Too little, too late.

[The Goose]

This is a link to one of the latest 8K forms AMR filed with the SEC - interesting ...

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/620...r0122ex99-1.htm
Copy and paste into your browser if the link doesn't work.

Any speculation as to the political nature of the changes?

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

These broad-based compensation plans have been designed to allow all employees throughout the American Airlines team to share in the company’s success. The Plan provides the opportunity to share immediately in that success by taking concrete steps in each employee’s everyday work that will move the company towards profitability.
They throw us a few dollars every month and expect what in return. Moral improvement? A better attitude? Incentive to go above and beyond? If that is what they expect they can keep it. What ever they expect isnt worth the 40 bucks

Financial Component ~ Threshold award equal to 2.5% of employee’s Eligible Earnings of $40,000, for achievement of American’s 5% Pre-Tax Earnings Margin
2.5% x $40,000 $1,000
Less Customer Service Component Payout ($730)
Total Financial Component Payout $270
I like how they subtract the customer service component payout. Why not add it?




The AIP Letters of Agreement provide that Other Cash Compensation Programs for management employees may be no more than 20% of the maximum possible award that was or could have been earned by the individual management employee under the Plan formula (the “20% Limitationâ€￾). Any payment under the 20% Limitation shall be made by March 15, 2009

I guess those rules do not apply to upper management as they split their 180 million last year


Blah Blah Blah

Increase my pay and benefits an keep your pointless profit sharing. As Henry Hill said F U Pay me


The moral and customer service will continue to decline unless our pay and benefits are restored. I will not do any more than I have to because of an empty promise of profit sharing or AIP or what ever other slogan you attach to it. A bonus check at the end of the year or an AIP bonus of 40 dollars will not pay the medical bills or the mortage or the taxes or anything else.


This country is in an economic death spiral thanks to our inept government and the greed of corporate America fleecing middle class America.

In my honest opinion AA will not turn a profit over 500 million for many years to come.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/22/Dobbs.January23/index.html

:down:

 

[WingNaPrayer]

They are adding on time arrivals. I'm guessing the thinking is that ramp and gate will bust their asses to get flights out on time without delays, killing two birds with one stone so to speak. AA gets positive ratings for on time departures and arrivals - but they're only offering $$ for the arrivals, not the departures. Of course, due to things like overbooking, depeaking, customs and TSA, AA has all but admitted that delays are here to stay, and growing exponentially.

Ergo - they won't be making many payouts for on-time arrivals.

On the other hand - I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place in my thinking that a company should not have to bonus it's people, monthly or otherwise, or even dangle the prospect of bonus pay-outs before their eyes, just to get them to perform the job they were hired, and area already paid, to do. And, not all employees are responsible for on-time departures and arrivals, but all will get a pay-out if gate agents and the ATC do their jobs? Am I mistaken here?

But, a buck is a buck and I don't assume anyone is going to tear a check up and throw it away for any amount.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

In my honest opinion AA will not turn a profit over 500 million for many years to come.

With billions in debt to wiggle the books with? It's not bloody likely!

 

[eolesen]

Dunno. The fact that it's now being pegged as a percentage of base pay is probably a fairer way to issue this, and it's certainly easier to understand. Problem is that AA hasn't seen a 10% margin in a long time, so is 2.5% profit sharing going to be a real motivator? Probably not.

 

[LGA Fleet Service]

I'm guessing the thinking is that ramp and gate will bust their asses to get flights out on time without delays.

No,we're busting our asses now with deficient staffing levels,poorly designed bids that reflect the staffing shortfalls,shoddy equipment and an out of control company woman sitting on the control desk in the afternoon.

It's not uncommon to do six and seven turns in a day, working literally right up until five minutes to punch out and walking after six hours for lunch every day.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

No,we're busting our asses now with deficient staffing levels,poorly designed bids that reflect the staffing shortfalls,shoddy equipment and an out of control company woman sitting on the control desk in the afternoon.

It's not uncommon to do six and seven turns in a day, working literally right up until five minutes to punch out and walking after six hours for lunch every day.

Sounds like you're in Miami except the out of control company woman is sitting on the control desk in the mornings - I feel your pain. To be blunt, I'm sick and tired of being yelled at to board the plane, close the bin, sit your ass down, we ain't going nowhere until your butts are in those seats! Literally. Then, we get put on hold while someone from the ground boards the plane and ties us up for another 45 minutes while they beg for volunteers because, once again, AA has oversold the piss out of their tin and they want the cheap revenue off so the last minute tickets can get on. It's a friggin' three ring circus!

Depeaking is going to kill someone

 

[eolesen]

It's not uncommon to do six and seven turns in a day, working literally right up until five minutes to punch out

Imagine that. Actually working up until the time you're off duty. There's a concept...

How many turns does the average WN ground crew work on a shift?

 

[WingNaPrayer]

Imagine that. Actually working up until the time you're off duty. There's a concept...

How many turns does the average WN ground crew work on a shift?

Why compare to WN? Are you labeling AA as a LCC? Why not compare to say, UA or DL?

Hmmmmm.

You can't compare AA to what goes on at 37Air!

 

[eolesen]

Depeaking is more or less built on the WN model of aircraft scheduling and utilization, so that's the most logical comparison, and unions love to point at WN when it comes to wages and benefits.

If you want profit-sharing and wages to be at WN's levels, then it's only fair to expect WN's productivity levels.

WN's becoming less of a LCC and more of a HPC (high productivity carrier). The productivity they get out of their folks, facilities, and aircraft are the three reasons they're consistently profitable. They get more work done with fewer people, fewer gates, and less equipment than most other carriers. And they're able to pay more because of that focus on leanness.

 

[The Goose]

Why compare to WN? Are you labeling AA as a LCC? Why not compare to say, UA or DL?

Hmmmmm.

You can't compare AA to what goes on at 37Air!

Sure you can. AA/SWA comparisons were rampant some time ago being made by none other than Bob Crandall (remember him?); he conveniently compared our apples to their oranges at that time, but with SWA's paylevels now, it's something our (mis)management would prefer to sweep under the rug.

 

[eolesen]

Dunno. I seem to remember as late as 2003 that there was an informal standing offer for any of AA's unions to accept WN's contracts, workrules, and benefits.

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

Depeaking is more or less built on the WN model of aircraft scheduling and utilization, so that's the most logical comparison, and unions love to point at WN when it comes to wages and benefits.

If you want profit-sharing and wages to be at WN's levels, then it's only fair to expect WN's productivity levels.

WN's becoming less of a LCC and more of a HPC (high productivity carrier). The productivity they get out of their folks, facilities, and aircraft are the three reasons they're consistently profitable. They get more work done with fewer people, fewer gates, and less equipment than most other carriers. And they're able to pay more because of that focus on leanness.

If AA had one fleet type then you could compare the two.
Until that happens there is no comparison.

You are correct most AMT's compare wages and benefits to that of WN. We accomplish one task and that is fixing airplanes. Would we do it better if we were one fleet? Absolutely.

I would say it is different when you have to get 120 people on an airplane everyday as opposed to getting 250 people on an airplane especially when you factor in customs freight and baggage.
All of which can be accomplished a lot easier with a 737 than with an Airbus or 777.

Even if AA flew nothing but airbuses we would need fewer people and less equipment. With repetition comes leanness

 

[WingNaPrayer]

With repetition comes leanness

Not to mention, out of your gourd boredness

 

[Bob Owens]

Dunno. I seem to remember as late as 2003 that there was an informal standing offer for any of AA's unions to accept WN's contracts, workrules, and benefits.

It was/is nothing more than a bluff targeted at the pilots. Just like the bluff AA made in 2003 when they said they could meet the targeted savings through layoffs, when the Negotiating committee said do that the company recanted, withdrew the offer, demanded pay concessions and cut more heads than they claimed were needed to make the cost savings.