American Airlines and Labor Negotiations

[MetalMover]

In MIA they now have a Wing walking crew of FSC’s that come to the gate when there’s a Maintenance pull off the gate. It started about a year ago under the last last Local President here.

JFK has fleet covering both hangar and terminal for R&D on the busier afternoons. And covering only terminal days and no fleet coverage on nights. Started about two years ago. No mechanic slots were cut on either shift. Freed them up for turning wrenches.

 

[WeAAsles]

JFK has fleet covering both hangar and terminal for R&D on the busier afternoons. And covering only terminal days and no fleet coverage on nights. Started about two years ago. No mechanic slots were cut on either shift. Freed them up for turning wrenches.

MIA has added heads in both Fleet and Maintenance the last two years.

 

[MetalMover]

MIA has added heads in both Fleet and Maintenance the last two years.

So has JFK. But MIA keeps getting all the NY mx hires. Since the higher time mechanics have already transferred and exhausted the list. NY (both JFK and LGA) cannot maintain their headcounts.

 

[bigjets]

To taxi you have to be aircraft gen fam qualified and engine run up and taxi. Qualified

It's just like avionics, we all go to the same schools, and AA has decided to scale back avionics by not opening slots into avionics, not replacing the guys who leave avionics, and now guys are going to management bypassing union to be let out of avionics. Avionics is 1/3 the size of when I started and yet AA still goes along.

I personally think that's a mistake to let avionics get so small, but then again every system requires some sort of computer interrogation and as a whole we are a more versatile work group. But there are avionics guys who can look at a print and say yep that's the problem just as there are avi guys who can only placard ACARS

 

[WeAAsles]

So has JFK. But MIA keeps getting all the NY mx hires. Since the higher time mechanics have already transferred and exhausted the list. NY (both JFK and LGA) cannot maintain their headcounts.

That’s because living in NY has gotten to the point that it’s just grown beyond ridiculously expensive to live there any longer if you can get out.

I flew in to JFK to visit my Brother in Jersey 2 weeks ago and the tolls there and back cost me $56.00. That’s just going 2 ways.

Economically the smartest thing I ever did was leaving there over 20 years ago.

 

[bigjets]

That’s because living in NY has gotten to the point that it’s just grown beyond ridiculously expensive to live there any longer if you can get out.

I flew in to JFK to visit my Brother in Jersey 2 weeks ago and the tolls there and back cost me $56.00. That’s just going 2 ways.

Economically the smartest thing I ever did was leaving there over 20 years ago.

If you don't like it, move to Tulsa.

Thats what the majority of mechs (at Tulsa until BK, now we don't get to vote on anything)would tell us when we line mechs talk of pay, that's why there has always been division in maint, and now with the association there's a built in division. Please remember that when lecturing us about unions.

 

[T5towbar]

In MIA they now have a Wing walking crew of FSC’s that come to the gate when there’s a Maintenance pull off the gate. It started about a year ago under the last last Local President here.

The only time that we wing walk a MX taxi-off is when MX calls OPS and we meet MX to do that. (Usually the case is a engine problem and they have to spool-up an engine at the gate. Wing walkers are required because of the engines are running. Or an air-start is needed for MX to fire up the engine. We will have the air-start ready at MX request) Also Passenger Service pulls off the jetway, as well as meet the plane for a taxi-in to the gate.
Does Pax Service does that in your case as well?

When I was on the Move Team, MX called us to pick up a aircraft and bring it to a certain hardstand or hangar. Move Team members have to move the jetways and wingwalk to a safe spot as well. Pax Service or Ramp doesn't get involved in that. MX has it's hands full enough with their own work and problems.

 

[WeAAsles]

If you don't like it, move to Tulsa.

Thats what the majority of mechs (at Tulsa until BK, now we don't get to vote on anything)would tell us when we line mechs talk of pay, that's why there has always been division in maint, and now with the association there's a built in division. Please remember that when lecturing us about unions.

Whoa Whoa Whoa bigjets you can ask anyone that’s been on these boards for awhile and they’ll be the first to tell you that I absolutely lead the front of the charge on COLA’s around here. I’ve been championing that cause for years.

I spent 12 years living in dirt cheap (And beyond boring) DFW so I know how people both there and more so in TUL think cause it’s even more dirt cheap (And criminally boring too I hear)

I moved to MIA 8 years ago because I just couldn’t take it anymore in DFW. MIA is creeping up there too now but it’s still no where near the cost of NYC.

BTW I was born and grew up in Queens.

 

[WeAAsles]

The only time that we wing walk a MX taxi-off is when MX calls OPS and we meet MX to do that. (Usually the case is a engine problem and they have to spool-up an engine at the gate. Wing walkers are required because of the engines are running. Or an air-start is needed for MX to fire up the engine. We will have the air-start ready at MX request) Also Passenger Service pulls off the jetway, as well as meet the plane for a taxi-in to the gate.
Does Pax Service does that in your case as well?

When I was on the Move Team, MX called us to pick up a aircraft and bring it to a certain hardstand or hangar. Move Team members have to move the jetways and wingwalk to a safe spot as well. Pax Service or Ramp doesn't get involved in that. MX has it's hands full enough with their own work and problems.

Hey T5 while we got you here. How’s things going for you guys over at UAL? Any immediate Labor strife showing its head? How’s your Contract Working for you now a few years into it? How’s the Part Time situation? Anything else?

 

[T5towbar]

Hey T5 while we got you here. How’s things going for you guys over at UAL? Any immediate Labor strife showing its head? How’s your Contract Working for you now a few years into it? How’s the Part Time situation? Anything else?

I don't know about anywhere else in the system, but things have been kind of quiet at my hub. It hasn't been great, but not been bad, it's just like any other job. We've been adding people (who want to work and want to stay) since our hub haven't hired in many years. We have kept most of the temps that panned out, and have FT from '16 to '19 (present). It depends on if people want the job or not. Bad schedules; mandatory OT every night; and not getting on flights sort of discourages people. Once they see the "real" ramp, that is when the rubber meets the road, so to speak. But I thinks that some good people will come out of this and hopefully stick it out. Some have already, but we need more..... You can make your money if you want to. Plus a shortage of Leads doesn't help either. We have to train new junior leads to fill in. It's a different place from anywhere else in the system, so it's a whole different world from anywhere else.

More than likely talks will begin soon for a new contract. Protecting existing work & keeping what we presently have will be paramount. And we'll be keeping an eye on UGE as well. Making sure that they don't encroach on our work that we have.

 

[B737 driver]

So has JFK. But MIA keeps getting all the NY mx hires. Since the higher time mechanics have already transferred and exhausted the list. NY (both JFK and LGA) cannot maintain their headcounts.

Just like we have a hard time keeping guys in MDW, BWI , and OAK.

 

[WeAAsles]

I don't know about anywhere else in the system, but things have been kind of quiet at my hub. It hasn't been great, but not been bad, it's just like any other job. We've been adding people (who want to work and want to stay) since our hub haven't hired in many years. We have kept most of the temps that panned out, and have FT from '16 to '19 (present). It depends on if people want the job or not. Bad schedules; mandatory OT every night; and not getting on flights sort of discourages people. Once they see the "real" ramp, that is when the rubber meets the road, so to speak. But I thinks that some good people will come out of this and hopefully stick it out. Some have already, but we need more..... You can make your money if you want to. Plus a shortage of Leads doesn't help either. We have to train new junior leads to fill in. It's a different place from anywhere else in the system, so it's a whole different world from anywhere else.

More than likely talks will begin soon for a new contract. Protecting existing work & keeping what we presently have will be paramount. And we'll be keeping an eye on UGE as well. Making sure that they don't encroach on our work that we have.

Thanks T5. So your saying it’s taking about 3 years to get to full time? 16 to 19? Mandatory OT every night would piss me off. If they’re having a problem retaining workers maybe they need to consider a flexible starting rate?

Hopefully when you begin your talks we’ll have something in place for you guys to feed off of? Who knows?

 

[SkydrolJunkie]

A Cost Of Living Allowance......just another failure on the long list of TWU negotiating skills!

 

[WeAAsles]

A Cost Of Living Allowance......just another failure on the long list of TWU negotiating skills!

It’s not a failure. It’s just not supported by many people who are a part of Negotiations who don’t live in those expensive cities. Unfortunately many people don’t look kindly on people in different geographical locations making more than them as a greed mechanism that they’re happy to be more comfortable than someone else out there.

They don’t care about the massive disparities between say living in NYC or LAX against DFW or TUL. The “If you don’t like it you can move” crowd.

Anyway can you find me an Airline Contract in any group where the COLA exists before you try to just target one particular Union?

 

[swamt]

So you’re saying that you want the TWU and the IAM to start fighting against each other so the Company can pick on the bones?

Do you want the IAM Pension too? Remember their Company paid Pensions were frozen in 1992 and thrown on the PBGC in 1997 (I think)

They didn’t get any Equity in any of their Bankruptcies either.

They already fight against each other, where you been???