StonewAAlled

[Bob Owens]

The flex rates have been in place for st least 20 years. To me it's another concession. If the company paints themselves into a corner by putting in a startng rate that's so low they can't get anybody we should not just allow them to unilaterally get out of it, they should be forced to negotiate with the union so t he incumbents can get something thing out of the deal as well.

 

[chris perry]

The company has already painted themselves a dark corner,it was evident today two pages of sick call.Most good mechanic's today wouldn't consider AA.Every aspect of employment here is inferior,the exception being US AIR.That's even a stretch.

I have watched over the last year some of the brightest simply walk away.They have taken leadership roles at other airlines,I'm not just talking union workers management also. AA has turned into the Walmart of Airline employee relation's .The people simply don't give a ####.You bet it will affect service and any Merger.Without the people you have a dysfunctional mess.

 

[Bob Owens]

The company has already painted themselves a dark corner,it was evident today two pages of sick call.Most good mechanic's today wouldn't consider AA.Every aspect of employment here is inferior,the exception being US AIR.That's even a stretch.

I have watched over the last year some of the brightest simply walk away.They have taken leadership roles at other airlines,I'm not just talking union workers management also. AA has turned into the Walmart of Airline employee relation's .The people simply don't give a ####.You bet it will affect service and any Merger.Without the people you have a dysfunctional mess.

Cant blame people for feeling ill at the prospect of not only working for the lowest wage in the industry on Christmas Day but doing it for half pay as well.

I think front line management realizes what the company has done, and they will bear the brunt of it. They backed off considerably on the OT rules, perhaps they realized that if they had arbitrated it they would have ended up with the Wallen across the system because Wallen addressed pretty much all the money items and its an arbitrated case, or they realize that they still have to work with us and get us to fix the airplanes.

My guess is they will come up with grand promises with the gain sharing plan, none of which will be kept of course, but enough so they can relieve a little pressure off the pot. Certainly not enough to justify the cap on profit sharing that guarantees that no matter how profitable AA becomes (even if they make the $3 billion a year they claimed in court) we will not make what our peers make for at least three more years (and still be working Christmas and four other Holidays for half pay, the other five for free).

Just remember what happened over the last 9 years, how the Union participated in "Working Together" which netted the company hundreds of millions of dollars and allowed them to cut more heads but when it came to negotiations the company said we get "ZERO , NOTHING" for those efforts.

 

[OldGuy@AA]

Cant blame people for feeling ill at the prospect of not only working for the lowest wage in the industry on Christmas Day but doing it for half pay as well.

I think front line management realizes what the company has done, and they will bear the brunt of it. They backed off considerably on the OT rules, perhaps they realized that if they had arbitrated it they would have ended up with the Wallen across the system because Wallen addressed pretty much all the money items and its an arbitrated case, or they realize that they still have to work with us and get us to fix the airplanes.

My guess is they will come up with grand promises with the gain sharing plan, none of which will be kept of course, but enough so they can relieve a little pressure off the pot. Certainly not enough to justify the cap on profit sharing that guarantees that no matter how profitable AA becomes (even if they make the $3 billion a year they claimed in court) we will not make what our peers make for at least three more years (and still be working Christmas and four other Holidays for half pay, the other five for free).

Just remember what happened over the last 9 years, how the Union participated in "Working Together" which netted the company hundreds of millions of dollars and allowed them to cut more heads but when it came to negotiations the company said we get "ZERO , NOTHING" for those efforts.

Ebeneezer Scrooge looks up to AA management

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

It is time for a new approach.
It would be more beneficial to concentrate on what you expect in the future and forget about what you have already lost. It would be prudent to define future contractual expectation and communicate these to the UNION (whatever UNION that may be at the time). This list should be compiled as soon as possible, not when the contract is close to renewal. Instead of thousands of people each asking for something different the membership needs to come up with a defined list and present it to the UNION. It needs to be made clear that if the company offer does not at least meet these minimum requirements the membership is not interested in entertaining it, so the TWU (or whoever) need not present a trash offer that does not meet expectations.

The problem with TWU is they are not held accountable for performance because there is no defined expectation for them to adhere to. It is simply acceptable for them to "fight like hell" and "get em next time" (translation: roll over and settle). They consistently tolerate breach of contract from American Airlines accompanied with the often heard quote we have all heard over and over "they can do that brother".

We live in a world of near instant and widespread communication. Let's start putting some of this technology to work and get organized. Really organized, not this facade TWU calls organized labor.

EDIT: I am going to start a thread for this post titled It is time for a new approach. Please comment there.