The Dallas Morning News today was absolutely hostile to the APFA, speaking on its front page about the union's "long combative history," singling it out as responsibile for any impending bankruptcy. The Fort Worth Star Telegram, however, carried a better piece that interviewed different workers for their perspectives. That's below.
Brian
-- Many American workers glad to see Carty go
April 25, 2003
By Sean Wood Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Many American Airlines workers, still seething over last week's revelations about executive bonuses, said they were pleased to hear Thursday that Don Carty had quit as chief executive of the carrier's parent, AMR Corp.
News of Carty's resignation spread quickly Thursday evening, along with reports of a revised package of employee concessions aimed at placating American's unions and keeping the airline out of bankruptcy court.
But even as workers heard about the shorter terms and enhanced incentives in the concessions deals, they said they couldn't forgive Carty for the airline's plight.
"You can put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig," said Judy Milne, a 37-year flight attendant. "Cutting [the contract] to three years is not good enough for me. I'm worried about my 38 percent pay cut."
Although the proposed contract is advertised as a 15 percent pay cut for flight attendants, Milne and others said that's just their base pay. The proposal would also slice overtime and other provisions that increase their income and would
change work rules, requiring them to work longer hours.
"I'm angry at American Airlines for what they're forcing us to do," Milne said. "It's their poor management that screwed the company up."
"Nobody's happy with it one bit," said Richard Standish, a 16-year member of the ground crew. "Concessions, to me, should be straight up across the board. I know executives who make $80,000 and they're taking an 8 percent pay cut. I make $50,000 to $55,000 and I've got to take a 16 percent pay cut."
Others said they were glad just to know Carty is gone. He will be replaced by Gerard Arpey as CEO and Edward Brennan as chairman of the board.
"It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," said Capt. Brian Wilcox. "We can go forward with this. We feel we have a chance."
That sentiment was echoed again and again by flight crews, flight attendants and ground crews as they hustled through Dallas/Fort Worth Airport to and from flights and on and off their work shifts.
"Morale here is going to shoot up," said ramp worker Doug Hickman, an 18-year employee from Fort Worth. "There has been a lot of tension. Morale has been bad from all the groups."
Morale plunged, employees said, after they approved contract concessions only to learn the next day about executive bonuses and executive pensions that would be protected if AMR had to file for bankruptcy.
"How evil is it to see employees so loyal, to give up what they did, and then to find out about that 10K filing?" said Deborah Jones, a purser and 29-year employee from Coppell. "I don't care what [Carty] says, I will never believe he didn't intend for it to happen that way."
Jones, who said she "would walk through hell and back with a teaspoon of water for American Airlines," said that although she is glad that Carty is gone, she is not happy with Arpey as a replacement.
"He's exactly in line with Carty's philosophy," she said. "If I never looked at the TV screen to see Arpey up there, I would have thought it was Carty talking."
Cliff Reedy, a 19-year ground worker from Decatur, said flatly that Carty needed to go. "He's a snake in the grass," he said. "He couldn't have stayed, not after what he did."
Flight attendant Lyn Rose said she was flooded with relief when concessions were approved last week, only to feel shocked by the next day's revelations about executive perks.
"Since then, the rumors, the anger, the betrayal, the frustration have really sapped all the flight attendants I have flown with," Rose said. "I hope the news we got today will be a fresh start. I hope we'll avoid that bankruptcy."
That would be devastating to the North Richland Hills attendant, who said she can afford the proposed pay cuts but depends on her post for her family's health benefits.
"I would be so embarrassed if we're the ones that hold out," she said. "It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face."
American isn't out of the bankruptcy woods yet. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants was still weighing whether to vote on the concessions again. Officials with the Allied Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union
had decided not to vote again.
Staff Writers Bob Cox and Maria Perotin Contributed to This Report.