Bankrupt? But enough money to prevent employee choice? Really

TWU informer

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Nov 4, 2003
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In a filing Thursday with the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, American Airlines said it plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision that permits a union representation vote by American’s passenger service agents.

The carrier asked the appeals court to recall and stay its Nov. 1 mandate while American appealed the decision. That would prevent the National Mediation Board from proceeding with an election sought by the Communications Workers of American.

American said it intends to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court by Dec. 13.
 
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Fighting in the Supreme Court while in Bankruptcy Court to prevent a vote by employees for Union representation says alot about my employer. Now we all know, and there is no question.

Now I feel like I am personally funding an anti-union attack against my co-workers using the concessions the company claimed was needed to compete.
 
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You would prefer they act like your union: roll over & play dead, while pretending to be concerned about its employees/members?

For better or worse, under Horton and Arpey, AA has been quite transparent in what their priorities are. Better to know that than to always wonder what they're hiding from you...
 
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Knowing your enemies is always a good thing... but you gotta admit that it is impossible to argue against the logic TWU informer is using here.

AA has determined it will either permanently be fighting with its employees or it will be content with what it has now and will start the process of rebuilding.... no one has any reason to believe the latter will become reality.

BTW, your artwork is commendable but if America is really dead, don't you think you should be developing a contingency plan that involves walking away from the USA?
 
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You would prefer they act like your union: roll over & play dead, while pretending to be concerned about its employees/members?

For better or worse, under Horton and Arpey, AA has been quite transparent in what their priorities are. Better to know that than to always wonder what they're hiding from you...

AA Management spent over $1/2 Million fighting to protect the TWU and prevent the Mechanics and Related from voting on the AMFA vs TWU dispute once we filed the cards with the NMB in 2003.

Now they are spending millions to prevent the agents from getting a ballot.

This is nothing more than anti-American in my opinion. AA can stand and fight their cause in the face of the unions, but to fight against employee voting on unionization is the type of arrogance that will prevent this company from ever returning to industry leader.

Dictating employee preference using the legal system and millions of dollars while claiming bankrupt is the epitome of what is wrong with this country, this company, and humans in general.
 
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AA's been rebuilding for almost a year.

I find the issue they're fighting with the NMB an interesting one -- does a Federal agency have the latitude to pick and choose which rulebook it applies when Congress changes the applicable law? The law is unclear -- had they specified that applications already received were grandfathered, or that it only applied to applications received after X date, this would be a non-issue. But they (Congress) didn't. That has implications far beyond the NMB, e.g. is it legal to apply ticket tax increases retroactively?

Dave, did AA stand to lose more than $500K if AMFA had been elected? If not, then it was a foolish expense to challenge the filing.

Likewise with the cost of challenging the CWA application. I don't think the vote will pass, but what happened Tuesday is a prime example of what happens when you roll the dice and assume a vote will go one way or the other... They're probably not going to spend a whole lot more than what they think the outcome of having the agents organized would be.

You'll probably note that the UCC hasn't objected to this. The company might be bankrupt, but that doesn't mean that they just ignore future threats to costs, or risk being able to manage the company in the way they see fit to.

My contingency plan? Stocking up on ammunition for when states start seceding... If that doesn't happen before the mid-terms, then I've got lots available to use for target shooting. But that's a topic for the Water Cooler.
 
Oh, Eric. Just mad you aren't on the popular side of the vote again? No problem, there are other crazy people out there you can buddy up with wishing the south will rise again and that those with the guns will rule the world. Just go out into your doomsday shelter and let the rest of us fix your boys mess. No more worthless wars to get our daddy's bully! All the while causing the economy to crumble and forcing deficits on the rest of us for the time being. Then the best is to blame it on someone else. Yeah, thank god the Republicans aren't in charge. I prefer Obamacare and really like those who can't stand it, even though they will. Just won't admit it. All those that believe in Limbaugh and Orielly make me laugh everyday and wonder how our country got so stupid to allow them the pulpit to spew their hot air and hatred. Have a good day and I will be thinking of your misery for the next 4 years and I will enjoy every last minute of it!
 
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like I said, your version of peace seems a tad off center. Celebrating someone's unhappiness? if you must.

Employee choice, like voter choice, is letting the people decide, accept the will of the people and figure out how to work w/in it to the best of your situation.
 
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Oh, Eric. Just mad you aren't on the popular side of the vote again? No problem, there are other crazy people out there you can buddy up with wishing the south will rise again and that those with the guns will rule the world. Just go out into your doomsday shelter and let the rest of us fix your boys mess. No more worthless wars to get our daddy's bully! All the while causing the economy to crumble and forcing deficits on the rest of us for the time being. Then the best is to blame it on someone else. Yeah, thank god the Republicans aren't in charge. I prefer Obamacare and really like those who can't stand it, even though they will. Just won't admit it. All those that believe in Limbaugh and Orielly make me laugh everyday and wonder how our country got so stupid to allow them the pulpit to spew their hot air and hatred. Have a good day and I will be thinking of your misery for the next 4 years and I will enjoy every last minute of it!
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Do you truly believe the Communist BlightBringer™ and his Chicago thugs can fix it all?

Sooner or later the SOBs always run out of other peoples' money to spend - ie, your free stuff will run out. Who will you blame for that? Bush? He wasn't smart enough to be prez anyway - Cheney called the shots - the shrub was symbolic, like the Queen of England.

Do keep it up, though - you lefties are extremely entertaining.
 
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I will happily point out each and every failure of this country's management, just as so many of you have done with AMR... ;)
 
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You would prefer they act like your union: roll over & play dead, while pretending to be concerned about its employees/members?

For better or worse, under Horton and Arpey, AA has been quite transparent in what their priorities are. Better to know that than to always wonder what they're hiding from you...

I would prefer they act like WN . WN didnt go to great lenghts to stop their workers from getting representation, as a result they get the best productivity in the indiustry right?
 
AA's been rebuilding for almost a year.
They've been rebuilding since 2003.

I find the issue they're fighting with the NMB an interesting one -- does a Federal agency have the latitude to pick and choose which rulebook it applies when Congress changes the applicable law? The law is unclear -- had they specified that applications already received were grandfathered, or that it only applied to applications received after X date, this would be a non-issue. But they (Congress) didn't. That has implications far beyond the NMB, e.g. is it legal to apply ticket tax increases retroactively?

Congress changed the law? I was under the impression that the NMB changed the rules as far as elections under the RLA and that was what Delta was fighting. Apparently they do have the authority. What I find more "interesting" is how the courts can segregate Airline workers for especially harsh treatment under the Law. On the one hand they say we can not strike because we are under the RLA but the RLA specifically says we can strike if the company unilaterally changes terms. The BK code also says that contracts under the RLA can not be abrogated in bankruptcy but some judge decided that it does not apply to Airline workers. So every other worker in this country thats exposed to having their contract abrogated is free to strike EXCEPT Airline workers. Corporate creditors are free to withdraw their services if their contract is abrogated, but Unions can not. If anything the implications here are even greater, if they can force airline unions to continue to provide their 'product" under terms unilaterally imposed by the debtor then whats stopping the court from saying the same thing to Exxon or Chase or GE?

Retroactive? How do you figure that? They are going by the rules that were in place when they filed. the rules changed between the time they filed and all AA's delay tactics were done. So the vote should go forward under the rules that were in place when they filed, if anything it should be the unions option which rules they follow because the company caused the delays. Thats the problem, the company has deep pockets and can exploit the legal system and deny these workers the right to choose.
 
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.

Do you truly believe the Communist BlightBringer™ and his Chicago thugs can fix it all?

Sooner or later the SOBs always run out of other peoples' money to spend - ie, your free stuff will run out. Who will you blame for that? Bush? He wasn't smart enough to be prez anyway - Cheney called the shots - the shrub was symbolic, like the Queen of England.

Do keep it up, though - you lefties are extremely entertaining.

Of course not! When one person can stop the senate, it makes no difference who the president is. I just can't believe someone is so ignorant to think Obama is killing the country when we just had 8 years of unnecessary war and treasury spending foisted on us for no reason by the shrub. Yes I also think the man at the top was the puppet and Cheney and all the rest of daddy shrubs administration ran the company. I can't understand why someone can be vilified for a performance, when he was obstructed at every opportunity. Let the man do his job and stop the raping of the middle class.
 
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Congress changed the law? I was under the impression that the NMB changed the rules as far as elections under the RLA and that was what Delta was fighting.

Congress amended the RLA on 2/14/12 to require a 50% showing of interest and AA is arguing that the NMB exceeded its authority by ordering an election based on the 35% showing.