12
STl
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
THE BATTAI
Hangin’ around
Recreational tree climber Jessica
Ciomperlik, a freshman biology major,
secures ropes and a zip line to trees
around the Memorial Student Center
JP Beato III • THE BATTALION
Tuesday afternoon. The Student Society of
Aboricultures membership drive attracted
people wanting to climb up, then slide
down, the trees.
k
American Airlines pilots
approve concessions deal
By Angela K. Brown
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH, Texas —
American Airlines pilots and
ground workers approved wage
and other concessions that the
airline said it needed to avoid fil
ing for bankruptcy, the pilots’
union announced Tuesday.
American, the world’s largest
carrier, waited for results of vot
ing by flight attendants, which
were also expected Tuesday.
Airline officials had vowed to
file for bankruptcy as early as
Tuesday if any of the three unions
rejected the concessions.
American is trying to cut labor
costs by $1.8 billion a year, or
more than 20 percent.
Underscoring American’s
financial troubles, auditors for its
parent company expressed doubt
Tuesday about the company’s
ability to stay in business, citing
large losses and the need to cut
labor costs.
Leaders of American’s three
main unions had reluctantly sup
ported the concessions as a better
alternative than bankruptcy. They
feared that American could use
the bankruptcy process to impose
even harsher cuts and reduced
pension benefits.
“To willingly take our airline
and our company into bankruptcy
would not be a better alterna
tive,” said John Darrah, president
of the pilots’ union, while
announcing the results of the
pilots’ voting. “There is no
upside to bankruptcy.”
But angry employees packed
union meetings to complain that
terms of the concession deals
were too harsh. They objected to
the length of the deals — nearly
six years — and small raises in
later years.
American sweetened the deals
last week by offering one-time
bonuses of up to 4.5 percent in
2006 or later if the company’s
credit ratings improve sharply.
The Allied Pilots Association
said its members approved the
concessions 69 percent to 31
percent. The union said 10,200
pilots, a high turnout, took part.
Darrah said he had hoped for a
larger margin favoring the
agreement.
u
To willingly take
our airline and our
The flight attendants' mi
said it asked Monday fornJ
time to vote because of probli|
with balloting but Ametii
denied the request. A m
spokesman said there was a
in making contract land
available to employees.
The union elections weretj
ducted by phone and over
Internet — an accelerated pi
needed to meet American’s
cation deadline.
Employees began
shortly after negotiators foi
company and unions reached-
tative agreements March 31
Pilots and ground wort
|| Volume 1
By
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Muster 20
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ng each nam
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niony in Rt
he roll call v
were able to change their vd )n display \
Tuesday, but flight at:
until
dants were not, raising cone IS an Aggie.
Those bei
company into
bankruptcy would
not be a better
alternative.
able for visit
In past ca
ivho died tl
— John Darrah
pilots' union president
Loc
The Transport Workers
Union said on its Web site
Tuesday morning its members
had approved the concessions
contract by a 53 percent to 47
percent margin.
Discussions between the
company and union leaders con
tinued up to the end of voting,
including a meeting between
Darrah and American chairman
and chief executive Donald J.
Carty on Tuesday morning
before either man knew the
results of the voting.
that many flight attendants!
voted to reject the deal be:M ave an item
American sweetened the i have a c
last week with possible bonus
American sought $660 mil;
in annual concessions from
12,000 pilots, $620 millionf
34,000 ground workers andi ;
million from 24,000 flight ac
dants. The agreements inci]
layoffs for 2,500 pilots,
2,000 flight attendants and a;
1,400 ground workers.
Carty warned that if Amen;
went into bankruptcy, it n
seek $500 million in addins
labor concessions.
Darrah said he feared thi:
American went into bankmpi
it would ground 100 planes;
lay off another 500 to
pilots.
American’s parent,
Worth-based AMR, has lost it
ly $5.3 billion in the pastt
years and continues to loseatej
$5 million a day.
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