AMR Taking the Love Fest to TV

[Hopeful]

Faces In The News
Arpey Is Ready For AMR's Close-Up; Are Unions?
Greg Levine, 08.26.06, 6:00 AM ET

Gerard J. Arpey


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In show business, timing is everything. Just ask Gerard J. Arpey.

He's the chief executive of AMR (nyse: AMR - news - people ), and his firm had an unusual "close-up" this week: the company's American Airlines unit granted permission to CNBC to tape its employees at work in various capacities, across the U.S. The cable business channel will edit the footage into a behind-the-scenes documentary.

Sound familiar? You're probably thinking of Airline, the non-contest reality-TV show revolving around discount champ Southwest Airlines (nyse: LUV - news - people ). Gary C. Kelly's low-cost carrier has said that, despite the risk of operational and behavioral flaws being aired for the world to see, the good publicity for a solid company outweighs any possibly ugly moments.

Because the American Airlines taping wrapped up by Friday, Tilton may be spared the possible airing of one potential bit of dirty laundry: whatever action might be taken by American's unions, in solidarity with Northwest Airlines employees.

Northwest's flight attendants were told by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on Friday that they cannot legally strike. The Eagan, Minn.-based carrier, under Chapter 11 protection since Sept. 14, 2005, got permission from Judge Allan Gropper to unilaterally impose 21% pay cuts. The employees' union says that amounts to 40%, when health insurance increases are factored in. Additionally, Northwest is enacting work-rule alterations the workers had rebuffed.

And then there was that recent memo to employees, "Preparing for a Financial Setback." Perhaps intended to help, it outraged workers with reported suggestions including, "Don't be shy about pulling something you like out of the trash." (Northwest claims a vendor inserted the dumpster-diving memo, without management review, into a job-loss assistance book the airline ordered printed.)

The flight attendants vowed to enact a counter-strike, under the sobriquet CHAOS, or Create Havoc Around Our System: a rash of unscheduled, random work-stoppages. Northwest had said any strike actions would kill the company. And the judge agreed that, at the very least, he needed time to study CHAOS' legal position further, vis-a-vis the governing Railway Labor Act.

As Judge Marrero's ruling pended, the three unions at American Airlines declared their sympathy with Northwest's flight attendants. The Allied Pilots Association, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) and the Transport Workers Union issued a joint statement Friday slamming the new contract for its unilateral nature, and exhorted "Northwest Airlines' management to reconsider its actions. A consensual resolution to this impasse is in the best interests of all concerned."

But neither AMR investors nor American ticket-holders need fear the "s"-word: APFA spokeswoman Lori Bassani flatly rejected the idea of a sympathy strike. She told Forbes.com that, after all, CHAOS is inherently unplanned -- there'd be no way to coordinate actions even if the APFA wanted to. The American triumvirate simply wants to "go on the record and have the message be heard." Maybe they should take it on TV.

 

[AMFAMAN]

Because the American Airlines taping wrapped up by Friday, Tilton may be spared the possible airing of one potential bit of dirty laundry:

Always got to appreciate a lack of editing. Since when did Tilton come into the picture at AA?

 

[Hopeful]

Always got to appreciate a lack of editing. Since when did Tilton come into the picture at AA?

Yea, I re-read the article and I think this TV special might be mentioning all the big shot CEO's who pat themselves on their backs for screwing the average airline worker.

 

[AMFAMAN]

Yea, I re-read the article and I think this TV special might be mentioning all the big shot CEO's who pat themselves on their backs for screwing the average airline worker.

BTW...CNBC was filming in our hangar the other night but were not allowed to interview anyone except for those who management pointed out. A camera man happened to mentioned to one of the mechanics that this was the same tactic that Wal-Mart used during their 2 hour special. Why put out the true story?

 

[jimntx]

But neither AMR investors nor American ticket-holders need fear the "s"-word: APFA spokeswoman Lori Bassani flatly rejected the idea of a sympathy strike.

Nor should anyone fear that our unions would support a member who refused to cross a NW picket line at any airport. They would lose their puppy-dog status with the company.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

BTW...CNBC was filming in our hangar the other night but were not allowed to interview anyone except for those who management pointed out.

Potemkin Village?

 

[AMFAMAN]

Potemkin Village?

Haven't heard that one in awhile, but yes that would be the case.

 

[flyastrojets]

Well, this should be moderately entertaining to watch. Wonder when it will be on the air?

 

[AMFAMAN]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/15739547.htm

The two-hour documentary, called Inside American Airlines, a Week in the Life, airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 18.

American deployed an army of public-relations staffers, from the airline and from contractor Weber Shandwick, to follow CNBC producers and crews at all times.

"There are days when we've had more minders than staff," producer T. Sean Herbert said as he prepared to film pilots being trained on simulators at American's flight academy. "It's not like we've been able to run wild around here."

Now that's a surprise. :down:

 

[TWU informer]

I wonder if the TWU leaderships asses will be hooked and knotted up to AA management's during the "THROB Line" part of the doctoredmentary. I saw two dogs hooked last week and thought of the Tulsa Base Leadership.

 

[High Speed Steel]

In our crew meeting today it was announced that the 2 hour documentary will be show at 8:00pm and again at 11:00pm on October 18th on CNBC.

 

[tintexas]

I hate when you guys try to only convey part of the story. That may work for your union propaganda but the rest of us are actually smart enough to go to the source and actually read it for our selves.

From the same article:

Still, he added, "They really have worked hard to try to get us what we need."

Although they closely monitored the filmmakers, American did not have any editorial control over the documentary. That was crucial, said Mitch Weitzner, a CNBC senior producer of long-form programming.

"It's got to be real," he said.

 

[MCI transplant]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/15739547.htm

The two-hour documentary, called Inside American Airlines, a Week in the Life, airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 18.
Now that's a surprise. :down:

<_< ---- I notice they didn't show up at MCI! We must be too much of a rag-tag outfit for them! Not the same Corporate culture you know! We probably would have embarrassed them!--- They even might have gotten an ear full!

 

[AMFAMAN]

They even might have gotten an ear full!

I doubt you would of gotten the chance because the film crews were always surrounded by an army of corporate PR people.

 

[MCI transplant]

I doubt you would of gotten the chance because the film crews were always surrounded by an army of corporate PR people.

<_< ------ Oh! We have ways! I wonder if they'd be interested in our mice aircraft? We could show them our new "official" method of setting traps!!!