Aircraft maint issues

[1986Mekanic]

Mechanics doing non mechanic work is devaluing mechanics and their A&P licenses, How the union doesn't understand that is beyond me.

Taxiing and running airplanes is mechanic work, always has been.

 

[swamt]

GRU hangar foam dump.

http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1414451

That sucks when that happens. It has happened a few times in Dallas. Tool box maint. for a couple days drying everything out and cleaning tools. Some guys received brand new tool boxes as well as tools that were on vac or absent for a while and could not clean and dry in a timely manner, their tools and boxes were destroyed.

 

[swamt]

Any update from the talks this week? Maybe not until Mon? Hope you guys were able to get some progress. It appears that our company is going in the opposite direction again bringing international outsourcing back out on the table. This is how the co. has nego for the last 6 plus years. They always re-open the already T/A'ed items, their signature moves for delays and stall tactics.
I wish you guys luck...

 

[B737 driver]

Taxiing and running airplanes is mechanic work, always has been.

Well years ago maintenance did fueling, push backs and de icing, but that work was given away to ramp, for money, so now you have less mechanics, so now you want to give away aircraft moves, for what?

 

[bigjets]

I believe this is a case of "we are our own worst enemies" and one in which we let our emotions overrule common sense. I for one would think fellow A&P Mechanics around the system would support having a move crews at all class 1s. Who among us wouldn't enjoy taxiing airplanes for a living? Especially after a nearly a lifetime of fixing and servicing them. Who among us when we are senior and our bodies broken down from this job would like to taxi instead of hump tires? Anyway, point is, try to think about your own future, someday maybe you'd have enough time to hold a good day off spot on days on the move crew.

Now about DFW, those guys between days and afternoons move 40-70 airplanes a day to/from the terminal/hangars, crossing actives and taxiing during complexes and taking challenging taxi instructions from ATC tower. Whats more, they park and launch all of them. Those crews generate plenty of overtime, for non move crew folks, the 10 hour per day variety. I would hardly refer to them as "zero output". They are running Goldhofers and tractors with towbars, moving ladders for widebodies and narrow bodies alike. And throwing chocks. At the terminal side they deal with snotty company tower people, passenger service that won't move bridges or are nowhere to be found or not enough of them, fuelers that wont show up, fleet service missing in action or not enough of them, missing log books with wait times up to and past 3 hours just to get off a gate.

And God help you if you smack up a brand new 78-9, you'll be toast for a while and lucky to get your job back.

So, next time you all want to berate some of your own, think about what you are saying what they do and where you might like to be some day, and those guys with the time and quals to come on over and taxi, bring it on, its good times.

Sorry, did not know zero output crew was the taxi/tow crew. When I heard zero output, it sounded like a crew that does absolutely nothing but sit and *****. Of course taxing and parking are jobs that are necessary and accomplish a lot. Stations like ORD DFW MIA and LAX wouldn't be nearly as profitable without those crews getting A/C off the gate and back to the gate in the morning and through out the flight schedule day.

I typed out of turn without knowing the slang of the DFW shift bids. All you have to do is look at the park crews of ORD for the past week to see that it is definitely not a ZERO output crew. Or when it's over a 100F in DFW.

 

[1986Mekanic]

Well years ago maintenance did fueling, push backs and de icing, but that work was given away to ramp, for money, so now you have less mechanics, so now you want to give away aircraft moves, for what?

Do you have comprehension issues? Read the thread again. There are many on here that want to give the work away.
I AM NOT ONE OF THEM.

 

[1986Mekanic]

Sorry, did not know zero output crew was the taxi/tow crew. When I heard zero output, it sounded like a crew that does absolutely nothing but sit and *****.

A manager coined the phrase years ago because their tools sit in their boxes all the time. It has stuck, especially with those that don't have enough time or qualifications to do the job.

 

[B737 driver]

Do you have comprehension issues? Read the thread again. There are many on here that want to give the work away.
I AM NOT ONE OF THEM.

I understand that just reinforced your feelings of contracting work out, sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[1986Mekanic]

Not only am I against Contracting the workout, I'm also against migrating the work to Fleet Service, which supposedly is in the company's proposal per the union..

 

[B737 driver]

Not only am I against Contracting the workout, I'm also against migrating the work to Fleet Service, which supposedly is in the company's proposal per the union..

What do the mechanics gain if they said yes?

 

[1986Mekanic]

What do the mechanics gain if they said yes?

We dont gain anything as far as I know. We lose good jobs and our scope would be further infringed upon.

 

[bigjets]

If AA wants FSCs to park airplanes they can already do it. Fleet can’t handle parking us now at the gates, let alone at the hanger and add to that using towless tow bar huffs. Exchange that work for pay, and when ramp can’t handle the work load we get to do it on OT.

It’s easier to work the gate for a few trips then to work constantly moving and parking A/C.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Mechanics doing non mechanic work is devaluing mechanics and their A&P licenses, How the union doesn't understand that is beyond me.

I would be FAR more concerned with losing ever more work to non licensed mechanics if I were you.

Frankly, turning down work because you find it "beneath" you when it all pays the same is a fools game.

 

[WeAAsles]

If AA wants FSCs to park airplanes they can already do it. Fleet can’t handle parking us now at the gates, let alone at the hanger and add to that using towless tow bar huffs. Exchange that work for pay, and when ramp can’t handle the work load we get to do it on OT.

It’s easier to work the gate for a few trips then to work constantly moving and parking A/C.

Give me a break with this comment. We used to do pad pushes all the time back in DFW and moving Aircraft doesn’t take a rocket science degree.

Insulting another workgroup is not how you win the argument to keep the work.

 

[B737 driver]

We dont gain anything as far as I know. We lose good jobs and our scope would be further infringed upon.

So what does the union gain for giving the work to ramp? Your dues are based on your base rate, a mechanic is paid more than ramp personnel.