American Airlines faces an imminent storm if it cannot reach an agreement with its mechanics. Why? The union has promised it.
American Airlines and TWU-IAM, the union representing AA mechanics, are locked in a bitter battle. American has filed a lawsuit against the union, seeking an injunction for what it describes as “illegally gain[ed] leverage in contract negotiations by directing a coordinated and deliberate illegal slowdown focused on the maintenance operation.” Put simply, AA accuses its mechanics of sabotaging flights by delaying or cancelling them to due to minor, non-critical issues.
The union posted the video below, an eye-opening exchange between John Samuelsen, the TWU President, and AA President Robert Isom:
I stand here to tell you that you’re not going to get what you want. If this erupts into the bloodiest, ugliest battle that the United States labor movement ever saw, that’s what’s going to happen. You’re already profitable enough.
…
If we ever get to a point where there’s self help, we are going to engage in absolutely vicious strike action against American Airlines to the likes of which you’ve never seen, not organized by airline people, but organized by a guy that came out of the New York City subway system that’s well inclined to strike power and who understands that the only way to challenge power is to aggressively take it to them…We’re going to shut this place down.
Those are fighting words.
Whatever your views on executive compensation and the plight of American workers, the mechanics appear to be breaking the law at this point. Federal law prohibits airline workers from legally striking until a mediator declares an impasse in negotiations. This has not occurred yet. Yet the “slowdown” by mechanics has led to delays and cancellations at such high numbers it is statistically improbable to argue the actions are not deliberate.
Summer Disaster?
As the busy summer travel season approaches, I expect the “slowdown” to speed up. Look for more mechanical delays and flight cancellations. After all, the union has promised the “bloodiest, ugliest battle” to secure job security and increases in pay and benefits.
While I am truly sympathetic to many of the union demands/concerns, I am not sympathetic to the slowdown, which AA had every right to sue to stop. That said, how can a court force workers to “compromise safety” when these workers claim they are working as fast as they can? Even a court injunction won’t fix this problem.
CONCLUSION
What a sticky situation. As much as I would like to see it happen, I don’t expect a smooth resolution. Quite the contrary, I expect negotiations to deteriorate and may culminating in an actual strike this summer which will cripple travelers and quickly break Doug Parker’s promise of eternal profits…
> Read More – Doug “Nostradamus” Parker: AA will Never Lose Money Again
(H/T: View from the Wing)
Unions gonna union.
Each side has levers to make the other side unhappy.
American is a hot mess under Parker and may never recover from these past few years and the lack of employee morale, the systemic customer hatred, and operational nightmares. As an Exec Plat for over 20 years I have quietly shifted a great deal of flying to United…not a great alternative but certainly better – and they are at least making efforts.
This union battle is going to get nasty real fast for American. You just don’t find aircraft mechanics outside waiting at your local Home Depot looking for work.
More power to the unions. The airline, through one excuse or another, through bankruptcy or pleas to solidarity post-9/11, has encumbered the Unions all whilst enriching upper management and impoverishing the traveler. Parker and Isom need to learn that any for any business to succeed it needs to treat both customer AND employee with respect
“Quite the contrary, I expect negotiations to deteriorate and may culminating in an actual strike this summer which will cripple travelers and quickly break Doug Parker’s promise of eternal profits…”
I consider an actual strike highly unlikely, because a) you don’t exactly have a labor friendly NLRB in place right now, and b) the precedent was set during the Clinton administration for government intervention to stop airline strikes. There’s no way the feds are going to permit a “too big to fail” airline like AA to endure a work stoppage.
That being said, I’d say the most likely parallel is what you saw happen to Southwest earlier this year, though magnified further because it’s peak season. It’s not going to be pleasant.
Given the current NLRB and a likely anti-union response to any formal work stoppage from the current administration, the kinds of things the union is doing (typically called “work to rule”) is really their only and best option right now.
If workers are filing false maintenance tags, etc, then AA might have a leg to stand on, but if they’re just methodically ensuring every “i” is dotted and every “t” crossed, as well as working not one minute past their shift, that’s not something AA can win a claim against in a court that’s not been bought off.
More power to the union. Screw this miserable airline that treats everyone with utter contempt – customers, employees, members of their “loyalty” program. Karma, baby.
As a former UAW-148 member & part of the negotiating team I’m surprised to hear a union leader talk of bloody battles. We all went through ‘ concession contracts ‘ & it isn’t nice. But airline mechanics have one of the few decent & good jobs remaining in the USA. Both parties should try very hard to keep American Airlines in the air. I had the pleasure of help building 146 MD-80 jets while at Long Beach before Boeing bought it. I took the early retirement because so many younger people under 30 were always complaining. Don’t lose your jobs forever. Work is what built America.
I agree, both parties should be working hard at making American better. The problem is that management never wants to make any concessions. It does not occur to them that a happy employee will in turn boost profits. Management at most airlines is completely incompetent and when that incompetence comes to light, they blame employees for not overcoming the poor management. Since quality management is not currently employed at very many airlines, it would be smart to make the workers happy so that they overcome the terrible management in place.
The hardest part of these negotiations is getting American Airlines to the bargaining table.
Both Doug Parker and Robert Isom have did they will meet anytime anywhere… but those are just words and empty promises
I’m a low tech grandpa now & may need some help