You think AA would do this if they believe their employees are will to strike?

[eolesen]

The only AFL-CIO policy impacting AA's unions is the no-raid policy. AFL-CIO affiliated unions don't want to be in the business of having to compete with each other.

That's why there is such fragmentation in the airlines -- a couple large AFL-CIO affiliated unions like the IAM and TWU, single employer unions like SWAPA, APA, APFA, and then the "also rans" like AMFA. IBT breaks the trend, but they haven't exactly been raiding the IAM or TWU shops....

 

[nbmcg01]

The only AFL-CIO policy impacting AA's unions is the no-raid policy. AFL-CIO affiliated unions don't want to be in the business of having to compete with each other.

That's why there is such fragmentation in the airlines -- a couple large AFL-CIO affiliated unions like the IAM and TWU, single employer unions like SWAPA, APA, APFA, and then the "also rans" like AMFA. IBT breaks the trend, but they haven't exactly been raiding the IAM or TWU shops....

APFA IS NOT AFL-CIO

 

[Winglet]

Wet leasing from a charter airline company would be cheaper than paying our own pilots and f/as to fly the trips. .......

I wouldn't be surprised if the other major airlines might be willing to help out AA if there is a strike.

Now you're talking about two issues . . . flying struck work and a deliberate, gross, and flagrant violation of the AA pilots' scope provisions that could trigger a legal immediate separate strike by the APA.

 

[nbmcg01]

Now you're talking about two issues . . . flying struck work and a deliberate, gross, and flagrant violation of the AA pilots' scope provisions that could trigger a legal immediate separate strike by the APA.

And an immediate court injunction...

 

[BartlettAve]

And an immediate court injunction...

Does AA have enough cash on hand to use a FA strike to temporarily halt operations, declare bankruptcy, and rebuild a leaner, more cost-efficient operation with more focus on Eagle producing the domestic lift?

Personally, after watching the things the flight crew unions have done over the past 10 years, I think karma will provide them with their turn to be screwed. Will they take everyone with them?

 

[s80 wrenchhead]

Does AA have enough cash on hand to use a FA strike to temporarily halt operations, declare bankruptcy, and rebuild a leaner, more cost-efficient operation with more focus on Eagle producing the domestic lift?

Personally, after watching the things the flight crew unions have done over the past 10 years, I think karma will provide them with their turn to be screwed. Will they take everyone with them?

They should!

 

[Flyboy4u]

They should!

LOL..Yes, You are right...They Should...Can we focus now on reality? What's really going on with AA?

 

[OneShotService]

Does AA have enough cash on hand to use a FA strike to temporarily halt operations, declare bankruptcy, and rebuild a leaner, more cost-efficient operation with more focus on Eagle producing the domestic lift?

Personally, after watching the things the flight crew unions have done over the past 10 years, I think karma will provide them with their turn to be screwed. Will they take everyone with them?

Does $1.4 Billion sound like enough? They have that kind of cash floating around for JAL, they have enough to halt ops when we do go on STRIKE!

 

[Bob Owens]

Does $1.4 Billion sound like enough? They have that kind of cash floating around for JAL, they have enough to halt ops when we do go on STRIKE!

What would they really have to gain? Wages have declined by around 40%. Crane operators make more than pilots, waitresses make more than flight attendants and mechanics outside of aviation make more than Aircraft mechanics,

Continental went that route in the 80s when this was a high pay industry and even then discovered that if you pay bottom wages you will either be training people for other carriers, once they become proficient they leave, or you have trouble delivering the service you sold because the people you do get at the wages you offer are incompetant. AS Gordon Bethune said "You can make Pizza so cheap that nobody would want to buy it". Now Continental pays more than AA.

Is there anyone on these boards thats under 30? Anyone under 40? Most of us have been in this industry a long time, would any of you recommend this job to your kids? This isnt the job it used to be, in high cost areas the pay is substandard and the personal and social demands of the job are extreme, weekends, nights, Holidays, what makes you think that the Airlines could recruit people who would pass the backround checks, the drug tests and have the required skills? Most of the mechanics who were laid off after 9-11 left the industry permanently , they have no intentions on coming back and most of the schools that supply A&P mechanics have shut down. My guess is that the number of people aquiring the skills they would need to get in the door in other classifications is down as well. Nearly everyone I know who left this industry has done better than they would had they stayed.

 

[eolesen]

Would I recommend the job to my kids?

Sure. But not as a career.

I've said it before -- anyone who stays in an entry level position expecting to make it a career shouldn't be surprised when they hit a ceiling as far as pay goes.

 

[FWAAA]

Does AA have enough cash on hand to use a FA strike to temporarily halt operations, declare bankruptcy, and rebuild a leaner, more cost-efficient operation with more focus on Eagle producing the domestic lift?

My prediction is that a work stoppage by any of the represented groups will result in a prompt Ch 11 filing. In the old days, when airlines had profitable operations to protect, the companies would generally settle quickly in order to prevent damage to the profit streams. Over the past decade, AA reported annual profits only twice, and both were very modest. Why would management settle a strike quickly today?

I'm skeptical that the Ch 11 filing would result in any rebuild of a leaner, more cost-efficient operation and I doubt it would involve any expansion of Eagle. More likely (IMO), the bankruptcy would result in the first liquidation of a big airline in many years.

 

[Bob Owens]

My prediction is that a work stoppage by any of the represented groups will result in a prompt Ch 11 filing. In the old days, when airlines had profitable operations to protect, the companies would generally settle quickly in order to prevent damage to the profit streams. Over the past decade, AA reported annual profits only twice, and both were very modest. Why would management settle a strike quickly today?

I'm skeptical that the Ch 11 filing would result in any rebuild of a leaner, more cost-efficient operation and I doubt it would involve any expansion of Eagle. More likely (IMO), the bankruptcy would result in the first liquidation of a big airline in many years.

Perhaps, then so be it. More room for SWA to grow. With all the excess capacity gone from the system the survivors would expand and hire those who left AA and still wanted to remain in this industry just like AA and all the others scooped up the experienced EAL guys.

 

[Bob Owens]

Would I recommend the job to my kids?

Sure. But not as a career.

I've said it before -- anyone who stays in an entry level position expecting to make it a career shouldn't be surprised when they hit a ceiling as far as pay goes.

Such arrogance. Its a wonder you left.

So I guess that Doctors, electricians, plumbers etc are all entry level positions as well in your book and all should just accept what people like you, who cant do what we do, want to pay?

I dont mind a ceiling, which is $46/hr for what I do, but I object to being pushed to the floor.

 

[FWAAA]

Such arrogance. Its a wonder you left.

So I guess that Doctors, electricians, plumbers etc are all entry level positions as well in your book and all should just accept what people like you, who cant do what we do, want to pay?

I dont mind a ceiling, which is $46/hr for what I do, but I object to being pushed to the floor.

Bob, you sometimes think the discussion is all about you and only about mechanics. It's pretty clear (at least to me) that eolesen was talking about flight attendants and perhaps agents and fleet. Pilots and mechanics, on the other hand, are positions where the experience benefit is a little more obvious.

 

[Rogallo]

Would I recommend the job to my kids?

Sure. But not as a career.

I've said it before -- anyone who stays in an entry level position expecting to make it a career shouldn't be surprised when they hit a ceiling as far as pay goes.

Entry level...Career...Ceiling. I guess an employee needs to progress to upper management where there is no ceiling making a career out of screwing the entry level person???