2014 Fleet Service Discussion

[700UW]

Tim?
 
http://youtu.be/K8E_zMLCRNg
 
Must be seeking out answers from Jay and Karen, lol.

 

[WeAAsles]

WeAA,
 
You should know Al Hemenway hates the IAM especially Mechanic and Related.
 
There is a long history of bad blood between him and the IAM.
 
He takes this all personal and doesnt realize its business, I have lived it first hand with him.

700 I believe you but what Mr. Hemenway now has to understand is that he's stuck with you. And we're stuck with him as well. All the hatred and animosity mostly stems from all the things that have been going on in our industry the last 20 years. Both sides need to take all those issues now and burn them. Shake hands and say where can we now find common ground moving forward? We're moving into a very new future for all of us.

The guy that we've been dealing with over the years with the company is Jim Wheel. The TWU didn't always see eye to eye with him but I think at least there was a measure of respect on both sides for each other from things I heard that aren't widely known. I've heard through the grapevine that he's soon to be replaced? Probably by your AH? I think that just might be a mistake. Together maybe the two of them can find that common ground between the company and the new IAM/TWU association?

Business or not I have to think that the company management is as sick of all this BS fighting as much as I know our rank and file is. People are people no matter what title they hold. 

 

[700UW]

There is no finding common ground when dealing with Hemenway.
 
He is arrogant and pompous, been dealing with him for over 20 years, he was my regional manager when I was in Air Cargo in TPA before I went to maintenance.
 
And dealt with him for years on the maintenance side, when he lost the airbus arbitration, he was pissed and its always been confrontational with him.

 

[WeAAsles]

I keep trying to point out to everyone that we are in an entirely NEW environment for our industry. This is not some fantasy or trick where the wool is being pulled over our eyes. This is a new beginning and our mindsets have to start to come to that reality.

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000265549&__source=yahoo|headline|quote|video|&par=yahoo

 

[WeAAsles]

There is no finding common ground when dealing with Hemenway.
 
He is arrogant and pompous, been dealing with him for over 20 years, he was my regional manager when I was in Air Cargo in TPA before I went to maintenance.
 
And dealt with him for years on the maintenance side, when he lost the airbus arbitration, he was pissed and its always been confrontational with him.

Then if Mr Hemenway can't get passed his own personal emotions and pivot to provide what's best for ALL of us within the NEW American Airlines, they should reconsider his employment? A big problem with growing older is rigidity. That's why companies consistently look for new and younger blood to grow with the changing times. 

And if he is or was pissed on losing an arbitration he needs to get over that as well. Losing an issue is not always a bad thing. It makes us more aware of our failings and how we can improve on them.  

 

[700UW]

He has been doing this since his days at PSA, and as you see he wont change and Doug kept him in the New AA, so they are happy with him.
 
He refuses to negotiate new CBAs to keep PMUS costs down.
 
Eight years for a JCBA for FAs, going on nine for the pilots, and over three years no new CBA for all three IAM groups.
 
Proof is in his actions, and now that Glass is back as a consultant I dont see things getting any better soon.
 
We have history with these two, you dont.

 

[WeAAsles]

He has been doing this since his days at PSA, and as you see he wont change and Doug kept him in the New AA, so they are happy with him.
 
He refuses to negotiate new CBAs to keep PMUS costs down.
 
Eight years for a JCBA for FAs, going on nine for the pilots, and over three years no new CBA for all three IAM groups.
 
Proof is in his actions, and now that Glass is back as a consultant I dont see things getting any better soon.
 
We have history with these two, you dont.

You guys also had to realize that at the time you were modeled on being an LCC. Again your Ticker symbol was (LCC) I know that they were making profits the last few years but your RASM's did not support the kind of improvements you all were looking for. Had they given those improvements and AA went into BK and no merger happened eventually you just may have gone into Chapter 7 sometime in the future?

So yes they jerked you all around for years waiting for this moment (Merger) to come. USair was looking for a dance partner for too many years to be counted. Well ok, we're dancing now. The improvements are now possible and they should be offered not for the sacrifices made but for the plain fact that we all should want to see the little guy kick the crap out of all those that were kicking sand in your face.

Remember after DAL and UAL went through the BK court they were kicking sand in our faces too. Now maybe it's our turn?

 

[700UW]

WeAA,
 
We have dealt with him before the HP merger, Al was PSA then US, we been dealing with him for a long time.
 
Our 1999 CBA took four and half years to get and voted down one CBA in the process and went into the 30 day cooling off period with a week to go before we agreed upon a deal.
 
Its nothing new with him.

 

[Rook]

April 4, 2014
Douglas Parker
Chief Executive Officer American Airlines
4333 Amon Carter Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76155
 
Dear Mr. Parker:
In July 2012, the unions representing more than 30,000 US Airways employees met and formed the Union Labor Coalition of US Airways (ULC). We did that to coordinate on important labor issues related to the then-potential merger of US Airways and American Airlines.
 
We identified several issues critical to the future of the airline and its employees, including job security, seniority, compensation, scope, benefits and working conditions. When the ULC was formed, six of our group were in contract negotiations or mediation – some for as many as seven years. Many US Airways employees had suffered from airline consolidation that too often had been advanced at the expense of airline workers.
 
While many of our members were understandably concerned about a potential merger, we told you then we would support it, but only if our concerns were addressed.  Now months later, many of us are still waiting for critical issues to be addressed and resolved.
 
Airlines are most successful when management and labor work together to serve the passengers. We note that you made a similar point recently when speaking before a JPMorgan investors meeting where you said that American became "an airline that couldn't really achieve its potential because the management-labor relations had gotten so bad.” We agree.
Although comments like these resonate well with investors and the public, employees of this airline are looking for real action, not just words. Unfortunately, that has not occurred.
 
For example:

• TWU Local 544 was involved in Section 6 negotiations with the company long before the merger. However, after the merger, the company put the TWU negotiations on the back burner, further delaying an already long-overdue resolution.

• For the Dispatchers, Labor Relations still has not formulated a team to harmonize the contracts of both airlines. While other Departments moved forward soon after the DOJ filing, Labor Relations was unresponsive to the Dispatchers’ request even for a simple face-to-face meeting. Meanwhile, the Dispatchers continue to earn 25% less pay, while working a total of six weeks more than their American counterparts.

• The IAM represented employees (Mechanic & Related, Fleet Service, Stores and Maintenance Instructors) were in negotiations pre-merger, then ignored by Labor Relations while it negotiated with stand-alone American employees. American Airlines continues to insist that IAM represented former US Airways employees accept substandard, second class status to their former American Airlines counterparts. The IAM has sought a proffer and release from the National Mediation Board to gain fair contracts up to and including a strike, if necessary.

• The CWA-IBT Customer Service Employee Association feels the American Airlines management team needs to be apprised on our contract work rules.  The vendors working for American are encroaching on our work at some locations and forcing the Association to file grievances.

• Labor Relations has failed to implement the required work rules and contractual provisions to bring equality to the pilots of US Airways.  The excuse given is they do not have the resources and manpower to complete the tasks that should have already been completed on Day-1 of the merger.

We are proud to have supported a merger which created the largest airline in the world. However, now that the merger has taken place, we expect management to move forward immediately to keep its commitments to all of its employees and make this the best airline in the world. That is what we should expect from a management team that promises a new Corporate Culture, expecting a $3 Billion profit with 10 billion in cash. We urge you to find the resources necessary to make good on your promises, ensuring this merger goes as smoothly as possible.
 
Roger Holmin, MEC President
Association of Flight Attendants
 
Velvet Hawthorne, Co-Director -CWA/IBT Passenger Service Association
CWA Staff Representative – East Passenger Service
 
Kimberly Barboro, Co-Director-CWA/IBT Passenger Service Association
IBT Business Agent-West Passenger Service
 
Frank O’Donnell, General Chairman
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – Fleet Service
 
Frank Schifano, General Chairman
International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers – Mechanical & Related
 
Bill Gray, President
Transport Workers Union Local 544; Instructors/Simulator Engineers
 
Dan Persuit, President
Transport Workers Union Local 545; Dispatchers
 
Gary Hummel, President
US Airline Pilots Association
Read more here: http://blogs.star-telegram.com/sky_talk/2014/04/us-airways-unions-ask-ceo-parker-to-make-good-on-your-promises.html#storylink=cpy
To bad this is not a full page in usa today news papper!

 

[WeAAsles]

WeAA,
 
We have dealt with him before the HP merger, Al was PSA then US, we been dealing with him for a long time.

I'm sure that you know the content of his character quite well but if he is a good businessman and a valuable asset in the corporations mind then he should have the ability to understand the new realities that the business is now under?

Doug Parker has stated very publicly that the new model needs to have new and improved labor relations to become the truly successful business that "everyone" wants. Time will have to be the decider if what he said is true or if those are just hollow words? 

 

[WeAAsles]

Just to give you guys a little handle on our guy. He has 30 years with AA.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jim-weel/11/981/2bb

 

[700UW]

Doug is all talk, did you not see the article last week and the letter that ALL PMUS Unions sent to him?

 

[robbedagain]

Well if DP truly wants labor peace,  he must SETTLE SECT 6 now   otherwise  his labor peace will never be peace    

 

[WeAAsles]

Doug is all talk, did you not see the article last week and the letter that ALL PMUS Unions sent to him?

Of course I saw and read it. And I think it was a very good thing to put that out there. "Live up to your own words" is the way I looked at it.

Personally I'm going to reserve my own judgement for now on the man to see what he can do holding the reins of the largest airline in the world? He came here to MIA and I walked right up to him and looked him in the eyes before asking a few questions. My ramp manager had no clue what I was going to do when I was heading for them? Anyway the emphasis is on him now as to what's going to happen in the future? 

 

[700UW]

His track record speaks for itself.