The AMFA is the most democratic union the airline industry. All officers, from Shop Representative to the National Director, are elected by secret ballot. The National assists the Locals throughout the system. National officers oversee these professionals and report to the membership. Candidates for national office need the endorsement of only one Local to have his or her name placed on the ballot.
National officers are subject to the same recall procedures as local officials.
Back To Top Of Page. The AMFA drive, which appears to be rapidly evolving into an industry-wide movement, is in reality the continuation of a struggle between the craft unionism concept of workers organizations versus the theory of industrial unionism. AMFA supporters are generally adherents to the craft ideology, which holds that labor unions derive the bulk of their strength from members skill, not simply the sheer number of workers, and should be organized accordingly. Conversely, IAM patrons tend to be advocates of industrial unionism, which espouses the belief that the sheer numbers of members is the determining factor in the strength of workers organizations, and all workers within a given industry should belong to one big union. An individual s preference often appears related to his or her skill level, and both philosophies have gained acceptance during different eras of American labor history.