Work Rules/Pay

[Duke787]

American has said liberalizing work rules would allow it to increase wages while keeping its current cost structure.

I for one am willing to give more productivity for a healthy pay raise. I have yet to read from any forum that the employee's of AA are scared to work. Now the ability of management to utilize the employee's the most efficient way is another story.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_42/b4199019823300.htm

 

[Hopeful]

American has said liberalizing work rules would allow it to increase wages while keeping its current cost structure.

I for one am willing to give more productivity for a healthy pay raise. I have yet to read from any forum that the employee's of AA are scared to work. Now the ability of management to utilize the employee's the most efficient way is another story.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_42/b4199019823300.htm

AMR has stepped up the "Labor is the AA"s problem" PR game. The anti union business journalists actually fault AMR for not going bankrupt and screwing the workers. It's all about profits, never about people.
Since the masters of the universe, the MBA CEO Elite club cannot do what they are paid millions to do, the easiest route is to gut labor, plain and simple...And then constantly remind labor how lucky everyone is to still have a job.
And those who subscribe to that logic actually help the company's plan to finally destroy labor.

 

[eolesen]

So expecting the same productivity out of AMR's workers that other airlines get out of their workers is considered "gutting labor"?...

Uh, running a business *is* about profit. It's not a jobs program being run by the government, or a charity...

You see it as bashing labor, but what it comes down to is AMR isn't making money when every other airline (including some who never declared bankruptcy and/or demanded concessions from their employees) is turning a profit.

And that's newsworthy. The press was swarming and circling GM in the same manner before o'Bummer swooped in and "saved" the auto industry...

If AA's going to fail, you'd better believe they want to make sure they've been covering the story from the first signs of trouble, and not after it's so obvious that even USA Today could figure it out.


Management has tweaked the schedule where they can, and they're implementing the BA/IB alliance rather quickly considering that approval was only given about two months ago, and will likely be rolling out more changes now that the JAL ATI has tentative approval.

They've closed down MCIE within the bounds of the contract, and they've opened up DWH in its place which makes complete sense given the ability to move more aircraft in/out of checks without ferry flights...

On the revenue side, they've instituted fees for just about everything except for going to the lav, and as far as distribution, they're the carrier who has been on the bleeding edge of getting travel agencies to buy space direct from AA vs. going thru one of the three major GDS's... Oh, and they're also replacing the core IT systems and getting rid of Sabre and FOS.

Those are some huge initiatives, and they will definitely be reducing expenses in the long term.

But since you claim the "masters of the universe" don't know what to do, maybe you can tell us what is left to be done that won't be bumping into some constraint in one contract or another?...

Not trying to make apologies for management here, but I don't think they'd be picking a fight with the unions if there were still low hanging fruit to be had. It looks to me as though they've gone as far as they can given the current workrules between the respective contracts.

 

[Bob Owens]

American has said liberalizing work rules would allow it to increase wages while keeping its current cost structure.

I for one am willing to give more productivity for a healthy pay raise. I have yet to read from any forum that the employee's of AA are scared to work. Now the ability of management to utilize the employee's the most efficient way is another story.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_42/b4199019823300.htm

They lie.

They have already seen dramatic productivity improvements, real ones unlike their competitors who increased productivity by farming out work which simply was cost shifting and not productivity improvement. Despite the dramatic improvements we've given them they offer us next to nothing. When asked about that their response was "you still have a job". In other words "F. U. you get nothing".

What AA is offering is to take out of one of your pockets (benifits) and put some of what they took into another pocket and calling it a raise.

Look at their recent decision on Supplimental medical. They duped employees to buy into this thing for decent retirement coverage and are using the Obama healthcare law as an excuse to pocket an extra $78 million. Thats $78 million that came from the contributions and investments earnings of money that came straight out of employees paychecks, a bonanza for the company, at your expense!!

EO still tries blaming labor for the fact that AA isnt "posting" profits. Not the millions they spend redoing Admirals clubs, featherbedding management, landscaping hangars replacing interiors etc etc etc. What work rules do we have that others dont have that hurt productivity and how much are they worth?

 

[Hopeful]

But since you claim the "masters of the universe" don't know what to do, maybe you can tell us what is left to be done that won't be bumping into some constraint in one contract or another?...

Maybe you forgot what has happened to the airline worker since deregulation, but I haven't.
Once Reagan fired the controllers, airline management saw they had a friend in the whitehouse and began GUTTING labor. We have been paying the price ever since. And they still want more.
All a CEO has to do is say he/she cut everyhing they could, tweaked everything, added a fee to everything but OUR LABOR COSTS ARE THE HIGHEST IN THE INDUSTRY.

Another thing I haven't forgotten is that the billions employees gave back DID NOT INCLUDE SUBSEQUENT LAYOFFS.

They want more liberal work rules,,"PAY ME!"
They want more flexibility in flying time,,,,"PAY ME!"
They want work rules and productivity like other airlines,, "PAY ME!

They want, they want, they want.....but whatever they want to give us has to be "cost neutral,"

That means more concessions which is GUTTING labor!

And you are right when you said "Uh, running a business *is* about profit. It's not a jobs program being run by the government, or a charity..."

Then stop preaching to the industry and media how AA chose not to go bankrupt like the others did in the name of not screwing workers, investors and creditors..

When they stop patting themselves on their backs singing their own praises how they didn't try to get out of their obligations via the courts, then I'll take it easy on the masters of the universe.
You often remind us how our executives are undercompensated compared to their peers at other carriers...
I am as tired of hearing that as much as you are tired of hearing us ask for "restore and more."
they are used to living on a one way street where they get everything they want without as so much as question.

Let em file bankruptcy....you think they have a morale problem now?

Wait.....you can force people to come to work to get paid, but you can't force them to move any faster and treat any passenger better and be more productive...that's only on paper.

 

[Bob Owens]

"Cost neutral" means more concessions. If our pay isnt increased at the rate of inflation then we have taken a pay cut, our earnings can not buy what it used to. Nothing else has been "cost neutral" everything goes up. AA is bringing in around $4 billion an year more yet they arent showing a profit and our wages in real terms have been reduced by 40% so obviously, other than labor, things are going up in cost for AA just like everybody else. "Cost neutral" is unrealistic. We need to be ready to strike and give them "work neutral".

 

[xmarlin]

So expecting the same productivity out of AMR's workers that other airlines get out of their workers is considered "gutting labor"?...

Uh, running a business *is* about profit. It's not a jobs program being run by the government, or a charity...


But since you claim the "masters of the universe" don't know what to do, maybe you can tell us what is left to be done that won't be bumping into some constraint in one contract or another?...

Not trying to make apologies for management here, but I don't think they'd be picking a fight with the unions if there were still low hanging fruit to be had. It looks to me as though they've gone as far as they can given the current workrules between the respective contracts.

They might actually try to follow some of the advice they have been given over the years by the people who actually "touch the work"

I can think of several recent cases where the "business-decision" ended up being more costly than projected.

Bottom line: A lot of "bricks" are tired of subsidizing bad management decisions.

 

[Duke787]

If AA was serious about work rule changes, they would have offered more then 1.5% pay raise.

 

[Ed Norton]

Uh, running a business *is* about profit. It's not a jobs program being run by the government, or a charity...

We are constantly reminded by these con artist business men and their running dog lackeys that we should grovel and be thankful for the Grace and benevolence of afore mentioned con artists in providing us peasants with employment. Labor is seen as an impediment to a higher profit margin; it is a great inconvenience that labor is needed to make the profits they persue with such avarice.
The capitalists' biggest fear is for labor to unite once and for all; they are mere cowards who hide behind their power to corrupt the courts and the law makers in order to gain the upper hand on labor. They also wield their influence over the police power of the state if the peasantry ever takes to the barricades. What most people don't know is that the police power of the state is there to protect the business interests of the state, not the interests of the average individual.

 

[Duke787]

"If you ever allow yourself or your management to identify labor as the problem, you are not only wrong, you also cause everyone else to wait for the solution."


http://atwonline.com/airline-financedata/article/american-way-0309

What a great quote by Arpey......... 🙂

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

"If you ever allow yourself or your management to identify labor as the problem, you are not only wrong, you also cause everyone else to wait for the solution."


http://atwonline.com/airline-financedata/article/american-way-0309

What a great quote by Arpey......... 🙂

Don't let Jeff Brundage read this!

 

[telebender1956]

AA management motto: "More Bricks-Get your own straw".

 

[chris perry]

We are constantly reminded by these con artist business men and their running dog lackeys that we should grovel and be thankful for the Grace and benevolence of afore mentioned con artists in providing us peasants with employment. Labor is seen as an impediment to a higher profit margin; it is a great inconvenience that labor is needed to make the profits they persue with such avarice.
The capitalists' biggest fear is for labor to unite once and for all; they are mere cowards who hide behind their power to corrupt the courts and the law makers in order to gain the upper hand on labor. They also wield their influence over the police power of the state if the peasantry ever takes to the barricades. What most people don't know is that the police power of the state is there to protect the business interests of the state, not the interests of the average individual.

E show me the work rules of the other airlines,we already have the worst work rules of all Airlines !!!!!

1. No holiday pay we get 4 hrs pay for working. 8 hrs for being off
2. 1/2 pay for sick days
3. No cap in medical insurance premiums all other work groups have them.

what kind of rules do they want? just some exaamples above

 

[telebender1956]

Maybe you forgot what has happened to the airline worker since deregulation, but I haven't.
Once Reagan fired the controllers, airline management saw they had a friend in the whitehouse and began GUTTING labor. We have been paying the price ever since. And they still want more.
All a CEO has to do is say he/she cut everyhing they could, tweaked everything, added a fee to everything but OUR LABOR COSTS ARE THE HIGHEST IN THE INDUSTRY.

Another thing I haven't forgotten is that the billions employees gave back DID NOT INCLUDE SUBSEQUENT LAYOFFS.

They want more liberal work rules,,"PAY ME!"
They want more flexibility in flying time,,,,"PAY ME!"
They want work rules and productivity like other airlines,, "PAY ME!

They want, they want, they want.....but whatever they want to give us has to be "cost neutral,"

That means more concessions which is GUTTING labor!

And you are right when you said "Uh, running a business *is* about profit. It's not a jobs program being run by the government, or a charity..."

Then stop preaching to the industry and media how AA chose not to go bankrupt like the others did in the name of not screwing workers, investors and creditors..

When they stop patting themselves on their backs singing their own praises how they didn't try to get out of their obligations via the courts, then I'll take it easy on the masters of the universe.
You often remind us how our executives are undercompensated compared to their peers at other carriers...
I am as tired of hearing that as much as you are tired of hearing us ask for "restore and more."
they are used to living on a one way street where they get everything they want without as so much as question.

Let em file bankruptcy....you think they have a morale problem now?

Wait.....you can force people to come to work to get paid, but you can't force them to move any faster and treat any passenger better and be more productive...that's only on paper.

UH; Ronald Reagan is still in the White House ? Blame Reagan for everything.
Bill Clinton is the one who issued an Executive Order against our APA pilots and ordered them back to work when they exercised self help in the 1990's.
I thought Mr. Obama was a friend of labor? None of the Unions at AA can get the release from the Federal mediator for a 30 day cooling off period.

As a 25 year AMT at AA I do agree that AA management wants more concessions from us so they can grab more money for themselfs.
These forums are full of Union bashers who don't even know that Southwest Airlines has the most Unionized labor force in the airline industry.

 

[frontline]

I agree with the OP. I am also willing to work more for a good raise. Some of the work rules stuff in our contract is way beyond any common sense.

Considering that this is how Southwest beats us on cost (they are paid similarly in dollars) I don't think this is a bad way for AA to go in terms of planning.