AA Pilot's Union Elects New Leadership

It looks like the troubles are starting for American Airlines. Their pilot's union just held a leadership election, and the entire slate of incumbents was easily defeated by a slate of candidates advocating a much more confrontational approach with the airline.

The new slate didn't just win -- they won by a landslide. The new slate basically doubled the votes given to the incumbents. And the voter turnout was large. At least 81.5% of the unions members voted, setting a new voter record.

The pilots are very unhappy that while they are working with substantial paycuts, the management of the airlines are dividing up millions in bonuses. They are not the only ones. We already know that the flight attendents are very upset over this, and a couple of weeks ago the ground workers signaled they are going to take a more confrontational approach with management.

Is it any surprise that rank-and-file workers are unhappy? They helped to save the company by agreeing to take substantial paycuts. They had a right to believe they would be rewarded for their sacrifice when the company got on a firmer footing. But they were stabbed in the back.

The company is now operating in the black, but all the rewards for that have gone to management. While the management got millions in bonuses, the workers got ignored. They are expected to go on working for the reduced wages.

I have a feeling that's not going to happen. The company is in store for some very rancorous negotiations in the upcoming contract discussions. This is only right. Management should not have been given a penny in bonuses until the reduced wages had been restored.

A company spokesman said, "A vote other than for the incumbency is essentially a vote to go backwards in the management labor relationship. The problem is management has not done a good signaling to labor that they don't want to go back down that path."

That's not true! Management's signal was loud and clear when they gave the management bonuses -- and it was confrontational.

If there is a strike in the future, and I expect there will be considering management's attitude, I know I will not be flying with any "scab" pilots. I urge my readers to make the same decision.