556membersunited

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A union President having an employer terminate those she represents hurts more than those who lose their job. It hurts the bargaing power of the Collective Bargaining unit in its entirety.

I discuss this on LinkedIn.

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Past Practices undermine Union Leadership

Past practices of former union officers and officials have undermined the position of the President while at the negotiating table.

President Lyn Montgomery of TWU Local 556 must overcome the actions of her predecessor Audrey Stone to be taken seriously at the negotiating table.

Traditionally, a union President, typically an employee of a company is considered an equal while at the negotiating table. This legal doctrine is honored and enforced by courts and by the National Labor Relations Board as it assures a union President can act on negotiate on behalf of union members and not be constrained or controlled by an employer during a negotiations process.

Currently, TWU 556 are faced with rank and file members refer to as "Audrey Leftovers" a reference to the binds created by TWU 556's former President Audrey Stone. Throughout Audrey Stone's tenure as the President of TWU 556, Stone faced unpopularity and a huge disapproval rating from those Stone represented at the bargaining table.

In 2015 rank and file members demanded Stone resign as president and lead negotiator of TWU 556 after a tentative agreement failed by 87%. Rank and File members also demanded the resignations of negotiators Brett Nevarez and Bill Holcomb from the TWU 556 negotiating team as well.

Resignations never came from Stone, Nevarez and Holcomb. After the TWU 556 Executive Board failed to remove Stone and other negotiators as per officer removal, rank and file members signed on to an existing recall petition as per the governing union bylaws.

While the recall petition circulated, many vocal proponents of the recall petition found themselves in fact finding meetings and were issued disciplinary action including suspensions and terminations from their jobs as flight attendants. Specifics of those this disciplinary action can be found in sources such as "Charlene Carter vs Southwest Airlines Co."

According to 556 rank and file members and from the evidence presented in cases such as Carter vs Southwest Airlines Co, Stone and other union officials had gone to their employer stating they felt the criticism of rank and file flight attendants was a violation of company policies. Court documents show that Carter and others feel these complaints were "dubious" and an attemt for Stone and her supporters to remain in office.

Stone and other TWU 556 officials approached their employer stating that they were employees of the airline and felt the employer should step in and stop the perxeiced harassment the were receiving because of their status union officers and officials.

The employer did take action. Those actions are being challenged in court proceedings.

In the meantime, President Montgomery has more than the average challenges in negotiations ahead of her. Montgomery faces an uphill battle in overcoming the tainted office left to her by her predecessor.

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Negotiations at 556

The flight attendants of Southwest Airlines are on to sneaky negotiating tactics to undermine the negotiations between their designated collective bargaining unit and Southwest Airlines ( from here on out referred to as "the Company).

President Lyn Montgomery has issued a statement conferring that she and the negotiating team of TWU 556 will be dealing directly with the Company.

The last few years have been full of internal union conflict due to what TWU 556 Members refer to as the "corrupt leadership" of TWU 556

The contract of 2016 was barely passed by the rank and file members of TWU 556. Many feel it was passed due to the heavy handedd intimidation tactics of the Company and former TWU President Audrey Stone.

Rank and File members allege that Stone and her supporters used bullying tactics and intimidation to ensure that the 2016 tenrative agreement was passed. Many rank and file flight attendants see the Company using tactics used under Stone's regime and are hopeful that the latest tactics are not an indication that "Audrey Leftovers" are not jeopardizing the interests of the TWU 556 rank and file.

In 2015, President Audrey Stone and the majority of the TWU 556 Executive Board presented a tentative agreement which failed by 87%. Rank and file members are still bitter at the failed Tentative agreement proposal of 2015 as well as the conduct of the TWU 556 Executive Board in the aftermath of the 2015 failed TA proposal. Many rank and have resigned their union membership and are quietly preparing to formally decertify TWU 556 as their designated Collective Bargaining Representative.

Whether Montgomery can restore the faith of the rank and file members of TWU 556 remains to be seen.

Mwanwhile, rank and file members are preparing themselves as negotiations are expected to continue for months if not years.

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As reported in the Dallas News, rank and file members of 556 are perplexed at being contacted directly by Labor Management representatives of Southwest Airlines.

Transport Workers Union Local 556 is the official bargaining agent of the Flight Attendants of Southwest Airlines. Contractually, Southwest Airlines cannot negotiate directly with the Flight Attendants of Southwest Airlines. Contacting union members directly during negotiations is a violation of the contract and any good union President knows to assure union members that every member is represented by those elected to negotiate on behalf of the members of TWU Local 556.

Rank and file union members are e skeptical of those negotiating on their behalf and it is fair to say rank and file members have every right to be skeptical.

In July of 2015, the membership of TWU 556 voted down a tentative agreement proposal down by a staggering 87%. And 556 negotiators would not step down.

Typically when a tentative agreement fails union leaders take steps to protect the interest of of a union and assures that the collective interest of the union remains protected. Not at TWU 556. And not during the summer of 2015.

Rank and file members orchestrated many efforts in preserving their rights as unionized workers. Facebook pages dedicated to removing union officers and officials were met with resistance by the very leadership that was supposed to protect the interest of TWU 556. In fact, disgraced former union President Audrey Stone spent union funds on a paid "digital media team" that rank and file members referred to as the "Digital Media Team Mafia."

And indeed, the Digital Media Team operated like a mafia. When speaking out against the Audrey Stone regime, innocent rank and file members found themselves surrounded and mobbed by union officers and officials on the union dime. Facebook hackings of those opposed to the increasingly corrupt leadership of TWU 556 were not uncommon. Law enforcement and government agencies were contacted multiple times. Union meetings were attended in droves by rank and file members demanding the resignations of President Stone and her supporters. Letters to union officials were sent by the drove to union offices and never responded to by the officers tasked with holding President Stone accountable for failing the members of TWU 556 on such an unprecedented level never did remove President Stone by board removal as outlined in the bylaws governing TWU 556

By the fall of 2015, the membership TWU 556 became increasingly disenchanted with the majority of TWU 556 not standing up to President Stone and her supporters. Many rank ans file members circulated a recall petition that eventually garnered over 8,500 signatures and $50,000 in fees dedicated to the legal battles rank and file members were now forced to fight as a means of preserving their very livelihood now jeopardized by the very leaders that claimed to represent the interest of TWU 556.

By 2016, rank and file members realized the extent of union corruption when vocal rank and file members were fired from their jobs as flight attendants- at President Stone's request.

2016 soon became 2017. Undeterred, many rank and file members did all they could to stand up to what many referred to as "the union bullies of TWU 556. Rank and file members faced continued ridicule and harassment from the 556 Executive Board members and the Digital Media Team paid to carry out the wishes of the TWU 556 Executive Board.

Rank and file members would continue facing abuse from the TWU 556 Executive Board simply because of their disagreement of the leadership of TWU 556.

In March of 2018, Lyn Montgomery was elected as the President of TWU 556 by a huge margin of support from the rank and file members. Many 556 veterans are confident that their new President can get the job done and are happy to voice a positive opinion of President Montgomery.

However, the damage done to the union and to the rank and file members of TWU 556 is extensive. The grievance machinery of TWU 556 is tainted with at least two arbitration awards stating that Southwest Airlines can fire the flight attendants if a union President asks Southwest Airlines to do so. A dangerous place for the rank and file members of TWU 556. "Audrey Leftovers" have shaken the faith if the rank and file members of TWU 556. Whether or not any faith can be restored to the leadership of TWU 556 remains to be seen.