New Concessions By Oct. 17?

[MCI transplant]

Perhaps I should have worded my respose to Boomer's post better. I know that AA has always paid the PBCG the required premiums for our pensions. It appears to me that Boomer was saying that for AA to get rid of a lot of cash in order to file BK before Oct 17, they would have to pay the pension underfunding. If this is the case, the money for the underfunding would go to the pension plans themselves, not the PBGC.

[post="302316"][/post]​

<_< That's right! But do you really think that will happen??? 😉 Oh! I read the IRS is now after United for $114 mil. for back payments on it's now defuncked pension plans!!!

 

[aafsc]

<_< That's right! But do you really think that will happen??? 😉 Oh! I read the IRS is now after United for $114 mil. for back payments on it's now defuncked pension plans!!!

[post="302321"][/post]​

I think AA will continue to pay it's legal obligation to the pension plans while at the same time continue to lobby congress to be allowed to spread out the payments. However, it will be difficult considering AA is the only airline that still has pensions that are accruing (I'm assuming DL and NW will turn theirs over to the PBGC or freeze them).

 

[PlayTheOdds]

If you guys think AA is going to set themselves up to do all that you say, what are you doing to prepare for it. Is there anyone on these boards that are pro-active rather than re-active? If your union is so weak and you are so unhappy about it why do you continue to pay into it?

 

[WingNaPrayer]

AA has to much cash on-hand and to many assets. We have over $3 Billion dollars on-hand!

[post="301780"][/post]​

Ummmm, what asssets? AMR hocked the farm to put that 3B in the bank! There are no assets left to speak of, they have all been encumbered.

AMR will come back for more concessions. This time they'll target things no one gets to vote on or have any say over - they'll go for the healthcare plan, paid vacations, sick time, and I'm betting more than a few domestic routes will go up for sale. Eagle, since it is heavily in debt, is barely worth more than blue sky. They may be able to sell Eagle, but most of any sale price will go to cover debt making any sale nearly meaningless.

It doesn't matter how much you have in the bank, you can still bankrupt to protect it. The only rush of the matter is, AMR has to act before the new Republican bankruptcy laws go into affect on October 20th. The days of airlines being able to open mini-airlines within the airline while under bankruptcy protection are almost over. AMR may end up sorry they threw piles of money at the Shrub's many and various campaign funds but, they'll get what they paid for!

 

[Hopeful]

If you guys think AA is going to set themselves up to do all that you say, what are you doing to prepare for it. Is there anyone on these boards that are pro-active rather than re-active? If your union is so weak and you are so unhappy about it why do you continue to pay into it?

[post="302383"][/post]​

PTO, you are a friggin SCAB and not worth of a reply!

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Yea I know, too bad I'm not going to get to scab for AA it looks as if you guys are going ot sit around and let AA and your detested union stick it to you. It appears to me your union is lead by a bunch of scabs, but you continue to send them your money.

 

[Oneflyer]

I'm betting more than a few domestic routes will go up for sale.

I'm curious, what domestic routes are restricted and can be sold?

 

[LGA Fleet Service]

Blah Blah Blah, Crap Crap Crap

[post="302389"][/post]​

Captain Negativity returns.

 

[AMFAMAN]

- they'll go for the healthcare plan, paid vacations, sick time, and I'm betting more than a few domestic routes will go up for sale.

[post="302389"][/post]​

That went the first time--no more cap on medical, goes up 50% each year, already stole the vacation time including a week that was accrued the previous year, and sick time is half pay and only accrue 5 days a year. Not much left to take there.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

It looks as if it is time to start trimming the fat. Leave everything just the way it is just start cutting out jobs. Northwest didn't have a problem with it I don't see why AA would.

 

[Bagbelt]

Scabs and contractors cost too much, keep it in house and pay em $12 an hour, part -time- no medical, til you're full time. PTO, you're going to be AMFA'S newest member when they win in court. I've watched the same dc-10 sit waiting for tires for 5 days now.

 

[B.O.B.]

That went the first time--no more cap on medical, goes up 50% each year, already stole the vacation time including a week that was accrued the previous year, and sick time is half pay and only accrue 5 days a year. Not much left to take there.

[post="302461"][/post]​

F/A's in our LAX & SFO bases have filed a lawsuit in a California Court against AMR for taking their earned vacation. In California there's a law prohibiting any company from taking an employees vacation. I don't know anything about this law but, I guess these f/a's did. Even if it's contractual or not they can't take it. If these f/a's win their lawsuit, then AA will have to give all f/a's their vacation back!

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

All of you are way off base on AMR and CH.11!
AS LONG AS THE TWU IS AROUND, THERE WILL BE NO BANKRUPTCY!

THE TWU WILL HAVE US WORK FOR EVEN LESS AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO RECEIVE UNION DUES!

[post="302074"][/post]​

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hopeful,

Man are you ever RIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NH/BB's

 

[eolesen]

Domestic routes for sale? Maybe in 1977 or 1978, but those days are long gone.

Selling slots might be another story, but the only people who can afford them right now are Jetblue and Airtran, and they're getting exception slots by the dozen for free from their friends over at the DOT.


I agree with all the other comments that pay and benefits are already about as far down as they can go, however there are still other rocks to be overturned, the least of which is workrules. It would be entirely practical to look at changing workrules without asking for paycuts or seeing further benefit cuts.

We've got a handful of airports where the ramp is still insourced, yet they're well below seven trips a day. PIT was one of those. PVD and MEM are two others. While I'm sure even mentioning this will result in cries of union-busting, there's a higher cost involved with staffing TWU employees in those stations vs. a contractor. In addition to the FSC's, you also have the cost of CSM's in those stations, since stations where the ramp is outsourced no longer have a layer of management in between the agents and the general manager.

That's just one example of where workrules could be loosene. I'm sure there are others within each of the other contracts.

 

[AMFAMAN]

F/A's in our LAX & SFO bases have filed a lawsuit in a California Court against AMR for taking their earned vacation. In California there's a law prohibiting any company from taking an employees vacation. I don't know anything about this law but, I guess these f/a's did. Even if it's contractual or not they can't take it. If these f/a's win their lawsuit, then AA will have to give all f/a's their vacation back!

[post="302500"][/post]​

The twu did one better. After the language was finished(long after the vote), it was discovered that we volunteered to give up that week. Most likely as a result of the lawsuit that was filed by the F/A's and I believe some gate agents also filed. The language effectively remove any chance for a lawsuit and without a vote of the membership.

Good Luck with the case....