Dear Brothers & Sisters:
The Association Update from TWU International went out yesterday with the added line, “The Time to Prepare for a Potential Lockout by American is Now!” and the IAM version did not. Unfortunately, in today’s world of electronic exchange the two versions did include that minor variance. Irrespective of that, the message from negotiations last week should be a key indicator of how the Association and Company view the future of “labor” at American Airlines. The Association continues to represent our members in achieving the contract that we were all promised as a result of this merger, while the Company continues to threaten massive concessions. The latest update letter speaks volumes to our willingness to negotiate, while the position taken by company negotiators to do nothing is unprecedented. The idea that these negotiations have become take it or leave it, by company negotiators, is unconscionable. As we all know, company executives can embellish the truth. Never forget the lies by Carty in 2003; when only union members took concessions, and we later found out that he and his team had protected themselves with millions of corporate dollars causing him to be run off the property, or how during the sham bankruptcy American executives couldn’t hide billions in assets, including their lavish property in London that was discovered “on the books.”
No matter how senior or junior you are, American is only committing to a “job” for the duration of the agreement, not a guaranteed job for life or a long-term career for that matter! And if they have the opportunity to use the “Force Majeure” language, they have a means to a layoff. American is also trying to rip our ability to improve shifts and days off through their outsourcing demands. Our proposal is simple for SCOPE, we retain the work we do today and maintain the same headcount number throughout the system. Without improvements to the company’s take it or leave it medical proposal, each of us will continue to lose money because we are forced to accept whatever the company projects the annual cost will be, without an audit, and accept whatever benefits they put into the plan design.
A long time ago, Doug Parker was asked if he was “slow rolling these negotiations” and he said “no.” When pressed again, Parker said, he would build a table on the sixth floor of headquarters to get the contracts done. For years now, both Parker and Isom have told stories about the JCBA, everyone must pay attention to how they have shifted the narrative from “the best contract in the industry” to “the highest pay in the industry.” The “highest hourly pay” alone doesn’t gain us anything close to the best contract in the industry, especially if the outsourcing of our work can be eliminated through “Force Majeure” and the permanent loss of thousands of our jobs!
To reach a JCBA, there must be a willingness from American to negotiate and find resolutions on the items that remain open. This week American clearly showed that their table team couldn’t to do so and without the senior leadership, who can make decisions at the table, it looks as if a deal cannot be done. If senior leadership from American does come to the table and has a willingness to listen and negotiate, then a JCBA may be achievable; if not then we will be faced with the toughest, yet most important fight in our careers, without the threat of bankruptcy looming in the background.
Fraternally,
Gary Peterson
International Vice President & Air Division Systems Coordinator
Gary Peterson – 2019 March 23 Letter RE: AA Negotiations in PDF