TULE Office Personnel

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

I have heard that a number of TULE office personnel were fired and offered their old job through a contractor.

1. Is this true?

2. If so does anyone have any more details?

Considering how much money the taxpayers of Tulsa have invested in American Airlines to promote job growth this, if true, is a slap in the face.

I guess American Airlines is trying to become the new Whirlpool, using cheap contract labor.

http://talkbusiness.net/2012/06/whirlpool-workers-glad-its-finally-over/
I wonder what these ex UNION employees think about Whirlpool using cheap, contract labor here in Tulsa.

I have said it many times and I will say it again, contract (temp) agencies are a plague on my city. They imperil good jobs and enable large scale employment of illegal labor. I wish Tulsa would ban them.

 

[jimntx]

Ban contract labor? That's called restraint of trade and it's illegal. People who work for a contract company have a right to a job also. Beside that, where were you all these years that AA has been contracting out non-union jobs left and right? Most non-hub outlying stations below a certain number of flights each day have contract gate/ticket agents, contract bag handlers, and contract maintenance. If your rumor is true I guess AA ran out of non-represented employees to get rid of; so, now they have to contract out union jobs.

One day there will be no AA employees below the headquarters management level, and they won't have to worry about annoying, expensive things like health, vacation, and travel benefits for anyone other than themselves.

Those of us in the represented world of labor have tended to take the position that people who vote against representation (as our gate agents did time and time again for years) deserve whatever treatment they get from the company. Well, coming to a company near you in just a few short weeks will be the new world of labor--particularly since the Republican Party (which has never been a friend to organized labor) controls both houses of Congress.

Our President-elect showed his contempt for union labor even in the days when he was actively a Democrat by hiring illegal foreign labor to build his casinos. I don't think that attitude is going to lessen now that he is the Republican President-elect. And, no I'm not interested in starting a political discussion. It's just my personal observation. If you don't like it, put me on ignore. It's what I've done with several of the Trump supporters. If you're not interested in at least allowing others to have a political position that disagrees with yours, then why should we 'tards allow the same for you?

 

[eolesen]

I'll bite. What functions are left in TULE? Basic office stuff like the canteen, copy/mailroom and building cleaning were already outsourced as far as I knew. I'm not sure if base security had been outsourced, but that might have already been done, too.

Engineering? Not a likely candidate to be outsourced. Not sure if the FAA would even allow it.

HR? Maybe. I can't imagine the people doing investigations or firings being outsourced, but recruiting could be outsourced if it isn't already.

Employee service center functions (questions about payroll, benefits, etc) are already outsourced for the most part. Was there still a walk-up counter for that?

Perhaps the time and attendance office? That could be outsourced with no ramifications, since it's just data entry...

Does medical still exist, or was that also outsourced already? The airline I work for has it outsourced aside from one or two staff positions at HDQ that review decisions/test results that come from the outsourced provider (essentially an urgent care provider now fills the role that AA used to have its own nurses, PA's and MD's doing way back when).

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

First let me clarify when I say "contract companies" what I actually mean are temp services. There is a difference between contract (temp) labor and contracted labor.

Ban contract labor? That's called restraint of trade and it's illegal. People who work for a contract company have a right to a job also.

I never said I had an expectation for my wish to come true. A wish by it's very nature is something thought unobtainable by other means. However, I do see the damage they have done and continue to do to quality of life and local economies.

You say they have a right to a job? The job will be filled if it is needed. What they have the right to now is doing the job for most likely half pay or less and no benefits.

Beside that, where were you all these years that AA has been contracting out non-union jobs left and right? Most non-hub outlying stations below a certain number of flights each day have contract gate/ticket agents, contract bag handlers, and contract maintenance. If your rumor is true I guess AA ran out of non-represented employees to get rid of; so, now they have to contract out union jobs.

I have been very vocal about my dislike for temp agencies for years.

Who are you to try to drop a nationwide fight at my feet?

Instead of asking where I was ask the TWU where they were when UNION employees were replaced.

One day there will be no AA employees below the headquarters management level, and they won't have to worry about annoying, expensive things like health, vacation, and travel benefits for anyone other than themselves.

Sounds like you have as much faith in modern UNIONs as I do.

Those of us in the represented world of labor have tended to take the position that people who vote against representation (as our gate agents did time and time again for years) deserve whatever treatment they get from the company. Well, coming to a company near you in just a few short weeks will be the new world of labor. Our President-elect showed his contempt for union labor even in the days when he was actively a Democrat by hiring illegal foreign labor to build his casinos. I don't think that attitude is going to lessen now that he is the Republican President-elect. And, no I'm not interested in starting a political discussion. It's just my personal observation. If you don't like it, put me on ignore. It's what I've done with several of the Trump supporters. If you're not interested in at least allowing others to have a political position that disagrees with yours, then why should we allow the same for you?

For someone not interested in starting a political debate you are doing a lot of debating.

When did this turn into a Democrat/Republican thing? I never brought that up, you did.

By the way, the Democrats are the ones that started "politically correct" and started calling everyone phobes and haters in an effort to censor people.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

I'll bite. What functions are left in TULE? Basic office stuff like the canteen, copy/mailroom and building cleaning were already outsourced as far as I knew. I'm not sure if base security had been outsourced, but that might have already been done, too.

Engineering? Not a likely candidate to be outsourced. Not sure if the FAA would even allow it.

HR? Maybe. I can't imagine the people doing investigations or firings being outsourced, but recruiting could be outsourced if it isn't already.

Employee service center functions (questions about payroll, benefits, etc) are already outsourced for the most part. Was there still a walk-up counter for that?

Perhaps the time and attendance office? That could be outsourced with no ramifications, since it's just data entry...

Does medical still exist, or was that also outsourced already? The airline I work for has it outsourced aside from one or two staff positions at HDQ that review decisions/test results that come from the outsourced provider (essentially an urgent care provider now fills the role that AA used to have its own nurses, PA's and MD's doing way back when).

eolsen I don't have answers for you.

I came on here wanting verification and details remember?

1. Is this true?

2. If so does anyone have any more details?

I can tell you base security, building cleaners, and canteen have been outsourced for years. I am not sure about the mail room or employee service center.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

I have heard that a number of TULE office personnel were fired and offered their old job through a contractor.

1. Is this true?

2. If so does anyone have any more details?

Considering how much money the taxpayers of Tulsa have invested in American Airlines to promote job growth this, if true, is a slap in the face.

I guess American Airlines is trying to become the new Whirlpool, using cheap contract labor.

http://talkbusiness.net/2012/06/whirlpool-workers-glad-its-finally-over/
I wonder what these ex UNION employees think about Whirlpool using cheap, contract labor here in Tulsa.

I have said it many times and I will say it again, contract (temp) agencies are a plague on my city. They imperil good jobs and enable large scale employment of illegal labor. I wish Tulsa would ban them.

I love when people disagree but don't make any comments.

Right ASSociation Clown?

Coward.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

So nobody has any information on this?

 

[eolesen]

I can tell you base security, building cleaners, and canteen have been outsourced for years. I am not sure about the mail room or employee service center.

Well, I know that Pitney-Bowes was managing the HDQ mail room when I left AA (that used to be Stores or Fleet), and the last inquiry I had about my pension required docs to be sent to a PO box in a city that didn't even have AA service...

Seriously, there's not a whole lot of jobs that could be filled by a temp agency. AA hasn't had secretaries for its managers in almost 20 years. The accountability/regulatory requirements around engineering don't really support outsourcing that unless you're bringing in the OEM's to do it, and I'd guarantee that having someone from GE, Boeing, B/E or Zodiac doing that work on AA's behalf is going to wind up being considerably more expensive than a direct hire.

Maybe they're hiring younger retirees as contractors? I know of another very large company who wound up losing a lot of people to earlier than anticipated retirement due to benefits structure changes (e.g. retire by X date if you want to maintain company paid/subsidized medical), and hired a bunch of them back thru a staffing company.

Since AA froze vs. terminated its pensions, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a bunch of management/specialist retirements from people looking to keep their best X of 10 years for pension calculations. Hiring some of them back as contractors softens the blow a bit.

 

[john john]

that work on AA's behalf is going to wind up being considerably more expensive than a direct hire.

Maybe they're hiring younger retirees as contractors? I know of another very large company who wound up losing a lot of people to earlier than anticipated retirement due to benefits structure changes (e.g. retire by X date if you want to maintain company paid/subsidized medical), and hired a bunch of them back thru a staffing company.
.

With that being said you lead the charged to outsources Passengers Service work at LAA leading the way for them to unionizing because of managements disconnect and rallying outsourced work “that work on AA's behalf”