"Pull together Win together!"

[TWU informer]

TWU spends members' money to take out full page ads blasting greedy execs looting of the company yet again:

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/04/twu-pokes-fun-at-american-airl.html

Those ads are sure to get results.

Yeah those ads rank right up there with slogans, t-shirts, and dupe rallies and no doubt management is ready to offer a better deal now. It would be like a watching sit-com except for our livelyhood and futures are at stake here.

 

[Hopeful]

You're right...Instead of wasting money with ads, the workers should instead show exactly how happy they are when they are at work.

So, let's just sit and wait and do nothing hoping and praying maybe the company will begin bargaining in good faith.
Say what you will about us "UNIONISTAS.".........And keep ignoring corporate AArogance.

 

[FrequentFlierCA]

To me bargaining "in good faith" includes making proposals and counter-proposals public. AA has done this, why have the unions not? What's in there that they are afraid of showing the world?

 

[Hopeful]

Good Faith?
Let's see.....company offers a paltry lump sump that comes out to about a week and half's pay...end the retiree medical.....no pension for new workers, non licensed mechanics ALL over the system...
Thats GOOD FAITH?

The unions' good faith was giving this company back billions in concessions 7 years ago and the company shows their good faith in offering crumbs..

You want to know the unions proposal? Simply asking for restoration to 2003...where we were SEVEN years ago is good faith enough.

Like sheep, we are only asking for RESTORE to where we were SEVEN years ago....


Can't get more good faith than that.

 

[Bob Owens]

To me bargaining "in good faith" includes making proposals and counter-proposals public. AA has done this, why have the unions not? What's in there that they are afraid of showing the world?

Hmm wasnt this claim made and debunked once before? I guess you feel that if you tell a lie enough times enough will believe it.

http://aa.twu.org/Default.asp

 

[Bob Owens]

Good Faith?
Let's see.....company offers a paltry lump sump that comes out to about a week and half's pay...end the retiree medical.....no pension for new workers, non licensed mechanics ALL over the system...
Thats GOOD FAITH?

The unions' good faith was giving this company back billions in concessions 7 years ago and the company shows their good faith in offering crumbs..

You want to know the unions proposal? Simply asking for restoration to 2003...where we were SEVEN years ago is good faith enough.

Like sheep, we are only asking for RESTORE to where we were SEVEN years ago....


Can't get more good faith than that.

The company got their $330 million in concesssions in 2003, then we gave them $500 million in productivty gains that werent included in the concessions, then they took another $315 million through headcount cuts, so they gained around $1.3 Billion a year from us and they put zero dollars on the table. Thats their idea of shared gain. I cant help it or stop them from spending it on New Airplanes, new Admirals Clubs and loaning it to One World partners.

 

[The Goose]

The company got their $330 million in concesssions in 2003, then we gave them $500 million in productivty gains that werent included in the concessions, then they took another $315 million through headcount cuts, so they gained around $1.3 Billion a year from us and they put zero dollars on the table. Thats their idea of shared gain. I cant help it or stop them from spending it on New Airplanes, new Admirals Clubs and loaning it to One World partners.

While only a personal opinion, I feel that anyone who believed any of the company/union (one in the same) tripe in 2003 and voted yes on that contract without the appropriate worker safeguards in place hasn't enough sense to be an aircraft mechanic - perhaps a lawnmower mechanic but not aircraft. It's another example of "Any fool can study for and pass a test".

I believe Carty was leaving anyway - the board talked him into the appearance of falling on his sword on his way out to placate the union memberships, just another bit of drama similar to "they were at the courthouse steps ...". Now, I've been to a goat roping and a few county fairs but this pack of lies beat all I ever stepped in during my entire life.

I told many at the time I didn't believe for a minute the company had any intention of honoring their handshake agreements - Jim Little knew that very well, yet he and his minions lobbied the workers to accept the cuts knowing full well there wouldn't be a reduction in dues collections - life is good.

The TWU membership is still paying dues to have some of their membership do company-related tasks. In almost all cases, however, that was a good thing as those who gravitated towards towards office-help positions weren't worth a damn in their respective jobs anyway which saved the company money (because they weren't on the floor screwing things up) but most importantly (to the company, anyway) kept the illusion and lie of "Working Together" in view and alive.

Now, we have a bunch of ridiculous slogans popping up all over the base, evidently to instill some sort of pride in a company-bought-and-paid-for organization that should have been scrapped long ago. Personally, I would be embarassed for the outside world to see this nonsense - the very idea these BS idioms would influence the thinking of a worker who is supposedly "educated" to some degree or another says volumes as to what the TWU really thinks of those from whom it collects dues. I feel greatly insulted, as should everyone else employed by American Airlines.

Enough already - last one out, hit the switch.

 

[Barfbag]

This airline like this country has become the have and the have nots!!

Some of the have nots in this country have moved up quite well, taking in double digit wage packages in the 30 years that I been in the travel business, their wages have doubled. They work in Government.

We; all workers in this airline business can only row the boat as fast as your next door neighbor can click on Expedia and get lower and lower air fares, thereby lowering your next wage package.

Even Airline Execs are the lowest paid Execs in the United States. No reason why college grads with MBAs chose airlines as dead last when looking for a job.

Airline Careers = Bad Career Move

 

[eolesen]

I cant help it or stop them from spending it on New Airplanes, new Admirals Clubs and loaning it to One World partners.

Whine about the new airplanes or oneworld loans all you want, but Admirals Clubs are dues and fee supported.

I pay a couple hundred annually just to walk in the door (AA is the only oneworld carrier who charges a membership fee -- the other carriers give it away to their top tier FF's). When I fly on a oneworld partner, they wind up paying AA for my use of the club (even though I'm a member). Then there's the money they make off the bar and overpriced food....

 

[Bob Owens]

Whine about the new airplanes or oneworld loans all you want, but Admirals Clubs are dues and fee supported.

I pay a couple hundred annually just to walk in the door (AA is the only oneworld carrier who charges a membership fee -- the other carriers give it away to their top tier FF's). When I fly on a oneworld partner, they wind up paying AA for my use of the club (even though I'm a member). Then there's the money they make off the bar and overpriced food....

I doubt the fees/dues cover the costs.

 

[eolesen]

I doubt the fees/dues cover the costs.

You can doubt all you want, but Admirals Club and the Credit Union have been self-sufficient for a while. Clubs which don't cover their costs get closed.

You're right in part that it's not just the fees. Add in the $7 soup, $10 sandwiches, the bar, meeting room fees at $500-1000/day, advertising revenue from stuff placed in the clubs (HP is doing a lot of this right now), and it all adds up to pay the freight (no pun intended).

 

[tech2101]

Airline Careers = Bad Career Move

That is why I thank NWA for showing me the way after 20 years in the business (via a strike).

I am far better off now.

I will have my MBA in 2 short years and no airline will get my resume.

 

[Barfbag]

That is why I thank NWA for showing me the way after 20 years in the business (via a strike).

I am far better off now.

I will have my MBA in 2 short years and no airline will get my resume.

Good Luck out there in the real world,

 

[Hopeful]

Personally, while the bonuses continue to change my perception of senior management's character, it wasn't any harder or easier to survive on my paycheck in 2005 or 2006 than it already was in 2003 or 2004....

Depends on your salary and location.

 

[MCI transplant]

<_< ------ The only way your going to fix that is to have the "location pay" option. That was taken off the table because some people felt someone would get something than they would not!------ Now! Who's fault is that?

Depends on your salary and location.