August/September 2013 Fleet Discussion

[Jester]

Not a lead or qualified either. Staffing is the main problem for which I am addressing over the next month. When parttime employees leave in the morning and before they come in for the pm shift is the problem. I will be walking gate to gate on arrivals and departures and addressing with management right there on the spot and taking down flight information etc. and then going to the director with my findings. It is never ok to work without the proper staffing and I hope that PHX employees will get me or a shop steward involved when incurring staffing issues. I need everything from time, gate, flt #, a/c # etc. I need this information to go back to the management team to hammer this issue.

P. Rez

I suggest you go find some of the heavy flights to Hawaii, CLT, PHL or LAX where 160 bags, plus a couple thousand pounds of cargo are common on a B757 or A321 and it is a lead with 2 assist. Hopefully, there is a local runner assigned (which often is not the case as those part-time people do not arrive for afternoon coverage until 6 pm), otherwise the flight will be down to one person to load the bin while the lead scans and tosses the bags on the belt alone. I have worked these gates with leads, and they make radio calls for additional help and rarely do they get any. Personally, I think it is more about covering their ass when the plane goes out late, but usually the leads just push themselves and the assist to get it out on time instead of suffering the wrath of a Manager... so much for working safe.

 

[necigrad]

JFK here in CLT everyone has or should have DECS sign in and while leads do most of the pushbacks certainly not all of them.
I guess maybe it's the AW background but PHX seems to march to it's own beat on some of this things.

It's a PHX thing, not a HP thing. LAS suceeded with three people on a gate (granted we had seperate bag runners and lav dumpers though) to do the majority of servicing. We had no W&B agents. The lead planned the flight, all three brought the plane in, down and uploaded it, then the lead ran a trim sheet for W&B. Leads have less responsibility now, at least from this persons HP perspective.

I will also add, however, that we didn't have scanners, which does increase the overall workload.

Another difference is that in LAS the TL didn't usually push. ALL LAS agents are qualified to push and DO. The Lead usually walks the left wing. I was even a proponent (when we were hiring) to get the newer people to push as often as possible, assuming we had an extra person to ride along if it was needed.

 

[ograc]

What do you want the membership to do? If you kick them in the ass, for what?
Their fine.they are working raising their families and expecting the iam to do the job it was hired to do. If the iam asks for assistance like informational picketing then fine but there isnt anything to kick them in the ass for.let the process play out. Let the nc educate. The decisions thus far have been positionally sound. Encourage members dont kick them down. There is coming a time, perhaps fairly soon where the leadership will need the members. Imo now isnt the time.

Encouraging and educating the membership is the key to solidarity and engaging the membership. Our members are distracted with many other pertinent issues. Raising their families, outside employment and further education to better themselves to name a few. Educating the membership on the issues and what is at stake is the approach the DL leadership and the NC should take. The station visits by the NC is the first step toward this goal. This strategy builds solidarity by providing the membership the opportunity to ask questions, be informed and educated pertaing to the issues governing their future work rules, benefits, compensation and job security in current contract negotiations. Down the road... a united and solidified membership will be what it takes to gain meaningful contract improvements for the existing US Fleet Service in Section 6 negotiations. Additionally, this solidarity will be needed with the members of the combined airline, in transition negotiations.For the betterment of all... solidarity among the members must be established. I beilieve our current NC gets it!

 

[Jester]

I will also add, however, that we didn't have scanners, which does increase the overall workload.

I don't think anyone in Management appreciated when the idea of scanners were conceived then or even now how much more effort they require in usage. We have I-learning instructing us not use scanners and unload bags from the bin at the same time, but with the lead performing other tasks (running the gate checks, hooking-up power, attaching AC, inspecting aircraft upon arrival, etc.) and another assist in a different bin, what's the alternative? We instead have rampers scanning with one hand, pulling the bag with the other hand on the download, while the leads are scanning with one hand and throwing the bags on the belt with the other hand on the upload. If we are lucky, there is one person scanning (usually the lead), one person throwing on the belt, and someone in the bin alone stacking over a hundred bags... so much for working safe!

I never understood why US Management did not considered hands-free RFID bag tags with scanners attached the belt loaders. So now we have longer downloads and uploads and greater chance of injury to employees trying to move bags using only one hand all for the sake of scanning bag tags!

 

[robbedagain]

jester youre so right in that its unsafe to have 1 agent in the bin yet mgmt wants n expects the planes to be turned quickly. esp if its late. in our station our leads usually park the jets hook up the ground pwr change trash hook the towbar n pushback and on the phx usually do the water and the crapper and for the agents usually on the airbus 1 in the bin 1 agent on the beltloader to scan and 1 at bottom of belt to stack the bags on the cart and then reverse it to load the airbus
only times we have 2 in the bin typically is when we have 75s and 734s as well as the e 190s

 

[ChockJockey]

Right before they implemented the scanners in PHX they used A6 for a few weeks as a test gate, scanning all the bags on the up and down. At the time A6 couldn't take 321's or 757's, so I don't know why that gate was chosen over, say, A14.

I never understood why US Management did not considered hands-free RFID bag tags with scanners attached the belt loaders. So now we have longer downloads and uploads and greater chance of injury to employees trying to move bags using only one hand all for the sake of scanning bag tags!

I'd heard RFID had been considered and (obviously) rejected, probably, like most things, owing to $$$, but who knows.

Also, who's the idiot that designed the manual bag tag? It clearly wasn't QA'ed for usability. Is it too much to ask to have the destination and a scannable bit of barcode on the same side of the tag?

 

[ChockJockey]

Wow, only leads have DECS? Really? Guarding state secrets? Everyone has DECS here and uses it,I dont depend on a Crew Chief to come and spoon feed me information.

I think this is largely because when the HP system went to DECS only leads were trained to use it, whereas I'd imagine most of your people and a lot of the East US people were familiarized with DECS during new hire training. Management probably didn't want to spend the time and money training all of the agents on it. I think this suits them fine.

 

[ChockJockey]

our leads usually... hook the towbar n pushback

Not on their own though right?

 

[john john]

AW pay sucked.

P. Rez

Yep HP and their management lead the way in the industry for having the worst pay and work rules. It is in their DNA

 

[robbedagain]

Acutally yes cj in our station the leads will automatically park the jets and all that esp to avoid helping to offload the plane we have may be 2 leads total out of 11 that will actually load n unload in addition to the above listed they do

 

[Tim Nelson]

A few things about scope and definitions.
1. According to "The Plan" that was approved by the Bankruptcy judge at AMR, the New American will immediately engage in it's "Right Sizing" initiative. In a truncated response, that means it wants to ditch most of its 50 seat planes and expand the use of 70+ seat planes. It achieved the go ahead with the pilot union APA. Moving forward, it will MOST DEFINATELY want to abolish the language in the fleet service agreement [the only agreement on the property that still defines a mainline as a 69+ seat plane] that defines a company mainline fleet as a jet with more than 69 seats. Brothers and sisters, imo, this is HUGE and can't be compromised since the industry trend is 70+ seat regional jets. Both Delta and United put in monster orders for such planes. And the New American's "The Plan" has a bullseye on that path as well.

Also of note, although not pasted below, is the synergies of over $1 billion more net profits it projects by 2015. For those who want to read the "Right Sizing" plan, read below.....


( B) “Right-Sizing” the Debtors’ Regional Fleet
As of the Commencement Date, approximately 80% of the Debtors’ regional fleet consisted of aircraft with seating capacity for 50 or fewer passengers. Over the past decade, however, the Debtors’ major competitors have replaced many of their 50-seat regional jets with larger regional jets that accommodate 70 or more passengers. To improve their competitive position, the Debtors need to increase the proportion of larger regional jets in their fleet, thereby maximizing efficiency and revenue in regional markets through improved matching of aircraft capacity with passenger demand. Although restrictions imposed by the prior CBA with the APA prohibited American from using or acquiring additional regional jets with more than 50 seats, the new CBA with the APA expands American’s ability to acquire additional regional jets with more than 50 seats. Accordingly, the Debtors plan to accelerate the retirement of smaller regional aircraft— those with 50 seats or less—thereby increasing their ability to acquire a significant number of larger regional jets with 51 to 76 seats.
© Section 1110
As of the Commencement Date, American and Eagle maintained a combined fleet of over 900 aircraft, substantially all of which were leased or subject to various secured financing arrangements. Under Section 1110, beginning 60 days after filing a petition under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, certain secured parties, lessors, and conditional vendors have a right to take possession of certain qualifying Aircraft Equipment that is leased, or subject to a security interest or conditional sale contract, unless the Debtors, subject to approval by the Bankruptcy Court, agree to perform under the applicable agreement and cure certain defaults as provided in Section 1110. Any such action on the part of the Debtors will not preclude the Debtors from later rejecting the applicable lease or abandoning the Aircraft Equipment subject to the related security agreement or from later seeking to renegotiate the terms of the related financing. The Debtors may extend the 60- day period, with Bankruptcy Court approval, by agreement with the relevant financing party. The 60-day period under Section 1110 in the Chapter 11 Cases expired on January 27, 2012. In accordance with the Bankruptcy Court’s Order Authorizing the Debtors to (i) Enter into Agreements Under Section 1110(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, (ii) Enter into
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Stipulations to Extend the Time to Comply with Section 1110 of the Bankruptcy Code, and (iii) File Redacted Section 1110( B) Stipulations (the “Section 1110 Order&rdquo, dated December 23, 2011 (ECF No. 455), the Debtors have entered into agreements to extend the automatic stay or agreed to perform and cure defaults under financing agreements with respect to substantially all Aircraft Equipment in their fleet.
With respect to certain Aircraft Equipment, the Debtors have reached agreements on, or agreements on key aspects of, renegotiated terms of the related financings, and the Debtors are continuing to negotiate terms with respect to certain of their Aircraft Equipment. The ultimate outcome of these negotiations cannot be predicted with certainty. To the extent the Debtors are unable to reach definitive agreements with the financing parties, those parties may seek to repossess the subject Aircraft Equipment. The loss of a significant number of aircraft could result in a material adverse effect on the Debtors’ financial and operating performance.
As of January 31, 2013, and in accordance with the Section 1110 Order, the Debtors (i) rejected 40 leases relating to 32 mainline aircraft and eight spare engines; (ii) relinquished one aircraft that was subject to a mortgage; (iii) made elections under Section 1110(a) to retain 340 mainline aircraft and 87 spare engines; and (iv) reached agreement on revised economic terms of the financing of 155 mainline aircraft (which agreements are generally subject to certain conditions, including reaching agreement on definitive documentation). In addition, the Debtors reached an agreement with the lessor to modify the leases of 39 Super ATR aircraft. As of April 5, 2013, all Super ATR aircraft had been returned to the lessor as allowed under the modified agreement.
(d) Key Restructurings
(i) Embraer Fleet Restructuring
On August 31, 2011, American entered into a Master Purchase Agreement (the “Eagle Aircraft Purchase Agreement&rdquo with Eagle and Executive, whereby Eagle and Executive agreed to transfer certain aircraft and related assets to American in exchange for American’s assumption of Eagle’s outstanding debt obligations related to such aircraft (the “Eagle Aircraft Transaction&rdquo. More specifically, Eagle and Executive transferred, among other things, the Eagle Aircraft—comprised of 47 CRJ-700 aircraft (collectively, the “CRJ Aircraft&rdquo and 216 Embraer aircraft, comprised of 39 ERJ-135s, 59 ERJ-140s, and 118 ERJ-145s (each, an “Embraer Aircraft,” and collectively, the “Embraer Aircraft&rdquo, to American in exchange for American’s assumption of Eagle’s outstanding debt obligations relating to both the CRJ Aircraft and the Embraer Aircraft (the “Embraer Aircraft Obligations&rdquo and certain other consideration.
The Embraer Aircraft were originally financed through certain prepetition mortgage financing arrangements with Agência Especial de Financiamento Industrial, as lender (“FINAME&rdquo, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (“BNDES,” and together with FINAME, the “Financing Parties&rdquo and The Bank of New
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York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as security trustee (the “Security Trustee&rdquo. Shortly after the Commencement Date, the Debtors and the Financing Parties began negotiating the restructuring of the Embraer Aircraft Obligations or the return of the Embraer Aircraft. The Debtors and the Financing Parties, while continuing negotiations for a long-term restructuring of the Embraer Aircraft Obligations, also reached an interim agreement, whereby the parties agreed, among other things, that the Debtors will (i) surrender 18 ERJ- 135s (the “Parked ERJ-135 Aircraft&rdquo that were parked and not necessary to the Debtors’ operations and (ii) make monthly security deposit payments with respect to the remaining Embraer Aircraft that will be credited toward payments in respect of Embraer Aircraft Obligations relating to such Embraer Aircraft. Pursuant to such interim agreement, the Debtors surrendered the Parked ERJ-135 Aircraft and transferred title to such Parked ERJ- 135 Aircraft to the Security Trustee on June 21, 2012.
To facilitate a long-term restructuring of the remaining Embraer Aircraft Obligations, AMR, American, and Eagle, along with the Financing Parties, the Security Trustee, and certain other parties (collectively, the “Restructuring Parties&rdquo, agreed to enter into certain transactions (the “Embraer Restructuring Transactions&rdquo, the terms of which were embodied in the Master Restructuring Term Sheet Relating to 21 ERJ135, 59 ERJ140, and 118 ERJ145 Aircraft (the “Master Term Sheet&rdquo and the Lease Term Sheet Relating to 21 ERJ135 Aircraft (the “Lease Term Sheet,” and together with the Master Term Sheet, the “Term Sheets&rdquo, each dated as of September 3, 2012.
The Embraer Restructuring Transactions provided for in the Term Sheets include, among other things, the following:
 Restructuring the Embraer Aircraft Obligations.  American will transfer and lease back, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Lease Term Sheet (including reaching agreement on definitive documentation), the 21 remaining ERJ-135s (the “Remaining ERJ-135 Aircraft&rdquo, whereby American will pay $40,000/month under leases that will expire between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013 and, upon consummation of such transfer and lease back transaction with respect to a Remaining ERJ-135 Aircraft, American will no longer have any payment obligations in respect of the Embraer Aircraft Obligations relating to such Remaining ERJ135 Aircraft;  American will make payments, including monthly security deposit payments, in respect of the Embraer Aircraft Obligations relating to all 59 ERJ-140s as if such Embraer Aircraft Obligations have been reduced by 49%; provided, however, such Embraer Aircraft Obligations will not be formally reduced until existing financing documents relating to such ERJ-140s are amended to implement such reduction in accordance with, and subject to, the terms and conditions (including reaching agreement
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on definitive documentation and the Debtors’ emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases) set forth in the Master Term Sheet;  American will make payments, including monthly security deposit payments, in respect of the Embraer Aircraft Obligations relating to 68 of the ERJ-145s (the “Newer ERJ-145 Aircraft&rdquo as if such Embraer Aircraft Obligations have been reduced by 34%; provided, however, such Embraer Aircraft Obligations will not be formally reduced until existing financing documents relating to such Newer ERJ-145 Aircraft are amended to implement such reduction in accordance with, and subject to, the terms and conditions (including reaching agreement on definitive documentation and the Debtors’ emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases) set forth in the Master Term Sheet; and  American will make payments, including monthly security deposit payments, in respect of the Embraer Aircraft Obligations relating to the remaining 50 ERJ-145s without any reduction of such Embraer Aircraft Obligations.

 

[mike33]

Thx

Just another example of the leverage we possess if used correctly.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Mike, the pilots already tossed the 69 seat language so i doubt the company rips out a few seats due to us low paid rampers. Certainly there are some things our members contract has like the 69 seats, tower jobs, careing, clp. None of which can be outsourced unless negotiated away.

 

[blownkneesbob]

Meeting reminder for CLT fleet
Tuesday June 25.
American Legion Hall off tyvola
10a 12n 3:30 5:30

Great turnout for the first 3 meetings today
Folks it's imperative that you try and make one of the meetings tomorrow
It's time to stop bitching in the break rooms and show the company that we aren't going to stand for there BS offer.

 

[Black Magic]

Meeting reminder for CLT fleet
Tuesday June 25.
American Legion Hall off tyvola
10a 12n 3:30 5:30

Great turnout for the first 3 meetings today
Folks it's imperative that you try and make one of the meetings tomorrow
It's time to stop bitching in the break rooms and show the company that we aren't going to stand for there BS offer.

Did the company make an offer in June?