At AA we are completely understaffed. Lots of cancellations, reassignments and reserves being sent to other bases to cover open trips.
That alone is leverage.
Our contact becomes ammenable on May 1, 2008.
I am optimistic with our union leadership. They mean business. I've never seen a unified group of pilots like this at AA. I'm hoping we can match UAL's line guarantee, and quote me on this "there will be a pay raise"
I will be low on time by choice from May on, until we receive/resign a new improved contract.
Most of the trips I fly have 3 legs a day. At AA only the last trip of the month is pay protected. Pay guarantee is 64 hours. Scheduling Never calls to give a heads up that your trip has canceled. If you commute and a trip cancels your choices are go home without pay, get a hotel and hope you can get a trip before it goes to a reserve or put yourself on reserve (yeah right).
AA management has proposed that if the pilots want to make more money, then they should pick up trips. They say there will be no pay raises.
Mid April another PUP (Management performance payout) is expected to pay AA managers more than 100 million again for failing in every way to;
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become more profitable
stay last in customer service
safety
lack of maintenance
canceling more flights than any other airline
failing to match profits made by DAL and CAL

In a nutshell thats sort of whats going on here.