TWU International

[FWAAA]

The fact is we dont really know if thats the case. We have never been given any solid numbers. Our union has never investigated it. The Economist they hired is more sympathetic to the company, when I insisted that we refer to this as a five year deal he said "Well its really only a two and a half year deal when you factor in the early opener". We cant really compare what MROs pay their workers to what AA pays their OH mechanics because if AA sent their work there they would be paying what the MRO charges per hour not what they pay their workers per hour. This means that there's a lot of room for our guys to be paid considerably more than what MROs pay their guys, add in the cost and quality control advantages of keeping it in house and our guys are worth even more. Granted the line at which its no longer cost effective is probably below the $46.99 that UPS offered its mechanics but its certainly higher than what this TA has to offer. Unfortunately they have a lot of people believing that they have to compete with the wages MROs pay instead of the rate MROs charge. The biggest mistake our OH workers could make is to start to consider themselves MRO workers instead of Airline workers. Chasing 3P work for anything more than fill in work can only lead to lower living standards. Yes for now OH will shrink, but that doesnt mean layoffs, attrition will likely outpace the need to cut heads and reduced capacity. When the economy recovers the airlines will likely face a shortage. Mergers may be the only way to aquire enough workers.

Interesting that you acknowledge in this paragraph that $47/hr for overhaul mechanics is probably more than the cost-effective price. What's the difference between AA and all other airlines? The 10,000+ people working at Tulsa and Fort Worth performing heavy airframe overhaul. And which airline is lagging almost all others in AMT hourly pay? AA. It's obvious that the company is resisting efforts to give those guys big raises; after all, they are already paid very handsomely considering that they live in some of the cheapest parts of the country. Don't get me wrong, they aren't overpaid and they did suffer huge paycuts in 2003. But they didn't suffer the fate of IND and OAK like thousands of United employees did.

But the line maintenance AMTs (whose work can be performed only in the higher-cost cities where many of the airplanes spend each day (and night) are worthy of substantially more money per hour than the $33.28 the company says is the max pay rate for AA. So how do you get from $33 to $47? How about unchaining yourselves from Tulsa and Fort Worth?

As I posted a few days ago, one way would be to offer all AA AMTs a pay raise of a dollar or two per hour and increase the line premium to $10 or more per hour. Simple enough, except that the thousands of employees at TUL and AFW would probably defeat it. Unable to recognize that what they do, while valuable, can be performed anywhere on the globe while the line maintenance must be performed in higher cost cities in the US, not in China or El Salvador.

 

[Bob Owens]

Bob,

I've heard the music and been asked to the reform dance for far too long to be willing to listen to the prelude again.

You said that you would be willing to sign off on a no-compete clause for local union leaders going over to the company and then defended local union leaders going over to the TWU International: while agreeing that the TWU International and their ownership of our contracts is the root cause of the failure of this Union to deliver improvements in the wages, benefits and working conditions of the membership.

You cannot hold both sides of the same coin.

The only "No-Compete" clause that holds any water in the reform reservoir is the one that holds Local Union Leadership Directly Accountable to the Membership PRIOR to their ascension to the TWU International throne. After the individual has been crowned, there is no longer any accountability to the membership.

Therefore: let those that run on a change platform in the Overhaul bases be the first to pledge that they will not go to the dark side by contracting themselves first to the membership and then to the Union.

The point is it shouldnt be the same coin. I dont recall defending anyone but going to the International shouldntchange ones mindset any more than going from Shop Steward to Section Chairman, unfortunately it often appears that it does. Thats because normally the person doesnt change, the charecter flaws were there the whole time, they just reveal themselves once they no longer care if anyones watching. Somewhere along the line Business Unionists took over the labor Movement. They have no love for the cause , no real knowledge of its history and often thinly veiled contempt for the members. There are a few ways of taking it back, none are all that easy but whats the alternative? Give up? Must be my Celtic Heritage, but if I ever do give up I'll move on to some other industry. As long as I'm here I'll push for making things better.

 

[Bob Owens]

Mr. Boomer, I've heard so many pledges (which were always broken) from so many lying SOBs at American since I've been there I don't care to hear any more - very much like you and your invitations to the "reform dance".

There's nothing left to repair within the TWU and I've come to see any effort to run for office in said an attempt to cash in on a trip to the International after doing its bidding.

The only vote I plan on casting is either a decertification vote to oust the TWU or a vote to install another (making the assumption there's actually something out there worth a diddly-damn) union.

Anything else is a waste of my time, as it is for everyone else at AA.

I was kind of hoping that you would Vote No on the TA at least.

Known Dennis Hayes at least 10 years, never lied to me.

 

[The Goose]

I was kind of hoping that you would Vote No on the TA at least.

Known Dennis Hayes at least 10 years, never lied to me.

OK Bob - I'll recant and make an exception re: the contract vote - this time. I do feel however, even if the vote is a resounding "NO", Conley (who is now the ATD director) will "best interest" us as did Little Jimmy in 2003. The TWU, I feel, has been paid handsomely by AMR to deliver a signed contract and unless the drama is planned as was the "courthouse steps" thing in 2003, will be sorely disappointed in their pets.

As far as Dennis and Kevin are concerned, I really have no opinion but do feel any fiddling/voting/involvement with this so-called "union" wholey owned by the AMR Corporation is akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

[TWU informer]

I was kind of hoping that you would Vote No on the TA at least.

Known Dennis Hayes at least 10 years, never lied to me.

Once we vote no and the TA is rejected. Do you propose we amend this agreement? Or do you propose starting from scratch.

Either way, what do you propose we submit as a counter offer? I would specifically be interested in your opinion of what the pay seperation between line and overhaul should be.

Remember, most of us are not informed on the specifics argued within the negotiating committee.

 

[MCI transplant]

Once we vote no and the TA is rejected. Do you propose we amend this agreement? Or do you propose starting from scratch.

Either way, what do you propose we submit as a counter offer? I would specifically be interested in your opinion of what the pay separation between line and overhaul should be.

Remember, most of us are not informed on the specifics argued within the negotiating committee.

<_< ------- Isn't having two pay scales for AMT's just another way the Company can "divide and conquer"?

 

[comatose]

Once we vote no and the TA is rejected. Do you propose we amend this agreement? Or do you propose starting from scratch.

Either way, what do you propose we submit as a counter offer? I would specifically be interested in your opinion of what the pay seperation between line and overhaul should be.

Remember, most of us are not informed on the specifics argued within the negotiating committee.

Please, don't use the word we in your question. It's all the international doing the negotiating period.
This TA was all brought about by a JPmorgan analyst saying is that all you had?
Then a call to the international, and in less than a week almost every group within the TWU with a TA.

My opinion on pay- They could multiply the pay increase by 5X and I'm still a NO.
It's not the pay!

The OSM and the retiree medical are the poison pills.


I hope the bottom 20% of the AMT's vote with their brain. Because they will be the ones working
for OSM wages.

The TWU has opened a door that will never be closed - A new and unapproved B scale.

 

[enough already]

<_< ------- Isn't having two pay scales for AMT's just another way the Company can "divide and conquer"?

It's not divide and conquer if we agree that the line mechanics deserve more pay in the high cost of living cities.

 

[TWU informer]

There are no divisions within the TWU. Solid Unifed Organization. I read about it on a slogan t-shirt.

 

[The Goose]

There are no divisions within the TWU. Solid Unifed Organization. I read about it on a slogan t-shirt.

... quite a few T-shirts, as a matter of fact.

Who was is that said "Tell a lie often enough and it becomes truth"?

 

[mike 7867]

It's not divide and conquer if we agree that the line mechanics deserve more pay in the high cost of living cities.

i dont think there should be a divide in pay. i am all for a mechanic in a hight cost of living city to get a cost of living increase. but i am not for a line mech to get more money than a hangar mech. i have worked both, over ten years on the line and the another five in overhaul. and i will tell you this a line mech does not work any harder than a hangar mech. i have no problem with mech in nyc, ord, sfo, bos, lax, and others getting a two dollar a hour cost of living raise, personally i think they should get more.

 

[MCI transplant]

i dont think there should be a divide in pay. i am all for a mechanic in a hight cost of living city to get a cost of living increase. but i am not for a line mech to get more money than a hangar mech. i have worked both, over ten years on the line and the another five in overhaul. and i will tell you this a line mech does not work any harder than a hangar mech. i have no problem with mech in nyc, ord, sfo, bos, lax, and others getting a two dollar a hour cost of living raise, personally i think they should get more.

B) ------- Now there's a man with a brain!!!!

 

[MCI transplant]

... quite a few T-shirts, as a matter of fact.

Who was is that said "Tell a lie often enough and it becomes truth"?

:unsure: -------- It's a damn sham, that a whole class of professionals can be bought off with a few T-shirts!!!

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

i dont think there should be a divide in pay. i am all for a mechanic in a hight cost of living city to get a cost of living increase. but i am not for a line mech to get more money than a hangar mech. i have worked both, over ten years on the line and the another five in overhaul. and i will tell you this a line mech does not work any harder than a hangar mech. i have no problem with mech in nyc, ord, sfo, bos, lax, and others getting a two dollar a hour cost of living raise, personally i think they should get more.

There is no difference between overhaul and line. Our responsibilities are the same... period! We provide safe, airworthy aircraft. The only difference is the cost of living across the country. If an AMT thinks differently they are wrong.

Vote NO!

 

[Boomer]

I see the point in requiring the "No-Compete" clause for any Locally Elected Official to leave their Local and go to AMR Management versus the same elected official going into the TWU International: but, I also see the need for some type of restriction based on a membership vote before a Locally Elected TWU Officer is allowed to leave their local and enter the TWU International.

Given the following in a TWU Local, "No-Compete" clause:

A) All TWU Locally Elected Officials will be required to wait a period of five years before becoming compensated by AMR, and/or any affiliate or successor, in any manner not related to the contractual duties arising from the Current Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, on behalf of the indiviual TWU Local electing them under the following circumstances:
1) Removal from office by their Local and/or the International; and/or,
2) Resignation of office; and/or,
3) Appointment by the TWU International to a TWU International compensated position; and/or,
4) Appointment by AMR, and/or any affiliate or successor, to a non-bargaining unit position; and/or,
5) Loss of position due to Local Elections; unless,

B) In a vote, conducted by the TWU Local in question, three-fifths of the voting majority allow the change in status for the individual concerned.