Union rejects American Airlines offer

“The recommendation from international was to let the members decide because of the uncertainty of the industry”

Negotiators for union mechanics and bag handlers at American Airlines have rejected a contract proposal from American Airlines that called for lump-sum payments instead of wage increases.

The union's top leaders recommended that rank-and-file employees be allowed to vote on the proposal, but the negotiating committee for the Transport Workers union rejected the package.

American, the nation's largest carrier, said the union rejected a comprehensive proposal that included additional vacation and sick leave while recognizing 'the economic realities facing the industry and our company.' Read more

Read full story from The Associated Press

[crush]

I think we should have been able to vote on it to show the company that we the mechanics could show them ourselves we did not want this contract. I may be wrong about it but that is what I think. They have been having all these stupid meetings trying to find out "why are they so upset about work and how can we fix it?" That is what kind of management we have there. They don't want to make anyone "upset". B.S.!!!

[crush]

AA failed to mention that we only get paid for half a day for the first two days of one accurance. So if youmare sick for on day you get only half a day. If you come back to work for on day and have a relapse and are sick again you still only get half a day. You only get full pay on your 3rd concecutive day and thereafter util you com back from sick, but you will have to bring dr. note or one from your mommmie to get cleared unless you are on FMLA. That is another waste. Correct me on this if I am wrong on any of this but I think I am there.

[Katherine]

I think it is unrealistic and naive for any airline employee to think he or she will have their pay levels returned to that of five years ago. Every day we are bombarded with headlines about carriers going bankrupt, soaring fuel costs, unprecedented losses...it's not a pretty picture for the industry right now. With so much uncertainty, its a wonder that AA was able to offer anything at all. Best of luck to you all.

[Kevin from Lowell]

Katherine wrote:

I think it is unrealistic and naive for any airline employee to think he or she will have their pay levels returned to that of five years ago. Every day we are bombarded with headlines about carriers going bankrupt, soaring fuel costs, unprecedented losses...it's not a pretty picture for the industry right now. With so much uncertainty, its a wonder that AA was able to offer anything at all. Best of luck to you all.

I agree. I've worked union jobs for most of my life and these guys sound just plain greedy and out of touch with the current circumstances.

[Robbin Marks]

Kevin from Lowell wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree. I've worked union jobs for most of my life and these guys sound just plain greedy and out of touch with the current circumstances.

Well you go ahead and lick the boss man's boots and see what it gets you, I'll pass.

[avionics777]

Katherine wrote:

I think it is unrealistic and naive for any airline employee to think he or she will have their pay levels returned to that of five years ago. Every day we are bombarded with headlines about carriers going bankrupt, soaring fuel costs, unprecedented losses...it's not a pretty picture for the industry right now. With so much uncertainty, its a wonder that AA was able to offer anything at all. Best of luck to you all.

i don't care what you thank. but five years ago i took a 30000 dolor pay cut. i expect my back pay benefits to be returned to me with a raise.my responsibilities for the planes i work on remain the same, all i have seen in five years with our cutbacks is management getting big bounces. there getting those bounces from all the workers paycuts. now its our time to get paid . those big bounces management got will come back to haunt them. in other words all the rank and file are saying they got the money from our pay cuts. now its time to get our pay and benefits back.

[MiserDD]

crush wrote:

AA failed to mention that we only get paid for half a day for the first two days of one accurance. So if youmare sick for on day you get only half a day. If you come back to work for on day and have a relapse and are sick again you still only get half a day. You only get full pay on your 3rd concecutive day and thereafter util you com back from sick, but you will have to bring dr. note or one from your mommmie to get cleared unless you are on FMLA. That is another waste. Correct me on this if I am wrong on any of this but I think I am there.

I agree that there’s a problem here, if you get sick and do no work, you shouldn’t get paid at all! Not two half paid days followed by full ones. I bet there’d be a lot less sick days if you had to use your vacation days to cover them!

For those seeking no work handouts, might I suggest the welfare line???

[Nikolai]

The history of all countries shows that the working class exclusively by its own effort is able to develop only trade-union consciousness.
Vladimir Lenin

[Darwin]

Everywhere you look, collective bargaining is becoming organized extortion. Major unions are still connected to the mafia (UAW, Teamsters,etc.) The only people that truly benefit are union leaders- they could care less about their constituents. An example of using simple math: A union goes on strike for 4 weeks over a 5% wage increase. Let's say during that four weeks, a member loses $1000 per week of wages. 5% of $1000 is $50. Now, let's say that the 5% is approved and the worker goes back.$4000 divided by $50 = 80. It will take 80 WEEKS just to recoup the lost wages, so the raise is negated.
Whatever happened to personal merit and hard work?
Don't demand what you don't deserve. Go out and EARN it. If you work harder, do a better job, don't you deserve the reward more than the next guy? Why sell your souls to a union and limit your own opportunities?

[Kevin from Lowell]

Robbin Marks wrote:

<quoted text>
Well you go ahead and lick the boss man's boots and see what it gets you, I'll pass.

Lick the boss mans boots? I'm talking about asking for more money and more benefits when airlines are going out of business every other week, and the country is in a recession.

[Musician]

avionics777 wrote:

<quoted text>
i don't care what you thank. but five years ago i took a 30000 dolor pay cut. i expect my back pay benefits to be returned to me with a raise.my responsibilities for the planes i work on remain the same, all i have seen in five years with our cutbacks is management getting big bounces. there getting those bounces from all the workers paycuts. now its our time to get paid . those big bounces management got will come back to haunt them. in other words all the rank and file are saying they got the money from our pay cuts. now its time to get our pay and benefits back.

As I have said many times, the exec bonuses are a terrible PR move, but they are insignificant as far a being able to fund the return of wages to those of the past.

Airlines cannot make enough money to fund a return to past wages. If they are forced into it by unions, it will simply mean another round of trips through bankruptcy resulting in more pain to the workers. And with the tightening of bankruptcy laws, those trips are much more likely to result in the airlines not surviving.

[Algore]

It's George Bush's fault.

[Robbin Marks]

Darwin wrote:

Everywhere you look, collective bargaining is becoming organized extortion. Major unions are still connected to the mafia (UAW, Teamsters,etc.) The only people that truly benefit are union leaders- they could care less about their constituents. An example of using simple math: A union goes on strike for 4 weeks over a 5% wage increase. Let's say during that four weeks, a member loses $1000 per week of wages. 5% of $1000 is $50. Now, let's say that the 5% is approved and the worker goes back.$4000 divided by $50 = 80. It will take 80 WEEKS just to recoup the lost wages, so the raise is negated.
Whatever happened to personal merit and hard work?
Don't demand what you don't deserve. Go out and EARN it. If you work harder, do a better job, don't you deserve the reward more than the next guy? Why sell your souls to a union and limit your own opportunities?

Yeah, let’s do the math. The worker actually only loses what he or she would have net, minus any strike pay he or she got. But even using your scenario, the guy gets four weeks off and makes it up in a little over a year and a half. After a year and a half he is making more money than ever, and the next 5% raise will be even that much bigger due to compounding.

Let’s see, I can pay $4,000 now, take a four week vacation, have the $4,000 paid back to me over the next 80 weeks, and then I get a raise. Yes, one would have to be a fool to take a deal like that!

[Robbin Marks]

Musician wrote:

<quoted text>
As I have said many times, the exec bonuses are a terrible PR move, but they are insignificant as far a being able to fund the return of wages to those of the past.
Airlines cannot make enough money to fund a return to past wages. If they are forced into it by unions, it will simply mean another round of trips through bankruptcy resulting in more pain to the workers. And with the tightening of bankruptcy laws, those trips are much more likely to result in the airlines not surviving.

Did you read the post? Do you actually think that guy can read and comprehend? It doesn’t matter that executive compensation is virtually insignificant to the bottom line. To many, someone sitting aground in an office pushing a pencil should get nothing, I mean, it’s not like they actually have to do any work!

[Love and Happiness]

Musician wrote:

<quoted text>
As I have said many times, the exec bonuses are a terrible PR move, but they are insignificant as far a being able to fund the return of wages to those of the past.
Airlines cannot make enough money to fund a return to past wages. If they are forced into it by unions, it will simply mean another round of trips through bankruptcy resulting in more pain to the workers. And with the tightening of bankruptcy laws, those trips are much more likely to result in the airlines not surviving.

Where have you ben Lately? Glad you are Back...Most People Hear Don't Realize That you Know Everything about the Airline Industry and are Jealous of your Knowlege...I For One Wait every day with Great anticipation for you next Post...

[Musician]

Love and Happiness wrote:

<quoted text>Where have you ben Lately? Glad you are Back...Most People Hear Don't Realize That you Know Everything about the Airline Industry and are Jealous of your Knowlege...I For One Wait every day with Great anticipation for you next Post...

Even you should be able to understand that a company that's net income over the page fives years has been negative billion$ can't afford to pay higher wage$.

And let's see ... if the top 100 execs had been paid nothing during those five years, the net income would have been ... negative billions!

The exec bonuses are bad PR, but NOT the cause of the problem.

[Hiker]

Darwin wrote:

Everywhere you look, collective bargaining is becoming organized extortion. Major unions are still connected to the mafia (UAW, Teamsters,etc.) The only people that truly benefit are union leaders- they could care less about their constituents. An example of using simple math: A union goes on strike for 4 weeks over a 5% wage increase. Let's say during that four weeks, a member loses $1000 per week of wages. 5% of $1000 is $50. Now, let's say that the 5% is approved and the worker goes back.$4000 divided by $50 = 80. It will take 80 WEEKS just to recoup the lost wages, so the raise is negated.
Whatever happened to personal merit and hard work?
Don't demand what you don't deserve. Go out and EARN it. If you work harder, do a better job, don't you deserve the reward more than the next guy? Why sell your souls to a union and limit your own opportunities?

I'm a retired union worker and living a comfortable retirement due to collective bargaining.Also,the company I retired from is very profitable due to hard working union workers. Hint;brown trucks.Take your fuzzy math elsewhere.

[MiserDD]

Robbin Marks wrote:

<quoted text>
Yeah, let’s do the math. The worker actually only loses what he or she would have net, minus any strike pay he or she got. But even using your scenario, the guy gets four weeks off and makes it up in a little over a year and a half. After a year and a half he is making more money than ever, and the next 5% raise will be even that much bigger due to compounding.
Let’s see, I can pay $4,000 now, take a four week vacation, have the $4,000 paid back to me over the next 80 weeks, and then I get a raise. Yes, one would have to be a fool to take a deal like that!

Four weeks of Vacation??? You my friend have never walked a picket line!!

[Robbin Marks]

MiserDD wrote:

<quoted text>
Four weeks of Vacation??? You my friend have never walked a picket line!!

I beg to differ with you, I have. Okay, three weeks. Now look at the number of people showing up on most picket lines today, and the people sitting around on the line, and I think you'll agree.

[Kevin from Lowell]

Robbin Marks wrote:

<quoted text>
I beg to differ with you, I have. Okay, three weeks. Now look at the number of people showing up on most picket lines today, and the people sitting around on the line, and I think you'll agree.

Robbin, I don't want to be rude, but if you're such a big union fan, why are you in Thailand? Organizing?