AA Calls for Union Partnership

I didn't used to think that AA was one of the doomed airlines, but I am beginning to change that view. If Don were gone, the guy to replace him would be targeted because he made (gasp) executive pay. The managment would still be the management. The trust has to start somewhere, and you folks don't seem to trust them at all.

Look at U - they hated Wolf (rightly so). They bring in another guy and instead of telling the employees "I'm feeling good, RAISES FOR EVERYBODY", he tells them the awful truth - they'll need to make a few sacrifices. Awwww...he's just another managment doofus, probably having his strings pulled by Wolf, flying to France to buy wine, living in a big house, paying nothing for insurance, and asking US to give.

YOu see it at UAL - "Goodwin has to go". So he does, they bring in another guy and low and behold HE becomes the ogre who's ineptitude is going to kill the airline. The only way some of you guys would be happy is if managment worked for free. If I were them, I'd say "Okay - I will. So will you". Talk about a level playing field.

Now you see it at AA. If Carty was to walk out the door tomorrow, there is NOBODY who could replace him that you would trust. I never thought I'd see 3 major airlines in bankrupcy, but by golly, we just might. AA may be doomed. Will the last person in Ft Worth remember to turn out the lights...
 
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On 1/16/2003 6:39:52 PM grndproxwarning wrote:

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On 1/16/2003 4:57:00 PM TWAnr wrote:

"This is a time for shared sacrifices," the letter said.
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I wonder if Don would be willing to give up 20 or 30 million
worth of his AA stock to help out the cause..
That would still leave him plenty left over to live on..
Just a thought..
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If he does, it doesn't gain you anything...stock is only paper until it is sold. Stock options are even more worthless until exercised.
 
[blockquote]
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On 1/16/2003 4:57:00 PM TWAnr wrote:

"This is a time for shared sacrifices," the letter said.
----------------
[/blockquote]
I wonder if Don would be willing to give up 20 or 30 million
worth of his AA stock to help out the cause..
That would still leave him plenty left over to live on..
Just a thought..
 
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On 1/16/2003 6:55:03 PM KCFlyer wrote:

I never thought I'd see 3 major airlines in bankrupcy, but by golly, we just might.

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Yea...it/s pretty ugly. It is going to take some creative thinking and probably a little flexibility on both the Union's and Company's part to make it out of this one. I hope AMR's hopes aren/t pinned on UAL and/or US going Chapter 7.

AMR does have some things going for it though that the others don/t......
 
PUT A D**N "5+5" ON THE TABLE, AND THERE WOULD BE A SEVERE "CATTLE CHARGE" TO GET OUT THE FRIGGIN" DOOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm fully aware, that such a move would cost AMR money. "HELLO", everything they're doing now is costing them money.
AA has NEVER faced a crisis like this, which means that "this one time ONLY", they(AA) would get literally thousands(more than one)employees, from all walks of AA life, to sign up and be gone by spring time.
Talk about instantly cutting costs !!

Remember,unless AA goes ch-7, these people 55+, are going to retire preety soon , anyway, and with all the "pension" BS thats going on, anyone who wanted to roll the dice, and stick around, IMHO, would need there respective "HEADS EXAMINED" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Respectfully,
NH/BB's
 
I realize that for the TWU, to show any leadership, is a real S T R E T C H , but I hope to God, that they, along with APFA, make their first suggestion, in their "new upcoming rap sessions", to be an EARLY OUT !!!

For ALL you younger AAers, in your 20's, 30's, and 40's, you ALL, union, and non-union, should be beating down your department heads door, asking for an early out for the 50's, 60's crowd. WHY?, because it benefits YOU, just as much as it would benefit us,
AND,
when Carty, Arpey, or any other member of management, tells you that "It will cost too much"(SOB/TEARS), tell them it will COST TOO MUCH, "NOT TO" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of semi senior people are not going to go for that "lame offer" of 100% at age 60, when they can't connect it with social security(62).
I'm quite sure that HDQ has looked at a hypothetical early out, with "bridge payments" to 62, for those who qualify, and deemed it too exspensive.
Now please allow me to tell you what can be REALLY exspensive.
1. CP-11
2.(NOT MY WORDS, BUT MORE LIKE THE WORDS OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL). A pissed off work force, which usually means more lost time(SK)(ID)(FML), low productivity etc.

I will gladly give up my seniority number for a junior person, if management puts up a little more incentive, than 100%/60.

Like everything else in life,
"TIME WILL TELL"

NH/BB's
 
If "The Don " has a case to make, he'd better make some with quick road trips to the Apple and elsewhere. Most people here believe that he's a man crying 'with a loaf of bread under each arm.' I believe that the situation is bad but not critical, Bush's verbal war on Saddam has caused the country's investor community to stagnate. Let's gets this show on the road, already.

The airline sector is getting killed daily, on the street (Wall), aviation fuel prices are creeping higher daily, with no ceiling in sight, and no one can afford a pay-cut.

Carty's the man, he can make it happen I'm sure. Let's not give up on him just yet.
 
Well, let me predict what this means...BOHICA!






Dear John,

There is no question that the many forces adversely affecting the
airline industry will result in fundamental and permanent change at
American. How we respond to this financial crisis today will shape the
destiny of our airline and the future of our employees for decades to
come. We all have a stake in the outcome.

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented action. Given what is at
stake and the severity of our financial situation, it is critical that
we -- management and labor -- work more closely than ever before in our
history and intensify our efforts to find both short- and long-term
solutions to save and restructure American.

Today, we want to invite you to join in charting a new course of active
engagement -- one that forges a partnership between management and labor
through an intense, collaborative program of information sharing and
problem solving.

In keeping with the spirit of active engagement, we pledge to devote the
resources necessary to conduct weekly meetings in order to provide you
with the latest financial and industry data and to seek and consider
ideas on how best to move forward. We believe if we are all operating
with the same information and data, and meeting around the table instead
of across it, we can more quickly find mutually acceptable solutions to
our immediate and long-term issues.

We recognize and appreciate that there is a solid foundation in place
for active engagement. Over the course of the last year, you attended
company financial briefings and recently have deployed financial
advisors to examine American's financial situation.

However, the convergence of adverse industry conditions demands that we
intensify our efforts to work together to find solutions:

* Our bankrupt mainline competitors are using the bankruptcy process
to create huge cost advantages through creditor-imposed labor and
other cost cuts;
* The competitive threat from low-cost carriers in over 75 percent
of our markets, coupled with the growing practice of internet fare
shopping, has impacted our pricing structure;
* Government-imposed security and insurance costs are crippling; and
* Fuel prices continue to rise and the threat of war looms.

The overall industry revenue picture remains dismal, with no improvement
in the foreseeable future.

There is no time to waste. Though we have identified $2 billion of the
$4 billion needed in annual, permanent cost savings through an on-going
and aggressive restructuring initiative, we are facing a short-term cash
crisis that requires our urgent attention. In short, we are losing
millions of dollars every day, which has forced us to borrow vast sums
of money just to meet payroll and stay in business. As a consequence, we
asked you to consider forgoing 2003 pay increases. Given the importance
of this issue to our employees, it was a request we did not make lightly
and we hope you still are actively considering it.

While deferrals would provide some much needed immediate relief, we all
recognize that under the current circumstances, short-term measures
alone won't be enough. Finding the additional $2 billion we need in
annual, permanent savings must be our number one priority. As we have
stated to you and to your financial advisors in the past, the
restructuring of our labor agreements is inevitable and fundamental to
our survival, and must be a part of any long-term solution.

Finally, we pledge that management will continue to do its part. We have
cut the size of management by 22 percent, and we are in the process of
consolidating eleven headquarters buildings down to two. We again have
deferred across-the-board management pay increases. This is a time for
shared sacrifices.

Jeff Brundage, our vice president of employee relations, will be
contacting you to establish a weekly meeting schedule. As time is of the
essence, we hope your schedules will be able to accommodate the first
active engagement meeting Monday, January 20th. There is much to discuss.

Thank you in advance for your continued commitment and collaboration.

Sincerely yours,

Donald J. Carty
Chairman and CEO Gerard J. Arpey
President and COO
 
In 2002 UA CEO James Goodwin used the "B" word in a "state of the airline" letter to employees. The union BOD members tossed him out on his arse. UA filed less than one year later. If you suspect Mr. Carty is crying wolf simply to wrest labor concessions, take a peek over at the UA board.
 
Carty is being two faced. He wants to forge a partnership with the unions, but at the same time is agressively lobbying to support the bill proposed by McCain and Lott that would force arbitration on contracts.
 
Will we be kept informed of all topics of discussion between the parties of this "partnership"?[BR][BR]Or will the discussions be restricted and confidential?