American Airlines Tulsa

[hummerduude54]

Just realized that I meant to put one sentence in quotes "American is where it is and there isn't anything we can do about it now, I am sorry to say but it is too late."
Because that isn't the way I feel but I have heard it.... time and time again

 

[WTJ]

If any of you AA Aircraft Maintainers on the boards here find yourselves facing a job loss, please PM me and I will do what I can to help with openings, contacts, or contract company info. Where I work we are in dire need of SKILLED AMTs, certificated or not.

I have made comments about my bad experiences with both unions and management. Doesn't matter if someone is about to take ascot like this. If I can help, let me know.

 

[hummerduude54]

I have made comments about my bad experiences with both unions and management. Doesn't matter if someone is about to take ascot like this. If I can help, let me know.

^ True American Patriot - wish more people had your attitude... Management or Union it shouldn't matter as long as you put in an honest days work and can be proud of the legacy you will leave behind

 

[WTJ]

^ True American Patriot - wish more people had your attitude... Management or Union it shouldn't matter as long as you put in an honest days work and can be proud of the legacy you will leave behind

Thanks. That should have said "a shot". D$#n spell correction. LOL.

 

[Cue]

http://business.time.com/2012/02/06/is-american-the-worst-managed-airline-in-america/

Is American the Worst-Managed Airline in America?
By Bill Saporito | @bilsap | February 6, 2012

Members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) were scheduled to vote on a new contract with American Airlines, or AA, this December that would have lowered the airline’s cost and outsourced hundreds of jobs that weren’t directly related to aircraft maintenance. They never got the chance because American instead filed for bankruptcy. On Wednesday AA announced it planned to outsource just about all of them — 4,600 mechanics jobs are going, along with 4,200 ground-service positions, 2,300 flight attendants and 400 pilots. About 15% of American’s work force is getting a one-way ticket to Termination, Texas — thank you for dying with us today.

Of the cuts, the latter two figures make the most sense: American isn’t likely to be needing as many flight crews by the time its bankruptcy is settled because passengers are going to be bailing. Flying is horrible to begin with, and flying an airline run by a group of really angry people isn’t likely going to enhance the service level.

American was the last of the majors to file for bankruptcy — some have gone through the Chapter 11 bath twice — but it’s a standout for another reason. Over the long term, it has arguably been the worst-managed major airline — perhaps the worst-managed service company — that’s still in business. Over the past decade American has lost some $11 billion, which is about 15% of the industry’s total losses over the history of the entire industry. That’s quite an accomplishment.

AA is an airline that always seems to be mad at someone: employees, competitors, passengers, governments, OPEC. The company has been at war with its unions for years. Granted, the TWU is a rough crew, and the pilots are no picnic either. But both groups already negotiated givebacks and the TWU was on the verge of coughing up some more. Blaming the unions, which is basically what management is doing, misses the point. As a very smart CEO of a unionized company said to me years ago: “If you aren’t getting along with your union workforce, don’t call it a labor problem because it’s not. It’s a management problem.” And American has managed its workforce badly for years.

American has historically tried to do everything but compete. It has been trying for years to carve up the London/New York City market with British Airlines, despite the furious protest of Sir Richard Branson at Virgin Atlantic. Indeed, American also tried hard to prevent Virgin America, in which Branson had an interest, from even getting off the ground. American instead should be trying to copy Virgin America, which has one of the best service products in the air and can charge premium prices because of it. Instead, American has been losing altitude in critical markets such as New York City and Chicago, and can’t grow revenues. You can’t pin the lack of revenue growth on mechanics or ground crews. As airline analyst Vicki Bryan of Gimme Credit told the New York Times: “They are still playing football with a leather helmet against Delta and United.” Killer quote, that.

Instead, American screwed everybody, including the Dallas–Fort Worth area, which lured American there in 1979 and where American is planning to close its maintenance base. American intends to outsource most of that work now, and it’s even possible that the work on the engines of American Airlines won’t be done in America, though a maintenance facility in Tulsa, Okla., will be expanded. AA also failed to make most of the payments due on its pension plans — meaning it is trying to dump future obligations onto taxpayers. Shareholders, of course, get wiped out.

If top managements abruptly decides that it has 13,000 too many employees, shouldn’t the first cuts be to top management, where all the bad decisions were made? That’s probably why other companies are sniffing around American. They’re probably thinking that anyone could run the company better than its current management. Speaking of which, even US Airways is reportedly giving American a sniff. If US Airways thinks you’re under managed, you’ve pretty much proved you couldn’t run a rental car shuttle, never mind an airline.

 

[twoguns?]

Thanks. That should have said "a shot". D$#n spell correction. LOL.

GOOD for you..I didnt think the ascots were going to go over tooo well

 

[peanut]

They are SUPPOSED to start laying off management next month. A letter came out from Tom Horton to employess a couple weeks ago.
Someone here said they pulled up the staffing counts for some of the management here in tulsa and they already started adding empty slots in their dept. So now instead of laying of the "real" 2 people, they'll layoff 1 "real" position and eliminate 1 "ghost" or unfilled position. See we layed off 2 in my dept.
They've been doing this for years. SNAFUBAR

 

[mapcon1941]

I am sure deep down we ALL wish the best for the laid off workers. They are friends and neighbors, no matter how much their salaries are, and they are in for some drastic lifestyle changes. IMHO, the U.S. lost its competitive edge when management adopted "diversity" as a merit of promotion, not intellect or work ethic. After 20+ years in industry, I am discouraged at the employees that have been promoted in the last 5 or so years. I have seen so many qualified candidates passed-over for a much less qualified individual, because of some "diversity" campaign. Now, we have a lot of morons at the helm, and it really shows.

 

[Ridgeway]

Try pulling that airplane over on the side of the road next time and tell me how much you think acft techs should be paid. Every time I sign paperwork I'm laying my Federal license, and my lively hood on the line. One wrong pen stroke or fastener and I can be fined $10,000 or improsoned.

Exactly what most people don't realize when they gripe about how much airline mechanics make. My husband has been there since 97 and we saw the writing on the wall and moved to South Florida. Most people don't want to bump to Florida or New York and we've always wanted to live in Florida so we knew he could be on the street any time if we stayed in Tulsa and a chances were better here so we moved here a year ago. I was just visiting the site because of a post about a Hi-point blowing up at a cc class in oklahoma was on my gun forum that I'm on in Florida so I was checking for more info here when I saw the AA thread. Peanut seems to have his head in the same place as Mark and I on the AA issues.
Carry on nice visiting I need to pop back over more often!

 

[Ridgeway]

There are dead A$$es at EVERY company, AA has a lot but, they have alot of people (for now). Per capita I would say they are on par with every other company union or not..........................................................................

I will find a new source of income. It may not be right away, but it will happen. Thanks in advance for those that pay taxes because I may soak up some government entitlements for a while ;D

Very nice post!! Our prayers are with you AA Brother!! It's been a long bumpy ride, good luck to you in your future endeavors!