Why M&E should have an enhanced FLEX vacation program

[chilokie1]

If you used to work at Alliance or now working at TULE you know the next 
few years are going to continue to be as bad or worse then the last few.
777's O.V. going to China, 767-200's gone, 757's going, MD-80 going fast &
questions whether we will ever see the new aircraft, engines & components 
in our O.V. bases (AA or USair).
 
I can't speak for the USair guys but I have 27 years with AA & I still have 
thousands of A&P's above me on the seniority list. My point is that our
workforce is old & getting older, but we do have some younger mechanics
(many working in lower classifications). Most of these employees will be
facing a very good chance of being laid off with no chance of bumping.
 
Fast FWD  7 to 10 years, the new aircraft are up for heavy maintenance
the engines are ready for overhauls. 75% of us will be retired & most of
the rest were laid off and moved on. 
 
Is that the plan that AA is now playing out? TULE is crumbling before our
eyes & the morale is worse. The language in our contract is weak at best
for "new work", if we do not have the tooling or facilities to overhaul the 
new aircraft its a moot point. But what happens if AA and or the states
pay for the needed infer structure , who does the work? 
 
The cost of laying people off has to be substantial, instead of giving up
even more contractually just to delay the layoffs why not look into a enhanced
"VOLUNTEERS ONLY" FLEX program. We have seen stand in stead plans
with little in benefits & an early out that only Uncle Sam was the winner.
If you made it a win win where a guy could take off extended periods and 
receive some pay (25 % for month off, maybe more for longer) it would
be far cheaper then laying off a mechanic and also losing the experience .
 
I know this pipe dream  has a lot of holes in it, but doing nothing and not
thinking out of the box and coming up with new ideas, then we will 
just be another airline that has gotten out of the aircraft maintenance
business. Motivated & happy workers is the best solution, but that
does not seem to be the New or Old American Way !!!

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

You only get what you negotiated. Write up and Give your proposal to those that do negotiate.

 

[Bob Owens]

Which airline has gotten out of the aircraft maintenance business?
 
What we need to do is make a concerted effort to inform kids who are being lured into this industry of the facts so this way they don't. The same way we do to our own kids.
 
Those young people will likely not be let go. They may not be able to stay in OH but there will be jobs for them in the system. Yes headcount will continue to shrink, due to both outsourcing and synergies from industry consolidation, but attrition will likely outpace job loss. 
 
We need to ensure that there really is a shortage one day, to date there never has been a shortage, just a shortage of people willing to work under the terms they are offering, that's not really a shortage. Right now schools are out there telling kids that there is going to be increased demand in this industry for mechanics and that increased demand will drive wages up. We were told this same lie back when I went to A&P school back in the seventies. It never happened, and even if demand is high the government helps carriers suppress wages. They do this through direct intervention in the bargaining process. By using the RLA to delay and extend negotiations or through Bankruptcy by allowing profitable carriers to impose whatever terms it likes on Union workers. These conditions are unique to Airlines, only airlines get this sort of government suppression of Unions rights. Those kids need to be informed, we need to be informed!
 
If I had known 25 years ago what I know now I would have quit this industry and never looked back. I liked working on airplanes but the cost was too high.

 

[Bob Owens]

You only get what you negotiated. Write up and Give your proposal to those that do negotiate.

Wish it was that simple. How do you negotiate when the government tips the scales? We have to go back to the old way and let both parties, the carriers and the government , know that its better to negotiate with us than to fight with us. We need to abandon negotiations and go back to fighting, then negotiate to bring about a settlement.

 

[DallasConehead]

I wouldn't worry about it, the companies plan IMO is to slowly decimate maintenance through attrition. Eventually all or a large portion of overhaul will be contracted out and probably a fairly good portion of the line. All this will happen over the next decade. The union is powerless to change it and that applies to any organization that is working to become our union. Accept it and get ready, changes are coming, they have been coming for the last 30 years. If your not ready, that's on you for not making a plan B or C.

 

[OldBubba]

LOL, but not really funny,
Funny how people didn't give a rat ass when other mech/bases /young an old where layed off or closed. Now your base/friends are seeing the hand writing. How does it feel? Get ready to move. An just be thankful you have a job!

 

[The Dissident]

Stop making suggestions on what you think you should have. Tulsa played right into AA,s hands and voted for the current contract by a 3 to 1 margin. You are getting exactly what you voted for. Sadly there are a few good people who are going to suffer because of it but we tried to warn you years ago so swallow that bitter pill and realize that 30 years of tulsa screwing the rest of the system will be paid back on the next contract now that line outnumbers overhaul.

 

[Bob Owens]

Who has the time to screw anybody? What we need to do is focus on fighting the company and get back to where we should be. Tulsa was a victim of bad information, they aren't faultless because good info was out there and they chose to believe the bad info. For some reason they were led to believe that they were exceptional, that the facts of working in the airline industry did not apply to them and any and everything was expendable as long as the promise to maintain jobs in Tulsa was there. No other station ever had that option, soon they wont, but that's not getting screwed, that's joining the reality the rest of us have been in since the beginning.

 

[FLYNFISH]

Hey your idea sounds great! I'm all for it. But your example should be offered to all work groups not just M&E. Every work group faces the same situation. Do I believe it stands a chance in hell of going anywhere, not likely. Be real they want us to quit.I think all of us really have to do some honest self reflection, Dallasconehead is right. You better have a plan B,C,D. Bob mentioned had he known now how this would have turned out he would have ran like hell. I think its safe to say most of us fell the same.  In my 26 years I have worked at 4 stations and met many of very smart men. But for some reason that does not translate to real life wisdom. We have stayed to endure a crazy life of ups and downs. Crazy hours, work schedules etc. I must be crazy or a big dumbass to stay on this ride. I'll admit to both!
Ok back to overhaul. I think a limited amount will remain. But everybody should be paying close attention to what is building in Central America .There are facilities and training programs being created now for several years. They will running pretty good by the time our new fleet needs its overhaul. Our government is ok with it. big business is ok with it. Hell the consumer is ok with it. Not much difference to fly a new 737 from Miami to Panama or El Salvador than it is to fly it to Tulsa. Time will tell. So honestly would you recommend a career in this industry to another young man that is coming along?     

 

[OldBubba]

Hey no problem guys, MCI is open again, go on up!!! An it hired all the TWA guys that you guys didn't give a rat ass about laiding off!! No need for this flex layoff **** because pay is about 20% less. The greatest thing is it nonunion with no dues. An that make up for the lost 20%.
Just be thankful you have a job!!! I love saying that!!

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Be real they want us to quit.
 
But everybody should be paying close attention to what is building in Central America .There are facilities and training programs being created now for several years. They will running pretty good by the time our new fleet needs its overhaul. Our government is ok with it. big business is ok with it. Hell the consumer is ok with it. 

TRUTH.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

I wouldn't worry about it, the companies plan IMO is to slowly decimate maintenance through attrition. Eventually all or a large portion of overhaul will be contracted out and probably a fairly good portion of the line. All this will happen over the next decade. The union is powerless to change it and that applies to any organization that is working to become our union. Accept it and get ready, changes are coming, they have been coming for the last 30 years. If your not ready, that's on you for not making a plan B or C.

 

Hey no problem guys, MCI is open again, go on up!!! An it hired all the TWA guys that you guys didn't give a rat ass about laiding off!! No need for this flex layoff #### because pay is about 20% less. The greatest thing is it nonunion with no dues. An that make up for the lost 20%.
Just be thankful you have a job!!! I love saying that!!

You reek of pettiness sir.
 
Just because some one does not have the means to change an outcome does not mean they don't "give a rat ass" as you so eloquently put it. 
 
Most normal, sane people do not want to see others lose their jobs.

 

[OldBubba]

And those same normal, sane union people voted against the very principle of unionism! Seniority Don't worry we will be gone someday. But until then
Just be thankful you have a job

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

I don't have a job, at least not with American Airlines. American Airlines closed my shop.
 
That is why I went to school.
 
I am sorry your life did not turn out as you had anticipated but you know what, 98 people from my shop have the same story.
 
In the end it turned out better for me, some were not so lucky. Maybe it turned out better for some of those people at MCI as well. We can only hope.
 
That is all I had to say, resume your wallowing in self pity as you see fit.

 

[OldBubba]

I've had a pretty good one though so far. And yes I know a few it did turn out better for. I'm not wallowing in self pity I'm just stirring the s***. Just saying.