AMR Corporation Plans to Cut 1,600 Jobs

[Barfbag]

AMR Corporation Plans to Cut 1,600 Jobs
— 09:02 AM ET 07/16/2009

AMR Corporation (AMR ) announced that it would cut at least 1,600 jobs beginning in late August, when the peak summer travel season winds down. AMR ended June with the equivalent of 79,200 full-time workers; 66,900 at American and 12,300 at regional affiliate American Eagle.

 

[jimntx]

Do we know if this is the 1600 already announced (1200 f/as + 400 others), or is this an additional 1600? Let's be sure we know before we run off the rails.

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

Late August? Tell that to the 20 F/T'ers at LGA that got downgraded to P/T effective 7/18.

It gets better though, local management gave all of the downgraded people Sa/Su off so this weekend has all the makings of an EPIC cluster at LGA.75% of the PM line crews simply don't exist anymore.

I've never seen an airline lay people off in mid July, but then again this is the new, consultant led American Airlines we're talking about here so anything is possible.

Kudos to management for "Making their headcount number",condolences to the passengers that will be getting the shaft as a result this weekend.

 

[Flyboy4u]

Let's not forget the 1200 F/A's getting ready to be thrown on the street right before the holidays. I think it's going to be a M "AA" rry Christmas. Glad I wont be flying then

 

[DFWFSC]

The one thing I don't understand about headcount is FT vs. PT in the agent group. In my station they will have a PT agent start at 5am-9am then another 9am-1pm then another 1pm-5pm and another 5pm-9pm. Why not just have two FT agents work 5am-130p...100pm-930pm. You have less headcount and benefits to pay for.

 

[jimntx]

Are part-time employees eligible for benefits? Even if they are, I would bet that someone on part-time pay could not afford our insurance if they have a family. As far as the pension plan, it is standard with Defined Benefit plans like we have that only full-time employees are eligible for participation. Is AMR's different?

By the way, I just spoke with my Flight Service Manager. She said that as far as she knows the 1600 announced yesterday are the same 1600 they announced in June when we learned that 1200 f/as are subject to furlough. They have been given no information regarding additional station layoffs. This is not an additional 1600 employees.

What we are beginning to hear are the details--how many and where.

 

[Kev3188]

The one thing I don't understand about headcount is FT vs. PT in the agent group. In my station they will have a PT agent start at 5am-9am then another 9am-1pm then another 1pm-5pm and another 5pm-9pm. Why not just have two FT agents work 5am-130p...100pm-930pm. You have less headcount and benefits to pay for.

As someone looking in from the outside:

I know the agents are non-union, but does the CBA for the FSC's have language prohibiting these back-to-back PT shifts?

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

Full Time employees look bad on spread sheets and Power Point presentations, the consultants now running AA have issued edicts to reduce F/T and F/T equivalent head counts, so they start lopping off heads.Plus, they get to have another lay off after Labor Day, and then probably another one either leading up to or right after the holidays.


AA is dying and people refuse to acknowledge the fact.We've been led off the cliff by management that has abdicated the day to day running of the airline to highly paid consultants with no practical experience in any facet of actually running an airline.

Instead we get Power Point presentations on "The Science of Baggage Handling" (No Kidding either, they actually suspended CS privileges for failure to do this lesson),JLT,PLI and assorted other text book MBA bovine scatology.

I wonder if we could get Bethune to bring his Bluster and BS act over here...we need a leader, not an accountant.

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

As someone looking in from the outside:

I know the agents are non-union, but does the CBA for the FSC's have language prohibiting these back-to-back PT shifts?

Yes Kev, the local union reviews the bid management cooks up every three months to ensure there are no PT violations.So management spaces the P/T shifts out by half an hour and side step the union and their feeble protests.

 

[Bob Owens]

Are part-time employees eligible for benefits? Even if they are, I would bet that someone on part-time pay could not afford our insurance if they have a family. As far as the pension plan, it is standard with Defined Benefit plans like we have that only full-time employees are eligible for participation. Is AMR's different?

By the way, I just spoke with my Flight Service Manager. She said that as far as she knows the 1600 announced yesterday are the same 1600 they announced in June when we learned that 1200 f/as are subject to furlough. They have been given no information regarding additional station layoffs. This is not an additional 1600 employees.

What we are beginning to hear are the details--how many and where.

Part timers recieve the same benifits as full timers. Thats the rub since the benefits are partially employee funded, the Full time employees subsidizes the lure used to attract part timers.

Since all the TWU is lumped into the same plan we all pay more for our Medical so the company can attract part timers, and we end up paying more than other work groups.

 

[AA767JET]

Do we know if this is the 1600 already announced (1200 f/as + 400 others), or is this an additional 1600? Let's be sure we know before we run off the rails.

These are the 1600 that were announced a few weeks back AA is starting the RIF, the whole process with bumping and people hitting the street should take about a month and a half , so you are going to here alot of roomers of layoffs in the coming weeks those roomers are going to be talking about this layoff of 1600....

 

[frontline]

So I have to ask the obvious question: if AA can't afford the employees it has right now at current wage levels, how many of us will lose our jobs if and when TWU/APFA/APA work out the raises they are gunning for?

 

[jimntx]

Precisely. However, I can assure you that the APFA is not the least bit worried about the loss of junior f/a jobs as long as the needs of the senior f/as needs are met--1. raises and 2. the ability to fly 35 hours or less a month (down to zero) for years on end, but continue to be called an "active" flight attendant.

 

[Maark767]

Precisely. However, I can assure you that the APFA is not the least bit worried about the loss of junior f/a jobs as long as the needs of the senior f/as needs are met--1. raises and 2. the ability to fly 35 hours or less a month (down to zero) for years on end, but continue to be called an "active" flight attendant.

IT'S CALLED FLEXIBILITY.. THIS IS WHAT THE JOB IS ALL ABOUT. GO WORK 9-5 IF YOU WANT ... NOW BACK OFF FROM THIS...

 

[AA767JET]

So I have to ask the obvious question: if AA can't afford the employees it has right now at current wage levels, how many of us will lose our jobs if and when TWU/APFA/APA work out the raises they are gunning for?

The answer to your question is ALOT!! all across the system probably will be in the thousands. Now if AA and all the unions decide to weather the economic storm and just give out lets say a small raise and a new contract with the duration of maybe lets say 18 months then you probably wont see many layoffs at all or you might even see none, the bottom line at that point would be a lot of jobs would be saved. BUT!!! you have older more senior people that do not see it that way, they seem to have blinders on and earplugs in when you try to explain this to them, all they want like anyone else is MORE!! MONEY!! that's all they want, so in return if they get the MORE!! MONEY!!! they will probably have to step up to the plate and have to work a lot harder each day because all your junior workers will be gone.
Of course this is only my opinion on this subject its not a fact just an opinion that's why we are all here...