Carrier Says Sticker Stuck On MD-80 Violates FAA Rules
An American Airlines pilot was upset about a remark made by the
company's vice president of human resources, Jeff Brundage. To show
his displeasure, he put a little sticker on his MD-80 in May that
was critical of the airline's executive bonuses.
American Airlines showed its displeasure recently by suspending
the unidentified, Fort Worth-based pilot without pay for 30 days,
according to the Associated Press.
"We think that this punishment is extreme," Michael Leone, an
American pilot who serves as vice-chairman of the Dallas/Fort Worth
chapter of the Allied Pilots Association, told the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram.
The monetary loss came to about $12,000. The union has requested
donations from its members for a fund for the pilot. They've raised
$1,100 so far.
Leone said the pilot apologized for the incident and promised it
wouldn't happen again.
"No reasonable person would even consider placing such a
financial hardship on one of our pilots and their families" for a
minor infraction of company policy, Leone said. "The punishment
clearly does not fit the crime."
American spokesperson Sue Gordon said the sticker was a
violation of Federal Aviation Administration rules and that,
although the carrier doesn't usually comment about employee
matters, the suspension was in accordance with normal
procedures.
It's unknown exactly which comments upset the pilot, but this
can be counted as yet another skirmish between employees and
management over the bonuses. About 800 upper level executives were paid
about $160 million in company stock in April while
rank-and-file employees continue to work under a reduced wages and
benefits package agreed to in 2003 to help keep the company
afloat.
When pilots marched on the company's headquarters in protest in
April, Brundage angered many he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
"If they want to make what executives make, then they need to
become executives."
Undeterred, parent company AMR is planning yet another wave of
bonuses. This time, though, it's just for its top five executives
only.
If these five get good reviews and company stock does well, they
could see a payout of as much as $12.9 million in 2010, according
to the Dallas Morning News. Divided evenly, the group stands to
receive about $2.5 million each.
Not bad for a day's work...