Since the bankruptcy announcement by American Airlines TWU Local 561 started reaching out to our National, State and Local Politicians as well as local influential business owners in order to educate them on the potential impact this bankruptcy will have on our community. TWU Local 561 has partnered with TWU Local 568 and 570 on this campaign. We are doing our very best to get the message out to educate our representatives on just why this bankruptcy is both wrong for American and bad for America. With pension,health,wages and Jobs all at risk we cannot afford to stand in the shadows and wallow in mediocrity. As President of this Local I ask for your help in getting the message out. Please take the time to contact your National , State and Local Elected Representatives. Share your thoughts and concerns regarding this bankruptcy and how it can potentially effect you and your family. As we continue reaching out to our political leaders your personal messages and conversations will carry far more weight than ours alone. Below you will find links to contact National,State and Local Representatives. Please be professional and respectful when reaching out to our Elected Representatives and remember Florida is a crucial swing state and this is an election year.
Also please take the time register on our Help Support American Jobs web cite at www.ISupportAmericanJobs.com. please share this link with friends and family as numbers matter.
The following 1113 term sheets were provided to the TWU Negotiating Committees. Although narrow, we will do our best to mitigate the proposals. We are planning to review the Company’s Business plan with our attorneys and the financial analysts hired by President Little. The savings that the Company has proposed is in the form of headcount reduction and work rule changes.
In separate documents, the Company has confirmed their intention to close Alliance Maintenance base over the next 12 to 18 months. They have not made a decision on the TAESL Shop.
Other changes the Company wants to make are proposed to apply to all work groups, such as Health Care Insurance, Sick Leave, and Overtime and Field Trip rules. We will keep you up to date with the most complete and informative information as possible.
Below are the term sheets provided to the TWU Negotiating Committees.
Below is the Update released by the ATD regarding NMB meetings.
TWU representatives met yesterday afternoon with Harry Hoglander and Larry Gibbons of the NMB and American Eagle Senior Management. The NMB notified all parties “that they remain committed to helping the TWU reach labor agreements with American Eagle, despite the company’s November bankruptcy filing” and “that the bankruptcy filing at AMR does not immediately impact the NMB’s function or status of open cases”. This morning the TWU is again meeting with the NMB, along with the APFA, APA and AA Senior management, and anticipate they will be receiving the same message for the open mediation cases on the AA property. How this position will be viewed by the bankruptcy Judge, Lawyers, Company or Unions is unknown at this time. For the most updated information on the AMR bankruptcy, please visit the TWU bankruptcy website at aa.twu.org.
Jorge Rojas
President TWU Local 561 MIA/TPA/FLL
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Last Updated on Thursday, 26 January 2012 18:13
AMR Bankruptcy – February 1st Meetings
Written by Jorge Rojas
Thursday, 26 January 2012 22:08
Dear Brothers and Sisters
The meetings scheduled for February 1, 2012 will take place at Flagship University in the Americana Room.
The AA group will meet at 10:00 am and the purpose of this meeting is to initiate the process for changes to our collective bargaining agreements pursuant to Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code. At this meeting, the Company's Chief Restructuring Officer, Beverly Goulet, will make a presentation on the company's restructuring Business Plan, and provide supporting information relating to the plan. Following that presentation, Jeff Brundage will discuss proposed changes that affect all Unions. Then, company negotiators will meet separately with each of the Unions to present specific proposals and supporting information.
The American Eagle group will meet at 2:00 pm to receive the same presentation of the AA restructuring Business Plan. Their negotiations will begin in the weeks following completion of the AA discussions.
Fraternally Robert Gless Deputy Director Air Transport Division
(TWU Represents the Majority ofAMR Employees) onToday’s Bankruptcy Filing by American Airlines and American Eagle
We are very disappointed by today’s action by AMR. The Transport Workers Union will doeverything possible to protect our members at both American Airlines and American Eagle.Work at both airlines will continue through the Chapter 11 reorganization.Our union had tried to work with AMR managers to make the company more cost competitive and more efficient. In the past month we had reached tentative agreements for
both flight dispatchers and fleet service workers. Fleet service is American’s largest bargaining unit.Other TWU units at both American and Eagle had previously inked agreements. Our aircraft mechanics and maintenance workers, represented by TWU, have saved the company several hundred million dollars over the past decade through boosted
productivity and by bringing inwork from other airlines. While we think this bankruptcy could have and should have been avoided, it does not come
as a surprise. TWU engaged special bankruptcy counsel two
years ago as a contingency and our attorney Sharon Levine
f the firm Lowenstein Sander PC will file claims on behalf of TWU members later today in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of New York.
This is likely to be a long and ugly process and our union will fight like hell to make sure that front line workers don’t pay an unfair price for management’s failings.We also will do everything possible to protect our passengers. American Airlines does more maintenance in-house and in the
USA than any other major US-based airline. Other bankruptcies in the airline industry have seen aircraft overhaul and other repair work sent to less secure. poorly regulated maintenance facilities in third world countries. We will do everything in our power to maintain quality and safety for this airline and its passengers, while protecting the interests of our members. Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) represents 200,000 workers and retirees, primarily in commercial aviation, public transportation and railroads. The union is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
