Should fliers be worried about a strike at AA?

[nostradamus]

Should fliers be worried about a strike at AA?


'Scathing letter signals decaying labor relations at American'

TodayThat's the headline from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (free registration), which reports the new leaders of American Airlines' pilots union have taken aim at company CEO Gerard Arpey that "in a blistering letter that disparages his leadership, condemns executive bonuses and claims that company sick-leave policies have resulted in suicide." In the letter, Allied Pilots Association president Lloyd Hill writes: "Enjoy your blood money and your union-busting. We'll see you in court, in the newspapers, and on the picket line." The Star-Telegram says the letter was sent Sept. 18 and was signed by two other union officials: union vice president Tom Westbrook and secretary-treasurer Bill Haug.

The newspaper notes all three union officials were elected by pilots on a platform calling for tougher dealings with management. The Star-Telegram says their "letter clearly signals a deteriorating state of labor relations. Its harsh allegations and personal tone are far more severe than correspondence with American management in recent years, even during times of conflict." As for the letter's claim that AA's sick-leave policies have spurred suicides, a union official "would not provide any details to substantiate that claim," the Star-Telegram writes. Union spokesman Karl Schricker tells The Dallas Morning News (free registration) "I don't know the statistics. I know that they have increased."

As for the sick-leave policy that has upset the union, The Associated Press writes that "pilots who miss work for 30 days are asked but not required to tell the company's medical department about their illness or injury." Union officials say that is "depriving pilots of sick pay or forcing them to return to work prematurely," according to AP. The Star-Telegram adds "the union claims that American has been using the policy to harass sick pilots to return to work." After having what appeared to be among the best labor-management relations among U.S. carriers, conditions at AA began have rapidly fallen apart over the past two years following roughly $250 million in bonuses paid to AA executives.

As for AA, spokeswoman Sue Gordon tells the Morning News the letter is part of the union's "corporate campaign" against the company. The sides began bargaining for a new contract in September 2006, with little progress so far. "We see this is another step in their campaign and their negotiating strategy," Gordon says to the Morning News. "We believe the interests of the pilots are best served when key issues like this are discussed at the negotiating table."

 

[Hopeful]

It is simply amazing that the company can talk tough about negotiations after rewarding the execs handsomely.


I guess it boils down to this: Do we reward the top managers with a couple hundred million in bonus money, or do we share the wealth with ALL employees with a few hundred million dollars.

 

[midnights]

It is simply amazing that the company can talk tough about negotiations after rewarding the execs handsomely.
I guess it boils down to this: Do we reward the top managers with a couple hundred million in bonus money, or do we share the wealth with ALL employees with a few hundred million dollars.

We reward top managers cause if the piolts strike, the goverment will send them back to work, same with the F/A's if it impacts the local and national economys, which it will, and if the TWU strikes it won't matter cause the earth will have stopped spinning and hell will have frozen over and no one will be left to fly anyway. JMHO.

 

[L1011Ret]

As i wrote on another thread, the letter appears to be written by a deprived child, one not breast fed sufficiently.

 

[Chuck Schalk]

Unfortuantely, If the government would not allow the Northwest Flight Attendants to strike last year after they went through all the proper legal channels and were allowed by law to self-help then the chance of them allowing any work group to strike American is extremely unlikely.

 

[L1011Ret]

Unfortuantely, If the government would not allow the Northwest Flight Attendants to strike last year after they went through all the proper legal channels and were allowed by law to self-help then the chance of them allowing any work group to strike American is extremely unlikely.

So one of the weapons of leverage in negotiations is lost. Or saying it another way, the government is still regulating the airline industry despite their protestations to the contrary that the laws of comprtition prevail.

 

[nbmcg01]

So one of the weapons of leverage in negotiations is lost. Or saying it another way, the government is still regulating the airline industry despite their protestations to the contrary that the laws of comprtition prevail.

Think Democrats...Vote blue.

 

[chillers]

Not to worry, the good ol boys dont have the nads to strike ,they all talk a good game but they will take what the compAAny TWU tulsa union forces down thier mouths, a small % like the line guys have balls but when you have TUL with the most votes what do you do ? :blink:

Should fliers be worried about a strike at AA?
'Scathing letter signals decaying labor relations at American'

TodayThat's the headline from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (free registration), which reports the new leaders of American Airlines' pilots union have taken aim at company CEO Gerard Arpey that "in a blistering letter that disparages his leadership, condemns executive bonuses and claims that company sick-leave policies have resulted in suicide." In the letter, Allied Pilots Association president Lloyd Hill writes: "Enjoy your blood money and your union-busting. We'll see you in court, in the newspapers, and on the picket line." The Star-Telegram says the letter was sent Sept. 18 and was signed by two other union officials: union vice president Tom Westbrook and secretary-treasurer Bill Haug.

The newspaper notes all three union officials were elected by pilots on a platform calling for tougher dealings with management. The Star-Telegram says their "letter clearly signals a deteriorating state of labor relations. Its harsh allegations and personal tone are far more severe than correspondence with American management in recent years, even during times of conflict." As for the letter's claim that AA's sick-leave policies have spurred suicides, a union official "would not provide any details to substantiate that claim," the Star-Telegram writes. Union spokesman Karl Schricker tells The Dallas Morning News (free registration) "I don't know the statistics. I know that they have increased."

As for the sick-leave policy that has upset the union, The Associated Press writes that "pilots who miss work for 30 days are asked but not required to tell the company's medical department about their illness or injury." Union officials say that is "depriving pilots of sick pay or forcing them to return to work prematurely," according to AP. The Star-Telegram adds "the union claims that American has been using the policy to harass sick pilots to return to work." After having what appeared to be among the best labor-management relations among U.S. carriers, conditions at AA began have rapidly fallen apart over the past two years following roughly $250 million in bonuses paid to AA executives.

As for AA, spokeswoman Sue Gordon tells the Morning News the letter is part of the union's "corporate campaign" against the company. The sides began bargaining for a new contract in September 2006, with little progress so far. "We see this is another step in their campaign and their negotiating strategy," Gordon says to the Morning News. "We believe the interests of the pilots are best served when key issues like this are discussed at the negotiating table."

 

[WingNaPrayer]

So one of the weapons of leverage in negotiations is lost. Or saying it another way, the government is still regulating the airline industry

Nah, it's just good old unadmitted fascism. The government can tell the union no, and the union members can tell the union to go to hell and strike anyway.

I realize that for many of you, sometimes at AA it doesn't seem like it but, slavery is over in this country and has been for quite some time. No one can force anyone to work if they don't want to (military notwithstanding of course), and you don't need a union's approval to picket, or strike, whatever it takes to send your message clearly. The only thing different between a union sanctioned strike and a non-union one, is the signs.

 

[Raptor]

Nah, it's just good old unadmitted fascism. The government can tell the union no, and the union members can tell the union to go to hell and strike anyway.

I realize that for many of you, sometimes at AA it doesn't seem like it but, slavery is over in this country and has been for quite some time. No one can force anyone to work if they don't want to (military notwithstanding of course), and you don't need a union's approval to picket, or strike, whatever it takes to send your message clearly. The only thing different between a union sanctioned strike and a non-union one, is the signs.

If the Government tells you to go back to work and you refuse then you would be on an illegal strike and you would be fired and very shortly replaced with someone who will work for less money that is the difference between a legal strike and an illegal strike, I am thinking not many workers would stay on strike if the Government told them to go back to work or you no longer have a job.
Especially in Tulsa if your thinking a strike ( or a Blue Zebra ) is going to happen then you have been drinking the TWU coolaid.
forget about it, the Pilots might try it but it won't happen in Tulsa.

 

[eolesen]

Clinton stopped the pilots strike in 1997, and I'm sure that regardless of who is in the White House in 2009, there probably won't be a strike this time either.

And yes, I said 2009. Probably April or May, since there's no way that the NMB will release anyone into self help during an election year, and just like 1997, they'll likely wait until spring so that the new administration is settled in and briefed.

Unfortuantely, If the government would not allow the Northwest Flight Attendants to strike last year after they went through all the proper legal channels and were allowed by law to self-help then the chance of them allowing any work group to strike American is extremely unlikely.

Point of order.... it wasn't the government that prevented NWA's FA's from walking out, it was a judge.

Most of us here happen to feel that they were allowed to engage in self-help, but that's not how the courts interpreted it. The distinguishing fact is that their changes took place in bankruptcy court, not in S.6 negotiations.

As long as AA stays out of bankruptcy, there's nothing short of a PEB that will prevent a strike once the NMB releases the parties into self help. If AA is in bankruptcy, all bets are off. There's now case law in place to block the unions from walking out legally.

 

[UAL_TECH]

Point of order.... it wasn't the government that prevented NWA's FA's from walking out, it was a judge.

Not really so, The strike vote was cast and the F/A's were ready. The APFA delayed the strike for 14 days in respect for some foolishness. They were in section 6 at the time of the vote but in BK after the 14 days.

Yes/No/MaybeSo?
B) UT

 

[FWAAA]

Think Democrats...Vote blue.

Read on . . .

Point of order.... it wasn't the government that prevented NWA's FA's from walking out, it was a judge.

A federal judge nominated by, you guessed it, President William Jefferson Clinton.

 

[nbmcg01]

Read on . . .
A federal judge nominated by, you guessed it, President William Jefferson Clinton.

touche....lol

I haven't been so thrilled with a few of the appointed judges myself///

 

[aafsc]

Not really so, The strike vote was cast and the F/A's were ready. The APFA delayed the strike for 14 days in respect for some foolishness. They were in section 6 at the time of the vote but in BK after the 14 days.

Yes/No/MaybeSo?
B) UT

The APFA never represented the NWA F/As. It was PFAA.