Association to American:
“Comprehensive” Proposal is Garbage
Dear Association member,
In an internal communication to TWU-IAM Association members at American Airlines, Kerry Philipovitch and David Seymour—American executives who have not attended one negotiating session—claim the Association is dragging its feet in responding to American’s “comprehensive” proposal. FALSE! Association executive level negotiators told American negotiators that their comprehensive proposal belongs in the garbage. It is an insult to the membership and doesn’t deserve any further response.
Accurate information is important. The company’s “comprehensive” proposal does the following:
- Outsources work and eliminates jobs
- Maintains legacy American’s high cost health care
- Includes insulting wage rates that are not industry-leading
- Eliminates pensions and shifts risk to workers
Their “comprehensive” proposal was also riddled with basic mistakes including significant errors in wage scales and retirement language. The negotiators that sold Manhattan to the Dutch for $24 were better prepared.
We invite these ghost negotiators, Kerry and David, to show up at our next negotiating session so we can give them the personal response they deserve. And American’s entire negotiating team is welcome to attend one of the collective bargaining training sessions at the IAM’s Winpisinger Center. Maybe then they will develop the skill set required to bargain a fair contract that Association members deserve.
The “comprehensive” proposal is akin to a bribe and a bad one at that. Association represented workers will not be fooled. American Airlines is the most profitable carrier in the industry and American Airlines’ Association workers deserve a truly industry-leading contract.
Fraternally,
On behalf of the TWU-IAM Association,
Sito Pantoja
