APA Says Carrier Is Trying To Divert Attention Away From Huge Bonuses

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents pilots of American Airlines, describes letters American Airlines management is delivering to the carrier’s three unions as a “stunt” designed to shift focus away from the large bonuses airline executives will collect next week.

In the letters, management reminds the unions that their members cannot participate in illegal activities as they protest the bonuses.

“It is clear that management is trying to divert attention from the real issue of executive compensation by engaging in a media stunt,” said APA President Captain Ralph Hunter. “We have been telling management for more than a year that they created an untenable situation when they broke the promise of shared reward in return for shared sacrifice. Now they are adding insult to injury by implying that the unions would promote or condone any activity in violation of the law.”

Hunter noted APA is planning to rally and march on AMR headquarters Wednesday, April 18m to call attention to the bonuses -- which APA states "highlight the inherent unfairness of senior executives collecting huge bonuses paid for by billions in employee givebacks."

“Our dispute is with AMR’s executives and not our customers,” Hunter said. “We have repeatedly directed our members to report to work as scheduled and demonstrate their utmost professionalism on the job. We understand how angry and frustrated all AA employees are at the prospect of these obscene bonus payments and we have provided a perfectly legal means for them to express their displeasure.

“Rather than spending time trying to shift focus away from the issue at hand, management needs to acknowledge that it has created a serious problem with the disparity in income recovery between executives and rank-and-file employees,” he said. “They then need to fix the problem and fix it quickly.”

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org