Noun 1. mediator -

[Imjustsayin]

The irony of this is amusing. The mediators were called in by the unions and now the schedule is not to their liking, so many blame AA's management.

The mediator really should be available for more meetings - no question about it. Hard to do a deal when all the required parties aren't present.

From what I can tell, the NMB has more than just American Airlines' unions on its plate. They are handling dozens of other airlines and rail cases. I'm sure if they found "two" willing parties interested in bargaining in good faith, they would allocate their limited resources (Mediators) accordingly.

 

[Bob Owens]

You dont understand their role, they facilitate, not negotiate, they cant force either party to come to an agreement.

The purpose of mediation under the Railway Labor Act is to foster the prompt and orderly resolution of collective bargaining disputes in the railroad and airline industries. These disputes, referred to as "major" disputes, involve the establishment or revision of rates of pay, rules, or working conditions. The parties should attempt to resolve collective bargaining disputes through direct negotiations. Failing that, either party may request the Board's services or the Board may involve itself on its own initiative. In its mediatory role, the Board may employ a variety of methods, including traditional mediation, interest-based problem solving, or facilitation. The Board views the objective of mediation as assistance to the parties in achieving agreement and sees the role of the mediator as an active participant in the process as a key to that assistance.

NMB expertise in mediation and its discretion to determine when mediation has been exhausted, however, ensures that bargaining disputes rarely escalate into disruptions of passenger service and the transportation of commerce. Historically, some 97 percent of all NMB mediation cases have been successfully resolved without interruptions to public service. Since 1980, only slightly more than 1 percent of cases have involved a disruption of service.

I think I have that same article from the GAO in 2003.
What mediators can do, but dont, is threaten to inform the NMB that they consider the parties to be at an impasse. The only time they seem to do that is when the carrier lets them know that they think they can defeat a strike, otherwise, the workers are left in limbo, like our FSCs, and the company gets to continue to be guaranteed labor peace while workers see continued pay cuts. If theres a shortage of mediators then they should simply start declaring impasses.
Since the airline industry was deregulated in 1978, labor negotiations have
taken increasing amounts of time and have been marked less by strikes
and more by nonstrike work actions. For the contracts we reviewed that
had been negotiated between major carriers and labor unions since
deregulation, the overall median length for contracts negotiated between
1978 and 1989 was 9 months, while the median negotiation time from 1990
to 2002 increased to 15 months.
I think the same report states that the longest airline negotiation up to that point (2003)was 4 years, well that was 2003, now 4 years is the average. So its safe to say that the NMB has gone from declaring an impasse after 15 months of unsuccessful talks to over four years, a three fold increase!!

 

[Birdman]

It seems the union negotiators are powerless to do anything about protracted negotiations but the members, that's another debate. I think it's just a matter of time, sooner than later considering maintenance schedules are suffering serious setbacks, that the compAAny will be requesting meetings with all alacrity.

 

[Imjustsayin]

It seems the union negotiators are powerless to do anything about protracted negotiations but the members, that's another debate. I think it's just a matter of time, sooner than later considering maintenance schedules are suffering serious setbacks, that the compAAny will be requesting meetings with all alacrity.

"Powerless", c'mon, there are lots of way to generate power - most require movement. Great use of the word "alacrity", however.

 

[Birdman]

I think it's just a matter of time, sooner than later considering maintenance schedules are suffering serious setbacks, that the compAAny will be requesting meetings with all alacrity.

Fastfacts has reported nine 757 "drop dead" issues by the end of April. Rumor has it there are productivity issues on the 757 lines in hangar 5 and the 737 in hangar 1. Lets see, 2 more negotiation sessions before the end of April and you don't think the compAAny is anxious to get the ball rolling? It's certainly apparent there will be no quick fixes for the dilemma the compAAny finds themselves in so what are they to do? Will they crack down on personnel, outsource, park airplanes, have another high level meeting at HDQ to brainstorm or just let the chips fall? Has anyone seen any evidence that the compAAny has a plan to bring themselves up from the mire?

 

[furp]

I say we take the same approach as the mediator.
Work one week a month at the most if we feel like it!!!!
Take Monday and Friday as travel days!!
Only work on all the unimportant stuff like tray tables and tire pressures.
When and if we accomplish all the little things we can then work on the important things ...
like engine changes and B checks...............
How long could we get away with his bullshit???????????? :angry: :angry:

 

[700UW]

You just dont get it.

 

[eolesen]

Furpy, feel free to try the "work one week a month" thing. Starting tomorrow or Monday, maybe.

And to really stick it to them, don't bother to call in and tell anyone you're not coming in until maybe Thursday or Friday of next week. That'll show 'em who's boss.

 

[Bob Owens]

Furpy, feel free to try the "work one week a month" thing. Starting tomorrow or Monday, maybe.

And to really stick it to them, don't bother to call in and tell anyone you're not coming in until maybe Thursday or Friday of next week. That'll show 'em who's boss.

Well I think he means show up but approach each job the way the company approaches negotiations. Pull up the paperwork and study it to death, waste a lot of time and drag every task out as long as possible. Work normally one day, and drag your butt the rest of the week. For instance the company had several articles when we recessed in January, we were expecting that they would have responses or counter proposals on Feb 7th for all those Articles, they didnt, it took all week for them to come back to us. Over the week we only got some minor changes to Article 39, and they rejected our proposal to add CS language to the contract that was very similar to what Continental Airlines agreed to with their mechanics. The company's response was "We like it the way it is".

The big holdup on Articles 11 and 12 are they are saying they need one thing but asking for something different. If every mechanic and stock clerk approached their assignments the same way the company approached negotiations the company would either be more responsive at the table or in court, or both. Either way it would be better than the track we are on now, they appear to be content to stretch this out as long as they possibly can, at least until the next crisis in the hopes they can panic us into another crappy offer. They already are trying to exploit the crisis in Libya and informed the union that due to the fuel spike they need to slash $100 million from their operating costs, they said this the day after they announced the purchase of another 777. I say if they really need to find $100million cancel the order, thats $280 million right there. I'm tired of hearing their woes, they could care less about ours.

We left them a few more Articles last month, lets see if they pull the same stunt of having us sit around for half the week while they say they are putting something together.

 

[Mr Red]

As long as they understand its full retro back to the amendable date,let them keep dragging their feet. The employees that make this company run want their share.NO MORE B/S !!!
they can throw all the currant settlled contracts in a pot and average them out and see the min starting point for AA mechanics.

 

[High Speed Steel]

I'm not at all surprised at the pace of negotiations I knew this would happen after we rejected the TA. The communication we receive from the whole negotiating committee states for us to be patient and supportive, basically maintain the high road and keep the aircraft in the air making money. I agree with this but find it odd and confusing that Bob comes here and vents a different proposal to impact the company into giving him what he wants. Stay in harmony with the negotiating committee Bob, and negotiate us a contract based upon our professionalism....

 

[strikeforce]

Well I think he means show up but approach each job the way the company approaches negotiations. Pull up the paperwork and study it to death, waste a lot of time and drag every task out as long as possible. Work normally one day, and drag your butt the rest of the week. For instance the company had several articles when we recessed in January, we were expecting that they would have responses or counter proposals on Feb 7th for all those Articles, they didnt, it took all week for them to come back to us. Over the week we only got some minor changes to Article 39, and they rejected our proposal to add CS language to the contract that was very similar to what Continental Airlines agreed to with their mechanics. The company's response was "We like it the way it is".

The big holdup on Articles 11 and 12 are they are saying they need one thing but asking for something different. If every mechanic and stock clerk approached their assignments the same way the company approached negotiations the company would either be more responsive at the table or in court, or both. Either way it would be better than the track we are on now, they appear to be content to stretch this out as long as they possibly can, at least until the next crisis in the hopes they can panic us into another crappy offer. They already are trying to exploit the crisis in Libya and informed the union that due to the fuel spike they need to slash $100 million from their operating costs, they said this the day after they announced the purchase of another 777. I say if they really need to find $100million cancel the order, thats $280 million right there. I'm tired of hearing their woes, they could care less about ours.

We left them a few more Articles last month, lets see if they pull the same stunt of having us sit around for half the week while they say they are putting something together.

Bob, I've been working at the speed of negotiations since 2008. Management is foaming at the mouth, and can't do a damn thing about it. I'm lovin it! wish others would follow, probably have everything back by now, or be unemployed.

 

[FWAAA]

Well I think he means show up but approach each job the way the company approaches negotiations.

Maybe so, but that's not what he typed. He said "I say we take the same approach as the mediator. Work one week a month at the most if we feel like it!!!!"

It's not the first post where he's blamed the mediator for the slow pace of negotiations.

They already are trying to exploit the crisis in Libya and informed the union that due to the fuel spike they need to slash $100 million from their operating costs, they said this the day after they announced the purchase of another 777. I say if they really need to find $100million cancel the order, thats $280 million right there. I'm tired of hearing their woes, they could care less about ours.

Continuing down that faulty logic path, if AA canceled the order for all three 777-300s (or had never ordered them in the first place), that would be $840 million more in the company's pocket, right? That would be enough for "restore and more."

Only problem with that paragraph: It's not true.

Swelbar recently wrote about oil and airline labor: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/idUS403681395720110303

 

[Bob Owens]

Swelbar recently wrote about oil and airline labor: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/idUS403681395720110303

F*** Swelbar, he is nothing but a shill for Aircon and ECLAT masquerading as a professor from MIT.

Swelbar writes

"I am not expecting another $117 drop in the price of a barrel of oil like we witnessed in 2008".

Well I dont think anybody is, since after all its only $115/BBL.

http://www.businesslive.co.za/Feeds/businesstimes/2011/03/05/oil-no-immediate-threat-to-recovery


Swelbar cites figures for refining fuel from 1978 to 2001, without adjustments for inflation. IIRC if you look at the price of OIL during the gas crisis of 1979 and adjust it for inflation it was around what it was in 2008.

Based on findings by the Air Transport Association’s superb economic analysis team led by chief economist John Heimlich,

An ATA team, well thats like saying that a report on Gun Safety from the NRA isnt biased. The ATA is a lobby group for the Airlines.

He also revealed his intended motives for this tripe in this paragraph;

''As the industry added capacity, employment grew by nearly 220,000 full-time equivalents. During the same period, the total cost of an employee to the industry declined by eight percent in real terms. I can hear it now, ”no way – my salary is significantly less.” Yes, it is true salary costs when adjusted for inflation have decreased. On the other hand, the cost of pension and benefits paid to airline workers has grown at a rate faster than inflation. The cost of an employee to a company is not based on salary alone.

Mr Swelabar also fails to report the huge surge in revenue per employee, even in the case of AMR which is lower than other carriers who inflated their productivity through outsourcing. So as Mr Swelbar points out the cost per employee went down but he conviently leaves out how much revenue per employee went up. He mentions that productivity went up per employee by 44% but fails to mention what metrics he used to measure productivity which can vary greatly, no doubt he used the one that showed the least gain.

Another misleading statement;

The number of available seat miles produced per dollar spent on labor fell by 42 percent.

Well inflation alone should have driven those costs up by 72% over the 24 year period, in real terms labor costs per ASM went down 30%.

He also claims that Oil is not considered a controllable cost, well what exactly is the purpose of fuel hedges, winglets and buying new airplanes? Arent all these things means by which carriers try to control fuel costs?

More half truths from Swelbar;

In 2002, when the restructuring began, the average cost of a full time equivalent airline employee was $74,910. Today, the average cost of a full-time equivalent employee is $83,869.

Here Mr Swelbar goes on to claim that over a 9 year period the labor cost per employee went up by 12%, or 1.3% a year, with inflation averaging around 3% that means in "real terms" average cost per emplyee went down by 15%. This occured while the airlines were downsizing, which as Mr Swelbar pointed out brings costs up because the junior employees are let go first.

One of Mr Swelbar tactics is to swing back and forth between "Real" or inflation adjusted figures and unadjusted figures. He will minimize the numbers that dont support his message by using inflation adjusted figures and mislead by not remaining consistant and then use unadjusted figures.

Swelbar is a fraud. Clearly this was meant for the consumption of Airlline Workers and clearly he is saying that we should just shut up and accept the fact that everyone else is going to get a bigger piece of the much bigger pie at our expense. He makes a living at playing with numbers and getting them to say whatever it is he wants them to say, I have to wonder how much the ATA paid him for this little piece of alarmist propaganda.

FWAAA I'd still like to see your answers, or was that it?

 

[737823]

F*** Swelbar, he is nothing but a shill for Aircon and ECLAT masquerading as a professor from MIT.

http://www.businesslive.co.za/Feeds/businesstimes/2011/03/05/oil-no-immediate-threat-to-recovery

Swelbar writes
Well I dont think anybody is, since after all its only $115/BBL.

Swelbar cites figures for fuel from 1978 to 2001, without adjustments for inflation. IIRC if you look at the price of OIL during the gas crisis of 1979 and adjust it for inflation it was around what it was in 2008.

He also revealed his intended motives for this tripe in this paragraph;

''As the industry added capacity, employment grew by nearly 220,000 full-time equivalents. During the same period, the total cost of an employee to the industry declined by eight percent in real terms. I can hear it now, ”no way – my salary is significantly less.” Yes, it is true salary costs when adjusted for inflation have decreased. On the other hand, the cost of pension and benefits paid to airline workers has grown at a rate faster than inflation. The cost of an employee to a company is not based on salary alone.

Mr Swelabar also fails to report the huge surge in revenue per employee, even in the case of AMR which is lower than other carriers who inflated their productivity through outsourcing. So as Mr Swelbar points out the cost per employee went down but he conviently leaves out how much revenue per employee went up. He mentions that productivity went up per employee by 44% but fails to mention what metrics he used to measure productivity which can vary greatly, no doubt he used the one that showed the least gain.

Another misleading statement;
The number of available seat miles produced per dollar spent on labor fell by 42 percent.

Well inflation alone should have driven those costs up by 72% over the 24 year period, in real terms labor costs per ASM went down 30%.

He also claims that Oil is not considered a controllable cost, well what exactly is the purpose of fuel hedges, winglets and buying new airlianes? Arent all these things means by which carriers try to control fuel costs?

More half truths from Swelbar;


So over a 9 year period the cost went up by 12%, or 1.3% a year, with inflation averaging around 3% that means in "real terms" average cost per emplyee went down by 15%. what is also not factored in is that with the lean structures we have your average employee puts in a lot more hours. In 2002 JFK was well under 100 hours for OT, in 2010 if was upwards of 200 hours , that alone would add around $5000 to the newer numbers.

One of Mr Swelbar tactics is to swing back and forth between "Real" or inflation adjusted figures and unadjusted figures. He will minimize the numbers that dont support his message by using inflation adgusted figures and exaggerate others by not using inflation adjusted figures.

Swelbar is a fraud. Clearly this was meant for the consumption of Airlline Workers and clearly he is saying that we should just shut up and accept the fact that everyoine else is going to get a bigger piece of the pie at our expense. He makes a living at playing with numbers and getting them to say whatever it is he wants them to say.

Very funny Bob. So the experts at MIT are all wrong and this all a hoax? Sorry, but you're the one being dillusionAAl here. The reality is fuel prices have risen-and continue to rise back to 2008 levels. AA is going to need to cut costs further, ground aircraft, eliminate underperforming routes due to the fuel price run up. Perhaps turning down the TA the company offered you guys last summer wasn't the best idea given the new market reality.

Even given new ancillary revenue from checked baggage charges, food for purchase, seat assignment, and other fees for services that were once included in ticket prices the general flying public is still paying less to fly in real dollars today than pre-deregulation. Air travel is a commodity product meaning a flight from Boston to Chicago-whether it be on AA, B6, UA, or WN is virtually identical to much of the traveling public and leaving airlines minimal pricing power. Something has to give and its not going to be energy prices or fares-employees are going to have to bear brunt of rising fuel prices.

You seem to think your concessions and stagnant wages have made it possible for AA to invest in new aircraft. Did you consider the new revenue AA is able to generate with the new 777-300ERs and 737-800s? Labor is hindering AA's competitiveness and ability to invest in other capital improvements like airports, facilities, in-flight entertainment, enhancements to on board service (maybe AA could upgrade the wine selections or trade up to Grey Goose from Absolut and formerly SKYY Vodka).

Josh