Aircraft maint issues

You sure sound intelligent .
Thx, not my greatest post, but you know what’s like talking to some of these guys won’t face reality of what the airline industry has turned into, or how much more reliable the fleet is. Since the F100, 727, and S80 have left the fleet our workload has decreased a lot.
 
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Thx, not my greatest post, but you know what’s like talking to some of these guys won’t face reality of what the airline industry has turned into, or how much more reliable the fleet is. Since the F100, 727, and S80 have left the fleet our workload has decreased a lot.

I can’t understand why you don’t feel you can’t at the very least keep the language for work that you already own today?

Yes of course with newer planes you have less work to perform currently but as those planes age over time that work will begin to return.

BTW you do realize that Gary Peterson did say that they were prepared to give the Company language they can work with but just not as much as they’re asking for today.
 
I can’t understand why you don’t feel you can’t at the very least keep the language for work that you already own today?

Yes of course with newer planes you have less work to perform currently but as those planes age over time that work will begin to return.

BTW you do realize that Gary Peterson did say that they were prepared to give the Company language they can work with but just not as much as they’re asking for today.

I hope we get all that, but I'm not sure what union is asking for. I want it all, I'm just sure we are going to get what the company is prepared to offer us and nothing more. I want it all too, and I wish the NC the best.
 
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According to ASS, AA wants to do away with move crews and avionics, go to 50% OH 15% line outsourcing, which is what Isom said a couple of years ago. But some union guys will say AA wants to do away with days and afternoons and have AA mechs just on nights at all stations. Sounds like scare tactics to me.

I haven’t worked nights in 20 years and we have rotating days off. So life isn’t that bad, we are not like dfw where it’s fixed days off. We don’t have the mentality it was bad for me it should be bad for you. You come across as a guy who has put in 30 plus years and figure you have earned the right to take it easy. At full pay of course. We all taxi planes don’t think you’re better then anyone else.

Now who thinks we the Association is going to maintain a 35% outsourcing limit, get the LUS health insurance (that ALL employees will want) top pay and a guarantee of no job loss? There has to be a reason why association isn’t willing to take company’s offer of accepting any union contract out there including SWA. It will still have best scope just not as good as before.

86 I certainly understand your point and your wishes of sitting back and collecting a pay check without working too hard, but I don’t think it’s realistic to think we are going to achieve all that just because AA is making money right now.

Do you think we will win those items in arbitration or that the company will buckle under pressure of a strike?
Well said sir. This is one of the top postings of reality.
I too hope your NC is successful in using our T/A as an example at the table. Yes some more outsourcing would have to be part of it, but as you clearly stated you guys will still remain at the top as far as outsourcing %'s go IMO. I also hope you guys will leap over us with a new ILC. The largest airline in the word deserves to be at the top.
Hope you guys get some movement next week in nego's. Also hoping you guys get more dates set and not put on ice, but if that's what the co. wants they will get it from the mediators, just like in our case when we were put on ice for months.
 
This info on the RLA affects us all in this industry. SWA used it to drag out our nego's and I expect no less from AA to use it the same to drag out their nego's just like SWA did. An interesting read indeed...

What Led Us To A Deal With Southwest Airlines, Nearly 7 Years Later
A brief history of transportation labor relations, and how it relates to our deal

AMFA National
Apr 11

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On Saturday March 16, AMFA (Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association) and Southwest Airlines "); background-size: 1px 1px; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px);">came to an Agreement in Principle on a new contract. We"); background-size: 1px 1px; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px);"> now have that Tentative Agreement out for our members to vote on.

So how did we reach this point? Here is some background on the process in general, and our process in particular:

  • It has been nearly 7 years of negotiations to get to this deal. The amendable date of our prior contract was August 16, 2012. AMFA members have been without a raise for 2,400+ days…and counting.
  • During this time, we have negotiated nearly every month. We have had 74 prior negotiation updates since we began this round of negotiations.
  • If this deal is approved, it will extend into 2024.
To understand the labor negotiations process, it’s best to go back to the introduction of the Railway Labor Act.

  • By the 1920s, the railroad industry controlled nearly all interstate traffic in the United States, both freight and passenger, and employed more than 2 million workers. Decades of labor unrest, widespread and sometimes violent work stoppages led the federal government to work with industry and union leaders to create a new way of resolving labor disputes. Railroad management and unions prepared the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which was passed by Congress in 1926. The RLA guaranteed the right to join a union of their choice and to engage in collective bargaining. It also established procedures for the orderly resolution of labor disputes.
  • In 1934, Congress created the National Mediation Board to administer the RLA.
  • In 1936, the RLA was extended to cover interstate air carriers.
  • In 1951, the RLA was amended to permit union shops and dues check-off agreements.
The RLA has three primary purposes

  • To avoid interruption of interstate commerce
  • To provide employees the freedom to join a labor union
  • To provide for prompt and orderly settlement of collective bargaining disputes and disputes concerning interpretation of existing collective bargaining agreements
Our negotiation process with Southwest Airlines, which took more than 6 years, is a product of the 83-year-old relic called the Railway Labor Act (RLA).

Under the RLA, a collective bargaining agreement does not expire — it becomes amendable and remains in force until modified by management pursuant to contractual authority, by agreement of the parties, or by unilateral implementation during a period of lawful self-help.

The collective bargaining process begins when parties exchange notices indicating a desire to change wages, hours and working conditions. Thereafter, the RLA imposes on the parties the duty to exert every reasonable effort to reach agreement.

This also serves to ultimately eliminate the threat of a strike by workers.

Here’s the bottom line — the collective bargaining process has not changed in more than 80 years. The recent situation with AMFA and Southwest Airlines shows the RLA gives airlines an incentive and means to extend negotiations with no recourse, no accountability and no negative consequences for deliberately dragging out or delaying collective bargaining. This tactic means management feels no urgency to come to a new agreement.

The RLA allows a company to show they are doing enough to “exert every reasonable effort to reach an agreement” in the collective bargaining process. And here we are, 6 1/2 years later.

By using the RLA as a means to delay, Southwest bought time to allow its competitors in the industry to catch up in wages and benefits, to implement an industry-competitive wage.

We are glad to be nearing the end of this long negotiation process. Until the process is changed, labor in the airline industry remains in a disadvantaged position versus management.

But our patience and determination was crucial to earning the proper deal our members deserve, and we believe we are nearing that as we move toward a vote on the Tentative Agreement.
 
Thx, not my greatest post, but you know what’s like talking to some of these guys won’t face reality of what the airline industry has turned into, or how much more reliable the fleet is. Since the F100, 727, and S80 have left the fleet our workload has decreased a lot.
Bigjets I remember when the 300s left I thought our workload would decrease, it did for a bit but with the workload planning loads us up with. Now they changed our maintenance manuals it doesn't matter if is a bird strike, or a flap overspeed, or a fixed landing light, or runway turn off light. There is now a task card for locking and tagging out flaps and slats and hydraulics , when you drop rhe flaps or slats in a line operation, on a through flight. So you add about an hour to these jobs. I won't even get started when these Maxs come back in service after sitting for 3 or 4 months, or longer. Our line work has not gotten any lighter.
 
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So farAA had hired 49 -AMTs in 2019. A long way to go to 250 they said would. Not happinin

To be fair to AA, the problem may lie in finding drug-free candidates. I have a friend here in Dallas who is a supervisor in a major chain store. They have mandatory drug tests for new hire employees. They recently tried to hire 10 trainee stock clerks. Managed to get 4 with clean drug tests. (Can't tell you what store. I'm not supposed to know about this.)
 
Bigjets I remember when the 300s left I thought our workload would decrease, it did for a bit but with the workload planning loads us up with. Now they changed our maintenance manuals it doesn't matter if is a bird strike, or a flap overspeed, or a fixed landing light, or runway turn off light. There is now a task card for locking and tagging out flaps and slats and hydraulics , when you drop rhe flaps or slats in a line operation, on a through flight. So you add about an hour to these jobs. I won't even get started when these Maxs come back in service after sitting for 3 or 4 months, or longer. Our line work has not gotten any lighter.
Yes it has indeed, and so has the overnight work as well, line and hgr ron's have greatly increased and will increase more.

So farAA had hired 49 -AMTs in 2019. A long way to go to 250 they said would. Not happinin
This is good news. Delta is hiring 500 AMT's for growth and expansion this year. SWA has said we will hire if this new contract offer is voted in. Not sure if UAL is hiring.
 
To be fair to AA, the problem may lie in finding drug-free candidates. I have a friend here in Dallas who is a supervisor in a major chain store. They have mandatory drug tests for new hire employees. They recently tried to hire 10 trainee stock clerks. Managed to get 4 with clean drug tests. (Can't tell you what store. I'm not supposed to know about this.)

Jim on this one I have to doubt it having anything to do with Drugs. A guy isn’t going to spend multiple thousands of Dollars and spend 2 to 3 years working to gain their licenses just to screw it all up for a little weed.
 
Jim on this one I have to doubt it having anything to do with Drugs. A guy isn’t going to spend multiple thousands of Dollars and spend 2 to 3 years working to gain their licenses just to screw it all up for a little weed.
I would say your main problem is people not going to A&P schools, and not as many ex military.
 
I would say your main problem is people not going to A&P schools, and not as many ex military.

That goes for all Trade Schools. College’s have done a great job at marketing themselves as the best way to get as much as possible out of life to the detriment of people working with their hands.

Many younger people have a stigma against being a Blue Collar worker. As if they think it’s beneath them.