Carrier Responds, Calls Tactic 'Disappointing'

The Transport Workers Union has placed newspaper ads in Fort Worth, Chicago and Tulsa, charging that the management of American Airlines is, "tearing a once-proud airline apart."

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is one of the papers carrying the ad, in which the union says mechanics and other ground workers have helped attract outside maintenance revenue, then gone unrewarded while executives and top managers got big stock bonuses.

"These are difficult days for all airlines, there’s no denying it... but American Airlines’ unwillingness to come to even an interim agreement or agree to incentive pay for its ground workers while lining the pockets of executives is tearing a once-proud airline apart," the union's ad reads.

Union President Jim Little tells the paper that worker morale, "is the lowest I’ve seen in a long time." He adds employees feel as if the airline hasn’t lived up to promises to share the benefits of outside maintenance contracts.

Contract negotiations have been underway since last November, and airline spokeswoman Tami McLallen called the union ads a "disappointing" approach.

"Historically, contract negotiations can be a lengthy process. However, we have made progress since opening talks in November and continue to meet regularly with the TWU negotiating teams," she said.
 
The ads may be disappointing for American... but they shouldn't come as a surprise. The TWU bought ads in April, characterizing airline executives as greedy and unable to share.

The Allied Pilots Association ran its own ad in USA Today earlier this year, claiming delays and poor service show American is failing its customers.

FMI: www.aa.com, www.twu.org