American Seeks to Halt Worker Pay Raises

[FurloughedByAPFA]

With a quote from our beloved THB:


http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071007/american_ai...labor.html?.v=3

 

[Maark767]

With a quote from our beloved THB:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071007/american_ai...labor.html?.v=3

This is not good !!!

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

I fully realize that It's easy for me to be sitting here(retired), and make this following statement(though I too could lose my defind benefit retiree pension), but you know what......................."Enough is Enough with these bastards at HDQ" !!

Instead of CONSTANTLY living under the threat of AA threatening to Bankrupt/Outsource/merge/acquire/(Don't) merge/(Don't) acquire....I say "FUUK EM' ", lets get this "shootout at the OK corral" over with, Once and For all !!!!!!!!!!!!

Similiarly, like NW, after the "dust settles"....then for those that survive, go after them, and regain as much $$$ as possible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of NW, I don't think anyone has not been recalled,...and..look at what the pilots were able to do to those BAS-TARDS by way of "timing out", and NOT working overtime !!

This CRAP has got to end..."once and for all" with AA, and weak unions like TWU/APFA !!!!

So unless AA is planning to "close the doors" once and for all, I suggest that you guys EMPHATICALLY tell them..........."Bring it on SUCKER"..............."Bring it on" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jersey777]

The headline of this article is a bit misleading. When I first saw it I thought the company had made a new declaration. The article is really nothing new. Just a rehash of recent events. It's gonna be a long haul!

 

[donttouchthebeauty]

I fully realize that It's easy for me to be sitting here(retired), and make this following statement(though I too could lose my defind benefit retiree pension), but you know what......................."Enough is Enough with these bastards at HDQ" !!

Instead of CONSTANTLY living under the threat of AA threatening to Bankrupt/Outsource/merge/acquire/(Don't) merge/(Don't) acquire....I say "FUUK EM' ", lets get this "shootout at the OK corral" over with, Once and For all !!!!!!!!!!!!

Similiarly, like NW, after the "dust settles"....then for those that survive, go after them, and regain as much $$$ as possible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of NW, I don't think anyone has not been recalled,...and..look at what the pilots were able to do to those BAS-TARDS by way of "timing out", and NOT working overtime !!

This CRAP has got to end..."once and for all" with AA, and weak unions like TWU/APFA !!!!

So unless AA is planning to "close the doors" once and for all, I suggest that you guys EMPHATICALLY tell them..........."Bring it on SUCKER"..............."Bring it on" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NHBB, You honestly didn't think this would be a cake walk did you? Everyone knows that AMR has the highest costs, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they will do next. I am guessing they will threaten BK again to axe the pension. If you take 3 contracts up for negotiations at the same time, and the fact that, if their labor costs as a whole rise around 25-30% they will be posting losses again, it doesn't paint for a rosy negotiation on anyones part. Also, it doesn't help that oil keeps going up and staying that way. The most unfortunate thing is the fact that, while execs reap the bonuses the employess lose ALOT - the lifestyle of alot of people has had to change (think, no more lake house) . Trust, most airline workers are all tooooo used to this. So, the fact that the unions gave the concessions to keep AMR out of BK, they kept the largest negotiating tool in place.. THE PENSION.. Many, people will buckle and take a concession to keep that pension, and they know this - so get ready it is going to get ugly... If you took an approxy across the scale then you would assume if AMR gave workers at 3 unions a 5% pay increase and some work rules back, they will be skating on thin ice, There are two ways this can play out, as the article says, BUH BYE Eagle and other assets, or BUH BYE pension.

 

[Hopeful]

You think there's a morale problem now?

Wait...............................................

 

[Maark767]

The headline of this article is a bit misleading. When I first saw it I thought the company had made a new declaration. The article is really nothing new. Just a rehash of recent events. It's gonna be a long haul!

True... They are starting to play their games..... here we go again !!! My advise .... dont read it and ditch it in the trash ...

 

[Hopeful]

It's a good think the execs got theirs before things really get bad.

 

[Hopeful]

NHBB, You honestly didn't think this would be a cake walk did you? Everyone knows that AMR has the highest costs, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they will do next. I am guessing they will threaten BK again to axe the pension. If you take 3 contracts up for negotiations at the same time, and the fact that, if their labor costs as a whole rise around 25-30% they will be posting losses again, it doesn't paint for a rosy negotiation on anyones part. Also, it doesn't help that oil keeps going up and staying that way. The most unfortunate thing is the fact that, while execs reap the bonuses the employess lose ALOT - the lifestyle of alot of people has had to change (think, no more lake house) . Trust, most airline workers are all tooooo used to this. So, the fact that the unions gave the concessions to keep AMR out of BK, they kept the largest negotiating tool in place.. THE PENSION.. Many, people will buckle and take a concession to keep that pension, and they know this - so get ready it is going to get ugly... If you took an approxy across the scale then you would assume if AMR gave workers at 3 unions a 5% pay increase and some work rules back, they will be skating on thin ice, There are two ways this can play out, as the article says, BUH BYE Eagle and other assets, or BUH BYE pension.

Let's not forget the dollar amount all employee work groups to save AMR billions. The could restore most of what they took and still be ahead of the game.

 

[The Goose]

It's a good think the execs got theirs before things really get bad.

Granted - a rather tongue-in-cheek comment.

This could be good if the three unions involved would educate the public and shareholders as to who paid for the executive bonuses; it certainly wasn't the company, but all who own stock in this damnable outfit by way of share price dilution and paint the execs as the greedy bastards they are.

Fat chance of that.

 

[1 VF-1 2NV]

AMR has too much $$$...near $6,000,000,000. They're not dumb enough to hand over control of that money to a bankruptcy judge would they. I dare them double dare them. LOL!

 

[The Goose]

NHBB, You honestly didn't think this would be a cake walk did you? Everyone knows that AMR has the highest costs, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they will do next. I am guessing they will threaten BK again to axe the pension. If you take 3 contracts up for negotiations at the same time, and the fact that, if their labor costs as a whole rise around 25-30% they will be posting losses again, it doesn't paint for a rosy negotiation on anyones part. Also, it doesn't help that oil keeps going up and staying that way. The most unfortunate thing is the fact that, while execs reap the bonuses the employess lose ALOT - the lifestyle of alot of people has had to change (think, no more lake house) . Trust, most airline workers are all tooooo used to this. So, the fact that the unions gave the concessions to keep AMR out of BK, they kept the largest negotiating tool in place.. THE PENSION.. Many, people will buckle and take a concession to keep that pension, and they know this - so get ready it is going to get ugly... If you took an approxy across the scale then you would assume if AMR gave workers at 3 unions a 5% pay increase and some work rules back, they will be skating on thin ice, There are two ways this can play out, as the article says, BUH BYE Eagle and other assets, or BUH BYE pension.

Another reason the educate the employees as to the new BK laws (31 Oct 2005) and how they might severely limit the hand the execs can play.

Most of the legal opinions I've read state that a company filing BK would not be able to dump pensions quite as easily as pre-October 2005, but they will be able to freeze them (ala NWA and CAL, I believe). Instead of liberal "failure" bonuses to the execs for "retention" (allowing them to do more damage to the company they supposedly are trying to save), the law has been opined to tighten up on this, allowing a "retention" payment only upon showing a job offer. If (big IF) the BK judge desires, he can tell the exec to take the new job rather than suck more money from the company. These are among many things that legal opinions say could change.

Since so few companies have filed for BK since the law was modified, there are few examples or precidents as to how the modified law would be applied, but it can't be good for the companies and execs or many more would have tried to gain advantage from it. Airline bankruptcies were, it seems, a weekly (wry humor) occurance for a while. How many of late?

Consider the rush to court of NWA and DAL to get in under the wire. Neither one really needed to file Chapter 11 but it was a way to get their costs down while enriching the executives. It's doubtful they'd be in such a rush today.

Regarding "posting losses": AMR has always been able to bend a balance sheet to their liking. It's what happens when financial people run the companies. Can you say "creative bookeeping" and "within the law"?

AMR will make many threats and they'll be backed up by its three unions as the "leadership" of said has quite a bit to lose, also. As an example, look at the signing of confidentiality agreements to "look at the company's books to see if they can really file bankruptcy". The statute at that time didn't mention any qualifications to file Chapter 11 and still doesn't. The way the law read and reads now, a financially healthy company can file for reorganization. More lies to the workers by their supposed representation and the company.

Back off on the doom and gloom, Beauty - with regard to the BK threat, it's not quite the palatable alternative it was regardless of what the executive bastards tell you. We're playing chess here - if you believe one whit of the company's garbage or much of that from any of the three unions, you're blinking.

Remember - we are dealing with professional liars, both company and unions.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

Walk, now. Shut them down while you have them over a barrell, not vice-versa. They'll wake up real quick. Those execs don't want to loose another round of millions in bonus money, they're too damn greedy to give it up.

IMHO of course

 

[The Goose]

Walk, now. Shut them down while you have them over a barrell, not vice-versa. They'll wake up real quick. Those execs don't want to loose another round of millions in bonus money, they're too damn greedy to give it up.

IMHO of course

Very true, but...

A walkout would be illegal and set public opinion against us. Better to get it across to the public what our executive trash is, but no way in hell would any of the three unions attempt that.

 

[AC AA LA FA]

great fact based arguments and points made in the topic thus far..!
no b/s and politics, please continue...!
....Im proud of you all !!!!!!!!!


this most certainly will be the fight of our lives....