AirTran Pilots Respond to CEO’s 2009 Compensation Package

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Industry leading wages for all sides of the table...

ATLANTA—Today, union leaders for AirTran pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement in response to AirTran Airways' chief executive Bob Fornaro’s receiving over a 30 percent increase in his 2009 compensation package to about $2 million.

“AirTran pilots have not had a pay raise in six years, despite several consecutive quarters of significant company growth and profits. We are pleased to see the company doling out 30 percent pay increases to its employees. These pay raises couldn’t have come at a better time, as negotiations with AirTran management on important economic sections of our contract have begun.

“AirTran pilots are paid up to 26 percent below industry average, even while AirTran managers continue to enjoy salaries and lucrative bonus packages that put them in the upper echelon of airline executives. We hope that this announcement from the company signals a willingness to fairly compensate and reward not only Mr. Fornaro, but all AirTran employees who contribute daily to this company’s success.”

The AirTran pilots are beginning to sound like Barry Hussein Obama: all CEOs are bad.

 

[Dan Roman]

The AirTran pilots are beginning to sound like Barry Hussein Obama: all CEOs are bad.

Odd post?
Ualratt's post was simply ALPA's response to the fact that AirTran's management is fine with giving themselves raises when times are good at the expense of fairly sharing the wealth. It seemed to have a good balance of "fair enough that management gets a raise, so should the employee's"

Personally, I have no problem if management is well paid. But not at the expense of the employees. Our country has gone too far in that direction, a few people making obscene amounts of money at the expense of many.
I'm a Democrat but not totally anti Republican, I do find it funny that the Republicans fight like hell to minimize taxes so people have more money to spend and boost the economy, which I agree is a valid position, but they are the party that also supports large bonus's for CEO's at the expense of the working man.

Time and time again, SOME CEO's have slashed employee's pay and benefits and than pocketed much of the money they saved the corporation. If lower taxes are better for the economy because people will have more money to spend, how come the Republicans don't seem to think the working man getting a raise is good for the economy?

 

[bmpilot]

Of Course they are arrogant. Pilots are a bunch of Followers, rule followers, Management are the rule makers.
When the Pilots start to break the rules and wild cat strike and things like that then management will take notice but for now, just stick to crying on your union boards, chest thumping about Solidarity, taking big Stike votes and then let them wear down your fortitude to nothing while you willing vote for some crap contract and say you are just "lucky to have a job".
Gone are the days when 1000 guys would show up at a picket line and stop traffic into the airports, gone are the days when guys would go to jail for standing up what they believe in, now if you do go on strike there will be a nice little barrier placed in some obscure part of the airport where all 3 of you that are allowed to picket will stand with cute signs that no on will notice, you'd be better off holding Subway sandwich signs.

so fire away at me. You all Know I am right

Guess you have not seen our last couple of picketing event's

 

[bmpilot]

Flame / Fire, sure it is but it is also FACT. Let us see if there is any difference in these tactics than there were in the last 10 or so airline contracts. I bet NOT. I hope that it would be different but those days of demanding what you deserve are over, Now it is whine a lot and take what they offer with a million excuses why the accepted offer is no where near the expectations.

And the last couple of contracts from others hae been below standard. Who are you. Mgt????

 

[bmpilot]

I got $20 bucks says the strike vote is over 90% in favor...

Agreed

 

[vtwo]

And the last couple of contracts from others hae been below standard. Who are you. Mgt????

No Far from Management. But I am now on the Outside looking in. Not wanting back, just enjoying the same rhetoric from you guys that I have heard before by many others. All with the same outcome.
Crap contracts!
I wish it were different, but it won't be. INFO picketing? what does that really do? makes a cute little story on the local news, a few pax might get upset and a cute little sound bite for TV. A big article in your local union rag about how much SOLIDARITY you have. Bla bla Bla.

Face it in this market you will Not Strike....... They know that .
if you want true, fair negotiations / A wild cat strike. a Picket line that Disrupts the flow of traffic to the airport will get their attention.

fear is a good motivator. But all of the other Grandstanding means nothing to them.

Good luck.

 

[Lear70]

Face it in this market you will Not Strike....... They know that .

I hope it's not necessary, but you obviously don't work at AAI and know not of that which you speak.

if you want true, fair negotiations / A wild cat strike. a Picket line that Disrupts the flow of traffic to the airport will get their attention.

You just pretty much lost all credibility in this discussion because, again, you obviously don't know what you're talking about.

The POLICE control the flow of picketing. They are out there to make sure you do NOT disrupt the flow of traffic. When you do, you get arrested. If they have to arrest everyone, they'll call local police to help, and drag everyone downtown.

If you're out of the game, why bother coming on here at all? I think you need to justify your departure and thus hope things do NOT improve for all of us. If they don't, you can point and say "See? That's why I left." If they do, you might live to regret your choice.

See? Doesn't feel very good for someone to go on the offensive about YOU, does it? Maybe you should just keep your mouth shut rather than deliberately stirring the pot? Just a thought...

 

[dh82dvr]

Gone are the days when 1000 guys would show up at a picket line and stop traffic into the airports

Of course those days are gone. The airports wont allow it. They will put a quick end to any event that causes that kind of disruption.

 

[BRA]

It has to be at least 90% to send the proper message to management. If it's anywhere in the 80's, well....

And what's this 500 hours Part 121 PIC requirement for new applicants who suppossedly will be sitting copilot reserve for the next 2-3 years?? Is that a message from someone?

They had those mins when I was applying 7 years ago or so. May be they have just never changed?

 

[27 driver]

Of Course they are arrogant. Pilots are a bunch of Followers, rule followers, Management are the rule makers.
When the Pilots start to break the rules and wild cat strike and things like that then management will take notice but for now, just stick to crying on your union boards, chest thumping about Solidarity, taking big Stike votes and then let them wear down your fortitude to nothing while you willing vote for some crap contract and say you are just "lucky to have a job".
Gone are the days when 1000 guys would show up at a picket line and stop traffic into the airports, gone are the days when guys would go to jail for standing up what they believe in, now if you do go on strike there will be a nice little barrier placed in some obscure part of the airport where all 3 of you that are allowed to picket will stand with cute signs that no on will notice, you'd be better off holding Subway sandwich signs.

so fire away at me. You all Know I am right

I would agree that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but those actions will also get us parked by the NMB, sued by management, and drag out our contract goals even longer.