Post Office Contract

[Hopeful]

AP
American Airlines Wins Mail Contract
Wednesday September 20, 5:54 pm ET
American Airlines Wins U.S. Postal Service Contract With Potential Value of $500M


FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- American Airlines Inc. said Wednesday it signed a five-year service agreement with the U.S. Postal Service worth up to $500 million.
It is the largest single contract American Airlines' cargo division has ever won, the company said. American said it carries more mail than any other passenger airline.

Shares of parent AMR Corp. rose a penny to $24.70 in aftermarket trading on the INET electronic exchange, after rising 44 cents to close at $24.69 on the New York Stock Exchange.






Hmmmmm, let's see! $500 million for five years!

$100 million a year for the top executives for five years!


Hmmm,,,,seems about right!

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Hopeful,

Given the fact that the USPS STRIPPED the mail contract from AA just a mere few years ago, for non-compliance, this "endeavor" should be about as successful as a "Fart in Church"

The reason for the loss/non-compliance was LACK OF ADEQUATE HELP/manning.

Unless HDQ plans on "beefing up" the manpower, which is HIGHLY doubtful, We'll most likely be "back to square one". A more likely scenario, will be to try to handle the(new) mail, with the same amount of FSC's , that are in place today . (In others words, MORE work, with LESS people/money)

In the "old days", if your station was unable to load(say) flt # xxx1 ORD mail, on ORD flt # xxx1, you just "rolled it over" to the next ORD flt, WITHOUT notifying the P O.

But with this new scanning system, the specific mail, MUST be loaded on the SPECIFIC flight !!

With this "new" system of gate crews "breaking off" to park a "second" plane, then returning to work it after plane # 1 was completed, the ADDED work, of unloading, then loading a cart or two of mail, should(WELL) prove Interesting !!

"THIS" should prove to be an "Interesting Watch", as time goes by !!

NH/BB's

 

[jersey777]

I think this is a great thing for all of us for the simple fact that more revenue helps all of us. Complaining about more work just sounds like your cutting off your nose to spite your face. It would be like a flight attendant complaining that they have to serve more drinks on a plane when there is a full flight versus an empty one and not getting paid more.

Hopeful,

Given the fact that the USPS STRIPPED the mail contract from AA just a mere few years ago, for non-compliance, this "endeavor" should be about as successful as a "Fart in Church"

The reason for the loss/non-compliance was LACK OF ADEQUATE HELP/manning.

Unless HDQ plans on "beefing up" the manpower, which is HIGHLY doubtful, We'll most likely be "back to square one". A more likely scenario, will be to try to handle the(new) mail, with the same amount of FSC's , that are in place today . (In others words, MORE work, with LESS people/money)

In the "old days", if your station was unable to load(say) flt # xxx1 ORD mail, on ORD flt # xxx1, you just "rolled it over" to the next ORD flt, WITHOUT notifying the P O.

But with this new scanning system, the specific mail, MUST be loaded on the SPECIFIC flight !!

With this "new" system of gate crews "breaking off" to park a "second" plane, then returning to work it after plane # 1 was completed, the ADDED work, of unloading, then loading a cart or two of mail, should(WELL) prove Interesting !!

"THIS" should prove to be an "Interesting Watch", as time goes by !!

NH/BB's

 

[Crapdog]

With the cargo bays full where are we going to put the mail? In the overhead bins?

 

[Hopeful]

I think this is a great thing for all of us for the simple fact that more revenue helps all of us. Complaining about more work just sounds like your cutting off your nose to spite your face. It would be like a flight attendant complaining that they have to serve more drinks on a plane when there is a full flight versus an empty one and not getting paid more.

No one is complaining about more work. But since this wonderful concessionary contract we are knee deep in, we have been doing more and more work with less and less people. And the only thing we have received in return from both the company and the union is the "LUCKY TO HAVE A JOB" speech. The real rewards are given to the higher ups in the company while we are constantly reminded that we are lucky to be employed and not in Chapter 11 while at the same we are expected to do cartwheels over a $50 AIP payout!

Again, no one is complaining about contract work and more work. But like the executive elite, they need to start sharing the wealth more equitably with THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE if they expect 100% from everyone.

 

[Bill]

No one is complaining about more work. But since this wonderful concessionary contract we are knee deep in, we have been doing more and more work with less and less people. And the only thing we have received in return from both the company and the union is the "LUCKY TO HAVE A JOB" speech. The real rewards are given to the higher ups in the company while we are constantly reminded that we are lucky to be employed and not in Chapter 11 while at the same we are expected to do cartwheels over a $50 AIP payout!

Again, no one is complaining about contract work and more work. But like the executive elite, they need to start sharing the wealth more equitably with THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE if they expect 100% from everyone.

Are you serious??? That's all we've been hearing.

Boo hoo, I don't want to do more work, it's too hard. Working more with less....boo hoo.

Give me a freakin' break.

Do you honeslty think that AA is going to shoot themselves in the foot???

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

It would be like a flight attendant complaining that they have to serve more drinks on a plane when there is a full flight versus an empty one and not getting paid more.

Exactly! Well said jersey.

A well-run cargo operation contributes 15% to the airline's total revenue.

$500 mil of revenue is HUGE by any standard.

Hey NHBB -- are you "afraid" of "bar codes" ??? PerhAPS why YOU REFUsE tO "USE" thE 'the-self-checkout-line-at-THE-GROCERY_STORE" !!!!!!!!!! h34r: h34r: h34r:

Barcodes are utilized at just about every sizable freight operation in the country.

Accountability.

 

[Hopeful]

Are you serious??? That's all we've been hearing.

Boo hoo, I don't want to do more work, it's too hard. Working more with less....boo hoo.

Give me a freakin' break.

Do you honeslty think that AA is going to shoot themselves in the foot???

I do not complain about more work. But there has to be a shared reward if the company wants everyone to be enthusiastic about it.

Tell me union boy: IS YOUR BELOVED TWU LEADERSHIP WORKING HARDER AND DOING MORE WITH LESS? HELL, THE UNION LEADERSHIP DID NOT TAKE A GODDAMN CUT IN PAY AND BENEFITS LIKE THE REST OF US DID.

So spare me with your rhethoric that whats good for AA is good for the rest us....It only benefits the TWU heirarchy!

 

[Bill]

I do not complain about more work. But there has to be a shared reward if the company wants everyone to be enthusiastic about it.

Tell me union boy: IS YOUR BELOVED TWU LEADERSHIP WORKING HARDER AND DOING MORE WITH LESS? HELL, THE UNION LEADERSHIP DID NOT TAKE A GODDAMN CUT IN PAY AND BENEFITS LIKE THE REST OF US DID.

So spare me with your rhethoric that whats good for AA is good for the rest us....It only benefits the TWU heirarchy!

Look Hopeful,

I've been on these boards long enough to see that it is mostly occupied by the TWU haters. The same ones who refuse to show any accountability or try to at least better their situation. Rants and raves about what the TWU is NOT doing for THEM!!!!! The idea is to get rid of the TWU to make things "better" for themselves. ?????????????????????????????????????????? I can't even get a response when I ask what will a new union do. You know why? Because no one has a damn clue. I read one post that said we'd be better off without a union. Another post that said no recalls , jsut give us our money back. What kind of BS is that???? Do you think new union heirarchy will give themselves pay cuts to align with ours?????? Given the history of some of these unions suggested do you think they could accomplish anything different???????????????????????????? There are thousands and thousands of folk's livelihoods on the line here. Not just the select few who happen to read thses boards.


I agree with your statement about shared reward 100%. I have always felt that. But because I choose to try to make this "system" work I get shot down. I get called a company man and other names I choose not to repeat. Well, it looks as if our way of thinking has just brought in $500 million worth of work. And talks of more each day. And despite how you feel about who will benefit I think this gives us great leverage and opens many doors in our (the union's) favor. The people who are working on these committess are still first and foremost union members. I think that has been forgotten or just refused to be noted.

 

[FWAAA]

Don't get me wrong - $100 million a year is nothin' to sneeze at. But it ain't cause to break out the bubbly.

Why? When the USPS stripped AA of the last mail contract a year and a half ago, it was revealed that the single daily ORD-PVG flight might be worth twice as much revenue each year (upwards of $200 million) than the entire yearly revenue from hauling mail.

It's not like that $100 million of revenue translates into $100 million of profit - you gotta add the additional fuel burned (mail is heavy) and the additional labor to deal with all of it. Might not be the most profitable cargo out there - sure hope AA doesn't have to turn away more profitable stuff because the holds are full of mail.

 

[Hopeful]

Look Hopeful,

I've been on these boards long enough to see that it is mostly occupied by the TWU haters. The same ones who refuse to show any accountability or try to at least better their situation. Rants and raves about what the TWU is NOT doing for THEM!!!!! The idea is to get rid of the TWU to make things "better" for themselves. ?????????????????????????????????????????? I can't even get a response when I ask what will a new union do. You know why? Because no one has a damn clue. I read one post that said we'd be better off without a union. Another post that said no recalls , jsut give us our money back. What kind of BS is that???? Do you think new union heirarchy will give themselves pay cuts to align with ours?????? Given the history of some of these unions suggested do you think they could accomplish anything different???????????????????????????? There are thousands and thousands of folk's livelihoods on the line here. Not just the select few who happen to read thses boards.
I agree with your statement about shared reward 100%. I have always felt that. But because I choose to try to make this "system" work I get shot down. I get called a company man and other names I choose not to repeat. Well, it looks as if our way of thinking has just brought in $500 million worth of work. And talks of more each day. And despite how you feel about who will benefit I think this gives us great leverage and opens many doors in our (the union's) favor. The people who are working on these committess are still first and foremost union members. I think that has been forgotten or just refused to be noted.

To respond to the "what will a new union do?" question. I don't know. It may just be more a matter of the "anti-incumbant" mentality. To say that the company is working closely with the TWU via the PLI and JLT is not the problem. It is history of this relationship that bothers most of us. The TWU leadership sells the program to the members for the company, and in return what do get in return? Threats and reminders about how worse things could be. That logic doesn't fly with many of us.

AA is made up of thousands of employees from the PanAMs, Easterns and TWAs of the industry who are immune to threats! We've been there done that.
No one wishes for AA to fail, but I am just sick and tired of helping the company be profitable only to receive an occasional %50 AIP payout and annual $.40 an hour increase while the company pays hefty bonuses and stock options to the executives who make some of the hard decsions that the rest of us have to deal with on a daily basis.

 

[eolesen]

Sheesh. This is good news for the 500 or so people whose jobs are directly tied to the mail operation.

Can't wait to hear all the complaints about being profitable when earnings come out next month.

 

[Bill]

To respond to the "what will a new union do?" question. I don't know. It may just be more a matter of the "anti-incumbant" mentality. To say that the company is working closely with the TWU via the PLI and JLT is not the problem. It is history of this relationship that bothers most of us. The TWU leadership sells the program to the members for the company, and in return what do get in return? Threats and reminders about how worse things could be. That logic doesn't fly with many of us.

AA is made up of thousands of employees from the PanAMs, Easterns and TWAs of the industry who are immune to threats! We've been there done that.
No one wishes for AA to fail, but I am just sick and tired of helping the company be profitable only to receive an occasional %50 AIP payout and annual $.40 an hour increase while the company pays hefty bonuses and stock options to the executives who make some of the hard decsions that the rest of us have to deal with on a daily basis.

I'm right there with you brother. But reality is reality. If we are to be successful as a union (working for a big company) we MUST make this system work. And like I said it will give us good leverage come negotiation time. Something like this is not going to show results as fast as many want to see results. And as bad as you hate hearing it, the reality IS that things could be much, much worse for us. This work is being done at the ground level not the internat'l level. I firmly believe we all deserve a pat on the back (and I know they don't come often enough) because we have all done one hell of a job the past year or so trying to make this work. And we deserve monetary rewards as well, but Hopeful you have to be realistic there. We are working to get those things back. Can you not see the benefits of what we are trying to accomplish for union members? We aren't even close to being done either.

I'm not stupid, I know that not everyone is going to be happy about all this "pajama partying" but it is working. Like I have said time and time again, it is so much easier to complain when things don't go your way. It's easier to sit back and not be involved. It's easier to get on a public bulletin board and "grieve" your issues instead of going to the meetings and be heard.

It is clear that I am not going to convince you and the other TWU haters here that our best bet is to stay with the TWU and ride this out. I know, been there done that. This just leads to my original question....what would another union do for us?????? What would they accomplish for it's members?? You know, the talk here is to vote out the TWU and get another union. So before you go and do it maybe you should be asking yourselves this question. Share with us your conclusions....will you????

 

[DFWFSC]

I refused 11,000lbs of mail today alone, mostly BOS and EWR. The planning folks can't seem to fiqure out that you can't get that much mail on a MD83 with it's smaller bellies. They put the'83's on BOS,BDL,PDX,then plan 3 or 4,000lbs of mail for these flights. 5,000lbs of EWR mail got refused on the first flight because it was an '83, then we had the next EWR on our gate with 4,000lbs plus the 5,000lbs that got refused earlier. All 9,000lbs got refused because the Dunbar Armoured truck pulled up with 5,000lbs of money going to EWR. Very poor planning if you ask me.

 

[artiefufkin1]

Somewhere it was mentioned that AMR "reengineered" the mail process. Anbody know what the did here exactly?