Aircraft maint issues

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

And AA isn’t the only one hiring.
A storm is brewing.... and these carriers(& unions!)aren’t doing themselves any favors attracting new talent by stretching out the step pay to 8 yrs! That’s ridiculous.

I have been saying the amount of steps and duration to top out is ridiculous for years.

Granted I was a Fleet Service Clerk and not skilled labor but 9 years top out......... that is like 1/4 of someones working career. Couple that with layoffs and that duration can be extended substantially.

That's IF you get to top out. American Airlines is always looking to cut positions and contract out work. My career ended after 12 years. I got to top out (despite being hired in as a Junior Fleet Service Clerk) but was not there long.

You have some employees that are fine with that ridiculous pay step system and justify and defend it. WeAAsles comes to mind.

 

[swamt]

https://www.tulsaworld.com/business...cle_beaad2af-89c9-55e2-a242-85d5dfc997d0.html

Always great to hear the airlines are hiring mechanics...

 

[swamt]

And AA isn’t the only one hiring.
A storm is brewing.... and these carriers(& unions!)aren’t doing themselves any favors attracting new talent by stretching out the step pay to 8 yrs! That’s ridiculous.

Correct we (SWA) is hiring also. AMFA mechanic contract is a 5 year top out. Not 8, 9 or even 10 years as we have heard with others. 5 years is the standard top out, how in the world did it ever get extended to 8-9-10 years?? WTF???

 

[1986Mekanic]

The company sees' the looming shortage of skilled mechanics in the coming years so they're getting ahead of the curve. Additionally I would bet theres a play in there for the jcba they want. On top all that its good pr play in the midst of all this bs.

 

[787nightmare]

I have been saying the amount of steps and duration to top out is ridiculous for years.

Granted I was a Fleet Service Clerk and not skilled labor but 9 years top out......... that is like 1/4 of someones working career. Couple that with layoffs and that duration can be extended substantially.

That's IF you get to top out. American Airlines is always looking to cut positions and contract out work. My career ended after 12 years. I got to top out (despite being hired in as a Junior Fleet Service Clerk) but was not there long.

You have some employees that are fine with that ridiculous pay step system and justify and defend it. WeAAsles comes to mind.

That’s because executive mgt knows good and well the mechanics eat their own. The vast majority of amts are, & will vote on the new top out, healthcare benefits.
Same thing happened at ups.
Throw the new hires under the bus....
EVERYWHERE-I-GO.

UPS pilots? $68k to start. That’s right, $68,000. Ridiculous huh?
Regardless of which fleet your assigned at hire.
Next year?....straight to $172k.
“Uhh honey, you may have to go back to work for a year.”
However, the top scale takes years to attain.
But I think all of us would agree $172k for most likely Louisville, KY ain’t a bad living.

Fellas....that’s whatcha call PISS POOR REPRESENTATION for mech & related in comml aviation. And it’s unfortunate that we amts don’t unite better than we do.
Hats off to the WN amts and AMFA for getting a good deal out of the Co. And by the way, I think the step pay progression should be 36 mos, myself. If not, start the amt out at top out if he has verifiable experience!

Ok, I’ll wake up now...

 

[787nightmare]

Correct we (SWA) is hiring also. AMFA mechanic contract is a 5 year top out. Not 8, 9 or even 10 years as we have heard with others. 5 years is the standard top out, how in the world did it ever get extended to 8-9-10 years?? WTF???

How?....I think we all know the answer to that one bro...
3 “unions” that have no business representing amts in this industry.‍♂️Smh

 

[dfw gen]

The company sees' the looming shortage of skilled mechanics in the coming years so they're getting ahead of the curve. Additionally I would bet theres a play in there for the jcba they want. On top all that its good pr play in the midst of all this bs.

I doubt they have the foresight to see the curve, no less get a head of it. I will agree on the jcba angle. Maybe on the pr up to now they really havent cared about good bad or no pr.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

The company sees' the looming shortage of skilled mechanics in the coming years so they're getting ahead of the curve. Additionally I would bet theres a play in there for the jcba they want. On top all that its good pr play in the midst of all this bs.

There IS no shortage of mechanics. That is completely manufactured.

 

[UPNAWAY]

If it was done for PR, they would have leveraged it as part of the negotiations.

 

[swamt]

The company sees' the looming shortage of skilled mechanics in the coming years so they're getting ahead of the curve. Additionally I would bet theres a play in there for the jcba they want. On top all that its good pr play in the midst of all this bs.

Oh I'm sure they will use the new hires to their advantage. Just glad to see AA being pro-active about the AMT shortages. I also think SWA will be stepping up the hiring in 2020 as well. Great news for our industry as a whole.
Isn't Delta hire as well? I thought I read or heard that somewhere. I may be crossing that pilot program I read about delta though.

 

[1986Mekanic]

There IS no shortage of mechanics. That is completely manufactured.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a26454617/skilled-trades-jobs/

It is not manufactured. There is currently a shortage. There are more articles then this. However, the truth lies in the middle as is frequently the case on this board. Due to the skyrocketing costs of 4 years colleges and the decent wage rates for skilled trades coupled with demand, skilled trades are becoming
(again after a 30 year hiatus) a viable option for today's kids.

 

[1986Mekanic]

If it was done for PR, they would have leveraged it as part of the negotiations.

I believe when negotiations resume, it be leveraged and what's more, I believe the chances of an agreement are more likely and us at the top of the heap will pay the price for these new hires.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a26454617/skilled-trades-jobs/

It is not manufactured. There is currently a shortage. There are more articles then this. However, the truth lies in the middle as is frequently the case on this board. Due to the skyrocketing costs of 4 years colleges and the decent wage rates for skilled trades coupled with demand, skilled trades are becoming
(again after a 30 year hiatus) a viable option for today's kids.

Hey look man I am not trying to make trouble but there IS no shortage of airline mechanics.

I had at least 4 people in my shop with A&P's and only one to my knowledge ever touched AA aluminum.

If there really was a shortage those people would have had more of an opportunity to work in a mechanic capacity.

I keep hearing there is a shortage of truck drivers to. However I can order almost anything I want off Amazon and get it 2 days later.......

I know you have seen those articles. I have read them myself. At one time I even believed them and witnessed to them on this forum but, over time I just don't see evidence of any truth to them. If there were truly a shortage of aircraft mechanics American Airlines would be more motivated to settle on a good contract.

Tell you what, before you dismiss me. let's see how it goes when American Airlines fills those 400 jobs at TULE. My bet is they will have FAR more applications than openings.

 

[1986Mekanic]

Like I said. They're trying to get ahead of the curve because once the hiring sprees begin at all the majors the pool will get emptied fast. There are thousands of us leaving in the next 5-10 years . I'm not talking about 4 guys in your shop..

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Due to the skyrocketing costs of 4 years colleges and the decent wage rates for skilled trades coupled with demand, skilled trades are becoming
(again after a 30 year hiatus) a viable option for today's kids.

They always were a viable option but our culture has debased blue collar work. I remember my step father and mother telling me do good in school or I would grow up digging ditches or working in a factory. Let me tell you.... I did dig ditches (electrician) and my father did work in a factory. I made fair money and my father, he retired and is enjoying his life traveling around in his RV. Between pension and SS he has not even had to touch his 401k savings. Sounds like digging ditches and working in factories was not as bad as advertised.

I knew a guy who made 6 figures working for himself hanging ceiling grid for commercial jobs.

I had a carpenter modify a desk for me about a month ago. Charged me 200 dollars for 30 minutes of work (they have a minimum 200 dollar charge per job).

There was no hiatus only ignorant parents convinced (and convincing their kids) that they had no future without a degree, which we all know is BS. So they sent their kids to college and their kids get worthless degrees like gender studies, philosophy, and art history.

1986Mekanic I truly hope you don't really believe that trade jobs have not been a viable option for the last 30 years.