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Oneflyer Jan 26 2005, 12:40 AM Post #45
QUOTEIn 1999, I said that AA should go after a lot more freight and mail because people were angry at the high airfares and I said it would not last. AA's position is "we are a passenger airline". Although AA is a passenger airline they should have substantially diversified their revenue base.In 2004, AA had around $700 million in freight and mail revenue with a several hundred million dollar profit. That number will be growing this year, unfortunately cargo can only grow at about the same rate as wide body departures grows.
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FWAAA Jan 26 2005, 02:09 AM Post #46
QUOTE(Oneflyer @ Jan 25 2005, 05:40 PM)In 2004, AA had around $700 million in freight and mail revenue with a several hundred million dollar profit. That number will be growing this year, unfortunately cargo can only grow at about the same rate as wide body departures grows. Didn't cargo take a big hit after September 11? IIRC, heavy mail is no longer allowed on passenger aircraft; only lightweight first class mail is allowed. FedEx has been picked to fly much of the USA mail volume.The good news: AA is a very large cargo carrier. From a press release today:QUOTEAbout American Airlines CargoAmerican Airlines Cargo provides more than 100 million pounds of weekly cargo lift capacity to major cities in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia.
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Oneflyer
"we can become an LCCNo AA can not. As much as employees like Local 12 say they want AA to be a low cost carrier, their actions prove that they are really unwilling to do what it takes.Let me relay a story about our friendly TWU union. Recently AA in PHL has been experiencing a surge in mail volumes, primarily because of some great work by both management and union FSCs in Cargo. The post office actually gives us the mail to send to LA instead of putting in on USair's direct flights, because AA can actually get it there. The volume is so high that cargo has run out of man power, even with OT, to accomodate all the mail the post office wants to give us. Now since this a relatively new phenomeon and largely seasonal mail volume, cargo ops is unwilling to immediately increase headcount, just to see if the trend continues. So the TWU was asked if ramp FSCs could be offered OT to help with the mail. The TWU flately refused to consider that option, they would rather watch AA turn away revenue than help out. Now tell me how we're going to be like Southwest airlines if two different parts of the SAME WORK GROUP can't even work together? The unions are so hell bent on getting their jobs back, meaning more union dues, they're unwilling to even offer OT to their own members! The good of the company be damned. I wonder if SW would have found a solution?
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Boomer Oct 27 2004, 10:53 AM Post #19
Oneflyer,I beleive your story about PHL is a total fabrication.Anyone with any experience dealing with TWU contracts KNOWS that there is ample language CONTRACTUALLY justifying the ability of the company to manage their business and the legal requirement that the TWU enforce the contract.Ask the Mechanics at JFK about going to Court over an alleged job action and how quickly the company was able to obtain an Injunction, even though the Company was later shown to have fabricated the entire affair and the Injunction later lifted.
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Oneflyer Oct 27 2004, 11:06 PM Post #22
QUOTEI beleive your story about PHL is a total fabrication.
I don't really care whether you believe me or not. I don't believe a damn word that comes from someone in a union, so I guess I shouldn't expect some union guy to believe me. Distrust is part of the problem, and one of the reasons AA could never work like southwest.
Bagbelt: Southwest guys are in the same union. Also, if it was that big a deal the co. would just do it and deal with the grievance later. You could'nt work here or you would know that. Just because someone doesn't agree with you
Oneflyer Oct 28 2004, 03:27 AM Post #24
QUOTEJust because someone doesn't agree with you does not make them a liarI didn't accuse anyone of being a liar.
Its amazing that if something doesn't fit into your preconceived idea of the way the company does business you don't believe its possible. It once again proves my point that change is impossible at AA because the union membership wouldn't accept the changes they themselves suggest.
Bagbelt: it's not that I don't think we could do things different, why did we get out of flying freighters? It's just in my experience that there is plenty of management who couldn't run a lemonade stand without calling Dallas every time a decision needs to be made. It works both ways. When I started here you had managers who didn't care if they were liked or not. This isn't all management currently, but there are far too many.
Boomer: The PHL story just doesn't pass the smell test. In fact, coupled with your statement about not believing anything from a Union member, it's increasingly obvious that the story is simple Union Bashing based on stories that are either wholly fabricated or water cooler myths.
Under the TWU Ramp and Maintenance contracts, the company expressly retains the right to manage the affairs of the business.
Article 28-b: Statement of Management RightsThe Union recognizes that the Company will have sole jurisdiction of the management and operation of its business, the direction of its working force, the right to maintain discipline and efficiency in its hangars, stations, shops, or other places of employment, and the right of the company to hire, discipline and discharge employees for just cause, subject to the provisions of this agreement...
Article 31: Do it, then Grieve itAn employee who beleives that he has been unjustly dealt with, or that any provision of this agreement has not been properly applied or interpreted...
Article 33: No Strike, No Lockout...Neither the Union or Employees will engage in a strike, sitdown, walkout,...
Article 21: Change of Employee Shifts With 7 Days Notice...Except in an emergency, an employee will be given at least seven days notice of all shift changes...
Article 4: Cross Utilization Guidlines
Article 6: Double Time Eliminated, Proffer of OT...overtime will be proffered within the appropriate classifications and work units prior to offering it to other classifications under cross utilization.
This is all TWU language in current contracts. The company can change shifts and bids, by seniority, with seven days notice (or sooner, so long as the affected employee is paid ot for the first day only).
The company can extend part time after proffering ot to full time.
The company can white-slip.
If all the above is not working: just get on the phone and call Little at he TWU-ATD, he'll change the contract to whatever the company wants.
The simple fact is that the current contracts are worded in a way AA can do pretty much anything they need to. The problem from where many of us sit is that not enough is being done quickly enough and we are suspicious that the reason behind the inaction is round two of concessions and we all know where the TWU stands on concessions. \
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Oneflyer Oct 29 2004:
Boomer: The PHL story just doesn't pass the smell test. In fact, coupled with your statement about not believing anything from a Union member, it's increasingly obvious that the story is simple Union Bashing based on stories that are either wholly fabricated or water cooler myths.
OneFlyer: "1. What do I have to gain by lying? none.2. Why use PHL, mail, and OT? I must be pretty creative.3. With all of your contract knowledge you don't seem to understand how the shift bid works. Cargo and the ramp work on different bids. Like I said before the Cargo ops wasn't allowing PHL to increase headcount, doing a shiftbid and bringing more people over from the ramp, adds headcount. In fact, ramp workers can't work in Cargo without taking certain DG classes first, that is unless they only work with the mail. So the cargo manager can't just grab a random ramp worker and tell them to get to work. The fact is, that you want to think I'm lying, therefore you come up with reasoning that just your desire.
http://www.myplainview.com/APTexas/parsed/...D88958OO0.shtml
Post office suspends use of American Airlines
The Associated Press
The U.S. Postal Service has stopped using American Airlines and US Airways to deliver domestic mail because the carriers failed to meet performance goals, including on-time delivery.
The post office said the suspension took effect Saturday and covers first-class mail and some small packages shipped priority class.
Jim Quirk, a Postal Service spokesman, said Tuesday the agency notified the airlines in December that "we needed a plan from them to meet the goals" for on-time delivery. He said the post office was optimistic that the two airlines could make corrections and soon be carrying mail again….
Oneflyer and FWAA,
We discussed the issue of mail handling in October of 2004. At that time, you guys laid the problem at the feet of the TWU while I told you both that it was a problem that AA should address given the latitude they enjoyed within the context of the CBA between AMR and the TWU.
On a factual basis, Oneflyer asserted that cargo personnel handling the mail had to pass a special set of qualifications: in fact, every Fleet Service Clerk employed by American Airlines is REQUIRED, AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, to take and PASS all classes relating to the handling of Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials.
While not all Employees of American Airlines are Authorized to Manifest shipments: EVERY American Airlines Fleet Service Clerk is Trained and Required to challenge any shipment or activity not conforming to the requirements. EVERYONE is expected to be shown PROOF that all shipments conform to regulations, from SkyCaps, TicketAgents and GateAgents to the FleetServiceClerk at the MailDock.
We are now faced with a decision of the United States Postal Service, discontinuing shipments of USPS mail within the AMR System. The figure given for the value of that commodity is 6.5% of Total Gross Revenue or some $100 Million Dollars. Said decision being based on communication between AMR and the USPS on or about December of 2004 and effective February of 2005.
The Spinn from the CompAAny is that the contract is still in force but the USPS reatains the right to “allocate†the volume between the carriers it chooses.
Will the head of AMR Cargo be forced out: or, are the futures of some 1000’s of TWU Represented Union Members being chummed as bait for a higher tolls for the public good?
Remember: the airways are owned by the US Taxpayer, as are the slots that have been allocated to individual carriers. Although the Carriers have been allowed to commoditize the slots as if they were actually owned; those slots could be reallocated by a vote of Congress. Much like the mail.
Arrogance breeds bliss, the maiden of ignorance.
