APA Threats and Insults

[Captain X]

Threats and Insults​

Fellow Pilots,

Yesterday, Mark Burdette personally delivered to the Association what management has characterized as a “warning letter.” This letter is better described as a “threatening letter.” I have attached both Mr. Burdette’s letter and my response.

As you read Mr. Burdette’s letter, you will likely feel the same outrage as I did at its insulting and downright arrogant tone. Management is either displaying – once again – their persistent inability to address employees’ legitimate outrage over executive bonuses, or they are perhaps trying to goad pilots into the very behavior management allegedly seeks to forestall. I’ll let you be the final judge, but don’t take the bait.

If you are not scheduled to fly on April 18, the best thing you can do is attend the National Rally and March to show management that pilots are not only incensed at management’s continually self-centered and insulting behavior, but that we also know how to legally show that outrage. We all know from past experience that any illegal activity will only weaken our institution and hamper APA’s ability to serve your interests.

If you are scheduled to work next week, the best thing you can do is support our “Hats Off” campaign and show our passengers that we are dedicated professionals who have earned our rightful share of American Airlines’ improving financial performance. Carry yourself with pride even as our senior executives try to divert attention from their shame.

Thank you for your professionalism!

Sincerely,

Ralph


p.s. If you are planning on attending the Rally, please remember to RSVP. Hotel rooms are still available for either the night of the 17th or 18th. You can click hereto RSVP​

 

[Captain X]

April 11, 2007
​

Captain Ralph Hunter, President
Allied Pilots Association
14600 Trinity Blvd., Suite 500
Ft. Worth, TX 76155
Re: Potential Job Action
Dear Captain Hunter:
American has received credible information that certain pilots represented by the APA, and others acting in concert with them, intend to participate in an illegal sick-out or engage in other forms of unlawful disruptive activity on or about April 18, 2007, in connection with a dispute about American's distributions under the 2004/2006 Performance Share Plan and/or other compensation policies. American has also received information that an organization known as Pilots Defending the Profession ("PDP") which apparently is an ally of the APA with respect to their opposition to the Performance Share Plan distributions, and which includes as its members many American pilots represented by the APA, is also planning or encouraging pilots to engage in similar unlawful activities.
Rather than utilizing the mandatory dispute resolution procedures set forth in the Railway Labor Act ("RLA"), 45 U.S.C. § 151 et seq., to attempt to resolve this dispute, it appears that these pilots and the PDP intend to disrupt American's operations and inflict harm upon the traveling public in an attempt to force American to accede to their positions in this matter.
We are now in the collective bargaining process governed by Section 6 of the RLA. APA has every right to press its demands for restoration of pay and benefits through that process. Instead of collective bargaining proposals, however, all we see emanating your organization are exhortations to pilots to let management know that "We want our money back;" that "Now, it is time to get our money back;" and that pilots must be "willing to do what is necessary to achieve that end." Given the prior history of illegal job actions on this property and in your work group in particular, it should come as no surprise that some members of your organization view APA rhetoric as no-so-subtle directive to take matters into their own hands.
Be advised that American will hold all responsible persons and entities fully accountable under the RLA and the APA/American collective bargaining agreement if there is a job action that disrupts American's operations and harms American's passengers. Be further advised that the RLA requires the APA, as the certified collective bargaining representative or American's pilots, to exert every reasonable effort to make and maintain its agreement with American and to settle all disputes, whether arising out of that agreement or otherwise, without interrupting American's operations. As you well know, this fundamental duty includes the affirmative obligation to take reasonable steps to prevent unlawful job actions from occurring. See Delta Air Lines, Inc. v. ALPA, 238 F.3d 1300, 1309 (11th Cir. 2001), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 1019 (2001); United Air Lines, Inc. v. IAM, 243 F.3d 349, 363 (7th Cir. 2001) cert denied, 534 U.S. 889 (2001).
Accordingly, we ask that the APA immediately issue a communication (by electronic means and hard copy) to all of the American pilots that it represents: (1) directing the pilots to cease and desist from planning, encouraging or engaging in any sick-out, slow down or other form of unlawful self help; (2) stating affirmatively that the APA will initiate disciplinary proceedings against any member who refuses to comply with the cease and desist directive or otherwise engages in an unlawful job action against American and, (3) explaining that the APA expressly disavows any and all communications made by the PDP, or by pilots who claim to be affiliated with the PDP, that purport to encourage other pilots to engage in a sick-out, slowdown or other form of unlawful self help.

In addition to seeking injunctive relief under the RLA, be further advised that we will also deem any job action or disruption to be in breach of the APA/American collective bargaining agreement for which we will seek a compensatory remedy in a proceeding before the System Board of Adjustment. We will seek to recover our lost revenues, our lost profits and the attorneys fees we expend in securing an injunction to halt the job action. While compensatory damages will never fully rectify the harm caused by an unlawful job action, we suspect that your membership would regard a significant monetary award to be a materially negative development. Please consider that point when the competing voices in your organization tell you that the APA can't stop a "grass roots" protest.
Sincerely,
/signed/

Mark Burdette

​

P.O. Box 619616 DFW Airport, Texas75261 -9616
​

 

[Captain X]

April 12, 2007
​

Mr. Mark L. Burdette
Vice President Employee Relations
American Airlines, Inc.
P. O. Box 619616, MD5235
DFW Airport, Texas 75261-9616

Re: Your threatening letter dated April 11, 2007

Dear Mark:

After first learning about your impending “warning letter” to the unions of American Airlines in yesterday’s Dallas Morning News, I received a copy of the letter directly from you later in the day. It appears that it was more important for you to create a media event than to address any legitimate concerns you have regarding APA’s plans for next week. Nevertheless, as the letter seems to suggest, I am making the full text available to our members for their reference even though I find it patently offensive.

As to the substance of the letter, you declare that you have “credible information” that “certain pilots represented by the APA” intend to participate in an “illegal sick-out or engage in other forms of unlawful disruptive activity on or about April 18, 2007,” the date set by American for the payment of significant bonus awards to certain members of American senior management. During our meeting yesterday, however, you failed to produce any such evidence. If you have any specific information in your possession with respect to any American pilot’s intent to engage in unlawful activity, it is your obligation to provide that information to us immediately.

As you are well aware, the Allied Pilots Association has planned various activities to mark the incredibly self-centered, ill-advised and divisive executive bonus payout, but as you have properly recognized, none of those activities is in any way illegal. As you also acknowledged at our meeting yesterday, APA has repeatedly and consistently informed its members of their legal obligations under the Railway Labor Act and has strongly advised pilots against any illegal acts. Your letter conspicuously omits any reference to APA’s responsible conduct in this regard, leading us to seriously question the motivation behind your letter.

Our dispute over executive compensation is with senior management, and not with our customers. That is precisely why we are conducting our demonstration next week at AMR headquarters and not at any of our hub airports. Your letter only serves to increase the likely number of pilots participating on their day off in this event. You have personally acknowledged that you know I truly believe any illegal actions only serve to weaken APA as an institution. We have repeatedly instructed our pilots to comply with the law and to take care of our passengers, and we will continue to do so. We have no reason to believe American’s pilots will act in any way other than their normal highly professional manner.

That said, I am struck by the reckless and pernicious nature of your threats against both the Association and individual AA pilots. As you are well aware, the pilots – like most line employees on the property – are already seething over the notion that certain executives will reap irrational and obscene financial rewards while the rest of the employees continue to sacrifice financially. This act is a gross violation of the moral compact entered into between management and labor in 2003 that promised all employees shared reward for shared sacrifice.

I can hardly imagine that your threat to pursue American workers for additional punitive sums will calm what is already an exceedingly tense situation. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating – rather than continually throwing gasoline on the fire, management would be better served by addressing the underlying cause of this problem – the disparate rate of income recovery between senior management and line employees.

Sincerely,

/signed/

Captain Ralph J. Hunter
President


cc: The pilots of American Airlines

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Let's get ready to ruumbbbbblllllllllllllllllllllle!

 

[Kharma Police]

Looks like someone stole Daddy's i.d. on Jet Net and the APA site.

 

[Captain X]

Looks like someone stole Daddy's i.d. on Jet Net and the APA site.

Actually, "someone" cut and pasted that from another airline BBS similar to flightinfo.com.

But thanks for playing.

 

[AA717driver]

Looks like someone stole Daddy's i.d. on Jet Net and the APA site.

And your point would be? TC

 

[ERfly]

Way to go AA guys!! It's time you guys get what's your's! I loved the ad in the USA Today!

 

[Kharma Police]

And your point would be? TC

Just wondering why someone possibly from CAL is posting AA dirty laundry.

 

[Kharma Police]

Actually, "someone" cut and pasted that from another airline BBS similar to flightinfo.com.

But thanks for playing.

WOW, another BBS similar to flightinfo? Please tell me so I can read some more of your posts!!!!!!!!!