Enter your vision for our future

[proAMT]

My crazy vision of American Airlines in the future

I envision a leaner meaner airline that is more than capable of reacting and getting on top of changing and even turbulent economic conditions. I envision an airline in which its employee numbers will be fewer but its core members will be content and enjoy the best benefits and compensation in the business because we will be the standard. We can be an employee group that once again demonstrates real esprit de corps. We can be a group that works as one for the benefit of the company and more importantly its customers. Our team won’t mind striving for the company as, at this future time, what benefits the company will in turn benefit our smaller leaner work group. Our qualifications and standards should be second to none.

When our furloughed employees are recalled a few at a time they will be excited at the opportunity to work with such a team-a team that earns every dollar it makes-a team that provides the best service in the industry….less hassles, more relax for our customers, an airline that is a pleasure to fly on. These recalled employees would return to the best benefits and pay in the industry.

Here is what I don’t want to see our airline become…

An airline that is bloated and slow to react to ever changing economic environments. An airline that has many employees who could care less whether they work on aircraft, busses or tractors. An airline that considers passengers wishes as an inconvenience. An airline that has a large number of employees that the airline was able to pick up at a good rate to make the union and local politicians happy by keeping the head count high. An airline where its employee groups do the minimum because their workers are lazy, inattentive and know that they can get by doing the minimum. A group that strives for overtime rather than completing task in a timely manner or correctly the first time. A group of unprofessional slugs that are adept at creating overtime opportunities. A group that suffers from high turnover as its workers jump to other similar “opportunities” within the community.


Cut the fat with a big knife-now is the time.

Pare from the top with early out incentives; pare from the bottom with the promise of a future job recall well worth returning to. Get rid of the dead weight and build the standard all other airlines wish they were.

Build something we will all be proud to sweat for-for years to come.


Dennis Hayes
SEA Line

 

[proAMT]

Locking in to some crappy 6 year contract that demoralizes the whole work force is probably the worst thing we could do as a work group.

 

[CMH_GSE]

You must be voting yes because a no vote means 5 yr recall, 10 yr recall with a yes vote.

Vote no and anyone getting laid off now will be done at AA as there will be very few , if any recalled in the next 5 years.

I agree with your vision btw, at the end of the day , we are going to have to look a lot like the rest of carriers that have slashed and burned and contract out a lot of maintenance. Southwest Airlines allways did just a small percentage of it's aircraft work and their unions went along with it, and why not, they all make $45 per hour.

 

[Buck]

You must be voting yes because a no vote means 5 yr recall, 10 yr recall with a yes vote.

Vote no and anyone getting laid off now will be done at AA as there will be very few , if any recalled in the next 5 years.

I agree with your vision btw, at the end of the day , we are going to have to look a lot like the rest of carriers that have slashed and burned and contract out a lot of maintenance. Southwest Airlines allways did just a small percentage of it's aircraft work and their unions went along with it, and why not, they all make $45 per hour.

Why can't AA's mechanics be paid the same?

 

[AV1]

You must be voting yes because a no vote means 5 yr recall, 10 yr recall with a yes vote.

Vote no and anyone getting laid off now will be done at AA as there will be very few , if any recalled in the next 5 years.

I agree with your vision btw, at the end of the day , we are going to have to look a lot like the rest of carriers that have slashed and burned and contract out a lot of maintenance. Southwest Airlines allways did just a small percentage of it's aircraft work and their unions went along with it, and why not, they all make $45 per hour.

Recall, what a joke. Vote NO! With this new style of management, what a joke. Let's see, AFW employees cannot bump the system, AFW can bump the system, Hangar employees cannot bump into TAESL, TAESL employees cannot bump into the hangar anywhere, Nobody can bump Tulsa. Any other statements that you might have heard. These are just a few from the union, most specifically a union rep KP. And still today, nobody knows the correct answer. You expect any kind of recall to be straight forward? The same way this is being run is the way the airline is being run, one in the same. What a Joke. I wouldn't count on that recall by voting yes with these ********** running the show.

 

[CMH_GSE]

Av1, can't disagree with what you just said, there have been games played in the past with bumping.

 

[FWAAA]

Why can't AA's mechanics be paid the same?

AA's mechanics could be paid the same as WN. At 12/31/11, WN had 3100 maintenance personnel and 700 planes. Here's the key to paying those 3,100 much higher wages than AA's mechanics:

The Company performs substantially all line maintenance on its aircraft and provides ground support services at most of the airports it serves. However, the Company has arrangements with certain aircraft maintenance firms for major component inspections and repairs for its airframes and engines, which comprise the majority of the Company’s annual aircraft maintenance costs.

WN has no "TULE," no "AFW" and never had an "MCIE."

Seriously, the AA mechanics (once you replace the worthless union) should present management with an offer that is the Southwest Contract, verbatim.

One potential wrinkle, though, and that is the ominous warning that Gary Kelly gave his employees the day AA filed for Ch 11. Once AA slashes its labor costs, WN wages will stand out even more as the highest in the passenger airline industry, and there's guarantees that WN avoids Ch 11 forever.

 

[BigMac]

I see Tulsa being farmed out. Tulsa will be purchased by a third party to do cheap maintenance for AA that cant be done in El Salvador or China. Line stations will be manned by unlicesened personell so to defer more maintenance to Tulsas unlicensed, non-union, new hires. IMO

 

[Ed Norton]

My crazy vision of American Airlines in the future

I envision a leaner meaner airline that is more than capable of reacting and getting on top of changing and even turbulent economic conditions. I envision an airline in which its employee numbers will be fewer but its core members will be content and enjoy the best benefits and compensation in the business because we will be the standard. We can be an employee group that once again demonstrates real esprit de corps. We can be a group that works as one for the benefit of the company and more importantly its customers. Our team won’t mind striving for the company as, at this future time, what benefits the company will in turn benefit our smaller leaner work group. Our qualifications and standards should be second to none.

When our furloughed employees are recalled a few at a time they will be excited at the opportunity to work with such a team-a team that earns every dollar it makes-a team that provides the best service in the industry….less hassles, more relax for our customers, an airline that is a pleasure to fly on. These recalled employees would return to the best benefits and pay in the industry.

Here is what I don’t want to see our airline become…

An airline that is bloated and slow to react to ever changing economic environments. An airline that has many employees who could care less whether they work on aircraft, busses or tractors. An airline that considers passengers wishes as an inconvenience. An airline that has a large number of employees that the airline was able to pick up at a good rate to make the union and local politicians happy by keeping the head count high. An airline where its employee groups do the minimum because their workers are lazy, inattentive and know that they can get by doing the minimum. A group that strives for overtime rather than completing task in a timely manner or correctly the first time. A group of unprofessional slugs that are adept at creating overtime opportunities. A group that suffers from high turnover as its workers jump to other similar “opportunities” within the community.


Cut the fat with a big knife-now is the time.

Pare from the top with early out incentives; pare from the bottom with the promise of a future job recall well worth returning to. Get rid of the dead weight and build the standard all other airlines wish they were.

Build something we will all be proud to sweat for-for years to come.


Dennis Hayes
SEA Line

Is medicinal marijuana available in Washington state? It sure sounds like you just got a refill. Pass it around..man.... B)

 

[Mr Red]

I guess you haven't worked line.When the FAA is strolling around the ramp and they happen to ask you for your license,you better produce it !!

 

[BigMac]

I guess you haven't worked line.When the FAA is strolling around the ramp and they happen to ask you for your license,you better produce it !!

No license required for deferrals, speedtape, checking tire pressure or adding grease. Or have one licensed CC over a couple unlicensed ASMs for signing the log book.

 

[BigMac]

Side note : This is my opinion of AA's future in my best AA imitation. I respect the line as I do overhaul. I see AA going down like the Titanic and not recovering.

 

[AA-MRO.COM]

A bitter demoralized workforce that could care less if AA survives or liquidates. Another 6-8 years of concessions on top of the previous 8 is nothing more than a disaster waiting to unfold. I see more line guys looking for other jobs and making AA the part time job until it is no longer needed. JMHO

.

 

[rifbound]

Do y'all remember the last time AA rolled out the new interior for the 777? It was when we gave them money in 03. Now AA has done it again with what they want to take from us again. Remeber to VOTE NO!! Just did my NO VOTE.

 

[OldGuy@AA]

Vision #1:
The LBO is voted down by the membership by a wide margin, the BOD realizes that Horton has no respect amoung the employees with his rape and pillage tactics and promply fires him and replaces him with a new CEO that has a real vision of AA in the 21st century market. We go back into mediation where some benefits are restored and wage increases over the life of a 4 year contract. Yes there are layoffs, but everyone is amazed at the amount of mechanics still on the payroll as outside work is welcomed into TULE. The line AMTs are given GEO pay. This all happens after the TWU is shown the door and our new union gives us the representation that we have been paying for and not seen ever before.

Vision#2:
The LBO is ratified by the membership. The vast majority of yes votes coming from Tulsa as the local uses scare tactics to influence a yes vote while stating publicly that they are not recommending either yes or no vote. The number of layoffs exceeds the number that AA has "promised" in their propaganda campaign and even exceed the number they threatened to go to if LBO is voted down. AMTs in Tulsa that thought they were safe are bumped by senior line mechanics who's stations are closed. Hundreds who voted yes to get the buyout find they are not going to be allowed to take it by AA who will produce a letter signed by our own Jim Little that allows them to limit the amount of AMTs that get it to a mere handful. The membership goes to the local 514 union hall and are told by the president that the members are responsible because they voted for it. The local 514 president is awarded an international vice president position for his effort of ramming the POS T/A down our collective throats. Most yes voters will deny that they voted that way. Others who admit they did will apologize to those of us who voted no. They vow to listen the next time. But 10 years down the road, when we are handed another concessionary contract offer after AA leads all airlines in profits, the local 514 president, an OSM, will scare the membership with horror stories of what the company will do it we don't accept it. The only holiday offered will be Christmas. We will get 25% pay for the first five sick days taken, 100% for the next five and 50% for the remainder. Max vacation will be two weeks (after ten years) Crews will consist of five OSMs and one AMT who will be responsible for all signoffs. Mechanics will be responsible for ordering and pulling their own parts from the warehouse. Old Guy (and everyone else still alive who hired on in the 80s) will still be dragging himself to work every day because it will be impossible to retire. Instead of offering a package to entice older workers to retire, the TWU will propose that the company have monthly physicals conducted by their medical department in order to determine the ablilty of those workers over the age of 60 to do their jobs. Those that fail these physicals will be terminated and an OSM will be hired in their stead.

There is a fork in the road ahead ladies and gentlemen. We can go one way or the other. There is no turning back once the choice is made. There is only one way possible for things to get better here and that is a NO vote. Are we going to surrender before the fight even begins? We can fight this and there is a possibility that we will lose, but it is also possible that we win and in turn get our self respect back in the process. A yes vote is accepting defeat and giving AA the permission to destroy our way of life and jetison loyal employees. Meanwhile, the people responsible for our demise (management) will line their pockets with gold at our expense. In closing I have one thing to say.............. I AM DENNIS!!!!