Stop Outrageous Pay and Bonus Checks to American Corporate Execs
This month, AMR, the parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle, will determine if top execs should get millions in extra pay, despite a losing performance and their workers taking reduced wages and facing layoffs.
In many ways, AMR is the poster child for poor management and corporate greed. CEO Gerard Arpey told workers in 2003 to pull together and that "we would share the pain and share in the gain." Since then, ground workers at American Airlines represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) have saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars by creating new efficiencies. AMR workers also brought in hundreds of millions more in new revenue from other airlines. Now foreign airlines are flying their planes to the U.S. for repairs at American facilities! Other workers at AMR have contributed to similar gains.
However, despite millions in new revenue and productivity gains, none of the workers at AMR have "shared the gains." AMR's executives, in contrast, have pocketed $300 million in bonus payments since 2003.
Do something about it! Tell American Airlines' Board of Directors to stop giving outrageous checks to their execs - and ask them to support a more equitable workplace!
Dear AMR Board Member:
I think it is outrageous that you are paying millions to executives when you have cut wages for frontline workers and laid off thousands. This should not be "the American way."
If American Airlines and American Eagle were making a profit, increasing market share or share value you might have an argument - but this is not the case. If anyone has a case for bonuses it's your ground workers and other employees that took 30 percent wage cuts. Those same workers have found ways to boost productivity and increase revenues by bringing in outside maintenance work. Yet despite the sacrifices and the contributions, you fail to negotiate new wage agreements with your workers while you award execs $300 million in five years and now perhaps millions more. Enough already!
Americans are tired of corporate highway robbers walking off with hundreds of millions in bonuses at companies such as AIG and Merrill Lynch. American Airlines can do better. I ask you to not award bonuses to your top executives until you have fairly compensated ground workers and others at American and American Eagle who keep the planes safe and flying.
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