Carrier Says Sticker Stuck On MD-80 Violates FAA Rules

An American Airlines pilot was upset about a remark made by the company's vice president of human resources, Jeff Brundage. To show his displeasure, he put a little sticker on his MD-80 in May that was critical of the airline's executive bonuses.

American Airlines showed its displeasure recently by suspending the unidentified, Fort Worth-based pilot without pay for 30 days, according to the Associated Press.

"We think that this punishment is extreme," Michael Leone, an American pilot who serves as vice-chairman of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the Allied Pilots Association, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The monetary loss came to about $12,000. The union has requested donations from its members for a fund for the pilot. They've raised $1,100 so far.

Leone said the pilot apologized for the incident and promised it wouldn't happen again.

"No reasonable person would even consider placing such a financial hardship on one of our pilots and their families" for a minor infraction of company policy, Leone said. "The punishment clearly does not fit the crime."

American spokesperson Sue Gordon said the sticker was a violation of Federal Aviation Administration rules and that, although the carrier doesn't usually comment about employee matters, the suspension was in accordance with normal procedures.

It's unknown exactly which comments upset the pilot, but this can be counted as yet another skirmish between employees and management over the bonuses. About 800 upper level executives were paid about $160 million in company stock in April while rank-and-file employees continue to work under a reduced wages and benefits package agreed to in 2003 to help keep the company afloat.

When pilots marched on the company's headquarters in protest in April, Brundage angered many he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "If they want to make what executives make, then they need to become executives."

Undeterred, parent company AMR is planning yet another wave of bonuses. This time, though, it's just for its top five executives only.

If these five get good reviews and company stock does well, they could see a payout of as much as $12.9 million in 2010, according to the Dallas Morning News. Divided evenly, the group stands to receive about $2.5 million each.

Not bad for a day's work...

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