceptive AFA folks representing your future? Are there not other more honest and accountable unions? Maybe holding the power in your hands, rather than Washington, keeps them honest?

Remember to hold AFA accountable for their lies and deceptive practices! Let your leaders know; you know and demand the truth. lecmec@nwaafa.org

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>>

LIES, LIES, LIES..........THE LIES CONTINUE FROM AFA

THE $64,000 QUESTION ???

Did you earn nearly $64,000 last year? AFA thinks you did.

The following e-mail correspondence discusses the concerns raised regarding the truthfulness of the recent Delta/AFA Newsletter of March 31, 2008 and newswriter Traci Kali.

• Dear Michael,
  
  My name is Mark Stell and I am one of the Co-Chairs for Communications for our Delta-AFA campaign. Our campaign received your email today and I have been asked to respond to it on behalf of Ms. Kali.
  
  Firstly, let me assure you that our primary goals in communicating with our co-workers are to be honest, sincere and inspiring to our readers. Our communications team prides itself on our commitment to journalistic excellence at all times. Our campaign has never been solely about winning our representation election ... it has also been about building the future of our Delta-AFA structure. We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished over the last 18 months and we would never risk the hard work of all our activists by exploiting a mis-information campaign. In addition, Ms. Kali, a former writer for the Associated Press, is constantly checking and re-checking any fact or statement that could raise any ethics question. We are very lucky to have her working with us on our campaign.
  
  I have attached the 12/27/07 – end of year paycheck stub – from a Northwest Airlines flight attendant. This is what we used, along with similar documentation submitted by other AFA represented flight attendants, to write our article. In the Northwest example, this FA’s salary was enhanced by a payment of a $15,000 post bankruptcy equity claim that Delta flight attendants did not receive. Further, this Northwest flight attendant also received a share of the savings Northwest Airlines realized from the cost reductions associated with their flight attendant early out program. In Delta’s current job reduction programs, Delta flight attendants have no similar opportunity to share in the cost savings our company expects to realize.
  
  I realize you do not support the Association of Flight Attendants, Michael. At the same I time, I’m sure you realize any organization, whether it’s a homeowner’s association or the board of directors of a local church, needs the valued participation of its members in order to be effective. While AFA may not be perfect, the majority of my colleagues and I believe joining AFA offers us a greater opportunity to have a meaningful voice and role in our professional careers. Once we win our representational election we intend to negotiate our first contract in record time and to be a role model for labor relations for the entire airline industry.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Mark Stell
  Co-Chair of Communications
  Delta-AFA Organizing Committee

Response regarding untruths and deceptive reporting

• 
  Dear Mr. Mark Stell,
  
  Thank You for taking the time to respond to my recent e-mail. I appreciate your efforts. However, I along with hundreds of Northwest Airlines flight attendants, continue to discuss the disingenuous $63,000 earnings question, authored by Ms. Traci Kali, in a recent article.Despite the credentials of Ms. Kali, I continue to question the validity of many of her claims and the truth and accuracy of her reporting.
  
  First, it is less than honest to just put out there, the number $63,000 without clarifying for the reader the truthfulness of such a statement. You did mention, in your e-mail, the resulting $63,000 "was enhanced" to include the bankruptcy claim AND the early out cost savings the Northwest Airlines flight attendants received ($15-$18,000). However, the story did not.
  
  An unsuspecting reader of your article (Delta flight attendant) may not get a true and accurate picture of a "real live" Northwest flight attendant earnings. Do you not think that information should also be included?? Do you not want to give a "fair and honest" report to the Delta flight attendants? Is it not dishonest to omit such a caveat? So maybe, a more truthful and accurate earning report for a Northwest flight attendant would be at most, $45,000. That would be at the bottom of Ms. Kali's comparison (yep, right next to Delta!)
  
  Honesty and truthfulness are not judged simply on the written word; rather ethical and truthful journalistic practices include not taking the liberty to omit facts. This factual omission may unjustly bias the reader or may indeed, alter the accuracy of the reporting !! As a former Associated Press writer, who "is constantly checking and re-checking any fact or statement that could raise any ethics questions" Ms. Traci Kali failed miserably in clearly and truthfully stating the "real live" Northwest flight attendant income.
  
  Secondly, Ms. Kali's report states "19 years 92 hours". This figure implies that the Northwest flight attendant worked 92 hours a month to reach that $63,000 figure. But where, on the information you provided, is that "92 hour" information?? By failing to qualify her statements, Ms. Kali implies that a Northwest Airlines flight attendant in 2007 flew (92 hrs x 12 months) = 1,104 hours divided by $63,000 and earns over $60 per hour in earnings......simply, not the truth!!
  
  Third, Ms. Kali clearly states "W-2" statements and "W-2s don't lie", the fundamental premise of her article NOT the paycheck stubs you forwarded to me. Is that not less than honest, if Ms. Kali used paycheck stubs instead of the stated W-2s? If I may explain. I have a domestic partner who receives medical/dental coverage and travels frequently on NWA. As a result, I am taxed for those benefits, which are added into each one my paychecks as additional income. Not a real reflection of my true earnings. In the attached paycheck stub, we have no evidence what is and is not included in the "year to date earnings". In your e-mail you state: "I have attached the 12/27/07-end of year paycheck stub-from a Northwest Airlines flight attendant. This is what we used, along with similar documentation submitted by other AFA represented flight attendants, to write our article."
  
  So which is it?
  
  The paycheck stub you claim or the copy of the W-2 Ms. Kali vehemently claimed did "not lie"? I would suspect your willingness to submit a copy of the paycheck stub validates your statement and once again calls into question the accuracy of Ms. Kali's reporting.
  
  Mr. Stell, as the Co-Chair of Communications for the Delta AFA organizing campaign, I have identified several issues regarding your recent publication. I, along with hundreds of Northwest Airlines flight attendants, are once again disappointed in a communications team "that prides itself on our commitment to journalistic excellence at all times". In your e-mail you have stated "that our primary goals in communicating with our co-workers are to be honest, sincere and inspiring to our readers." Ms. Kali's recent article has certainly failed each of those goals.
  
  On behalf of my dedicated and hard-working colleagues at Northwest Airlines; struggling to make their mortgage payments and put food on the table, I urge you and Ms. Traci Kali to offer a correction and clarification of your mis-information campaign. A true and accurate picture. I would expect no less from an organization "that prides itself on journalistic excellence" and an AFA organization that has unfairly misrepresented its Northwest Airlines Membership.
  
  Unfortunately, another example: Why does AFA continue to have difficulty in "just telling the truth"? The members deserve better.
  
  Regards,
  Michael Lehr
  

Read the story, you be the judge!

http://deltaafa.org/aefiles/DeltaWklyNewsLtr25.pdf

Let Pat Friend and your LEC-MEC know you earned nothing like her over $100,000 salary. It is evident, AFA needs to be reminded how much you really earned last year under an AFA negotiated contract!!

pfriend@afanet.org

lecmec@nwaafa.org

Are AFA Clowns Masquerading in MSP Hotels??

No Clowning! AFA Is Spending Your $$$$$$

Who is watching for signs of abuse and misuse?

We have continued to blog on the potential abuse of your dues and the massive overspending of many of the LEC budgets. As part of such potential mismanagement; it appears no oversight is implemented to prevent certain union officials from "deciding" to FPL (flight pay loss) their entire month!! YOU pay for their entire month and what are they doing for you during that full month of FPL?? Taking a full month of FPL for a smaller base is an expensive endeavor and costs YOU. This unaccounting of such a decision allows the local LEC rulers and fivedoms to make the decision and you pay! Yes, it has been happening.......Ask your LEC if they may reMEMber taking a full month of FPL?? And can they justify such expense??

With the Delta campaign underway, some union officials have been masquerading various FPL under different budgets (separate from their "local LEC" budget). This clown ruse is deceptive and remains unaccounted.....Remember Danny Campbell claiming that the organization of Delta flight attendants was funded by the CWA??? In a round about circus kind of way, YOU are one of the true sources of such funds and you have a right to know. How much is AFA indebted to CWA? How and when are they going to be able to "pay back" those funds?? [Could the "pay back" be when AFA "wins" the Delta vote and increases the CWA coffers by $6.5 million a year? Is this the true reason AFA continues to attempt to "pursuade" the Delta flight attendants with fear-mongering...... the MONEY?]

Let's take a closer look at the NWA-MEC Budget .....

• The annual budget for the NWA-MEC is in excess of $600,000. (Excluding LEC or the national AFA-CWA budgets)


• Office expenses-everything from administration, conference calls to internet costs average nearly $34,000 per month


• All NWA-MEC Committee expenses from Air Safety to Mobilization budget over $18,000 per month.


• MEC Monthly Totals Average $50,000 per month!

The largest and most consistent overage in the MEC budget each month is...........HOTELS. Is it any wonder the NWA-MEC exceeds the $2,000 per month budget for hotels when we consider those responsible for "indexing" our long over due contract are still at work after 8 months! And......these unelected union officials continue to use hotel rooms in MSP; including, Minneapolis resident Bruce Retrum! I guess he is just too tired to drive home each night after a hard day at work?? The clown show continues.... Ask Bruce bretrum@nwaafa.org

This AFA Circus must begin to be accountable to the membership, rather than increasing member's dues!!!

Let your MEC know you are outraged by their outrageous spending!! In the not too distant past, AFA found itself with no money in the coffers and merged with CWA for their very survival.....today the spending continues! Walking on a tightrope, for certain; a balancing the books act in multiple budgets to keep you from uncovering where your money is being spent!!!

MEC VP Albert Garcia Gets the Heck Out of Dodge.....

NWA MEC Vice President RESIGNS.......

All Is Not OK, At The House of AFA Corral-

Northwest MEC Ruled by Gun Slinging Thug Mentality; Chaos Reigns as Village Sheriff is Out of Town.......

We mentioned last month, all was NOT well in the AFA House of Cards. We even suggested more resignations were expected.......but who would have expected the AFA Poster Boy and Vice President himself, Albert Garcia????

Guess, our evaluation of the serious issues facing the Northwest MEC have come to pass! It seems Albert threatened to resign earlier but was convinced to stay by MEC President Kevin Griffith......until another day. Well, that day has now arrived!! The House of Cards Built by AFA continues to collapse...........

Less than a month later, Albert Garcia seems to have had his fill of the childish antics of a few of the LEC officials and has determined that working within the AFA Structure is not possible for the majority of the Northwest Airlines LEC dictators! They and their gun slinging mentality, simply don't get it........the desperatos blame everyone but themselves!

Outsiders have been preaching for months that the few are ruining it for the majority and the House of AFA was beginning to crumble! Seems the previous petty in house fights between LEC and their members is just the beginning.....the upper levels of the MEC are starting to falter as well....

Classic case: Too Many Gun-Toting Cowboys and Not Enough Indians, in a town without a Sheriff. Seems that MEC President Kevin Griffith had been holding things together but due to family illness, his absence has permitted lawlessness to reign.

Many of the LEC common diatribes directed to dissenting voices: "my way or the highway" "just the way it is" or "pack your bags!" This behavior from your elected union officials toward one another......at a most critical time in our future! You deserve better. These lawless desperados have created havoc within the House of AFA.

Guess it was not all it was cracked up to be at AFA, "the flight attendant union"; we have seen and done better ourselves. When will AFA understand it is the undemocratic structure of decisionmaking that is the problem??

And as Albert Garcia packs his saddle bags and heads to Washington, maybe the LEC-MEC will get their sh#* together. Not likely, though. You heard it here First: Expect even more resignations to come!

In the mean time, there is a reward being offered by AFA for the return of AFA Poster Boy, Albert Garcia

Back in the Saddle Again: And the AFA Wild, Wild West Show Continues..........

I Think "Ima" Gonna Throw Up.....

Get those air sickness bags ready.....

Another sad attempt by AFA to make you think they are finally doing something

Introducing the latest creative communication from the House of AFA!

IMA (Informed Member Advocate) How much of your dues has been spent on this mobilization effort?? Seems like the geniuses at AFA have spent countless hours and massive amounts of money in an attempt to lure your interest in the newly revealed membership engagement campaign. Another immature example of why this MEC is just not ready to lead you!

Have you heard the commentary? What is the point? Did I miss something??Dial 1-888-3NWA-AFA, Option #2 And Listen for yourself....

Clearly this was a last minute effort put together with little or no thought....And who in their right mind would create such and insulting and demeaning diatribe on the virtues of AFA? AFA and their media team are wondering why the "Ima" campaign received such a poor reaction from the flight attendants......Let me share with you why.

The flight attendants are an articulate and intelligent group of people who can think for themselves without the ill conceived dramatics of AFA and their "award winning" communications department spoon feeding their propaganda. We have a union that has failed to develop a strategy, failed to effectively communicate with its membership and continues spewing its hateful fear- mongering crusade and this is what we get???? A juvenile attempt at humor, at best.

Your future is in these folks hands..........The true meaning behind IMA........

Insulting Manipulative Antics

"Friend" & Company Eating You Out of House and Home.....

And your price to sit at the AFA-CWA dinner table increases 10% , beginning June 1, 2008

That is no "Friend" of mine.

You continue to have to work 100 hours to make a living wage and your union makes their marriage to CWA official in October 2007, by agreeing to raise your dues over 10% to $43.00 per month. Where is the fairness? Where is a democratic membership vote? Reality: You must hold your LEC accountable. Ask how your LEC President voted. The only NWAAFA base to overwhelming vote "against" the dues increase.........San Francisco

The House of AFA continues to pride itself on it's bottom up power structure, insisting the power of the organization is in your hands. But the disgruntled AFA membership is discovering maybe within your hands but always just out of reach......If the power is from the bottom up,why then, is the sitting Queen reigning in a whopping salary of $108,000* piece of the pie per year while you continue to work under the AFA negotiated 40% paycuts?? Sounds like a "top-down" money structure at the least.

What good has AFA and the top hierarchy proven? Why do the LEC officials struggle and continue to fight to bring every dollar back to the LEC level to represent you; while the corrupt House of AFA continues to eat up your membership dollars??

Outrageous pay for a "Friend"ly token, with no power........What good is she, other than eating up your dues??? Why not eliminate her position and give raises to the LEC where all the "power" is located??

The corrupt and undemocratic AFA structure has been very methodical in their constitutional changes. Why do you suppose they have "scattered" election cycles on the LEC level?? This prevents any type of reform within AFA. By scattering the election cycles, AFA allows current fiefdoms to remain in power while preventing any drastic changes with alternate year elections. This also keeps the AFA organization from remaining accountable to the membership and prevents a democratic ticket from creating sweeping reforms, systemwide. This is exactly how money-mongering Patricia Friend has remained in power for years!

During the past couple of years, nearly bankrupt AFA found itself in a precarious situation and was forced to merge with another standing union to stay afloat. Despite being on the brink of bankruptcy, AFA continues today to gobble up the cash with the deep pockets of their merger partner CWA. Ask your AFA officials how much AFA owe the CWA union and when they expect this debt to be paid???

Who continues to feed this money grubbing machine?? YOU

Despite the semantics of some union officials that their FPL (flight pay loss) is being paid by CWA and NOT AFA......who do they think is CWA????? YOU and your dues! The last LM-2 filed with the Department of Labor was 2006 and AFA had coffers worth $2 and membership of zero.....Check it out for yourself at http://erds.dol-esa.gov/query/getOrgQry.do AFA, as a lone union, does not exist. AFA is CWA. CWA is AFA. SHAME on Danny Campbell for insisting that the generousity of CWA is funding his campaign at Delta; rather than acknowledging your hard working dues are contributing to his FPL. Your dues are helping pay these costs no matter how you divide the pie. Period.

$54, 544..... While you were working under a 40% pay cut, "part time" CWA employee Danny Campbell earned over $54,000 while on union leave at Northwest! A mobilization campaign appointee; someone you never even elected!! But Danny claims you did not pay his wages......Your dues go into the CWA coffers: let him know you are not stupid and what you think of his flippant and disingenuous response!

The rising costs of AFA-CWA dues, enables the outrageous fea$t to continue........