I'm fat. To be specific, I'm about thirty pounds overweight. There are several reasons for this condition, with the first and foremost being that I eat too much and exercise too little. What I would kill for is a pill or device that takes no effort on my part to get in shape. We've all seen the ads for pills or items that claim you'll get instant results or it only takes three minutes a day to be in the best shape of your life. Unfortunately the only thing these products are good for is lightening your wallet and enriching the salesmen and their bosses.
I saw the latest IAM CDU flyer and I immediately thought about all those above mentioned products and the campaigns designed to sell their inferior or worthless products. Like those ads, the flyer sounds good on the surface. "Come join us for Wonderful and Better Representation" the flyer seems to scream at us, "No effort is required on your part!" appears to be the message. "But Wait! There's more!" the flyer extols us, as it claims the IAM represented UAL mechanics since 1947 so they know what they're doing. Again, similar to the above ads there are some harsh truths that need to be dealt with. The first one is that the same snake oil salesmen that sold us on the claim that the IAM was not acting in our best interest are now claiming that wasn't true. Second, at this point in time the only major carrier where mechanics are represented by the IAM (USAirways) are currently last on the list for compensation.
So why are these people pushing to go back to the IAM now? The answer is obvious to me. They have been promised jobs either at the Grand Lodge or within the new unsustainable District Lodge at better than 100k for very little effort on their part. In other words like the snake oil salesmen that they are, all they have to do is sell you on an idea and their masters will reward them. Handsomely!
Brothers and Sisters when these shysters attempt to sell you their wares you need ask only one question. What's in it for the membership? Every time one of us buys their garbage and signs a card, it diminishes our ability to achieve a better life. There is no magic pill. If you're concerned about your current representation there is one clear answer. Get involved and work hard. That is the only way to affect change on anything in life. To do otherwise will only lighten your wallet.
