American Airlines is announcing that this month top executives will split close to $200 million in stock bonuses while workers will get nothing. The entire profit for American Airlines last year was $231 million.
The greed of the company's managers is putting America's hardest working families in jeopardy. Top executives should not take millions when employees made personal sacrifices to save the company from bankruptcy and still have not had their wages and benefits restored.
CEO Gerald Arpey told workers in 2003 to pull together and that "we would share the pain and share in the gain." Since then, the 27,000 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 and workers brought in more than $100 million in new revenue from other airlines. Now foreign airlines are flying their planes to the U.S. for repairs at American's facilities! Other workers at American have contributed to similar gains.
Refusing to reward employees for a job well done is bad for the talented people who work for American Airlines - and for their communities. It's just plain bad business.
Sign the petition to send a letter to the vice presidents of American Airlines. Tell them to stop their corporate greed and support a more equitable workplace!
Dear Senior Manager [Last name],
I am deeply concerned by the news that American Airlines' top executives will divide close to $200 million in stock bonuses this month while employees who have been living on reduced salaries since 2003 won't get one additional penny. Your company should live up to its promises "to share its gain" with the hard-working and talented people who have made American Airlines successful.
American Airlines would not be enjoying the increased share value it has today if ground workers represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) had not partnered on a redesign of the airline's repair facilities, boosting efficiency and drastically cutting costs. Through hard work and personal sacrifice, TWU members have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in recurring cost savings and more than $100 million in new revenue for your company. Other workers also have shared sacrifices and "pulled together."
The Transport Workers Union has given you a proposal suggesting ways in which workers could share in the company's return to profitability, but that proposal was rejected. Is it any surprise that Congress is looking into ways to limit executive compensation in public companies like yours?
It's not too late to right this wrong. Don't forget CEO Gerald Arpey's promise to American workers: "Pull together" and we will "share the pain and share in the gain." I'm certain that you can find a better way to share.
[Your comment here]
Please treat the American Airline workers with dignity and respect by rewarding them for a job well done.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your comment]
