AA to Furlough also!

[AAflyer]

Gentlemen,

In my opinion this is a shot at taking one of the big items off the list in the Sect 6 negotiations, productivity. They are trying to do this under the guise of concern for potential furloughs.

The company has "targeted" 200. Why in the world would they target 200, allow 200 to retire, and then request flexing from 82-87 hours a month (with exceptions as high as 95 hours) if we were fat on pilots.

There is a huge potential second group pilots that are leaving Aug1-Sept 1. This WILL cause manning issues, it also puts the total number of AA pilots below the "commuter clause" threshold.

This is a straight grab at seeking relief for the commuter floor, and seeking productivity gives to help staff the airline that IS understaffed, and WILL continue to be understaffed.

IMHO,

AAflyer


TC. Nice to have met you the other day at the puzzle palace,

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

This is so insulting it's comical. Arpey wants 10% more contractural productivity from the pilots in return for a vague and, lets be real here, a totally insincere and false promise to try and mitigate furloughs.

There is NO SUCH THING as mitigating furloughs. This is nothing more than a blatant attempt to establish a new status quo. This is a deliberate insult to American Airlines pilots and should be answered with contempt.

Regardless of this bums rush bribe to a few senior captains, there is likely to be a mass retirement exodus in the next couple of months regardless.

If the AA folks give in, mgmt will still furlough 300 pilots but they'll claim 500 would have been lost. So 200 jobs were "saved". Is that pee on me or is just raining?

AAflyer seems to have a good theory though.

 

[Draginass]

The company's proposal is DOA. And, yes, management has driven themselves danger-close to the minimum floor on pilots that could trigger the end of Eagle.

Many who can retire and take their A-Fund lump sum and their B-Fund (at the stock market price 90 days ago) are likely to drop their papers soon.

The leadership of the APA now aren't the pansies of 2003.

 

[Kugelblitz]

CAL's 'Gold Standard'

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ACADEMY, P.O. BOX 619617, DALLAS/FORT WORTH AIRPORT, TEXAS 75261-9617

July 15, 2008

Fellow Pilots,

By now, you are acutely aware of the planned capacity and workforce reductions our airline has been forced to make. We have held off announcing pilot reductions as we worked through the staffing and training issues unique to the pilot group and we were hopeful that we would be able to avoid furlough altogether. Regrettably, that is not the case. It has been determined that we must reduce our group by approximately 200 pilots.

In an effort to prevent as many involuntary layoffs as possible, the Company presented the APA with a Furlough Mitigation Agreement, which would offer up to 200 senior Captains the chance to separate with four and one half months severance at their current pay levels and the potential to avoid any involuntary furloughs. In return, the company would be allowed to schedule to an 82 hour maximum with mutually agreed to flex capability to 87 hours, while addressing the challenges of our current industry economics.

If the APA accepts, this proposal could benefit hundreds of pilots: eligible Captains who elect to separate would leave with additional pay, our junior and most vulnerable pilots would potentially avoid furlough, there would be opportunity for career progression within our ranks and pilots could see increased earning opportunities due to the new max, flex time, and opportunities for those promoted via backfill. At the same time, it would allow
the company to better manage the manning fluctuations we face driven by both economic and stock market conditions.

Crew reductions are not something any of us wish to contemplate. However, this proposal would alleviate much of the pain associated with a traditional furlough. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact your Chief Pilot or Base Administrator. We want you to be as informed as possible during this transition.

I fully understand the significance of a furlough within our ranks and I am sorry to be the bearer of this information. Unfortunately, it is a necessary step for our airline in the current industry environment. Know that we are doing all we can to ensure the company’s future viability for all of our pilots.

Sincerely,

Mark Hettermann
Vice President - Flight

In terms of many areas of work rules and pay, you guys (formerly "us guys") are still way ahead of CAL. One thing I have said many times, however, to my CAL colleagues is that our FAR based work rules contract and very low compensation will be the gold standard that all airline managements will work to obtain.

You think 82 hours is high? Last year, under our 'contract' at this time I and most of the company (that is, people below about 52% equipment/status seniority) were being awarded on a regular basis lines around 87-90 hours using our PBS. Most of our pilots live on 12 days off a month, and when you consider that nearly 85% of our pilots in EWR commute, that is apocryphal. Further, the low pay rates induce us to pick up other peoples drop trips which lowers our quality of life even further.

The line awarded flight hours do seem a little lower this year but that my be due to marketing induced scheduling changes. How did we end up with this sort of predicament at CAL? Two of the biggest reasons are:

1) Scabs negotiated our present 'contract'. (In fact, our present work agreement has had the most deleterious effect on our internationally deployed EWR pilots; the contract was primarily negotiated by IAH scabs who don't deadhead, receive international overrides, etc.)

2) Our pilots trusted management to do the right thing when vague language was inculcated in the working agreement. Literally, the section on PBS was labeled (TBD - to be determined...by the company)

I worked under AA for 2 years as a '97 hire at TWA before I got furloughed in Jan 2003. I know just how ruthless management can be there, if you guys have any vagaries in your pending contract you must expunge them or face a difficult road as so many at our company has.

Very best wishes to anyone getting furloughed, especially those of you who left a secure job to return to AA for what was most assuredly:

T emporary
W ork
A vailable.

Peace.

 

[cargoflyr69]

DING, DING, DING!!!

Gentlemen,

In my opinion this is a shot at taking one of the big items off the list in the Sect 6 negotiations, productivity. They are trying to do this under the guise of concern for potential furloughs.

The company has "targeted" 200. Why in the world would they target 200, allow 200 to retire, and then request flexing from 82-87 hours a month (with exceptions as high as 95 hours) if we were fat on pilots.

There is a huge potential second group pilots that are leaving Aug1-Sept 1. This WILL cause manning issues, it also puts the total number of AA pilots below the "commuter clause" threshold.

This is a straight grab at seeking relief for the commuter floor, and seeking productivity gives to help staff the airline that IS understaffed, and WILL continue to be understaffed.

IMHO,

AAflyer


TC. Nice to have met you the other day at the puzzle palace,

This is exactly what is going on at Northwest right now to keep folks on property. they lowered the montly max from 88 to 80 with some flexes in certain fleets. Early retirements and COLA.

Sounds to me that 200 pilots is insignificant in the size of your pilot group and unless there are more furloughs waiting to be announced in Nov and Dec, then me thinks the company is fighting dirty in respect to the contract issues!

 

[McNugget]

200 sometime in the October time frame.


X

A logical proposal has already been put forth by American to offset the need for furloughs. Maybe the pilot group should take this seriously, as there might not be an American Airlines next year.

 

[AA717driver]

TC. Nice to have met you the other day at the puzzle palace,

Same here, AA! See you around (for a few months... ) TC

 

[njcapt]

A logical proposal has already been put forth by American to offset the need for furloughs. Maybe the pilot group should take this seriously, as there might not be an American Airlines next year.

Are you for real?

Moving 200 pilots off the top of the list (instead of the bottom) is a cost benefit to the company. Increasing average line value makes room for the company to furlough more. Absent any furlough language this abortion is a craven sop to management.

If you can't see this for what it is, you need to have others make important decisions for you.

 

[FreightGod]

A logical proposal has already been put forth by American to offset the need for furloughs. Maybe the pilot group should take this seriously, as there might not be an American Airlines next year.

Ha-ha, that was a good one.
Either you are joking... or just dense...

That proposal is a turd and dead on arrival.

 

[contrail67]

200 sometime in the October time frame.


X

Could you get any more "general" of a statement???