Tulsa MD-80 "Pulse Line" Frozen

[Stratocruiser]

It would be foolish for someone involved to be posting on this bulletin board.

We are simply reporting what has happened, not braggin that we are involved.

Who knows what "THE" issue is, my guess is there are far more than just ONE!

So, if I understand you correctly, you don't care what they're taking action about, just so long as it undermines the Labor-Management relationship? That's absolutely wonderful! Will you please be on my team?

 

[MCI transplant]

It would be foolish for someone involved to be posting on this bulletin board.

We are simply reporting what has happened, not braggin that we are involved.

Who knows what "THE" issue is, my guess is there are far more than just ONE!

😉 O.K.!---- Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!!!! :unsure:

 

[TWU informer]

OK, you idiots post all you know and become part of the head hunting investigation.

:censored:

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

<_< Excuse my ignorance here, but exactly what is the issue? It's great your taking a stand,but against what? Change? (I know I'm going to get blasted here!) 😉

Wouldnt know not involved.
Could it be the concessionary contracts over the last 15 years... maybe 😀

 

[Gooney Bird]

TWU informer

"The idea is produce a Heavy C out the door every 12 days."

"They have pigeon holed mechanics and inspectors into single job function assignments. Took average hours for each job, manned to a minimum and crack the whip to stay on schedule. Seems the culture shock has created some hard feelings, and trouble with training, and there is no room for extra ordinary corrosion or repairs that are always around when re-manufacture or overhaul takes place."

Sir,

Are you saying it is a bad idea to compete against $15 / hr AMTs at MROs that turn C-Checks in 25 days by using our facilities and superior AMTs (at whatever payrate) to turn an 80 in half the time?
Keep in mind AA pays $1 mil each day of every year for retiree medical. Not active employee medical. Nor management medical.
MROs $0 retiree anything
jetBlue $0 retiree anything
SWA $0 retiree medical

The pulse line is the best example of using all of AA's best assets to beat the crap out of ALL of our competitors (MRO, Legacy and LCC)

Now cheer up and enjoy your pigeon hole, there is no alternative.
Unless you form a nationwide AMT union which would have actual leverage against all the wal-maters in management.

 

[MCI transplant]

<_< Oh, but there is alternatives! It just so happens we have more than enough space here at MCI to do your "Pulse Line"! We'd be working some of our old metal also! Oh, by the way, I heard aa signed a contract for six more Air Canada 767 "C' checks today!! And it's a little ironic that AFW is doing a "B" check on an L1011!!! We used to overhaul them here! Probably a better idea for AFW to do it. I'm sure it wouldn't get out of here on time. Our Inspectors know where to look for all the problems on that aircraft! A matter of them knowing it "too" well! If you know what I mean!!! 😛

 

[aafsc]

<_< Oh, but there is alternatives! It just so happens we have more than enough space here at MCI to do your "Pulse Line"! We'de be working some of our old metal also! Oh, by the way, I heard aa signed a contract for six more Air Canada 767 "C' checks today!!!! 😛

How many Air Canada 767s is that in total?

 

[MCI transplant]

How many Air Canada 767s is that in total?

<_< We've completed two in this batch of six, and one about six months ago. We're presently working two. The contract I was referring to was for an additional six.

 

[MCI transplant]

The Pulse Line is a 4 Hangar bay operation where aircraft are moved from bay to bay like an assembly line during a heavy "C" check. Strict Schedule of work leaves no room for training, out-of-the ordinary repairs, and the mechanic does the same job function day in and day out.

The idea is produce a Heavy C out the door every 12 days.

Basically, it is a sweat shop assembly line mentality applied to a "C" Check Overhaul of Aircraft.

Someone went to the OEM facility, looked at their operation and decided that assembly line metalilty would work on a heavy "c" check aircraft overhaul.

They have pigeon holed mechanics and inspectors into single job function assignments. Took average hours for each job, manned to a minimum and crack the whip to stay on schedule. Seems the culture shock has created some hard feelings, and trouble with training, and there is no room for extra ordinary corrosion or repairs that are always around when re-manufacture or overhaul takes place.

<_< Sounds a lot like what's going on here at MCI. I've got a feeling until someone brings them back to the real world, this will be the order of things throughout the airline! At least at TUL, AFW, and MCI!!!But we don't have the luxury of having a surplus head count! Will it work? I guess we'll find out!!!! 😉

 

[The Goose]

I heard something a bout a bunch of chairs being thrown away.

???

 

[MCI transplant]

<_< Question---- To our Brothers at AFW? Was that L1011 one of TWA's old airplanes? Did that Aircraft have the wing "rear spar mod." done to it? Who did it? Just curious!! :huh:

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Keep in mind AA pays $1 mil each day of every year for retiree medical.

Not any more. If the figure was ever that high, it is lower now. Much lower.

Retirees 65 and over just had their drug coverage dumped. That saved AA rots of bucks.

 

[goingboeing]

We heard in another hangar at TUL that the Md80 PulseLine had Flatlined eariler in the week.They had to reclaim Dock 2D as an emergency room to revive the Code Blue MD80.
I guess they will have to set up a M.A.S.H unit to keep the pulse line beating.
Enough of the puns.

There is a reason why other airlines do not perform heavy maintenance in a PulseLine format.It does not work.Gee what a novel idea! AA is not in the manufacturing business so why the hell did we adopt a manufacturing procedure?
AA/TWU is trying to make an orange tree produce apples.

Did anyone who dreamed up this brainchild ever talk to people who had worked in aircraft overhaul maintenance 50 years ago at TUL? I worked for C/C's who had a 1955 seniority date and they told me they had tried everything in the past and that the present Dock setups proved to work the best.[1 aircraft-1 group of people-1 dock]
We are trying to reinvent the wheel with the pulse line.

People who do not study history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history.

 

[TWU informer]

I think the whole thing is designed to fail.

Just as with QWL of the past, once management discovers that Natural Work Group success would mean elimination of first and second level management folk, there is a desire for failure. It is quite simple really, just throw a few wrenches in the cogs here and there to upset the worker, and presto, Worker Participative Management fails. Or just keep shaking up management ranks so that continuity cannot be achieved and this also lead to failure.

We are actually screwed you know?

We have incompetent management that cannot lead without outside consulting firms as a watchdog and making decisions, we have union leadership that is too friendly to incompetent management so higher level management will never see the truth. And to top that, they pretend that allowing mechanics, stock clerks, and plant maintenance men that are untrained in business management would be better than having accountability, and a true business management team calling the shots.

In the past, when we were at these same crossroads, the industry returned to profitability and saved our bacon from disaster. It remains to be seen if we are saved by that method this go around.

At least Carmine and Burchette are excellent smoke blowers and are buying us some time for profitable industry economics to return. The question is, does smoke blowing waiting for profits consitute sound business management in the long run.

 

[jetmechjer]

Same thing is happening here in DFW.
Every new bid we lose slots on the line and everyone complains for a week or two and then forgets. Same thing next bid, we are losing 7 to Love Field and guess where they take them from? Yep days and afternoon line. We have guys on midnights that used to be able to work days.
They keep telling us what a great job we are doing.
We are number one in on time, number one in getting aircraft back in service and believe it or not we are told we are the lowest by far in sick time!!!
SO HOW DO THEY THANK US? BY CUTTING HEADS EVERY BID!!
Latest rumor is that we are losing 20 next bid!
I think what happened on the pulse line will soon be happening here in DFW. I believe all of days and afternoons and most of midnights have finally had enough................stay tuned....the turd is in mid air and heading for the fan which just happens be on high!!!
:blink: :blink: :blink: 😱 🙁 :down: