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Dear AFA-CWA Members:
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has a long history of working with your union, the Association of Flight Attendants and the Communications Workers of America. Our unions seek to organize airline workers to build power to lift the standards of the middle class.
Established, effective unions like ours have been attacked by so-called independent unions claiming to focus solely on a single employer or single craft. In our experience, we’ve found such organizations to be ineffective and divisive. They are often led by union-busters who make money by claiming dues dollars as a prize. Lee Seham, the attorney of United Flight Attendants Association, is one of these attorneys who has taken part in decertification campaigns across the industry and then taken worker issues to court and yielded harmful decisions for workers’ rights.
Do not be fooled by his promises. His law firm was closely tied to the disastrous strike of one of his independent unions against Northwest in 2005 – an action that resulted in hundreds, if not thousands, of lost jobs. As a lawyer he has represented airline management arguing against workers. He has been accused by unions he represented of excessive billing practices. His new union is not worthy of your support.
At United Airlines, the last thing union members need is to fight their battles alone or trust anti-union cronies to do it on their behalf. The airlines have consolidated. Executives are trying to control workers and extract more work for less pay and fewer jobs. This is no time to reject the resources and commitment of AFA-CWA, an experienced union with connections throughout the labor movement and around Washington, D.C. More than ever, union members need to band together and fight for what is rightfully ours.
The Teamsters have learned lessons the hard way about Lee Seham. We write to you because he has taken professional positions that present a conflict of interest to you and your current job. You deserve better representation than someone who has argued against the interests of workers. You have a democratic, well-respected union with AFA-CWA. Don’t trade it in for the Lee Seham controlled United Flight Attendants Association.
Fraternally,
James P. Hoffa
General President