When it comes to cooking, Italians have mastered the process. It is not simply the recipes that they have constructed over the millennia, it is the how Labor and Management work together to create something incredible. Granted, the Italians are working together for a gastronomical experience, the reality is that it is not dissimilar to what is happening today in the Mortgage Field Services Industry. Several months ago, the International Association of Field Service Technicians (IAFST) was formed as a nonprofit trade association. And as a condition of its success, I publicly stated that I would not be on the Board nor would I be a voting Member. To that point, I provide technical services to the Association which its Board are incapable of doing. Currently, the Board is comprised of Management whom, on occasion, service some of their own orders due to a lack of Labor availability. All of this information is publicly available.
Like any Association, though, it was formed to address issues — perceived or otherwise — that were problematic in the Industry. Much like the artisans whom create balsamic vinegar in Modena, Italy, so to an Association must bring along a sampling of those whom have been aggrieved in order to get the correct balance of profit and protection.
To understand the Industry, one must first understand the kleptocratic nature of its only previous Association, the National Association of Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS). The reality is that the IAFST Board have all interacted with NAMFS, whether they liked it or not. It is a Scarlet Letter that may never be removed. By in large, the entirety of Foreclosurepedia has been dedicated to the reporting upon NAMFS member offenders for over nearly a decade and a half. And there are only two principal characters in the story — Labor and Management. And as my role has always been and always will be a Friend of Labor, it is not surprising that the IAFST Board today are probably counting the days until I die, much like Management does each and every day.
The time has come to have an Industrywide discussion about what is important to Labor — not Management. It is a discussion that I submit is not wanted by anyone — even some within Labor. It is a discussion, nonetheless, that will go forward. It will be a discussion where Management is not welcome to attend. It is a discussion where neither the IAFST Board nor NAMFS will be allowed in. And it will be a discussion to set out the Principles of Labor that will stand as Labor’s Manifesto, going forward. And like anything in life that Associations deal with, Bylaws stand as King. Whether or not Associations like it, they serve at the leisure of their Membership and are subject to the power of the pen.
Over the coming days, Foreclosurepedia will host multiple Virtual Events for Labor, across the Nation, under the banner of the IAFST Federation of Labor. It merely is a caucus of Labor whom are and are not IAFST Members. The time has come to initiate surveys and begin to get an understanding of where Labor is as I move for the creation of a new NAICS. This action has been fought by all Management as it will link Labor to US government agencies such as Census Bureau, Department of Education and Department of Labor. And with that linkage, it will force the tracking of statistics not only of pay, but education and demographics. This Federation will operate to oversee the actions of their Board and ensure that the needs of Membership are served as opposed to the needs of the Board itself. Keep an eye out on the Foreclosurepedia Newsletter to ensure that you may register and participate in the Industry 2.0 going forward! As this is not a sanctioned nor funded agenda of the IAFST trade association, your kind donations are always appreciated. And as a kicker, Management hates it when you fund anything that involves critical thinking!
