Letters To The President

[Large Grey]

We cannot get the TWU to introduce a COLA option to the company, so I wrote to the POTUS


Dear President Obama,

Airline Industry:

I have worked for American Airlines for 26 years since learning my trade in the Air Force. The skills of FAA - licensed airframe and powerplant mechanics are a valuable asset to any such organization. Ours is the best in the business and we are a critical element of success measured in on time departures and rapid problem solving that saves our companies millions of dollars per mechanic over time.

However many of my colleagues and I, all currently members of the Transport Workers Union, do not feel the system is working for our members or for the stability of our industry.

I offer the following suggestion(s) prefaced by an analogy.

In 1984 my father retired from a federal job after 30 years of service. His pay grade was GS-13 Step 10.

Dad's earnings the last year were about the same as a line maintenance crew chief - my occupational title - at American Airlines. Today I earn close to $70K per year. We are not at the top of the industry, ..by far.

Today, the GS-13 Step 10 at 30 years of Federal Service earns north of $98K per year. That is a non management pay grade.

The reason for this disparity is the automatic COLA pay increases for Federal employees as mandated by Congress.

The airline industry has grown significantly under deregulation, which I personally agree with. However, instability is caused by greed of various airline senior managers and board members, and a repeated tendency to loot employee salary and benefits to cover for mistakes of management.

SOLUTION

I propose your administration should introduce a bill and Congress to quickly pass a law mandating non management employees of airlines and other interstate transportation companies be granted COLA pay increases consistent with those mandated for Federal employees by Congress.

Let the companies figure out how to pass that on to the market.

BENEFIT TO AMERICANS

Stability of the U.S. Airline industry will be enhanced as companies will plan their expenditures long term. This will increase the financial profiles of airline companies and set up a level playing field in a competitive industry.

We employees can then focus on making our companies more efficient on the ground and in the air rather than living with year to year drama, threat of strikes, sickouts or slowdowns that hurt consumers and create chaos.

Everyone wins with my plan. Please make it your plan for a stable future.

You can write to President Obama at the following link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

 

[MCI transplant]

<_< ------ First of all Grey, your writing to the wrong person. If you want any legislation passed, it has to go through Congress. So I suggest you write your Congress person. Might get down the road further, although I doubt it! --------Good Luck on that one!

 

[Imjustsayin]

The government worker you reference makes 100K a year? Where do you think that money comes from?
If the guy you are writing to get his way with the proposed tax hikes, you are going to provide more opportunity for government raises and "COLAs", and your disposable income is heading south. This country is a trillion plus dollars in debt. I would quit worrying about your management looters if I were you. Besides the fact that it is a worn out union battle cry, it rings hollow from a guy making 70k a year.

 

[Mr Red]

DEREGULATION = LEAGALIZED SCAM A LAMA !!!

 

[JAFA]

While Bob is right about Deragulation being one of the biggest mistakes this country ever made, he has some facts wrong on his histories.

He is right about Lorenzo's game at CO, but when he tried it again at EA the NMB put the brakes on. It took him over a year to get his release.

While Bob has the facts of 2001 between AMFA and NW correct, come 2005 the NMB did in fact deny NW's first request for release. In fact release was only granted after AMFA joined the request thinking they could win that strike. Unfortunately the IAM put bitterness ahead of brotherhood. When they not only announced they would cross the lines, but added that anyone who personally honored a legal line would be left on their own it was quickly game over. Sadly ALPA refusing to honor was expected they had done it before and not crossed BRAC lines, but performed struck work letting pilots work is reservations offices. When PFAA didn't realize they would be next in line and also announced they would cross Andy and Doug were literally drooling with anticipation.

My point is in the examples you offered it was not really a biased NMB that ruined careers, it was a bankrucpy code that simultaneously props up a failed concern and puts maximizing creditor return over protecting the individual creditor. That being said it is no secret that the RLA's intent and the NMB's goal is stabilzation of the transportation system, not the benefit of the employee.

 

[Imjustsayin]

Talk about propping up a failed concern.....trillion+ in debt - and your taxes are going up.