AFA Leadership Expressed Displeasure with Executive Bonuses!

At our first Labor Leadership meeting with Peter Bowler this year AFA leaders expressed our disappointment in the inappropriate timing of bonuses many AMR Executives are to receive. Present for the meeting were: MEC President Veronica Tenerelli, MEC Vice President Carl Gautreaux, MEC Grievance Chair Deb Sutor, and IAFA Lead Council David Borer.

When the discussion regarding the bonuses was raised, American Eagle President Peter Bowler, told the leadership from ALPA, TWU and AFA, how hard it is to keep Executives in the corporate world and that pay and benefits need to stay inline with other fortune 500 companies in order to retain them. AFA MEC President, Veronica Tenerelli, reminded Peter “all of the front line employees who have helped build this airline could leave as well without competitive wages, furthermore, these bonuses seem inappropriate and untimely with all the cost initatives the company is continually seeking from us, the front line employees”. IAFA Lead Council David Borer stated, “ 20 years ago CEO pay was about 40 times the pay of the average worker; today CEOs make more than 400 times what the average worker makes. These bonuses were nothing more than corporate greed! Someday there was going to be a VERY angry workforce at their front door with torches if they didn’t start paying attention to corporate greed.”

We let them know that it is difficult to ask the work-groups to tighten their belt for the company when they are distributing such large bonuses. During negotiations it was brought to the table several times of how AMR was hurting. If they can afford to distribute these massive bonuses, it is hard for us to take any cutbacks, sacrifices or cost initiatives seriously.

The Union leadership from ALPA, TWU and AFA, have been invited by American Eagle President, Peter Bowler to attend monthly meetings

to review our cost. The AFA leadership will continue to attend these monthly meetings in the spirit of working together and to ensure that your voice is heard and we will keep you informed.