American mechanics overwhelmingly reject tentative labor contract

By Aaron Karp | August 26, 2010

American 737-800. Photo: by Rob Finlayson.

American Airlines' mechanics rejected a tentative agreement on a new labor contract in voting Tuesday, setting up a potentially disruptive standoff between airline management and the workers.

The Transport Workers Union, representing AA's 11,500 mechanics and related workers, said 6,071 members voted against ratification of the May 5 tentative collective bargaining accord, nearly double the 3,371 who voted in favor. The carrier's 1,200 stores workers, also represented by TWU, additionally rejected a tentative contract by a 384-332 vote.

"American felt the tentative agreements reached with both groups represented the company's best offer," the company said in a statement. "We look forward to re-working the agreements in a balanced way that will achieve ratification."

The airline's 90 TWU-represented technical specialists voted to accept their tentative labor agreement with management by a 60-18 count. AA said those workers "will realize immediate financial gains."

It said it will "continue working toward new agreements [with mechanics and stores workers] and will look to the [US] National Mediation Board for guidance on next steps with these workgroups." The workers won't be allowed to strike unless NMB officially releases the groups from negotiations, triggering a 30-day "cooling-off" period before a work action can commence.

TWU represents about half the airline's 50,000 unionized employees including 10,600 fleet service workers, a group that reached a tentative agreement on a new contract in late May (ATW Daily News, May 31). While AA is hopeful that contract will be ratified, TWU leadership has cast doubt on whether the accord will win approval from rank-and-file members.

AA still remains far apart in negotiations with its pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Assn., and is also in NMB-overseen negotiations with the Assn. of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents 18,000 AA cabin crew who have voted to authorize a strike. The flight attendants are seeking their release from mediated talks (ATW Daily News, May 5).

APFA said in a statement yesterday, "We applaud TWU's mechanics and store clerks for standing in solidarity…They have recognized nothing can be accomplished with American Airlines other than through a struggle…We share their frustration and anger with American management."

Discuss this news 18

25 Aug21:13

These are challenging

By by Jim

These are challenging times........
We all stand in Solidarity, but must tighten our belts.
Severely, I might add.
Being a Detroiter, no one knows better than me.
I ask, entreaty you,
to reflect upon our times, with the promise of blue skies ahead, and do what we all have done, work towards the best solution, with the eye on the prize, the future.
Obstinacy aside, work together, that is what America is all
about.

Best Wishes in Negotiations,
The American Public.
Jim Herrera, Detroit

25 Aug21:15

AA needs new top management,

By Orlando

AA needs new top management, new planes, new blood...its labor disputes are not helping it soar. AA's top management draconian cuts appear to have affected maintenance. Bad "PR"! :( AA workers are demoralized!

25 Aug21:30

Having spent 32 years in

By Anonymous

Having spent 32 years in Maintenance at AAL I have descovered that no mater what the management did the Union thought they could do better. When the Management tried to listen to what they wanted to tell the company how to run things the uion didn't want to take any responsibilty it it didn't work. AAL has been losing for several years now and the unions need to start thinking about what happen is AAL either folds or goes into Chapter 7 or 11. Then all the bitching won't matter then. Times have change and they need to change with them or watch a good company close its doors.

25 Aug21:43

Yeah...you are right "times

By Anonymous

Yeah...you are right "times have changed" What's changed is the over 400% pay increase by Senior airline management while Labor has lost over 50% of wage earning power.

AA is only the FIRST of major battles in store for the corporate airline thugs that have pilfered airline employees over the last 20 years.

Get ready for the Delta (NWA's Lorenzo management) battle that's coming.

25 Aug22:22

yea Delta strike is next

By jambone

yea Delta strike is next

25 Aug23:02

To AA workers: You should be

By Anonymous

To AA workers: You should be pride to stand up. At Air Canada tech ops we didn't and we will soon lose up to 4500 workers that will become Aveos' workers in a couple of months. That means: less job security, less bargaining power and lost of all privilege to be an airline employee in addition to work for a very badly managed company.

25 Aug23:04

In the long run, these AAL

By Anonymous

In the long run, these AAL union thugs are going to get just what they deserve when AAL goes under or goes the BK route. Typical union mentality.

25 Aug23:14

American may appear to be a

By reece

American may appear to be a 'very troubled' airline but it certainly is one of The Best. Hopefully Management will negotiate FAIR Labour Agreements with ALL their Unions or one of the USA's Best Airlines will have no choice to file for Reorganization, because they will never ratify a garbage contract and nor should they.

25 Aug23:53

Its a real travesty that AA

By Anonymous

Its a real travesty that AA Management in charge of the Aircraft Maintenance folks have left the airline and its customers to suffer by re-organizing and forcing the only Aircraft Maintenance Managers that knew how to produce airplanes, and how to manage union labor. They have now put in place robots that just say "YES, YES, YES" and have been fined now millions of dollars, just last week a whopping 25 million dollar fine for poor maintenance practices. I applaud the TWU, ALPA, AND AFPA for standing up to a upper executive structure that just does not have a clue. I hope that you guys get what you long deserve, proper pay, retirement benefits, time with your families and a Job that once again you can be proud to say where you are working for. Ps I was one of the RISE guys that got pushed out after investing 17 years at a place I thought I had job security!!! GOD SPEED For the AA Labor groups.

26 Aug08:25

The truth is that when AA

By Capt Jack

The truth is that when AA labor groups took drastic pay cuts and contract concessions, AA management took hundred's of millions in bonus money. Even when AA lost 1 billion dollars, management took bonus money. Even though AA has been fined record amounts by the FAA for faulty maintenance practices, AA management took bonuses. And goes on and on...
All of this while the workers hours have been increased, pay has been drastically cut, vacation reduced, many works laid off and working conditions have deteriorated.
AA workers have had it and the fault lays directly on the shoulders of the very poor management at American Airlines. A total change is needed for the top down to solve this self induced problem.

26 Aug09:42

Don't know why you say Delta

By DeltaEmployee

Don't know why you say Delta is next. Unlike AA, Delta management actually listens to its employees. There may have been a union culture at NW but there isn't one at DL. The unions, who are nothing more than a money making engine for unions themselves, will fail at Delta.

26 Aug10:33

Are you kidding, AA the best.

By Anonymous

Are you kidding, AA the best. AA may have been the best 15 years ago but now they're down at the bottom especially when you compare them to the foreign airlines.

26 Aug13:12

AA is the only major US

By PT

AA is the only major US airline that has not filed for bankruptcy !! Let's hope both sides can work it out and AA can keep to the air successfully, safely, and profitably. There are always going to be grievances, but failure should not be an option. Eastern, Pan Am, Braniff, National, Western, etc who'da thunk it? With over a million pax miles on AA, I want to keep boarding those silver airplanes and arriving safely.

26 Aug16:14

This time it`s not the greedy

By ORD AMT

This time it`s not the greedy unions, It`s the greedy VP s and CEO. In the past, companies always said that it`s the unions destroying the company, but the last couple of years, we all learned that it`s management. (ex. Goldman Sacs etc.) How can AA cry poor when giving out bonuses to the elite Vice presidents? It`s time for equal compensation for everyone.

26 Aug16:50

Delta management must have

By Phil

Delta management must have improved alot since my dad retired from them in 2005 and are they taking their employees seriously from outside ATL? The employees I knew didn't think so. Seriously, back to American, the union has a point, so do management. Why isn't the mediation board doing a better job trying to get a settlement? Congress, where are you now?

29 Aug23:14

American Airlines can become

By khawaja javaid

American Airlines can become the third largest airline in the world in RPK after Delta and United,and will remain there for a very long time standing alone.American Airlines Top Executives needs to sit back and take a deep breath.American Airlines needs to resolve the issues with its labour unions.American Airlines can increase its revenue by 200 % in just 3-4 years.

02 Sep17:50

WERE U IN ORD? THAT CUT GOOD

By ORD AMT

WERE U IN ORD? THAT CUT GOOD GUYS HERE.

13 Sep23:18

Go for the gold AA Techs! In

By aeroguy

Go for the gold AA Techs! In 1986 AA offerred me a job at LAX for $10.00 an hour with no medical and dental for the first year. They further suggested I be a "B" scale employee despite having six years of hands on jet/structural experience with an A&P. I turned the job offer down and went to work for another airline I have been with for 24 years. Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering is as much a part of the collective product as in-flight service, ticketing, bag handling, dispatch and piloting multi-million dollar capital assets also know as airplanes. The common denominator in all of these disciplines is this: safe and reliable aircraft. AA Executives...ask your customers this: Would you rather have safe and reliable aircraft, in-flight meals, baggage fees, etc? When you make aircraft maintenance an ancilary component of the airline product, you compromise the total product that the customer has paid for and deserves.