Aircraft maint issues

[Buck]

Stop thinking you’re so special. You really aren’t in the grand scheme of things. We BOTH have issues that the Company is so far not moving on, so it’s them who are “keeping” us together

I am not special nor are you, all some of the mechanics ever wanted was separate negotiations. You know it's possible because at one point we were, before the bankruptcy. No one is asking the NMB to change anything, this is and has been TWU internal and you know it. The mechanics have only wanted some self determination.

For 90% of the Negotiations your Group and my Group were negotiating separately (How many times does this need to be repeated)

90% bit always with the IAM in charge throwing the TWU around like a rag doll

Right now they are at a point where it’s up to
the NMB when everyone gets together what group or issue is going to be discussed. They’re driving the bus, flying the plane, sailing the ship, Etc.

Most issues are done except basically how many jobs we are going to own moving forward.

They aren’t sitting in a room pushing papers back and forth either. It doesn’t sound to me right now as if there has been much movement on either side to really speak of.

Have you ever taken the time maybe to go and sit down with Dale and ask him how the process has worked since day one and exactly how it’s working now?

Don't tell me what you do, ok.
You may know more about all of this however you are one of the main reasons the mechanics that want to leave will leave if it ever comes to that or if we vote together, you are the reason the mechanics will vote to see Fleet Service go down. Your attitude is not unionism, but a wedge between us.

 

[swamt]

At UA we feel going from mechanic to supervisor would be a step down. Company is hiring maint supervisors off the street.

This is where Southwest hires management now also. Sad isn't it?

 

[aanoob]

If one of those overhead bins fell on your kids head, I'd bet you would think it's a big deal then.

I get that. I’m saying that we regularly react to problems and fix them as normal course of business. Why the publicity?

 

[WeAAsles]

Don't tell me what you do, ok.
You may know more about all of this however you are one of the main reasons the mechanics that want to leave will leave if it ever comes to that or if we vote together, you are the reason the mechanics will vote to see Fleet Service go down. Your attitude is not unionism, but a wedge between us.

Man you really don’t have anything but hatred in your heart.

You don’t vote with me, for me or against me so you will never vote to see me or my group go in any direction. Just like I have NO vote for or against you either.

I’ve never used the guys lines for anything other than to bust chops and as a goof but I’m going to use one now.

“You need to educate yourself”

Again have you ever taken the time maybe to go and sit down with Dale and ask him how the process has worked since day one and exactly how it’s working now?

 

[767 mechanic]

https://skift.com/2019/03/07/american-cancels-flights-because-of-shoddy-overhead-bins/

Who is doing the retro fits?

It’s a shame what AA is turning into. Hopefully we won’t be the Eastern Airlines of the modern era. Crappy service, followed by OTS aircraft, followed by management blaming employees, followed by pay cuts staffing cuts then liquidation.

AA always speaks of their concern for safety when in front of the mic. They were bragging about voluntarily taking 14 a/c out of service for safety reasons. What they are not telling the public is that one of the a/c was put back in service in only about 8 to 10 hours after it was taken out of service. A plane was needed for a 6:55 flight from dfw to psp (palm springs}. 3fj was put back into service around 6PM after an engineer came out and said it was OK to go back into service without taking any bins down or sidewall panels to see if there was anything wrong such as wire chafing. One of the 14 a/c was in Tulsa for the inspection and they found over 700 write ups such as plastic wire ties holding things together where there should have been bolts and bolts that were not completely tightened. Schiable was on channel 5 news here at DFW explaining this problems. These are only a couple of things that were found. No one can do a proper safety inspection if the sidewalls or the bins themselves are not removed. This work was done at an mro in seattle [ats]. I was told that ats is the same company that is working out of the old TWA hangar in KC. If this type of work is getting done here in the US what is getting done at the over seas mro's ?????? And just think they want to RO more work to places like this in our new contract. Doesn't sound like they are to concerned about public safety. 3fj is scheduled to be back at DFW Fri morning. I wonder what the FAA will do when they find out about this flight????

 

[bigjets]

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/busines...2jAg2XCSpoUEXjlmuQT5fuyWC1wbMll62gzQvjm1IKZX0

I thought Gary represented AA mechs very well, as did the Pilot. I wonder if AA will blame AA mechs like when the 757s seats were coming out of floor track after that outside vender did those mods. TUL and AFW would never let this kind of shotty work push out of the hangar. I'm sure LUS maint wouldn't allow that either.

 

[aanoob]

AA always speaks of their concern for safety when in front of the mic. They were bragging about voluntarily taking 14 a/c out of service for safety reasons. What they are not telling the public is that one of the a/c was put back in service in only about 8 to 10 hours after it was taken out of service. A plane was needed for a 6:55 flight from dfw to psp (palm springs}. 3fj was put back into service around 6PM after an engineer came out and said it was OK to go back into service without taking any bins down or sidewall panels to see if there was anything wrong such as wire chafing. One of the 14 a/c was in Tulsa for the inspection and they found over 700 write ups such as plastic wire ties holding things together where there should have been bolts and bolts that were not completely tightened. Schiable was on channel 5 news here at DFW explaining this problems. These are only a couple of things that were found. No one can do a proper safety inspection if the sidewalls or the bins themselves are not removed. This work was done at an mro in seattle [ats]. I was told that ats is the same company that is working out of the old TWA hangar in KC. If this type of work is getting done here in the US what is getting done at the over seas mro's ?????? And just think they want to RO more work to places like this in our new contract. Doesn't sound like they are to concerned about public safety. 3fj is scheduled to be back at DFW Fri morning. I wonder what the FAA will do when they find out about this flight????

Exactly. That’s the twist they put on everything when using the word safety as a guise. From what I’ve seen none of the other aircraft requiring inspection/rework are going to TUL. They are going to other domestic MRO’s, including STS in PAE who did the mod. You’re absolutely right in questioning what is done overseas at less credible facilities.

I also feel they are side-skirting AMT’s by using engineers as much as they can. Engineers can’t determine airworthiness. That’s AMT scope. They are putting too much faith in these 22 year old engineers who have never seen a plane and know nothing about line ops.

 

[jimntx]

Now keep in mind I was a flight attendant for American. I was paid to be cute, not smart. But, I find it hard to believe that AA and its outside contractors are getting away with such sloppy work. Just the bad publicity alone should be enough to move AA management to bring work back in-house. There are a lot of customers out there who have secret fears of flying and the safety of flying. They will switch airlines in a heartbeat if they think one is cutting corners on maintenance.

I love the management disclaimer that safety of flight (which is always our first priority) was not affected by the overhead bin problems. Well, the plane might not fall out of the sky with this problem, but missing support bolts or plastic slip ties instead of bolts might result in the bin collapsing on the passengers, wouldn't it? I can assure management that passengers will not care about the fine line between their personal safety and the "safety of flight."

 

[B737 driver]

Yes but the fact that Delta treats their guys decent doesnt mean AA or UA would without the unions. I know at UA if we didnt have the union we would probably be making 30 dollars an hour.

I think United would pay on the lower range of the going rate, if you were non union, just so they didn't lose people. You guys defiantly wouldn't be on top like Delta is.

 

[swamt]

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/busines...2jAg2XCSpoUEXjlmuQT5fuyWC1wbMll62gzQvjm1IKZX0

I thought Gary represented AA mechs very well, as did the Pilot. I wonder if AA will blame AA mechs like when the 757s seats were coming out of floor track after that outside vender did those mods. TUL and AFW would never let this kind of shotty work push out of the hangar. I'm sure LUS maint wouldn't allow that either.

It is very easily traceable all the way back to, who did the work, who bought off the work, and where this wok was done. the guy I feel sorry for is the guy that signed off on the Airworthy Release for this particular a/c.
Don't worry 767, FAA will be all over these issues. Some will find out soon enough that interior work and sign offs are just as important has signing off an engine change or flight control surface etc... I see a nightmare coming to a certain FBO. They will find out just how important that paperwork really is.
I hope the union will stay on top of all this and gets an update on the final findings and what will be done.
The inspector that failed to catch these on the buy-off is going to learn real quick how taking the extra effort to look at every single attach point (some are hard to see once all the bins are in) is a mandatory second set of eyes.
Hate to see this, but it does need to be brought out and addressed quickly. What other maint. is slipping by???

 

[B737 driver]

Exactly. That’s the twist they put on everything when using the word safety as a guise. From what I’ve seen none of the other aircraft requiring inspection/rework are going to TUL. They are going to other domestic MRO’s, including STS in PAE who did the mod. You’re absolutely right in questioning what is done overseas at less credible facilities.

I also feel they are side-skirting AMT’s by using engineers as much as they can. Engineers can’t determine airworthiness. That’s AMT scope. They are putting too much faith in these 22 year old engineers who have never seen a plane and know nothing about line ops.

PAE is one of the facilities SWA uses interesting.

 

[bigjets]

I think United would pay on the lower range of the going rate, if you were non union, just so they didn't lose people. You guys defiantly wouldn't be on top like Delta is.

The TWU has been saying for years. DAL pays alot to keep unions out. We are forced to pay our union to represent us but yet are the lowest paid. Seems logical. Think about how much aa would pay us to keep a union out, forcing us not to pay union dues.


Think about that the next time one of your station fowl ups gets fired “again” and the union spends $50K (union dues) to get him his job back.

 

[WeAAsles]

The TWU has been saying for years. DAL pays alot to keep unions out. We are forced to pay our union to represent us but yet are the lowest paid. Seems logical. Think about how much aa would pay us to keep a union out, forcing us not to pay union dues.


Think about that the next time one of your station fowl ups gets fired “again” and the union spends $50K (union dues) to get him his job back.

What if one day you were one of those “foul ups”

How much should they spend on you?

BTW do you work with birds?

 

[Buck]

When you don't trust the company or the union to handle your ASAP complaint you can use this...

https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report/electronic.html

 

[B737 driver]

When you don't trust the company or the union to handle your ASAP complaint you can use this...

https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report/electronic.html

I here you I needed them for an item about 3.5 years ago for a minor mix up on something I didn't even sign off, because I was the lead. Just wanted to be honest, and neither side helped. But in the end no one got into serious trouble, however that wasn't point.