Time for union membership to speak up

The echoes of the coup d’état at Local 987 of the American Federation of Government Employees are reverberating in the halls of the Pentagon almost 700 miles away. And while there is consternation in Middle Georgia about the recent events that threaten the long-term viability of Robins Air Force Base, there may be some glee in the communities surrounding Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma and Hill Air Force Base in Utah. While some Local 987 members may feel rightfully vindicated with the national putting the local under trusteeship and transferring millions of dollars belonging to the local into its control, that view would be described, at best, as shortsighted and dangerous.

The Oklahoma City and Ogden communities knew they were in for a fight. The Air Force has three facilities that do the same things and the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure Commission is going to impact which ones get additional work and which one gets shut down. For those workers who discount the possibility of another BRAC, read your newspaper. You will see that almost every word coming out of Washington runs contrary to that vein of thought, particularly with every branch of the military having excess infrastructure.

A report released in April said the Department of Defense has 22 percent excess capacity overall, including 33 percent in the Army, 32 percent in the Air Force and 7 percent in the Navy. A House Study Committee on Military Affairs met at the base last week reiterated the need to be prepared for another BRAC. And for those who believe the line that the number of labor grievances have no impact on what the Pentagon might decide in a BRAC, that’s just flat wrong. You would be betting your own livelihood and that of Middle Georgia on a fantasy.

Why would the competing communities welcome Robins’ labor troubles? Could it be that Robins has posted the best production, 217 aircraft, in five years? Could it be that the highly skilled Robins workers have cut $1.4 million in production costs with 1,000 fewer workers? Three years ago there were 600 memorandum of agreement employees at Robins; now there are six. Three years ago Robins had more arbitration cases than Tinker and Hill combined at 386; now there are 23. Worker’s compensation at the base is below industry standards, saving $2.5 million.

Is that why all the maintenance on C-130s has returned to Robins? Could it be that the system put in by new union leadership three years ago, pre-decisional involvement, is working and labor/management issues are dealt with early and fixed rather than allowed to escalate?

Union members have to make up their own minds about what’s taking place. They live and work here. They have families and friends here who depend on the base and its longevity. Every challenge has been met. Encroachment is no longer an issue. Production and efficiency is some of the highest in the Air Force, and until last week, the labor issue was off the table.

Not anymore.

So why the national intervention? Call it what you will, but it could be a matter of payback. Local 987 leadership didn’t go along with an attempt to raise dues on members by $3.54 every paycheck and voted against the eventual $1.16 raise. Local members haven’t felt it because the Local 987 has refused to charge members and instead has been paying the differential between what members had been paying and the new amount.

The Pentagon is watching, and it’s up to Local 987 members not to let the national AFGE’s kangaroo court comprising handpicked jurors — contrary to its own bylaws — railroad local leadership — duly elected, twice — out of office. The national organization has already made known that it does not have the best interests of the base, its employees or Middle Georgia at heart. Even the second election that was allowed three years ago was ordered under bogus circumstances because seven badly forged ballots were found in the trash.

Some might say we are crying wolf, but we aren’t ready to see $2.75 billion — the annual economic impact of the base in Georgia — disappear? Are you?

This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 9:09 PM with the headline "Time for union membership to speak up."